Hurricane Francelia - Meteorological History

Meteorological History

The origins of Hurricane Francelia were from a tropical wave – an elongated low pressure area – that exited the western coast of Africa on August 19. It moved westward across the tropical Atlantic Ocean, and the annual summary of 1969 tropical cyclone activity indicated there may have been a depression briefly located within the system. On August 26, an area of convection, or thunderstorms, developed along the wave, about 800 miles (1300 km) east of Barbados. A Hurricane Hunters flight two days later reported no circulation. As the system moved through the southern Lesser Antilles, ships and land observations suggested a circulation developed, indicating the formation of a tropical depression in the extreme southeastern Caribbean Sea early on August 29.

The new tropical cyclone moved quickly west-northwestward away from South America, and on August 30 Hurricane Hunters recorded winds of 45 mph (75 km/h). Based on the observation, the depression was upgraded to tropical storm status and given the name Francelia. Strengthening continued to near hurricane-force, but the fast-moving circulation outran the convection, causing brief weakening as it passed south of Jamaica. Although initially forecast to continue to the west-northwest, Francelia slowed and turned to the west-southwest on September 1 due to ridge higher pressures to its north. Concurrently, the storm intensified into hurricane status after its winds reached 75 mph (120 km/h), and late on September 1 Francelia passed over Swan Island. During its passage, an atmospheric sounding occurred in its eye; a sounding is a measurement of the physical properties of the atmosphere, and the process had only occurred four times previously.

Hurricane Francelia continued west-southwestward toward the northern coast of Central America, strengthening significantly despite its proximity to land. A Hurricane Hunters flight on September 2 reported winds of 115 mph (185 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 973 mbar as the hurricane crossed over the Bay Islands, only 30 miles (50 km) off the coast of Honduras. Francelia weakened slightly as its forward movement slowed, but it remained a hurricane as it approached land, based on confirmation from ship reports. Late on September 3, the hurricane made landfall with winds estimated at 110 mph (180 km/h), just north of Punta Gorda in southern Belize, then known as British Honduras. Tropical storm force winds spread across the country, although hurricane force winds occurred only in a small area near where the hurricane made landfall. Francelia weakened quickly over land, dissipating late on September 4 over Guatemala. The system continued slowly across Central America, crossing into the eastern Pacific Ocean three days after it moved ashore. On September 8, the remnants of Francelia redeveloped into Tropical Storm Glenda off the coast of Mexico, which moved parallel to the southwest Mexican coast before dissipating on September 12.