&sq=Qlik&lang=&file=File:Hurricane_Gordon_2006.jpg) Gordon at peak intensity on September 14 | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | September 10, 2006 |
| Extratropical | September 20, 2006 |
| Dissipated | September 24, 2006 |
| Category 3 major hurricane | |
| 1-minute sustained (SSHWS/NWS) | |
| Highest winds | 120 mph (195 km/h) |
| Lowest pressure | 955 mbar (hPa); 28.20 inHg |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | None |
| Damage | $3.8 million (2006 USD) |
| Areas affected | Azores, Iberian Peninsula, British Isles |
| IBTrACS | |
Part of the 2006 Atlantic hurricane season | |
Hurricane Gordon was the first tropical cyclone since 1992 to affect the Azores while retaining tropical characteristics. The eighth tropical storm, third hurricane, and first major hurricane of the 2006 Atlantic hurricane season, Gordon formed on September 10 in the tropical Atlantic Ocean. It gradually matured into a hurricane as it tracked northward, reaching its peak intensity with winds of 195 km/h (121 mph) early on September 14 while located about 925 km (575 mi) southeast of Bermuda. After becoming nearly stationary, Gordon weakened to minimal hurricane status, although it re-intensified after accelerating to the east. It weakened again after moving over cooler waters, and passed through the Azores on September 20. Shortly thereafter, it became an extratropical cyclone and subsequently affected Spain, Ireland, and the United Kingdom.
The only land area affected while Gordon was tropical – the Azores – sustained little damage, in spite of wind gusts' reaching hurricane force on Santa Maria Island. Impact was much more significant from the storm in its extratropical phase. In Spain, wind gusts reached 183 km/h (114 mph) along the northwest coast and left 100,000 people without power. Five people in the country sustained storm-related injuries. Further north, the storm brought a surge of tropical air to Ireland and the United Kingdom, contributing to record warm temperatures. In Northern Ireland, high winds left 120,000 people without power and caused one injury.