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| South Atlantic Hurricane Basin | |
|---|---|
| Name | South Atlantic Hurricane Basin |
| Basin | South Atlantic |
| Seasons | Southern Hemisphere cyclone season |
South Atlantic Hurricane Basin is the maritime region of the southern Atlantic Ocean where tropical and subtropical cyclones occasionally develop, presenting rare but significant hazards to coastal areas of Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, and nearby maritime traffic. The basin is influenced by interactions among the South Atlantic Ocean, the Equator, the South Atlantic Convergence Zone, and subtropical atmospheric circulation features such as the South Atlantic High and the Westerlies (Southern Hemisphere). Cyclogenesis in this basin has been documented by agencies including the Brazilian Navy Hydrographic Center, the National Institute of Meteorology (Brazil), and international organizations such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the World Meteorological Organization.
The basin spans coastal and open-ocean areas off the coasts of Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, and the island groups of the Trindade and Martim Vaz and the Falkland Islands. Its seaward limits abut the broader South Atlantic Ocean and the transition to the South Pacific Ocean is mediated by the Drake Passage and the southern tips of South America. Northern extents approach the Equator while southern limits extend toward the Antarctic Convergence and the Southern Ocean. Maritime routes such as those around the Port of Rio de Janeiro, the Port of Santos (Brazil), and the Rio Grande (Brazil) corridor can be affected by basin storms.
Cyclogenesis is modulated by sea surface temperature anomalies surrounding Brazil and the Benguela Current influence farther south, interactions with the South Equatorial Current, and variability associated with El Niño–Southern Oscillation and the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation. The South Atlantic Convergence Zone and transitory disturbances from the Intertropical Convergence Zone occasionally seed convection, while synoptic-scale shear imposed by the South Atlantic High and the Subtropical Jet Stream tends to inhibit tropical development. Seasonal peaks correlate with the southern warm season and the austral summer, when the thermal gradient between the Tropics and Antarctic regions weakens and sea surface temperatures near the coast of Brazil can rise. Interactions with mid-latitude systems such as cold fronts originating near Patagonia and the South American Low-Level Jet also contribute to transitionary cyclone structures.
Documented events include the 2004 extratropical-to-tropical transition near Santa Catarina (state), the 2009 Cyclone Catarina that struck the coast of Santa Catarina (state) and made landfall near Mais (commonly referred to by media as an unprecedented South Atlantic hurricane), the 2010s storms analyzed by the Brazilian Navy Hydrographic Center and the MetSul Meteorologia network, and examples of subtropical developments impacting the Falkland Islands and Uruguay coasts. Reanalyses referencing datasets from the International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship and the Global Tropical Cyclone Best Track Data have identified systems in the 20th century that produced gale-force winds near the Brazilian shelf and affected shipping lanes between Montevideo and Rio de Janeiro. Peer-reviewed studies published in journals affiliated with institutions such as the University of São Paulo, the National Observatory (Brazil), and the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro have cataloged climatological cases and paleotempest evidence from coastal sediment cores near Laguna (Brazil) and estuarine records near São Paulo (state).
Operational monitoring uses satellite platforms managed by organizations including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites, and the Japan Meteorological Agency, combined with coastal radars operated by the Brazilian Navy Hydrographic Center and the National Institute of Meteorology (Brazil)]. Numerical guidance relies on global models run by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, the Global Forecast System, and ensemble products from the UK Met Office. Regional forecasting centers such as the Brazilian Center for Weather Forecasting and Climate Studies and national meteorological services in Uruguay and Argentina coordinate alerts with maritime authorities including the International Maritime Organization and port authorities at Port of Rio Grande (Brazil). Advances in scatterometer retrievals from missions by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the Indian Space Research Organisation have improved detection of near-surface winds over the basin.
Storms have produced coastal flooding, storm surge, and high waves affecting ports such as the Port of Rio de Janeiro and the Port of Santos (Brazil), disrupted shipping along routes linking Buenos Aires and Santos, damaged infrastructure in municipal areas like Florianópolis and Porto Alegre, and caused agricultural losses in southern Brazil and Uruguay. Economic sectors affected include maritime commerce handled by the Brazilian Association of Port Terminals, fisheries operating out of Itajaí and Rio Grande, and tourism in coastal destinations such as Santa Catarina (state). Emergency responses have involved national civil defense agencies such as Brazil’s Ministry of National Integration and municipal bodies in Santa Catarina (state) and Rio Grande do Sul (state), with international assistance coordinated through organizations including the Pan American Health Organization in severe cases.
Research initiatives are led by universities and research institutes including the University of São Paulo, the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, and the Brazilian National Institute for Space Research, often in collaboration with international partners like the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, and the WMO Tropical Cyclone Programme. Projects employ high-resolution regional models, coupled ocean–atmosphere systems, and reanalysis datasets from the ECMWF Reanalysis and the NCEP/NCAR Reanalysis, while observational campaigns utilize ocean buoys maintained by the Brazilian Navy Hydrographic Center and remote sensing from missions such as Aqua (satellite), Suomi NPP, and Sentinel-3. Ongoing work focuses on improving parameterizations for convection, sea surface temperature bias correction, and the representation of air–sea fluxes in coupled models to refine projections for extreme events and inform adaptation strategies promoted by institutions like the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and regional climate centers including the South American Climate Outlook Forum.
Category:Atlantic hurricanes in South America