Meteorological history of Hurricane Dorian

Hurricane Dorian

Map plotting the storm's track and intensity, according to the Saffir–Simpson scale
Meteorological history
Formed	August 24, 2019
Extratropical	September 7
Dissipated	September 9, 2019
Category 5 major hurricane
1-minute sustained (SSHWS/NWS)
Highest winds	185 mph (295 km/h)
Lowest pressure	910 mbar (hPa); 26.87 inHg
Overall effects
Areas affected	Lesser Antilles, Puerto Rico, the Bahamas (particularly the Abaco Islands and Grand Bahama), Eastern United States, Eastern Canada
Part of the 2019 Atlantic hurricane season
History Meteorological history Effects The Caribbean The Bahamas The Carolinas Alabama controversy Other wikis Commons: Dorian images

Hurricane Dorian was the strongest hurricane to affect The Bahamas on record, causing catastrophic damage on the islands of Abaco Islands and Grand Bahama, in early September 2019. The cyclone's intensity, as well as its slow forward motion near The Bahamas, broke numerous records. The fifth tropical cyclone, fourth named storm, second hurricane, and first major hurricane of the 2019 Atlantic hurricane season,^{[1][nb 1]} Dorian originated from a westward-traveling tropical wave, that departed from the western coast of Africa on August 19. The system organized into a tropical depression and later a tropical storm, both on August 24.

The newly formed Dorian strengthened only gradually over the next few days because of dry air and vertical wind shear. On August 27, Dorian made landfall in Barbados and St. Lucia before entering the Caribbean. Dorian's structure was seriously disrupted after encountering the mountains of St. Lucia, causing the system's center to reform north of its previous location. Moving farther north and east than anticipated, Dorian passed east of Puerto Rico on August 28. Simultaneously, relaxing wind shear and warm sea surface temperatures allowed Dorian to become a Category 1 hurricane as it moved over the United States Virgin Islands. Intensification temporarily stagnated on August 29 before a spurt of rapid deepening began on August 30. During this time, the hurricane turned west-northwestward, then westward, as a ridge built in the subtropics to the north. Dorian achieved Category 5 intensity – the highest classification on the Saffir–Simpson scale – on September 1. The system reached peak intensity later that day, with winds of 185 mph (295 km/h) and a central pressure of 910 mbar (hPa; 26.87 inHg) while making landfall on Elbow Cay in The Bahamas.^{[nb 2]}

Dorian weakened steadily throughout September 2; the storm's forward momentum came to a crawl while it was crossing over Grand Bahama. The system fell below major hurricane status on September 3, as it began to accelerate northwards. On September 5, Dorian briefly reintensified into a Category 3 hurricane, as it traversed the warm waters of the Gulf Stream. Increasing wind shear weakened Dorian once again, as it turned northeast and approached the Outer Banks. On September 6, Dorian made landfall on Cape Hatteras as a low-end Category 2 hurricane. As Dorian became increasingly influenced by the westerlies, it transitioned into a post-tropical cyclone on September 7 just before passing over Nova Scotia. It then became fully extratropical the next day over the Gulf of Saint Lawrence and was absorbed by a larger extratropical cyclone on September 9.

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