Tropical Storm Paulette returned as a cyclone, after more than five days of being degraded.
(CNN) ––
It seems that the chaos of a record hurricane season is not enough for 2020. Now we have “zombie” tropical storms to worry about, like Paulette.
The US National Weather Service mentioned this term that we hadn't heard of yet ... even though it's 2020. The term "zombie tropical storms" appeared in an agency tweet on Tuesday.
Because 2020, we now have Zombie Tropical Storms.
Welcome back to the land of the living, Tropical Storm #Paulette pic.twitter.com/98QNEaTr4S
- National Weather Service (@NWS) September 22, 2020
“Since it's 2020 we now have zombie tropical storms. Welcome back to the world of the living, Tropical Storm Paulette.
Paulette formed in early September.
It was part of the five active tropical cyclones in the Atlantic Ocean.
This was the second time in history that so many storms existed simultaneously.
Paulette's career
As a Category 1 hurricane, Paulette made landfall in Bermuda.
Then, it was strengthened to category 2 over the island on September 14.
Later, it lost speed and its status as a tropical storm, for which it was degraded to a low-pressure post-tropical system.
The system, formerly known as Paulette, was put to rest for five and a half days.
That is, until this week.
Then Paulette regained strength and became a tropical storm again on Monday, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Paulette reappeared that day about 482 kilometers off the coast of the Azores Islands.
Paulette has returned as a "zombie" tropical storm.
These "zombie" tropical storms, like Paulette, are rare, but have happened before, according to CNN meteorologist Brandon Miller.
“Conditions can become hostile for a tropical storm to maintain its intensity.
But, if it doesn't completely dissipate, it can revive days later when conditions become more favorable, "explained Miller.
2020, a "good candidate" for tropical storms "zombies"
And with the apocalypse that has been 2020, this year is perfect for these eerie storms.
“2020 is a good candidate to experience a zombie storm because water temperatures are above average in most of the Atlantic Ocean.
And obviously we are seeing a record number of storms, which increases the chances that some can regenerate, "said Miller.
LOOK: We are running out of names for the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season
Paulette is not the first storm to return from the dead.
The last time this happened was in 2004 with Hurricane Ivan.
If you're wondering why the tropical storm wasn't renamed Gamma, it's because meteorologists were able to track the storm's vortex.
We have had so many tropical storms this year that we have run out of names.
So we started naming them after the letters of the Greek alphabet.
Brandon Miller and Judson Jones, both from CNN, contributed to this story.
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