Hurricane Sandra

On Monday 23rd November Hurricane Sandra hit the southern Gulf of California. On its journey North, it was close enough to drop more than 2 feet of rainfall along part of the coast of Western Mexico. However, Sandra remained well off the western Mexican coast during the most dangerous period, November 25-27, 2015. It was a very powerful hurricane with sustained winds of up to 130 knots, or 150 mph.

 

An analysis created by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Centre in Greenbelt, Maryland showed that much of Sandra's rainfall occurred over the open waters of the Eastern Pacific Ocean. The analysis also shows moisture flowing from Hurricane Sandra also caused heavy rainfall totals of over 700 mm (28 inches) in an area northeast of Puerto Vallarta, in Mexico.

 

On Thursday morning, 26th November 2015, Sandra was recorded to be the latest Category 4 hurricane in either the eastern Pacific or Atlantic basins. The previous Category 4+ tropical cyclone  in either the Eastern Pacific or Atlantic basins was Hurricane Kenneth, in 2011.

The unseasonably late storm could have inflicted significant damage to the agricultural region's maturing crops. It was expected to bring power cuts, a strong storm surge and flooding. However it became a Category 3- hurricane when it reached land.

 

Before Sandra rapidly weakened, it became an unusually strong hurricane for so late in the tropical season. Sandra eventually died down on 29th November, after becoming only remnants of its powerful self on 28th November.

 

Interesting fact:

A 3D looking of the storm, produced by a drone, showed that Hurricane Sandra actually had 2 eyes.

 

 

 An aerial photo showing the movement of the forming

hurricane and the eye, or epicentre.