| Timeline of the 2010 Atlantic hurricane season | |
|---|---|
 Season summary map | |
| Season boundaries | |
| First system formed | June 25, 2010 |
| Last system dissipated | November 7, 2010 |
| Strongest system | |
| Name | Igor |
| Maximum winds | 155 mph (250 km/h) (1-minute sustained) |
| Lowest pressure | 924 mbar (hPa; 27.29 inHg) |
| Longest lasting system | |
| Name | Igor |
| Duration | 13 days |
The 2010 Atlantic hurricane season was an event in the annual tropical cyclone season in the north Atlantic Ocean. It was one of the most active Atlantic hurricane seasons since record keeping began in 1851 as 19 named storms formed. [1] [nb 1] The season officially began on June 1, 2010, and ended on November 30, 2010, dates that conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones develop in the Atlantic basin. [3] The first storm to form was Hurricane Alex, on June 25; and the last to dissipate was Hurricane Tomas, on November 7.
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Of the year's 19 named storms, 12 strengthened into hurricanes with five intensifying further into major hurricanes. [nb 2] The two most significant storms of the season, in terms of damage and loss of life, were hurricanes Igor and Tomas. Igor was one of the largest storms by gale diameter on record, and one that attained maximum sustained winds of 155 mph (250 km/h) before striking Newfoundland as a much weaker storm several days later. Tomas was a late-season tropical cyclone that rapidly intensified to reach maximum sustained winds of 100 mph (160 km/h) as it entered the eastern Caribbean Sea. Though the system did not make landfall, it severely affected the Greater Antilles, and impacted the southeastern Bahamas as a tropical storm before quickly moving into the open Atlantic.
This timeline documents tropical cyclone formations, strengthening, weakening, landfalls, extratropical transitions, and dissipations during the season. It includes information that was not released throughout the season, meaning that data from post-storm reviews by the National Hurricane Center, such as a storm that was not initially warned upon, has been included.
The time stamp for each event is first stated using Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), the 24-hour clock where 00:00 = midnight UTC. [5] The NHC uses both UTC and the time zone where the center of the tropical cyclone is currently located. The time zones utilized (east to west) prior to 2020 were: Atlantic, Eastern, and Central. [6] In this timeline, the respective area time is included in parentheses. Additionally, figures for maximum sustained winds and position estimates are rounded to the nearest 5 units (miles, or kilometers), following National Hurricane Center practice. Direct wind observations are rounded to the nearest whole number. Atmospheric pressures are listed to the nearest millibar and nearest hundredth of an inch of mercury.
