2004 Pacific hurricane season
The 2004 Pacific hurricane season officially started May 15, 2004 in the eastern Pacific, and June 1, 2004 in the central Pacific, and lasted until November 30, 2004. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the northeastern Pacific Ocean.
Storms
Hurricane Darby
Tropical Depression Five-E formed south of Mexico on July 26. Later that day, it was upgraded to Tropical Storm Darby, and only four hours later, at 2 am (0900 UTC) on July 27, is upgraded to Hurricane Darby. It moved due west at this point, aiming directly for the big island of Hawaii. It reached Category 3 strength on July 29, the first major hurricane in the northeastern Pacific basin since 2002. However, long before it reached Hawaii, it lost strength and dissipated on the evening of July 31.
Hurricane Howard
Tropical Depression Eleven_E formed from a tropical wave about 400 mi. southwest of Acapulco, Mexico and headed northwest, steadily strengthening as it did so. Howard peaked briefly as a Category 4 and then started to weaken. By the time Howard reached a point off the coast of the Baja peninsula, it was only a tropical storm. Howard weakened further, becoming a tropical depression on September 5 and degenerated into a remnant low later that day. The low hooked around and headed southwest. Howard dissipated on September 10 without making landfall.
Hurricane Javier
Tropical Depression Thirteen-E formed out of an area of low pressure south-southeast of the Gulf of Tehuantepec on September 10. It slowly moved northwest, being designated Tropical Storm Javier on the morning of September 11. It was upgraded to a hurricane on the afternoon of September 12, and peaked at Category 4 strength on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale after rapidly strengthening on September 13.
Warnings began to be issued on September 15 for Baja California. While Javier peaked at Category 4, with windspeeds of 150 mph (240 km/h), it weakened dramatically before striking land south of San Ignacio in Baja Sur as only a tropical depression. Its remnants continued over Baja and inland.
Tropical Storm Lester
An area of tropical disturbance centered about 90 miles (150 km) south-southwest of Puerto Angel, Mexico, developed into Tropical Depression Fifteen-E on the afternoon of October 11. Due to its proximity, attention was immediately paid to it, and Mexico began issuing watches early the next day. With the 2 pm PDT (2100 UTC) update on October 12, it was upgraded to a tropical storm and named Lester.
It sat mainly stationary just off the coast of Mexico, spending most of October 13 only 25 miles (40 km) west of Acapulco. In the afternoon, it became clear that Lester was falling apart, and with the 2 pm update, even though it was still close to shore, it was downgraded to a tropical depression and advisories ended as it rapidly disintegrated.
Related pages
2004 Atlantic hurricane season
References
Pacific hurricane seasons
Pacific hurricane season
Pacific hurricane season