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Saturday, September 18, 2021

Tropical Storm Peter (2021)

Storm Active: September 18-22

A tropical wave entered the Atlantic in mid-September and encountered some favorable conditions for development; already by September 15, after about a day over water, there was a well-defined center of circulation. However, thunderstorm activity was limited over the next few days as it moved west-northwest. Convection increased some as the system moved nearer to the Lesser Antillies on the 17th, but it took until the 18th for a true closed surface low to appear. At that time, it was designated Tropical Depression Sixteen. Soon after that, it strengthened into Tropical Storm Peter.

Peter was approaching a major threat to its survival: a powerful upper-atmospheric trough was bringing high wind shear to much of the western Atlantic, and conditions became hostile for the new tropical storm as it continued west-northwestward. It managed to strengthen a little more the shear out of the west stripped the center of thunderstorm coverage on September 19. Flare-ups continued over the next day though, when the center passed just north of the Leeward Islands, too far away to cause much in the way of rain.

The system followed a typical curving path toward the north after that. Relentless shear brought about Peter's steady decline starting on September 20. The next day, it weakened to a tropical depression, and the following day, a remnant low. The remnants showed some signs of organization a few days later and were briefly monitored for redevelopment south of Bermuda. However, ex-Peter did not manage to regenerate into a tropical cyclone. Soon, it was absorbed by a larger low to the north.



The above image shows the sheared Tropical Storm Peter shortly after being named.


After crossing the tropical Atlantic as a tropical wave, Peter spent only a few days as a tropical cyclone because of hostile upper-level winds.

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