Tropical Storm Beryl (2006) - Meteorological History

Meteorological History

A cold front moved off the East Coast of the United States on July 16 and stalled off the coast of North Carolina. It gradually decayed into a surface low pressure trough, and developed into two disturbances; one was centered 290 miles (490 km) south-southeast of Cape Cod and another was located 200 miles (320 km) south of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. The first low quickly organized into an unnamed tropical storm, and the other area initially remained broad and ill-defined. However, by July 18, the system became much better organized with improved banding features, and the area developed into Tropical Depression Two while located 220 miles (355 km) south-southeast of Cape Hatteras.

The depression moved slowly to the north-northwest through a break in the subtropical ridge, and as convective banding features became more prominent the system intensified into Tropical Storm Beryl. Throughout much of its duration, the storm tracked through an environment with light vertical wind shear and well-established upper-level outflow. Shortly after becoming a tropical storm, the low-level circulation of Beryl became exposed with limited deep convection, though deep convection re-developed the following morning. Outflow continued to improve, and with warm sea surface temperatures Beryl gradually intensified to attain peak winds of 60 mph (95 km/h) early on July 20 while located about 120 miles (190 km) east of Nags Head, North Carolina.

Beryl maintained peak winds for about 18 hours as it paralleled the Mid-Atlantic and New Jersey coasts, during which an eye-like feature developed in the center of the convection. Late on July 20, it began a slow weakening trend after passing over cooler waters. Steering winds ahead of an approaching mid-level trough caused Beryl to accelerate northeastward, and early on July 21 the center of the storm crossed the island of Nantucket. The convection diminished as it moved through progressively colder waters, and shortly after 1200 UTC on July 21 Beryl became an extratropical cyclone a short distance east of Cape Cod. Hours later, it made landfall in southwestern Nova Scotia, and on July 22 the extratropical remnants of Beryl merged with an approaching cold front over Newfoundland.