Hurricane / Tropical Storm Harvey
Harvey arose from a tropical wave west of West Africa on 13 August 2017 and quickly travelled westwards across the tropical Atlantic Ocean. Before entering the Caribbean Sea, Harvey was classified as a tropical storm for the first time on 17 August 2017. While crossing the Lesser Antilles and moving over the Caribbean Sea Harvey decreased and nearly dissipated; he was neither classified as tropical storm nor a tropical depression any more. The remnants moved into a northwesterly direction across the Mexican peninsula of Yucatan towards the southwestern Gulf of Mexico until 22 August 2017. Due to very favourable conditions – sea surface temperatures of 30–31°C and low windshear – Harvey reawoke, warm and moist air near the surface began to circle around a center and finally intensified into a category 1 hurricane in the evening of 24 August 2017. Unlike most forecast models suggested, Harvey strengthened into a category 4 hurricane in just over 24 hours and immediately before arriving at the shoreline of Texas.