During the 2005 Atlantic Hurricane Season , a total of 28 Tropical and Subtropical Cyclone s formed, plus an additional 3 tropical and subtropical depressions. Statistics for this record-breaking season are given here.
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The 2005 Atlantic hurricane season, with 28 nameable storms (wind speed ≥ 39 mph), is the most active season on record, surpassing the 1933 Season's 21 nameable storms. With 15 hurricanes, the 2005 season also has had the most hurricanes form, surpassing the 1969 Season's 12. While the 1950 Season still holds the record for the most major hurricanes, eight (2005 had seven), the 2005 season has also tied the 1999 Season's record of five Category 4 and 5 hurricanes and holds the record for the most Category 5 hurricanes in a single season, four (see below).
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With the formation of Tropical Storm Vince , Tropical Storm Wilma , and Tropical Storm Alpha , 2005 became the first season to use the ' V ', ' W ' and Greek Letter names, respectively, since naming of Atlantic storms began in the 1950 season. It also has the distinction of being only the second season to use the ' R ', ' S ', and ' T ' names. Only the 1995 Season had previously used these letters.
2005 holds the record for the most storms to ever form during the month of July. Five storms (Cindy, Dennis, Emily, Franklin, and Gert) formed during that period. The previous record for most storms to form in the month of July was four; this record was held by the 1966 and 1995 seasons.
The number of storms before the end of July (seven) is also a record, breaking the record of five set in the 1887 , 1933 , 1936 , 1959 , 1966 , and 1995 seasons.
2005 and 1933 share the record for the most storms (17) forming before the end of September. 2005 now also holds the record for most storms (23) forming before the end of October and ties for the number of storms forming ''during'' October with 1950, as seven storms ( Stan , Unnamed Subtropical Storm, Tammy , Vince , Wilma , Alpha and Beta ) formed during that period. 2005 also ties the record for most storms forming in November, with 3 storms (Gamma, Delta and Epsilon); 2001 is the other year with 3.
Tropical activity during the 2005 season was unusually continuous from start to finish, unlike most hurricane seasons, which have significant periods of inactivity. Out of the 26 weeks in the hurricane season, just two had no tropical activity, the week of June 19 and the week of November 6 . Between June 28 and October 31 , the longest lull period was just four and a half days. This means that 2005 saw 19 weeks of near-continuous activity. There was record or near-record activity in every month of the season except for June.
The 2005 season was the first time since reliable measurements began that the Atlantic basin recorded more tropical storms than the Western Pacific Typhoon Season , which is typically by far the most active basin worldwide.
This table gives the number of storms by month of formation and storm category on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale . The meanings of the one-letter (or number) categories can be ascertained by placing the cursor on that heading.
Entries which are bolded surpassed or tied records established by previous seasons.
Hurricane Katrina became the fourth most intense Atlantic hurricane on record (currently sixth) when the storm's central pressure dropped to 902 Mbar on August 28 .
Hurricane Rita became the third most intense Atlantic hurricane (currently fourth) and the most intense hurricane on record in the Gulf Of Mexico after reaching a pressure reading of 895 mbar on September 21 .
Basin to record a minimum central pressure below 900 mbar with a central pressure of 894 mbar and winds of 155 Mph on October 20 . Katrina , Rita and Wilma are the three most intense storms ever in a single Atlantic hurricane season.
Hurricane Wilma also underwent the most rapid deepening for a 24-hour period ever measured. At noon on October 18 , Wilma had a central pressure of 980 mbar (28.93 inches). At noon on October 19 , Wilma had a central pressure of 882 mbar (26.04 inches), a pressure fall of 98 mbar (2.89 inches), breaking the previous record of 92 mbar (2.71 inches) set by Super Typhoon Forrest in the Western Pacific in 1983. Some sources, however, say that Forrest's pressure was lower than originally measured (876 mbar instead of 883 mbar). This fact would imply that Forrest retains the record with a pressure fall of 100 mbar in 24 hours, and thus this uncertainty is noted here.
In addition, Hurricane Dennis and Hurricane Emily , both in July, reached 930 mbar and 929 mbar respectively, becoming the two strongest storms on record in July.
Katrina was also the third most intense hurricane on record to make landfall in the United States in terms of pressure (920 mbar), behind the Labor Day Hurricane Of 1935 and Hurricane Camille in 1969 .
When Emily reached Category 5 intensity on July 16 , it became the earliest Category 5 hurricane ever, shattering the record set by Hurricane Allen in the 1980 Season . When Katrina reached Category 5 intensity on August 28 , it became only the third time in recorded history (and the first time since the 1961 Season ) that there had been two Category 5 hurricanes in a single season. When Rita reached Category 5 intensity on September 21 , 25 days after Katrina, the 2005 season became the first that had three Category 5 storms. When Wilma became a Category 5 storm on October 19 , the 2005 season doubled the record set by the 1960 and 1961 seasons, becoming the first that had four Category 5 storms.
Almost every storm in 2005 has set a record for early formation. The table shows the dates on which each storm formed, and the old record for earliest-forming storm of that number.
The table below describes the characteristics of the individual storms. Included are data on the storms overall and on the landfalls of each. The colors are associated with the Saffir-Simpson Scale of hurricane intensities, and are summarized in the table on the right side of this paragraph. (To see a brief description of how an intensity is defined, just place your cursor on the appropriate element of the right-hand table.)
Entries which are bolded are records for the Atlantic basin.
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