Tropical Storm Ana (2003) - Impact, Records, and Naming

Impact, Records, and Naming

Prior to the development of Ana, the government of Bermuda issued a gale warning for the island. Upon its classification by the National Hurricane Center, a tropical storm warning was issued for Bermuda. Meandering near the island for several days while developing, the storm dropped 2.63 inches (67 mm) of precipitation in a six-day period at the Bermuda International Airport. Winds on the island did not reach tropical storm force. Swells from the storm impacted the coast of Florida. The combination of the swells and an outgoing tide caused a boat to capsize in Jupiter Inlet on April 20; two of its occupants drowned, and the other two were rescued. As an extratropical storm, the remnants of Ana dropped 0.87 inches (22 mm) of precipitation in the city of Ponta Delgada in the Azores. Moisture from the remnants of Ana also produced beneficial rainfall in the United Kingdom. Two ships recorded tropical storm force winds in association with Ana; the Atlantic Forest recorded 51 mph (82 km/h) and a pressure of 998 mbar on April 22, and the Rosa Delmas reported winds of 47 mph (76 km/h) on April 23.

On April 20, Ana became the second subtropical cyclone on record in the Atlantic basin in the month of April, after a subtropical storm in 1992. After attaining tropical characteristics, it became the first tropical storm on record in the month of April. Ana was also the fifth earliest forming tropical or subtropical cyclone in the Atlantic basin, after the 1908 March hurricane, which formed on March 6, the 1952 Groundhog Day tropical storm, which formed on February 2, the 1978 January subtropical storm, which formed on January 18, and Hurricane One which formed on January 3.