An easterly wave moved off the African coast on September
8th. It was a well-developed system as it
moved across the Atlantic and Caribbean sea. Convection increased
in association with the wave while
in the Caribbean and the system had become sufficiently well-organized
to be considered a tropical depression
on the 14th. The depression moved just north of due west,
bypassing Jamaica to the south. Development ensued,
and the system became a tropical storm just south of Jamaica.
Strengthening continued, with Fifi becoming a
hurricane. Turning south of due west, Fifi strengthened into a
category 2 hurricane before interacting with the
north coast of Honduras. Making landfall in souther Belize, the
storm weakened into a tropical depression while
travelling across southern Mexico. As it emerged into the Pacific
ocean, Fifi became a tropical storm once more,
and was renamed with a name from the eastern Pacific naming list,
Orlene. Orlene arced just offshore the
southwest coast of Mexico regaining hurricane strength before making a
second landfall in west-central Mexico.
The cyclone moved inland and dissipated while crossing northern Mexico.
Below is a storm total rainfall map for Fifi/Orlene.
Note the maximum which fell along the east side of
the Sierra Madre Oriental in eastern Mexico.