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Tropical Storm Matthew was the fourth and deadliest tropical cyclone to make landfall in Central America during the 2010 Atlantic hurricane season. Matthew, despite being a tropical storm, proved to be destructive. The fifteenth tropical cyclone and thirteenth named storm of the year, Matthew formed on September 23 and lost its tropical cyclone characteristics in the morning of September 26. However, its remnants continued to produce life-threatening rainfalls over parts of Central America as it dissipated. Throughout Central and South America, torrential rain produced by Matthew triggered widespread flooding and landslides. Eight people were killed by the storm in Venezuela, and at least 100 people have been confirmed dead throughout Central America and southern Mexico. In Mexico, a massive landslide, roughly long, buried nearly 300 homes. Initially, officials feared hundreds of casualties, but the impact was much less fatal than expected. ==Meteorological history== The origins of Tropical Storm Matthew were from a tropical wave that emerged into the Atlantic from the west coast of Africa on September 11. On the following day, that tropical wave contributed to the development of Hurricane Julia near Cape Verde. The southern portion of the system continued westward into the Atlantic with minimal development until September 20. After no further organization over the last eight days, convection associated with the tropical wave began to increase, and the National Hurricane Center (NHC) first mentioned the wave as an area for potential tropical cyclogenesis on September 21, noting favorable environmental conditions. However, deep convection associated with the system remained disorganized,〔 despite surface and air data indicating an organizing surface circulation. A low pressure area formed on September 22 near Curaçao in the south-central Caribbean Sea; at that point, the NHC assessed a high chance of tropical cyclone development. The thunderstorm activity remained disorganized, but on September 23 the convection increased and became better organized, and curved bands developed throughout the day.〔 Late that day, a Hurricane Hunters flight into the system confirmed the development of a well-defined circulation, and the NHC initiated advisories on Tropical Depression Fifteen about 485 mi (755 km) east of Puerto Cabezas, Nicaragua. However, post-analysis indicated that the system had already been a tropical depression for six hours.〔 While the National Hurricane Center initially classified the depression, it was noted in post-analysis that the system had already intensified into Tropical Storm Matthew,〔 but was operationally carried as a tropical depression until 2100 UTC September 23. based on confirmation from Hurricane Hunters. At the time, it was moving generally westward, due to a subtropical ridge over the northwestern Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico. Tropical cyclone prediction models anticipated a path near or over Nicaragua, followed by Matthew stalling near the Yucatán Peninsula due to a collapse in steering currents. There was uncertainty in the timing of the latter events, and the NHC noted that great intensification could occur if the storm remained over warm waters; this was due to favorable conditions, such as sea surface temperatures exceeding and an upper-level anticyclone. As the storm gradually strengthened during the morning of September 24 after a burst in convection, and the National Hurricane Center noted that there was a considerable uncertainty over the path Matthew would take in the long run. Some numerical models forecast the tropical storm to pass through the Yucatán Peninsula into the Bay of Campeche, while others forecast Matthew to reach the peninsula's coast, then do a sharp turn to the northeast back into the Caribbean Sea. As such, the NHC considered its track forecast—and by extension, its intensity forecast—to be of "low confidence." Tropical Storm Matthew attained its peak intensity on September 24, 1800 UTC, with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph (95 km/h) and a minimum barometric pressure of 998 mbar (hPa; 29.47 inHg). Only an hour later, Matthew made landfall 23 mi (37 km) south of the border of Nicaragua and Honduras on September 24 with winds of 60 mph (95 km/h). Matthew briefly emerged into the Gulf of Honduras and did not re-intensified due to its close proximity with land. Heading west-northwestward toward Belize, Matthew made landfall near Monkey River Town with winds of 40 mph (60 km/h).〔 After moving inland, Matthew quickly weakened, and was a strong tropical depression only three hours later. From thereon, Matthew underwent further gradual weakening while simultaneously losing forward speed as it moved over southern Mexico. In the morning of September 26, it finally justified its forecast faith by weakening to a remnant low; however, it continued to produce heavy rainfalls over parts of eastern Mexico and other parts of Central America. Matthew's remnants dissipated completely over Mexico, however increased moisture and convection throughout the Bay of Campeche and Caribbean Sea contributed to the development of Tropical Storm Nicole only two days after.〔 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「Tropical Storm Matthew (2010)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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