Tropical Storm Florence (2012)

Storm Active: August 3-6

On August 3, a low pressure center center formed in association with a tropical wave near the Cape Verde Islands. The system was already producing a wide area of thunderstorm activity, and it organized rapidly, perhaps fueled by a local surface water temperature anomaly. In any case, the circulation was already very well-defined by the evening of August 3, and it was therefore classified Tropical Depression Six.

At that time, Six was southwest of the Cape Verde Islands. It adopted a west-northwest motion, and, following a more northerly path, encountered some dry air on August 4. However, the satellite presentation indicated that the system's winds had reached tropical storm force and the depression was named Tropical Storm Florence.

A well-defined center of circulation as well as an eyewall developed that day, and Florence strengthened into August 5, reaching its peak intensity of 60 mph winds and a pressure of 1000 mb. Soon after, however, dry air infiltrated the system, and convection decreased markedly. By that evening, the center was exposed, and the circulation already showed signs of elongation. Florence weakened quickly as a ridge to its north turned the cyclone westward. By the morning of August 6, there was no convection within 50 miles of Florence's center. It was downgraded to a tropical depression and a remnant low shortly after.

The remnants of Florence tracked across the Central Atlantic over the next few days, producing small areas of convection, despite the stable air environment. It degenerated further into an open wave on August 8. By August 12, the system had dissipated completely. Florence, becoming a tropical storm on August 4, was tied second-earliest formation of a sixth named storm in the Atlantic with 1936, behind only the most active season on record, 2005.



Tropical Storm Florence shortly after developing into a tropical storm.



Track of Florence over the Eastern Atlantic.