WORLD METEOROLOGICAL ORGANIZATION
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RA IV HURRICANE COMMITTEE
RA IV/HC-XXXI/Doc. 4.2(5)
(10.III.2009)
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THIRTY-FIRST SESSION
ITEM 4.2
NASSAU, BAHAMAS
20 TO 24 APRIL 2009
Original: ENGLISH
REVIEW OF THE PAST HURRICANE SEASON
REPORTS OF HURRICANES, TROPICAL STORMS, TROPICAL
DISTURBANCES AND RELATED FLOODING DURING 2008
Summary of the 2008 hurricane season in the French West Indies
(Martinique, Guadeloupe, St Barthelemy and St Martin)
(Submitted by France)
RA IV/HC-XXXI/Doc. 4.2(5), p. 2
DIRECTION INTERREGIONALE ANTILLES-GUYANE
SUMMARY OF THE 2008 HURRICANE SEASON
IN THE FRENCH WEST INDIES
(Martinique, Guadeloupe,
St Barthelemy and St Martin)
2008 was a quiet season for the FWI …until hurricane OMAR formed in the middle of the
Caribbean Sea the 13th of October and headed with a north-easterly motion to the very north of the
Lesser Antilles.
In the middle of the night between the 15th and the 16th of October, hurricane OMAR crossed the
Anagada Passage, between St-Martin and the Virgin Islands.
At this time, it was a category 3 hurricane with max sustained winds near 200 km/h (110 knots).
The centre passed just 70 kilometres west of Saint-Martin with a poorly defined eye.
RA IV/HC-XXXI/Doc. 4.2(5), p. 3
Sea and land conditions in St-Martin and St-Barth has been very rough but, fortunately, only during
a short period, because Omar was heading very fast to the north-east, with a speed between 40 and 45
km/h.
As OMAR tracked more than 300km away from Guadeloupe and 450km away from Martinique,
these islands were not directly concerned by the cyclonic winds. Nevertheless, the south-westerly
energetic cyclonic swell made great damage along the unprotected Caribbean coasts of all the Lesser
Antilles, with higher impact on the northern islands. Some intense rainbands also swept all the West
Indies, giving heavy but short thundery showers with up to 100km/h gusts.
Talking about data:
Saint-Barthelemy and Saint-Martin:
WIND:
Saint-Barthelemy (Gustavia) station: Max sustained wind: 53 kt (97 km/h), gusts 76 kt (140 km/h),
direction from South to West
Saint-Martin (Grand-Case, closer than St-Barth, but a bit protected from South-Westerly winds):
Max sustained wind: 42 kt (77 km/h), gusts 54 kt (99 km/h), direction West
RA IV/HC-XXXI/Doc. 4.2(5), p. 4
Considering these records, it has been estimated that some places in Saint-Martin, the most
exposed to South-westerly winds, experienced max sustained winds near 100-110 km/h (55-60 kt) with
gusts up to 160 km/h (85 kt).
PRESSURE:
WAVES and SWELL:
Saint-Barth and Saint-Martin were mostly affected by the cyclonic wind waves more than the long
swell. The mean waves were estimated around 5 meters from south-west with highest waves up to
7meters.
RA IV/HC-XXXI/Doc. 4.2(5), p. 5
RAINFALL:
Due to the rapid motion of OMAR, rainfall amounts have been moderate, around 50mm in StBarth, and 100-150mm in St-Martin.
Rainfall in mm (1mm = 1liter per m² )
Station (altitude)
1 hour
3 hours
6 hours
12 hours
Total ( 24h )
accumulation accumulation accumulation accumulation
Saint-Barthélemy Météo
(44 m)
Saint-Martin Grand-Case
(4 m)
28
33
36
45
50
45
63
76
106
115
Guadeloupe and Martinique:
WIND:
Some squall lines have generated south-westerly gusts between 70 and 90km/h with a maximum
recorded data of 92km/h in Desirade Island and 97km/h in South Martinique (300m asl).
Gusts in km/h recorded in
Martinique on the 16th October
Motion of the
squall line
Local time
WAVES and SWELL:
The long south-westerly swell arrived on the west coast of the Lesser Antilles on the 15th afternoon
in Guadeloupe, evening in Martinique. The maximum intensity occurred on the 16th morning with mean
waves around 3 – 3,5 meters on the west coast of Guadeloupe, and 2 – 2,5 meters in Martinique
( see maps below ).
The waves started to decrease the 16th in the afternoon, few hours after the most intense squall
line crossed the islands, and the sea became much quieter on the 17th morning.
RA IV/HC-XXXI/Doc. 4.2(5), p. 6
ANALYSIS from NWP / ECMWF (October, 16th at 2am local time)
BASSE-TERRE a city located south of the west coast of Guadeloupe
RA IV/HC-XXXI/Doc. 4.2(5), p. 7
Waves and damage in Guadeloupe
3 to 3,5m
heavy impacts
mean
waves,
It has been considered that the
swell of Omar, even if it was less
energetic,
made
as
much
damage as the swell of Lenny in
November 1999 in these areas.
2 to 2,5m mean waves,
moderate impacts
No impact
Waves and damage in Martinique
2 to 2,5m mean waves,
moderate impacts
0,5m to 1,5m mean waves
light to moderate impacts
No impact
RA IV/HC-XXXI/Doc. 4.2(5), p. 8
RAINFALL:
Some thundery rain bands crossed rapidly our islands, giving at each time, a few tens of
millimetres of rain. Data recorded on the AWS network show daily amounts from 25 to 70 millimetres and
sometimes very strong intensity (more than 15mm in 6 minutes).
“VIGILANCE” for the F.W.I (watch and warning system):
The vigilance procedure in the F.W.I. has been used for the hurricane threat in Saint-Martin and
Saint-Barth as well as for the swell and the gusty and thundery rain bands in Guadeloupe and Martinique.
The illustration below show the types of hazards, the levels of danger and the timing of the vigilance
applied from the 13th to the 17th of October.
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