Tropical Storm Danielle (1986) - Meteorological History

Meteorological History

Around September 1, a tropical wave moved off the western coast of Africa. It progressed westward through the tropical Atlantic Ocean, initially at a moderate speed before accelerating to 23 mph (37 km/h) on September 6. A tropical depression developed along the tropical wave early on September 7, and satellite imagery indicated that it quickly intensified into Tropical Storm Danielle about 385 mi (620 km) east-southeast of Grenada, an island in the Lesser Antilles.

On September 8, Hurricane Hunters flew into Tropical Storm Danielle and reported maximum sustained winds of 60 mph (95 km/h), as well as a pressure of 1,000 millibars (30 inHg). Initially, forecasters anticipated Danielle would strengthen further. As the storm moved through Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, a rainband north of the center contained winds of near hurricane force, which moved across the island of Saint Vincent. After maintaining peak winds for about 18 hours, Danielle began weakening in the eastern Caribbean Sea, due to entrainment of dry air from northern South America. Paralleling the northern coast of the continent, the circulation became dislocated from the convection. Late on September 9, the system weakened to tropical depression status, and the next day it dissipated in the western Caribbean. It was the only tropical cyclone in the Caribbean Sea during 1986.