Typhoon Dora is one of only two storms to cross the International Dateline

Hurricane Dora at its peak intensity on August 6, 2023.
Source – NASA Earth View. Public Domain

Typhoon Dora is one of only two storms that has journeyed across all three Pacific Ocean basins after it crossed the International Date Line on Friday.

Dora’s journey began back on July 17, 2023, as a cluster of clouds and showers, or a tropical wave, in the eastern Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Africa. The tropical wave took a southern track across the Atlantic and did not further develop because of dry and stable air on its track.

After crossing Central America on July 28 and 29, the system grew stronger and more organized as it entered the eastern Pacific Ocean, becoming a tropical depression on July 31.

The tropical depression became Tropical Storm Dora on Aug. 1, once its winds reached 39 mph. With El Nino strengthening and warm ocean temperatures, it quickly intensified and grew into a strong Category 4 Hurricane.

The storm was then steered by a large area of high pressure into the Central Pacific, having traveled nearly 10,000 miles in total, including 5,000 miles across the Pacific Ocean.

Usually, the wa