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Hurricane Paloma was the third-strongest November Atlantic hurricane on record. It was the sixteenth tropical storm, eighth hurricane and fifth major hurricane of the 2008 Atlantic hurricane season. A late season hurricane, it set several records for its intensity and formation. Paloma was the third most powerful November hurricane on record in the Atlantic Basin, behind only a 1932 hurricane and 1999's Lenny. It also marked the first time that at least one major hurricane formed in every month of the hurricane season from July to November, with only June not having a major hurricane this season. Paloma developed out of a strong tropical disturbance off the eastern coast of Nicaragua and northern coast of Honduras on November 5. The disturbance had slowly developed into a tropical depression while hugging the coastline. The depression strengthened into a tropical storm early on November 6, then a hurricane later that day. The next day, Paloma intensified into a Category 2 hurricane then soon a Category 3. Early on November 8, Paloma continued to intensify and reached Category 4 intensity, and then weakened rapidly into a Category 2 before making landfall in Santa Cruz del Sur, Cuba. Paloma weakened into a tropical storm on November 9 while moving over Cuba, where it stalled out. It dissipated later that evening. Hurricane Paloma caused heavy damage in both the Cayman Islands and Cuba. Damages in the Caymans amounted to $154.4 million (USD), and damage in Cuba totaled to $300 million, and $100,000 in damage to Jamaica, for a total of $454.5 million, with one fatality. ==Meteorological history== In early November 2008, an area of disturbed weather persisted over the southwestern Caribbean Sea. By November 2, a surface trough manifested itself, spurring the development of scattered convection — shower and thunderstorm activity — across the region. A tropical wave approaching from the east interacted with this trough two days later and enhanced convective organization. Steadily consolidating, the system developed into a tropical depression by 18:00 UTC on November 5 while located 130 mi (215 km) southeast of the Nicaragua/Honduras border. Situated along the southwestern edge of a ridge, the depressed initially generally to the north-northwest before turning north-northeast within 12 hours of formation. Favorable environmental conditions, including low wind shear, allowed for steady intensification following cyclogenesis.〔 The HWRF and GFDL forecast models depicted rapid development of the depression into a major hurricane within five days before striking Cuba, the former of which indicated a peak intensity of and 921 mbar (hPa; 27.20 inHg). The system acquired gale-force winds early on November 6, at which time it was assigned the name ''Paloma''.〔 Aided by good upper-level outflow, deep convection blossomed over the storm's circulation.〔 Further development of banding features and eye resulted in Paloma rapidly intensifying into a hurricane by 00:00 UTC on November 7.〔 The initial phase of rapid intensification temporarily abated on November 7, though slow strengthening continued. Once its eye became defined on visible satellite imagery that evening, rapid strengthening ensued once more.〔 A localized area of high ocean heat content bolstered this phase.〔 Aided by increasing divergence from an approaching upper-level trough, Paloma's outflow greatly enhanced overnight.〔 The aforementioned trough imparted a slightly more northeasterly track on the hurricane. Around 09:00 UTC on November 8, the hurricane skirted Little Cayman as a Category 3. Rapid intensification continued through the first half of the daym with Paloma reaching Category 4 on the Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale around 10:30 UTC, the first such November system since Hurricane Michelle in 2001.〔 Around this time the storm's center passed over Cayman Brac and Little Cayman shortly thereafter.〔 An unofficial anemometer on Cayman Brac at an elevation of measured sustained winds of . Based on data from reconnaissance aircraft, which found flight-level winds , Paloma peaked with maximum one-minute sustained winds of 145 mph (230 km/h) at 12:00–18:00 UTC along with a minimum barometric pressure of 944 mbar (hPa; 27.88 inHg).〔 This ranked the system as the third-strongest November hurricane on record, only behind the 1932 Santa Cruz del Sur hurricane and Hurricane Lenny in 1999. Additionally this marked the first time that major hurricanes developed in five separate months during a single year, with Bertha, Gustav, Ike, and Omar reaching this strength in July, August, September, and October respectively. At is peak, Paloma displayed a well-defined eye surrounded by intense convection estimated at . Late on November 8, environmental conditions abruptly became hostile as the hurricane approached Cuba. Interaction with land hastened Paloma's weakening with convection diminishing significantly. The northern eyewall moved ashore around 23:00 UTC while the center itself made landfall at 01:00 UTC on November 9 near Santa Cruz del Sur. Upon moving ashore, Paloma was estimated to have had winds of 100 mph (155 km/h), making it a Category 2.〔 Within hours of moving ashore, the center decoupled from the remaining convection and its forward speed slowed significantly. The system subsequently degraded to a tropical depression by 18:00 UTC, just 24 hours after being a Category 4. With no convection redeveloping as the system drifted northward over Cuba, Paloma degenerated into a remnant low six hours later. The low then briefly moved over the Atlantic Ocean before doubling back to the southwest in response to a building ridge farther north. The system crossed Cuba again and re-emerged over the Caribbean Sea by November 12, changing direction this time to the west and later northwest. After crossing western Cuba early on November 13, the remnants of Paloma entered the Gulf of Mexico. Accelerating northward the low became decreasingly organized and ultimately dissipated early the next day about 70 mi (110 km) south-southwest of Apalachicola, Florida.〔 Later on November 14, the system moved inland over the Florida Panhandle where a sudden burst of convective development, akin to that of supercell thunderstorms over the Great Plains, took place. Thereafter, energy from Paloma may have contributed to a deadly tornado outbreak in The Carolinas on November 15. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Hurricane Paloma」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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