Hurricane Roxanne - Meteorological History

Meteorological History

Roxanne formed from a tropical wave that merged with a broad low pressure area and an upper trough just off the coast of Honduras. Although its development was complex, it is rather common in the western Caribbean. On October 6, data indicated that a broad low, a tropical wave, was well established near the Cayman Islands and Honduras. Satellite images indicated that the system was organizing and strengthening. All of these factors formed a tropical depression in the western Caribbean at 1800 UTC on October 7 near Nicaragua. At 0000 UTC on October 9, the depression became Tropical Storm Roxanne. Roxanne now posed a threat to the Cayman Islands and Cuba. However, the trough that was steering Roxanne to the north moved on and was replaced with a high pressure system. This system forced Roxanne west. As the storm moved towards the Yucatán, it intensified greatly.

On October 10, Roxanne strengthened into a hurricane at 0600 UTC and had a well-developed eye. By 1200 UTC on October 10, the storm continued to strengthen and its pressure had fallen to 972 mb. Shortly after Roxanne reached hurricane strength, it rapidly intensified to Category 3 strength; this was the first time that had happened in the western Caribbean Sea since the 1961 season when Hurricane Hattie took a very similar turn and intensification cycle. Roxanne reached her peak intensity with winds at 115 mph and pressure of 956 mb. Roxanne made landfall near peak intensity just north of Tulum, a small town near Cozumel, Mexico. Roxanne did not drop hurricane strength over land, despite the hurricane being inland for almost a full day and a half.

Roxanne emerged over water in the Bay of Campeche as a minimal hurricane. Roxanne weakened to a tropical storm again shortly after exiting the coast, and turned northwest. As soon as the circulation was mostly over water, Roxanne became a hurricane again. Since steering currents over the southern Gulf were weak, Roxanne took an erratic and unusual path. Hurricane Roxanne trudged southeast, threatening the Yucatán again before turning northwest again. Roxanne steadily weakened, turned south, and finally dissipated near the southern end of the Bay of Campeche.