2005 Azores Subtropical Storm - Impact, Classification, and Records

Impact, Classification, and Records

Tropical storm-force winds were reported across parts of the Azores, primarily on the eastern islands. The strongest winds were reported on Santa Maria Island, where 10-minute sustained winds reached 49 mph (79 km/h) with gusts to 59 mph (94 km/h). Ponta Delgada faced 38 mph (61 km/h) winds, with the peak recorded gust being 52 mph (85 km/h). No damage or fatalities were reported.

The storm was not classified as a subtropical storm until April 10, 2006, after a reassessment by the National Hurricane Center. Every year, the NHC re-analyzes the systems of the past hurricane season and revises the storm history frequently if there is new data that was operationally unavailable. If the storm had been operationally recognized it would have been named Subtropical Storm Tammy, and storms forming after October 4 would have been moved one name down the list. Hurricane Wilma would have been given the name Alpha: a name that, had it been retired like Wilma was, could not be replaced by an "alternate" Greek letter, as is the convention with names on the standard A–W list. When the system strengthened into a subtropical storm on October 4, it was the earliest the 19th tropical or subtropical storm of the season formed. The old record was held by an unnamed storm in the 1933 Atlantic hurricane season, which formed on October 25, 1933. It was also only the fourth time that 19 storms formed in a season.