Hurricane Celia (2010) (ePub)

High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Hurricane Celia was a powerful, early-season Category 5 tropical cyclone that existed over the open waters of the eastern Pacific Ocean during late June 2010. Forming out of a tropical wave about 370 mi (595 km) southeast of Acapulco, Mexico on June 18, Celia quickly organized as deep convection consolidated around the center, attaining hurricane status by June 20. Over the following days, the hurricane's winds fluctuated as wind shear impeded significant development. Once this shear lightened on June 24, the storm rapidly intensified to attain its peak strength with winds of 160 mph (260 km/h) and an estimated barometric pressure of 921 mbar (hPa; 27.2 inHg). Not long after reaching this strength, wind shear increased and the system entered a dry, stable environment. Over the following 42 hours, Hurricane Celia's sustained winds decreased to tropical storm force and the system began to stall over the open ocean by June 27. Despite highly unfavorable conditions, the storm managed to retain tropical storm status through June 28 and degenerated into a non-convective remnant low that evening. The remnants of Celia drifted northward, completing a counter-clockwise loop, and dissipated on June 30.