Central Pacific Hurricane Center facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Central Pacific Hurricane Center

Front view of the Central Pacific Hurricane Center
Agency overview
Jurisdiction	United States government
Headquarters	Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S. 21°17′55″N 157°49′00″W / 21.29861°N 157.81667°W / 21.29861; -157.81667
Parent agency	NOAA

The Central Pacific Hurricane Center (CPHC) is a special office of the United States National Weather Service. Its main job is to keep an eye on tropical cyclones (like hurricanes and tropical storms). The CPHC issues warnings and advice for the Central Pacific region. This area stretches from the equator northwards, between 140°W and 180°W longitude. It's especially important for protecting Hawaii.

The CPHC is also known as RSMC Honolulu. RSMC stands for Regional Specialized Meteorological Center. This means it's the official expert center for tropical cyclones in its part of the world.

The CPHC is located in Honolulu, Hawaii. It shares a building with the National Weather Service's Honolulu forecast office. This building is on the campus of the University of Hawaii at Mānoa. The Honolulu office activates the CPHC when tropical cyclones form or move into the Central Pacific. The CPHC took over this important role in 1970. Before that, another group called the Joint Hurricane Warning Center handled these forecasts.

What is the CPHC's Area of Responsibility?

Areas of responsibility for tropical cyclones, showing RSMC Honolulu's area (Region III).

The CPHC is responsible for the Central Pacific (CP) region. This is an administrative area, meaning it's set up for managing weather forecasts. It's not a natural "tropical cyclone basin" where storms typically form. However, people often call it the Central Pacific basin.

The western edge of this area is 180°W longitude. This line is very close to the International Date Line. So, for tropical areas, they often mean the same thing.

The CPHC's area covers parts of two larger weather regions. It includes the western part of the Eastern Pacific basin and the eastern part of the Western Pacific basin. Another group, the National Hurricane Center, handles the Eastern Pacific basin east of 140°W.

The hurricane season in this area runs from June 1 to November 30 each year. Storms can form in the Eastern Pacific and move west, possibly heading towards Hawaii. Storms can also form in the Western Pacific and move west, sometimes affecting Asia. Other smaller islands in the Central Pacific can also be impacted by these storms.

How are Hurricanes Named?

The Central Pacific Hurricane Center uses traditional Hawaiian names for hurricanes. These names are given to storms that form in their area. They have four different lists of names to choose from.

When all the names from the first list are used, they move to the second list. Then they go to the third, and then the fourth. After the fourth list is finished, they go back to the first list again. This is different from how names are used in the Atlantic or Eastern Pacific. In those areas, the names always start with "A" each new year.

So far, four names have been "retired." This means they won't be used again because the hurricanes they belonged to caused a lot of damage. The retired names are Iwa (1982), Iniki (1992), Paka (1997), and Ioke (2006). New names were chosen to replace them: Io (later changed to Iona), Iolana, Pama, and Iopa. The next name to be used from the lists is 'Hone'.

How Does CPHC Forecast Storms?

Since the 1990s, the CPHC has used a special computer system. It's called the Automated Tropical Cyclone Forecasting System. This system helps them create forecasts, warnings, and maps for tropical cyclones. It makes their work faster and more accurate.

See also

In Spanish: Centro de Huracanes del Pacífico Central para niños

• Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC)