| Accumulated Cyclone Energy | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Name | ACE | Rank | Name | ACE |
| 1 | Hernan | 20.0 | 9 | Genevieve | 3.60 |
| 2 | Elida | 18.1 | 10 | Iselle | 3.15 |
| 3 | Fausto | 16.6 (0.735) | 11 | Cristina | 2.46 |
| 4 | Kenna | 14.2 | 12 | Lowell | 0.885 (1.09) |
| 5 | Huko | (12.9) | 13 | Alika | (1.74) |
| 6 | Alma | 10.3 | 14 | Boris | 1.40 |
| 7 | Douglas | 9.33 | 15 | Julio | 0.565 |
| 8 | Ele | (7.24) | |||
| Total ACE: 101 (23.7) 104 kn2 | |||||
Accumulated Cyclone Energy (ACE) is a measure of the activity of a hurricane season. It is calculated by squaring the windspeed of a cyclone with at least tropical storm-force winds every six hours, summing the results, and dividing that total by 104. As a tropical cyclone does not have gale-force winds until it becomes a tropical storm, tropical depressions are not included in these tables. For all storms, ACE is given to three significant figures. The ACE in the east Pacific proper (140°W to North America) is given; the ACE in the central Pacific (the International Date Line to 140°W) is given in parentheses.
The table includes the ACE for Ele and Huko accumulated only when those storms were located east of the dateline; their ACE west of the dateline is part of the totals of the 2002 typhoon season.
The National Hurricane Center uses ACE to rank hurricane seasons as above-normal, near-normal, and below-normal. It defines below-normal as having an ACE less than 95*104 kn2; It defines above normal as having an ACE above 150*104 kn2 along with the numbers of any two of the following above average: tropical storms (15), hurricanes (9), or major hurricanes (4); It defines near-normal as having an ACE between 100*104 kn2 and 150*104 kn2, or an ACE above 150*104 kn2 with fewer than two of the numbers of the following above average: tropical storms (15), hurricanes (9), or major hurricanes (4).
The 2002 season had a total of fifteen tropical storms, eight hurricanes, and 7 major hurricanes. The total ACE of the season was 101*104 kn2 in the east Pacific proper. This qualifies the 2002 season as near-normal.
Read more about this topic: Timeline Of The 2002 Pacific Hurricane Season
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