2005 Tropical Cyclone Season Summary

Six tropical cyclones or their remnants entered the Canadian Hurricane Centre (CHC) Response Zone (RZ) in 2005, and a seventh came close but did not enter the RZ. Four of these six storms eventually entered Canadian territory: three moved through Canadian waters without making landfall, and one moved inland. One death was attributed to a tropical storm in Canada. The CHC issued a total of 101 bulletins during 2005.

Franklin (July 26-30) Track Map

Tropical Storm Franklin entered the RZ on the afternoon of July 28. Its maximum sustained winds were 90 km/h as it moved over the eastern marine areas on July 29-30. The CHC issued 20 bulletins.

Harvey (August 5) Track Map

Tropical Storm Harvey entered the eastern part of the RZ on August 8 as a weakening tropical system. The storm dissipated shortly thereafter, and it never posed a threat to Canadian territory. The CHC issued only one bulletin.

Irene (August 14-18) Track Map

Hurricane Irene entered the southern part of the RZ on August 15 and spent the next several days wandering eastward along the southern edge of the RZ, before finally making a turn to the north on August 18. Irene had weakened to tropical storm strength when it entered the extreme eastern part of the Grand Banks marine area, and no major impacts were reported in Canadian waters. The CHC issued 18 bulletins.

Katrina (August 28-31) Track Map

Hurricane Katrina made landfall as a devastating storm on the Gulf of Mexico coast of the U.S. By the time the storm's remnants reached the RZ on August 30 the system was below tropical storm strength with maximum sustained winds of 55 km/h. The storm centre moved south of the Great Lakes as an extratropical low pressure system on August 31, and merged with a front before reaching Canadian territory. It was the remnant tropical moisture from Katrina that had the largest impact on Canada. Rainfall amounts in excess of 100 mm were reported from many stations on the Niagara Peninsula, the north shore of Lake Ontario and along the St. Lawrence River Valley. Constant consultation took place between the CHC, the Ontario Storm Prediction Centre and the Quebec Storm Prediction Centre on the progress and impacts of Katrina during the storm's passage. The CHC issued 13 bulletins.

Maria (September 6) Track Map

The CHC issued only one bulletin on Hurricane Maria. The system came close to but did not enter the RZ.

Ophelia (September 13-18) Track Map

Ophelia entered the RZ at tropical storm strength late in the evening of September 16. The storm was undergoing extratropical transition as it passed south of Nova Scotia on September 17, and it made landfall at about 3:00 a.m. September 18 along the eastern shore of Nova Scotia. After crossing Cape Breton and the Cabot Strait, post-tropical Ophelia made a second landfall on the south coast of Newfoundland on the afternoon of the same day. Tropical storm watches and warnings were issued for all of Nova Scotia and the Magdalen Islands prior to and during the system's landfall in Nova Scotia. In all, eight tropical storm watches (WWCN31) were issued between September 16-18, and six tropical storm warning bulletins (WTCN31) were issued on September 17-18. The strong winds that were expected over Nova Scotia did not occur, however there were gusts to 80 km/h reported at Beaver Island in the eastern part of the province, and stronger winds were reported over parts of Newfoundland. Highest rainfall amounts were recorded in Nova Scotia, where some stations reported in excess of 80 mm. One death was attributed to Ophelia when a man slipped off his roof while checking for leaks during the storm in the Halifax area. The CHC issued 22 bulletins, not including the tropical storm watches and warnings.

Wilma (October 23-26) Track Map

Hurricane Wilma entered the RZ at about 9:00 a.m. on October 25. The storm moved very quickly across the southern marine areas on October 25 and 26. While the storm still had hurricane force winds associated with it as it passed, only the southernmost boundaries of Canada's marine areas were affected. A separate, extratropical low pressure system brought wind and rain to Atlantic Canada during Wilma's passage, but the tropical system seemed to have only a small impact on the development of the extratropical low. Wilma itself had no direct impact on any land areas in Canada. The CHC issued 11 bulletins.

Additional Information

On July 6, a bulletin containing information on Tropical Storm Cindy and Hurricane Dennis was issued. This bulletin was intended for public and media interests mainly to explain that neither of these storms was expected to affect Canada.

While Hurricane Rita dissipated on September 25, long before entering the RZ, some of the remnant moisture from the storm was drawn into an extratropical low pressure system crossing Canada during that time. This extratropical system was responsible for heavy rain in Quebec and Atlantic Canada, including a major flooding event in Stephenville, Newfoundland. Stephenville received more than 150 mm of rain on September 26-27.

Related Links

• Atlantic Hurricane Season 2005 Outlook