2008 Atlantic hurricane season
Ike was the most destructive storm of the season, as well as the strongest in terms of minimum barometric pressure, devastating Cuba as a major hurricane and later making landfall near Galveston, Texas, as a large high-end Category 2 hurricane. One very unusual feat was a streak of tropical cyclones affecting land, with all but one system impacting land in 2008.


2008 Atlantic hurricane season
The unusual number of storms with impact led to one of the deadliest and destructive seasons in the history of the Atlantic basin, especially with Ike, as its overall damages made it the second-costliest hurricane in the Atlantic at the time, although it would later drop to seventh after hurricanes Sandy, Harvey, Irma, Maria, and Ida.


2008 Atlantic hurricane season, Seasonal forecasts
Noted hurricane experts Dr. Philip J. Klotzbach, Dr. William M. Gray, and their associates at Colorado State University (CSU) – as well as forecasters at National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Met Office (UKMO), Tropical Storm Risk (TSR), Weather Services International (WSI) – issued forecasts of hurricane activity prior to the start of the season.


2008 Atlantic hurricane season, Seasonal forecasts
Dr. Klotzbach's team (formerly led by Dr. Gray) defines the average number of storms per season (1950 to 2000) as 9.6 tropical storms, 5.9 hurricanes, and 2.3 major hurricanes (storms reaching at least Category 3 strength in the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale). A normal season, as defined by NOAA, has 9 to 12 named storms, with 5 to 7 of those reaching hurricane strength, and 1 to 3 major hurricanes.


2008 Atlantic hurricane season, Seasonal forecasts, Pre-season forecasts
The first forecast for the 2008 hurricane season was released by CSU on December 7, 2007. In its report, the organization predicted 13 named storms, 7 hurricanes, 3 major hurricanes, and an annual Accumulated Cyclone Energy (ACE) index of 115 units. The odds of a major hurricane landfall in the Caribbean and along the United States were projected to be above average. ACE is, broadly speaking, a measure of the power of the hurricane multiplied by the length of time it existed, so storms that last a long time, as well as particularly strong hurricanes, have high ACEs. It is only calculated for full advisories on tropical systems at or exceeding 39 mph (63 km/h), which is the threshold for tropical storm strength. The odds of a major hurricane landfall in the Caribbean and along the United States were projected to be above average in the CSU forecast.


2008 Atlantic hurricane season, Seasonal forecasts, Pre-season forecasts
Three days later, TSR—a public consortium consisting of experts on insurance, risk management, and seasonal climate forecasting at University College London—called for a very active season featuring 15.4 (±4.7) named storms, 8.3 (±3.0) hurricanes, 3.7 (±1.8) major hurricanes, and a cumulative ACE index of 149 (±66) units. Mirroring CSU, the group assigned high probabilities that the United States and Lesser Antilles landfalling ACE index would be above average. On January 3, 2008, WSI projected 14 named storms, 7 hurricanes, and 3 major hurricanes.


2008 Atlantic hurricane season, Seasonal forecasts, Pre-season forecasts
In April, CSU slightly raised their values owing to a favorable Atlantic sea surface temperature configuration during the preceding month, upping the projected numbers to 15 named storms, 8 hurricanes, and 4 major hurricanes. TSR, in contrast, slightly reduced their numbers on April 7 due to cooler projections for Atlantic Ocean temperatures compared to their December forecast. WSI on April 23 raised the expected number of hurricanes from 7 to 8 and major hurricanes from 3 to 4 while leaving the number of named storms unchanged.


2008 Atlantic hurricane season, Seasonal forecasts, Pre-season forecasts
On May 22, the NOAA's Climate Prediction Center announced their first seasonal outlook for the 2008 season, highlighting 65 percent odds of an above-normal season, 25 percent odds for a near-normal season, and 10 percent odds of a below-average season. A range of 12 to 16 named storms, 6 to 9 hurricanes, and 2 to 5 major hurricanes was provided, each with 60 to 70 percent probability. The CPC, alongside TSR and CSU, highlighted the ongoing multi-decadal period of enhanced Atlantic tropical cyclone activity, the ongoing La Niña in the Pacific, and warmer than average ocean temperatures across the eastern tropical Atlantic as the basis for their predictions.


2008 Atlantic hurricane season, Seasonal forecasts, Midseason outlooks
On June 3, CSU released an updated outlook for the season but left their values from April unchanged. Examining conditions in April and May, the organization compiled a list of hurricane seasons with similar conditions: 1951, 1961, 2000, and 2001. TSR slightly lowered their numbers in their June 5 update but continued to predict an above-average season. Meanwhile, on June 18, the UKMO released their seasonal forecast, assessing a 70 percent probability the number of tropical storms would fall between 10 and 20, with 15 tropical storms noted as the most likely value in 2008.


2008 Atlantic hurricane season, Seasonal forecasts, Midseason outlooks
No projections for the number of hurricanes, major hurricanes, or ACE were given. On July 2, WSI held firm to their April forecast; the organization was forced to slightly increase the number of named storms and hurricanes later that month. On July 4, TSR slightly raised their forecast. Following an active start to the season, CSU upped their predictions in an August 5 update, calling for 17 named storms, 9 hurricanes, 5 major hurricanes, and an ACE index of 175 units.


2008 Atlantic hurricane season, Seasonal forecasts, Midseason outlooks
TSR released their final outlook for the season that day, raising their values to 18.2 (±2.9) named storms, 9.7 (±1.7) hurricanes, 4.5 (±1.4) major hurricanes, and an ACE index of 191 (±42) units. On August 7, NOAA's CPC raised their probability of an above-average season from 65 percent to 85 percent. The final outlook yielded a 67 percent chance of 14 to 18 named storms, 7 to 10 hurricanes, and 3 to 6 major hurricanes. WSI, meanwhile, issued their final seasonal outlook on August 27, reaffirming their numbers from the previous month.


2008 Atlantic hurricane season, Seasonal summary
The 2008 hurricane season officially began on June 1, though Tropical Storm Arthur formed one day earlier. The season was above-average, featuring 16 named storms, 8 of which intensified into hurricanes, while 5 of the hurricanes reached major hurricane status. Despite a La Niña dissipating early in the summer months, atmospheric conditions remained favorable for tropical cyclogenesis, including abnormally low wind shear between 10°N and 20°N. Additionally, sea surface temperatures in the deep tropics and the Caribbean Sea were fifth warmest since 1950. The season saw the first occurrence of major hurricanes in the months of July through November.


2008 Atlantic hurricane season, Seasonal summary
Four storms formed before the start of August, and the season also had the earliest known date for three storms to be active on the same day: Hurricane Bertha, and Tropical Storms Cristobal and Dolly were all active on July 20. This season was also one of only ten Atlantic hurricanes seasons on record to have a major hurricane form before August, as well as one of only seven Atlantic seasons to feature a major hurricane in November. The final tropical cyclone, Hurricane Paloma, degenerated into a remnant low-pressure area over Cuba on November 9, three weeks before the season officially ended on November 30.


2008 Atlantic hurricane season, Seasonal summary
The season was devastating for Haiti, where four consecutive tropical cyclones – Fay, Gustav, Hanna, and Ike – killed at least 793 people and caused roughly $1 billion in damage. Hurricane Ike was the most destructive storm of the season, as well as the strongest, devastating Cuba as a major hurricane and later making landfall near Galveston, Texas, at Category 2 (nearly Category 3) intensity. The cyclone caused a particularly devastating storm surge along the western Gulf Coast of the United States due to in part to its large size.


2008 Atlantic hurricane season, Seasonal summary
Ike was the second-costliest hurricane in the Atlantic at the time, but has since dropped to sixth following Sandy, Harvey, Irma, and Maria. Hanna was the deadliest storm of the season, killing 533 people, mostly in Haiti. Gustav was another very destructive storm, causing up to $8.31 billion in damage to Haiti, Jamaica, the Cayman Islands, Cuba, and the United States. Dolly caused up to $1.6 billion in damage to south Texas and northeastern Mexico.


2008 Atlantic hurricane season, Seasonal summary
Bertha was an early season Cape Verde-type hurricane that became the longest-lived July North Atlantic tropical cyclone on record, though it caused few deaths and only minor damage. The Atlantic basin tropical cyclones of 2008 collectively caused roughly $49.4 billion in damage and at least 1,074 fatalities. At the time, the season ranked as the third costliest on record, behind only 2004 and 2005. However, it has since fallen to eighth.


2008 Atlantic hurricane season, Seasonal summary
Other notable storms included Tropical Storm Fay, which became the first Atlantic tropical cyclone to make landfall in the same U.S. state on 4 occasions; Tropical Storm Marco, the smallest Atlantic tropical cyclone on record; Hurricane Omar, a powerful late-season major hurricane which caused moderate damage to the ABC islands, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands in mid-October; and Hurricane Paloma, which became the third-strongest November hurricane in recorded history and caused about $454.4 million in damage to the Cayman Islands and Cuba. The only storm of the season to not reach tropical storm status, Tropical Depression Sixteen, contributed to a significant flooding event in Central America, with the cyclone itself directly blamed for at least nine deaths.


2008 Atlantic hurricane season, Seasonal summary
Overall, the season's activity was reflected with a total cumulative ACE rating of 146. This was well above the normal average, and nearly double the rating given to each of the two preceding seasons (79 – 2006; 74 – 2007).


2008 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm Arthur
In late May, a westward-moving tropical wave and the mid-level remnants of Tropical Storm Alma from the East Pacific combined over the northwestern Caribbean Sea. This led to the formation of Tropical Storm Arthur by 00:00 UTC on May 31. The  cyclone reached its peak intensity with winds of 45 mph (75 km/h) six hours after development, and it made landfall at 09:00 UTC on June 1 about halfway between Belize City, Belize, and Chetumal, Yucatán Peninsula, at that strength.


2008 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm Arthur
Once inland, Arthur quickly lost organization and degenerated to a remnant area of low pressure around 00:00 UTC on June 2. It dissipated six hours later. In conjunction with Alma, Tropical Storm Arthur dropped over 12 in (300 mm) of rainfall across portions of Belize, destroying roads, washing out bridges, and damaging 714 homes. Total damage was estimated at $78 million, and five deaths were recorded.


2008 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Bertha
A well-defined tropical wave left Africa on July 1 and organized into a tropical depression by 06:00 UTC on July 3. Six hours later, it intensified into Tropical Storm Bertha, the easternmost tropical storm on record in the Atlantic during July. Steered on a west-northwest or northwest course, Bertha reached hurricane strength around 06:00 UTC on July 7. The cyclone then underwent a period of rapid intensification that brought it to its peak as a Category 3 hurricane with winds of 125 mph (205 km/h) later that day.


2008 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Bertha
Structural changes and a more hostile environment caused the storm to fluctuate in intensity as it passed east of Bermuda. By July 19, however, the storm began to undergo extratropical transition, a process it completed by 12:00 UTC the next morning. The post-tropical storm continued northeast and merged with a larger extratropical low near Iceland on July 21. Lasting a duration of 17 days, Bertha became the longest-lived Atlantic tropical cyclone on record during the month of July.


2008 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Bertha
As the cyclone passed east of Bermuda, it produced strong wind gusts peaking at 91 mph (146 km/h). Power lines were downed, cutting electricity to about 7,500 homes, and tree branches were snapped. Heavy rainfall, reaching 4.77 in (121 mm) at L.F. Wade International Airport, flooded roadways. Meanwhile, Bertha produced large waves and rip currents along the U.S. East Coast, resulting in 3 deaths offshore New Jersey and 57 water rescues in Atlantic City alone. Fifty-five people were injured off the coast of Delaware while an additional four individuals were injured off North Carolina. At Wrightsville Beach in particular, officials estimated at least 60 water rescues over a 48-hour span. Over a seven-day period beginning on July 9, the storm contributed to 1,500 ocean rescues in Ocean City, Maryland.


2008 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm Cristobal
A trough of low pressure, the remnants of an old frontal boundary, extended along the East Coast of the United States on July 15. The trough extended into the Gulf of Mexico the following day and resulted in the development of a circulation that subsequently crossed Florida on July 17. Once in the Atlantic, the system became better organized and coalesced into a tropical depression around 00:00 UTC on July 19. It intensified into Tropical Storm Cristobal twelve hours later.


2008 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm Cristobal
After passing close to the Outer Banks of North Carolina, the storm continued northeast and reached peak winds of 65 mph (100 km/h) early on July 21, when an eye feature was evident on microwave imagery. Progressively cooler waters began to weaken Cristobal the next day, and it was then absorbed by a large extratropical cyclone south of Newfoundland around 12:00 UTC on July 23.


2008 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm Cristobal
The precursor disturbance to Cristobal produced up to 6 in (150 mm) of rain in Florida, blocking storm drains and causing street flooding. Some 35–40 cars were pulled from submerged streets in Marco Island, with some vehicles submerged in as much as 2 ft (0.6 m) of water. Generally lesser rainfall totals occurred across the Southeastern United States, though record daily accumulations around 3.43 in (87.1 mm) resulted in minor flooding in Wilmington, North Carolina. Moisture from the tropical cyclone became intertwined with an approaching frontal system, producing a maximum rainfall total of 6.5 in (165 mm) in Baccaro, Nova Scotia. Basements were flooded and roads were washed out along the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia.


2008 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Dolly
A tropical wave emerged off Africa on July 11. As the wave moved west into the Caribbean, it produced gale-force winds and its satellite presentation resembled that of a tropical storm at times. However, the system did not develop a well-defined circulation until around 12:00 UTC on July 20, at which time it was designated as Tropical Storm Dolly about 310 mi (500 km) east of Chetumal, Quintana Roo.


2008 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Dolly
On a northwest course, the cyclone failed to organize initially; however, a more conducive environment in the Gulf of Mexico allowed Dolly to attain hurricane strength by 00:00 UTC on July 23 and reach its peak as a Category 2 hurricane with winds of 100 mph (155 km/h) twelve hours later. Dry air and cooler waters eroded the storm's eyewall after peak intensity, but Dolly still harbored winds of 85 mph (140 km/h) at its landfall on South Padre Island, Texas, at 18:20 UTC.


2008 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Dolly
It made a second landfall on the Texas mainland at a slightly reduced strength two hours later. Once inland, Dolly weakened to a tropical storm early on July 24 and ultimately degenerated to a remnant low around 00:00 UTC on July 26. The remnant low turned north and crossed the Mexico–United States border before losing its identity over New Mexico early on July 27.


2008 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Dolly
In its early stages, mudslides generated by heavy rainfall from the storm caused 21 deaths in Guatemala. As the storm progressed across the Yucatán Peninsula, it produced significant beach erosion in Cancún. Offshore, the body of a fisherman was recovered while three others were purported missing. Offshore the Florida Panhandle, one person drowned in rough surf. In Texas, the hurricane caused moderate structural damage to the roofs of homes on South Padre Island, where maximum sustained winds of 78 mph (126 km/h), gusting to 107 mph (172 km/h), were recorded. Some buildings of lesser construction were severely damaged as well.


2008 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Dolly
Extensive damage to trees and utility poles occurred throughout Cameron and Willacy counties. Six weak tornadoes or waterspouts were recorded, but generally minor damage was observed. Widespread heavy rainfall occurred throughout southern Texas, with a concentration of 15 in (381 mm) near Harlingen; this rainfall caused severe inland flooding. Farther south in Mexico, a hurricane research team east of Matamoros, Tamaulipas, recorded sustained winds of 96 mph (154 km/h), gusting to 119 mph (192 km/h). In the city itself, downed power lines fell into floodwaters, electrocuting a man.


2008 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Dolly
The remnants of the storm heavy impacted Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, where five homes and a historic church were collapsed and about 2,840 acres (1,150 hectares) of corn and barley were ruined. Farther north in New Mexico, an estimated 350–500 structures were damaged, roads and bridges were washed out, and one man was swept away by the swollen Rio Ruidoso river. In nearby El Paso, Texas, homes and streets were flooded, and one indirect death occurred when a driver rolled over after hitting a puddle. Overall, Dolly caused at least $1.6 billion in damage, with $1.3 billion in the United States and $300 million in Mexico.


2008 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm Edouard
A trough developed across the northern Gulf of Mexico on August 2 and quickly developed into a tropical depression about 85 miles (140 km) southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River around 12:00 UTC on August 3. The depression moved westward and intensified into Tropical Storm Edouard on August 4. The impacts of northerly wind shear initially curtailed intensification; the following day, however, a more favorable environmental regime allowed the storm to attain maximum winds of 65 mph (100 km/h).


2008 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm Edouard
Edouard made landfall near the McFaddin and Texas Point National Wildlife Refuges at 12:00 UTC on August 5 at peak strength. The system quickly weakened once inland and was downgraded to a tropical depression early on August 6 before degenerating into a remnant low at 06:00 UTC that day. It continued to move northwestward across Texas and dissipated around 00:00 UTC on August 7.


2008 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm Edouard
Rough surf and rip currents led to the deaths of three men in Panama City Beach, Florida, a fourth man in Perdido Key, a fifth man at Orange Beach, Alabama, and a sixth man near the mouth of the Mississippi River. Wind gusts in Louisiana peaked at 62 mph (100 km/h), ripping the roofs of mobile homes, downing numerous trees, and toppling power lines across Cameron, Calcasieu, and Vermilion parishes. Along the coastline, storm tides generally varied between 4–5 ft (1.2–1.5 m), with a peak of 5.09 ft (1.55 m) near Intracoastal City. This contributed to minor inland flooding.


2008 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm Edouard
In Texas, rainfall peaked at 6.48 in (165 mm) near Baytown, leading to the inundation of dozens of homes. Several roadways, including a portion of Interstate 10, were closed across Chambers and Harris counties. Sustained winds of 56 mph (90 km/h), gusting to 71 mph (114 km/h), brought down trees and power lines while inflicting minor roof damage to hundreds of homes. Overall Edouard caused about $800,000 in damage, with about $350,000 in Louisiana and $450,000 in Texas.


2008 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm Fay
A tropical wave emerged from Africa on August 6 and moved swiftly across the Atlantic, developing into a tropical depression by 12:00 UTC on August 15 while near the northwestern tip of Puerto Rico. The depression intensified into Tropical Storm Fay as it struck the coastline of Haiti, and it maintained its status as a minimal tropical storm while progressing through the Cayman Trough and into south-central Cuba. Fay curved north and zigzagged across Florida, making a record four separate landfalls in the state.


2008 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm Fay
The first occurred near Key West on August 18 and the second just east of Cape Romano on August 19. While inland over Lake Okeechobee, Fay developed a well-defined eye and reached peak winds of 70 mph (110 km/h). The third landfall occurred near Flagler Beach on August 21 and the final southwest of Carrabelle on August 23. The cyclone weakened to a tropical depression in the Florida Panhandle on August 24 and moved northwest into Mississippi before making an abrupt turn to the northeast the following day. It merged with a frontal boundary and became extratropical around 06:00 UTC on August 27. The low was ultimately absorbed by a larger extratropical system over Kentucky early the next morning.


2008 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm Fay
Throughout the Caribbean, Fay contributed to at least 16 deaths: 10 in Haiti, 5 in the Dominican Republic, and 1 in Jamaica. Many of these deaths were resultant from the storm's prolific rainfall, with numerous weather stations across the Dominican Republic and Cuba reporting accumulations of 7–10 in (178–254 mm); Agabama, Cuba, recorded a localized maximum of 18.23 in (463 mm). The combination of heavy rainfall and gusty winds resulted in over 2,400 homes being damaged across the Dominican Republic. Similar destruction was reported in Haiti, particularly on Gonâve Island.


2008 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm Fay
As Fay meandered across Florida, it produced widespread torrential rainfall there, with accumulations peaking at a record 27.65 in (702.3 mm) in the city of Melbourne. While run-off ultimately helped replenish Lake Okeechobee and surrounding reservoirs, the immediate impact of the rain event was more destructive. Thousands of residences were inundated, some with as much as 5 ft (1.5 m) of water, and sewage systems were congested. Numerous trees were felled, and downed power lines cut electricity to tens of thousands of homes.


2008 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm Fay
Fay was a prolific tornado producer, with 81 confirmations across 5 states: 19 in Florida, 17 in Georgia, 16 in North Carolina, 15 in Alabama, and 14 in South Carolina. A majority were short-lived and weak. Overall, Fay caused seventeen deaths in the United States: fifteen in Florida, one in Georgia, and one in Alabama. Throughout all areas impacted, Fay caused about $560 million in damage.


2008 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Gustav
A tropical wave departed Africa on August 13, coalescing into a tropical depression south of Puerto Rico by 00:00 UTC on August 25 and intensifying into Tropical Storm Gustav twelve hours later. With a small inner core, the system rapidly strengthened to a hurricane early on August 26 before striking the southwestern peninsula of Haiti later that day.


2008 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Gustav
Gustav weakened while traversing Haiti and Jamaica but quickly restrengthened over the northwestern Caribbean, reaching winds of 145 mph (230 km/h) before making landfall on the Isle of Youth, and striking the mainland just east of Los Palacios, Cuba, with winds of 155 mph (240 km/h) later on August 30. Plagued by wind shear and dry air, the hurricane did not re-intensify over the Gulf of Mexico, instead making a final landfall near Cocodrie, Louisiana, at 15:00 UTC on September 1 with winds of 105 mph (165 km/h). Gustav continued northwest, weakening to a tropical depression over northern Louisiana before merging with a cold front over northern Arkansas around 12:00 UTC on September 4. The remnants accelerated northeast and merged with another extratropical low over the Great Lakes later on September 5.


2008 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Gustav
Throughout the Dominican Republic, over 1,239 homes were damaged, of which 12 were destroyed, and about 50 communities were isolated. Eight people were killed in a mudslide. In neighboring Haiti, some 10,250 homes were damaged, including about 2,100 that were destroyed. Eighty-five people were killed. The storm caused $210 million in damage across Jamaica and resulted in 15 deaths. The impact of Gustav was ruinous across the Isle of Youth and mainland Cuba, where sustained winds of 155 mph (249 km/h) and gusts up to 211 mph (340 km/h) resulted in damage to 120,509 structures (about 21,941 beyond repair).


2008 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Gustav
The 211 mph (340 km/h) wind gust, observed at Paso Real de San Diego weather station in Pinar del Río Province, was the second highest wind gust ever recorded on land in a tropical cyclone, behind only Cyclone Olivia's 253 mph (407 km/h) gust on Barrow Island, Australia. A total of 140 electrical towers were destroyed, laying waste to 809 mi (1,302 km) of power lines and cutting power to much of the area. Dozens of residents were injured but no deaths occurred. The estimated cost of the storm fell just shy of $2.1 billion.


2008 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Gustav
Upon striking the United States, Gustav produced strong winds that damaged the roofs and windows of many structures, as well as a large storm surge along the coastline of Louisiana which overtopped levees and floodwalls in New Orleans. Widespread heavy rainfall contributed to significant inland flooding from Louisiana into Arkansas. Tornadoes were confirmed throughout the region, including 21 in Mississippi, 11 in Louisiana, 6 in Florida, 2 in Arkansas, and 1 in Alabama. In total, Gustav cost $6 billion in the United States and killed 53 people: 48 in Louisiana, 4 in Florida, and 1 at sea.


2008 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Hanna
A tropical wave entered the Atlantic on August 19, leading to the formation of a tropical depression around 00:00 UTC on August 28 approximately 315 mi (505 km) east-northeast of the northernmost Leeward Islands. Twelve hours later, the depression intensified into Tropical Storm Hanna. Interaction between the cyclone and an upper-level low kept Hanna fairly steady-state for several days, with its appearance briefly resembling that of a subtropical storm. Meanwhile, a building ridge over the eastern United States forced the storm to dive south.


2008 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Hanna
A reprieve in upper-level winds allowed Hanna to attain hurricane strength at 18:00 UTC on September 1 and reach peak winds of 85 mph (140 km/h) six hours later. However, the aforementioned ridge soon began to impart northerly wind shear, and the cyclone weakened accordingly. A second upper-level low caused Hanna to conduct a counter-clockwise loop north of Haiti before reaching the western periphery of the subtropical ridge, sending the storm ashore near the North Carolina–South Carolina border at 07:20 UTC on September 6 with winds of 70 mph (110 km/h). It curved northeast once inland, merging with one cold front over southern New England and a second near Newfoundland.


2008 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Hanna
Hanna produced heavy rainfall across mountainous sections of Puerto Rico, leading to mudslides that damaged bridges and roads. Strong winds downed trees and power lines. Damage across the Turks and Caicos Islands in the wake of the storm was presumed to have been minor—confined to some roof damage to homes—but damage assessments were limited given the impact of Hurricane Ike less than a week later. Across Hispaniola, torrential rainfall exacerbated flooding that had already occurred during Tropical Storm Fay and Hurricane Gustav.


2008 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Hanna
While the exact death toll is indiscernible due to the quick succession of tropical cyclones, Hanna is believed to have killed at least 529 people in Haiti, most in the commune of Gonaïves, as well as 1 person in the Dominican Republic. Along the coastline of the United States, rip currents killed one person at Kure Beach, North Carolina and another in Spring Lake, New Jersey. Gusty winds downed trees and power lines that cut electricity along the Eastern seaboard. Storm surge and heavy rainfall contributed to flooding, particularly in low-lying locales and across New Hampshire. One person died in South Carolina after drowning in a drainage ditch. Total damage was estimated at $160 million.


2008 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Ike
At 06:00 UTC on September 1, the season's ninth tropical depression developed from a well-defined tropical wave that left Africa on August 28. A strong subtropical ridge to the depression's north directed it on a west-northwest path for several days, while environmental conditions allowed for quick intensification. It intensified into Tropical Storm Ike six hours after formation and, on September 3, began a 24-hour period of rapid intensification that saw its winds increase from 85 mph (140 km/h) to a peak of 145 mph (230 km/h).


2008 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Ike
The ridge to Ike's north soon amplified, forcing the hurricane on an unusual, prolonged southwest track while also imparting increased wind shear. After briefly weakening below major hurricane strength, a relaxation in the upper-level winds allowed Ike to reattain Category 4 strength while entering the Turks and Caicos Islands; it then made several landfalls at a slightly reduced intensity. Winds again increased to 130 mph (215 km/h) as Ike moved ashore near Cabo Lucrecia, Cuba.


2008 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Ike
Land interaction prompted structural changes to the storm's core, and Ike only slowly rebounded to an intensity of 110 mph (175 km/h) before its landfall on the northern end of Galveston Island, Texas, early on September 13. Ike curved northeast once inland, interacting with a front the next morning and merging with another low near the Saint Lawrence River on the afternoon of September 15.


2008 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Ike
In Haiti, Ike compounded the flooding disaster imparted by previous storms Fay, Gustav, and Hanna. The country's food supply, shelter, and transportation networks were ruined. At least 74 deaths were attributed to the hurricane in Haiti, and an additional 2 occurred in the Dominican Republic. In the Turks and Caicos Islands, about 95 percent of all houses on Grand Turk Island were damaged, 20 percent of which severely so. An equal proportion of homes were damaged in South Caicos, including over one-third that were significantly damaged or destroyed. The agricultural and fishing industries suffered significant losses too.


2008 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Ike
The highest concentration of damage in the Bahamas occurred on Inagua, where 70–80 percent of houses sustained roof damage, of which approximately 25 percent saw major damage or were destroyed. Throughout both archipelagos, damage climbed to between $50–200 million. In Cuba, nearly a quarter of the island's population, 2.6 million people, was evacuated in advance of the storm; as a result, only seven deaths were reported. However, structural damage was catastrophic, with 511,259 homes damaged (about 61,202 of which were total losses).


2008 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Ike
About 4,000 metric tons (4,410 st) of foodstuffs were ruined in storage facilities while the island's crops as a whole sustained serious damage. Floodwaters cut off several communities as roads were inundated and bridges were swept away. Ike was estimated to have caused about $7.3 billion in damage across Cuba, making it the costliest hurricane on record there until Hurricane Irma in 2017.


2008 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Ike
While progressing across the Gulf of Mexico, Ike's slow movement and unusually large wind field led to a huge storm surge, upwards of 15–20 ft (4.5–6.1 m), that devastated the Texas coastline. The storm's destruction was most complete on the Bolivar Peninsula, where nearly all homes were wiped off their foundations and demolished. Numerous trees and power lines were downed, cutting power to some 2.6 million customers across Texas and Louisiana. Roads were obstructed by both floodwaters and fallen objects. As Ike transitioned into an extratropical cyclone, it produced extensive wind damage across the Ohio River Valley.


2008 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Ike
In Ohio alone, 2.6 million people lost power. Insured losses climbed to $1.1 billion, comparable to the Xenia tornado of the 1974 Super Outbreak in terms of being the costliest natural disaster in the history of Ohio. Throughout the United States, Ike killed 74 people in Texas, 28 people across the Ohio River Valley, 6 people in Louisiana, and 1 person in Arkansas. Damage reached $30 billion. Farther north in Canada, the remnants of Ike produced record rainfall and high winds across portions of Ontario and Québec.


2008 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm Josephine
A strong tropical wave accompanied by a surface low departed Africa late on August 31. The system began to organize almost immediately after entering the Atlantic, developing into a tropical depression around 00:00 UTC on September 2 and intensifying into Tropical Storm Josephine six hours later. On a west to west-northwest heading, the cyclone steadily intensified and attained peak winds of 65 mph (100 km/h) early on September 3. An exceptionally strong upper-level trough, aided by outflow from nearby Hurricane Ike, prompted a weakening trend thereafter. Despite intermittent bursts of convection, Josephine weakened to a tropical depression around 00:00 UTC on September 6 and degenerated to a remnant low six hours later. The low ultimately dissipated on September 10. The storm's remnants impacted Saint Croix early on September 12, producing localized heavy rainfall that flooded roadways.


2008 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Kyle
A tropical wave moved off the west coast of Africa on September 12. The westward-moving feature crossed the Windward Islands on September 19 and began to interact with a strong upper-level trough, leading to an increase in convection and a more evident circulation center. Steering currents directed the disturbance into the southwest Atlantic, where a decrease in wind shear led to the formation of a tropical depression by 00:00 UTC on September 25 and organization into Tropical Storm Kyle six hours later.


2008 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Kyle
Gradual intensification occurred as the cyclone passed well west of Bermuda; it attained hurricane strength around 12:00 UTC on September 27 and reached peak winds of 85 mph (140 km/h) a day later. After making landfall just north of Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, at 00:00 UTC on September 29, Kyle accelerated northeastward. The storm developed a frontal structure as convection became elongated and asymmetric, leading to its extratropical transition by 06:00 UTC on September 29. A larger extratropical low absorbed it about a day later.


2008 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Kyle
The precursor disturbance to Kyle produced up to 30.47 in (774 mm) of rainfall in Puerto Rico, resulting in numerous flash floods and mudslides that killed six people. About $48 million in damage occurred in Puerto Rico. In rain-stricken Haiti, heavy rainfall caused the Orangers River to overflow its banks, resulting in severe damage to homes in Jacmel. In the Northeastern United States, two people were killed by large waves in Rhode Island. Heavy rainfall across Massachusetts and Connecticut led to significant flooding.


2008 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Kyle
Kyle produced hurricane-force winds along the southwestern coastline of Nova Scotia that uprooted trees while damaging boats, docks, wharves, and a building under construction. More than 40,000 customers were left without electricity at the height of the storm. Coastal locales were inundated by a combination of storm surge, large waves, and high tides, particularly in Shelburne, where streets were flooded. Kyle and its remnants caused roughly $9 million in damage in Canada.


2008 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm Laura
On September 26, a non-tropical low formed along a quasi-stationary front well west of the Azores. This feature organized into Subtropical Storm Laura by 06:00 UTC on September 29 after shedding its frontal boundaries, and it further developed into a fully tropical system on September 30 as deep convection formed over the center. A northward motion brought the storm over progressively cooler waters on October 1, and it degenerated to a remnant area of low pressure by 12:00 UTC that day.


2008 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm Laura
The low merged with a front less than 24 hours later and existed as an extratropical entity until being absorbed by a larger non-tropical low west of the British Isles on October 4. The remnants of Laura produced heavy rainfall on already-saturated ground across the northwestern United Kingdom, overflowing drainage systems and closing roads. In eastern Norway, strong winds downed trees onto roadways and cut power to 10,000 households.


2008 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm Marco
A broad area of low pressure persisted across the northwestern Caribbean Sea through the end of September. A tropical wave reached the southwestern Caribbean on October 4, aiding in the formation of a circulation center near Belize. The low tracked across Yucatán Peninsula and, following an increase in convection while over the Laguna de Términos, organized into a tropical depression around 00:00 UTC on October 6. The newly-formed cyclone entered the Bay of Campeche a few hours later and quickly intensified into a tropical storm—the smallest on record in the Atlantic Ocean.


2008 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm Marco
Favorable anticyclonic flow aloft aided in continued development of the tightly-coiled storm, and Marco attained peak winds of 65 mph (100 km/h) early on October 7, an intensity it maintained through landfall east of Misantla around 12:00 UTC that day. Marco's tiny circulation quickly weakened once inland, dissipating by 00:00 UTC on October 8. Impacts from the storm were generally minor, though some low-lying cities were flooded by heavy rainfall.


2008 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm Nana
A tropical wave exited the west coast of Africa on October 6, accompanied by a broad area of low pressure. The system organized as bands of convection coalesced around the center, leading to the formation of a tropical depression around 06:00 UTC on October 12. On a west-northwest course, the depression quickly strengthened into Tropical Storm Nana and attained peak winds of 40 mph (65 km/h). The effects of strong wind shear mitigated further organization, weakening the storm back to tropical depression intensity by 12:00 UTC on October 13 and causing it to degenerate to a remnant low a day later. The low turned northwest and dissipated on October 15.


2008 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Omar
A tropical wave moved off Africa on September 30 and failed to organize appreciably until reaching the eastern Caribbean Sea on October 9. There, an increase in convection led to the formation of a tropical depression around 06:00 UTC on October 13; it intensified into Tropical Storm Omar eighteen hours later. A broad upper-level trough to the cyclone's northwest caused it to conduct a counter-clockwise turn and accelerate northeast while also aiding in the onset of an extended period of rapid intensification.


2008 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Omar
Omar attained hurricane strength around 00:00 UTC on October 15 before ultimately reaching peak winds of 130 mph (215 km/h) a little over a day later shortly after passing near Saint Croix. Uncharacteristically, the cyclone was plagued by moderate wind shear during its rapid intensification phase, and a further increase in upper-level winds caused Omar to abruptly weaken. The storm continued northeast through the Anegada Passage and into the central Atlantic. Omar weakened to a tropical storm around 00:00 UTC on October 18 and degenerating to a remnant low twelve hours later. The low persisted for two days before dissipating.


2008 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Omar
Omar first impacted the Netherland Antilles, where large waves caused severe damage to coastal facilities. Winds just shy of tropical storm intensity damaged the roofs of homes and downed several trees. The island of Aruba saw significant flooding from heavy rains. Throughout the United States Virgin Islands, only the eastern sections of Saint Croix received hurricane-force winds, with tropical storm-force winds in surrounding locales. These strong winds nonetheless downed trees and power lines and capsized 94 vessels. Landslides damaged roadways. Overall damage was estimated around $5 million in Saint Croix.


2008 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Omar
Across the Lesser Antilles, the combination of strong winds and frequent lightning caused widespread power outages. Ships were run aground, structures were damaged, and some communities were isolated. Storm surge was severe in western sections of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, causing significant damage to coastal property and businesses. One man died in Puerto Rico after going into cardiac arrest while installing storm shutters. Total damage was estimated at $19 million in Saint Kitts and Nevis, $54 million in Antigua and Barbuda, and $2.6 million in Saint Lucia.


2008 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Depression Sixteen
A tropical wave left Africa on September 27 and moved into the southwestern Caribbean Sea on October 10, where a broad area of low pressure formed. The low paralleled the coastline of Nicaragua for a few days while associated convection became better organized; this ultimately led to the development of a tropical depression around 12:00 UTC on October 14. The storm maintained a poorly-organized structure throughout its duration, with the low-level center embedded within a larger gyre and little central thunderstorm activity.


2008 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Depression Sixteen
A reconnaissance aircraft measured peak winds of 30 mph (45 km/h), and the depression maintained these winds as it made landfall just west of Punta Patuca, Honduras, at 12:30 UTC on October 15. It moved west-southwest and ultimately degenerated over mountainous terrain around 06:00 UTC the next day. In mid- to late October, the tropical depression combined with another area of low pressure as well as a cold front to produce torrential rainfall across Central America. In what was described as the region's worst flooding disaster since Hurricane Mitch, crops suffered catastrophic losses, tens of thousands of homes were destroyed, and dozens of people were killed. At least nine deaths were directly attributed to the depression itself.


2008 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Paloma
A broad area of disturbed weather developed in the southwestern Caribbean Sea on November 1, ultimately coalescing into a tropical depression around 18:00 UTC on November 5. It moved north amid a favorable environment, becoming Tropical Storm Paloma twelve hours after formation and attaining hurricane intensity by 00:00 UTC on November 7.


2008 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Paloma
An impinging upper-level trough directed Paloma toward the northeast while enhancing outflow, prompting a period of rapid intensification that brought the storm to its peak as a Category 4 hurricane with winds of 145 mph (230 km/h) around 12:00 UTC on November 8, the third strongest November hurricane on record in the Atlantic. An increase in wind shear soon began to take a toll on the cyclone, weakening Paloma to Category 2 strength as it made landfall near Santa Cruz del Sur, Cuba, and further to a tropical storm around 06:00 UTC on November 9. It ultimately degenerated to a remnant low early the next day. The low meandered around Cuba before entering the Gulf of Mexico, and it dissipated south of the Florida Panhandle on November 14.


2008 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Paloma
Paloma caused significant impacts on Cayman Brac in the Cayman Islands, where nearly every structure was damaged or destroyed. On nearby Little Cayman, a fewer number of buildings were destroyed while trees and power lines were downed. Damage across the island chain was estimated at $124.5 million. In Cuba, the combination of hurricane-force winds, torrential rainfall, and significant storm surge along the coastline resulted in damage to 12,159 homes; 1,453 of these were destroyed. Hundreds of businesses were impacted, dozens of electrical poles were toppled, and over a dozen bridges were damaged. The island's agricultural sector suffered significant loss. Overall, Paloma inflicted about $300 million in damage there. In Jamaica, rainfall contributed to one death. The storm's remnants moved northward into Florida, resulting in a daily rainfall record in Tallahassee and localized heavy rainfall in surrounding locales.


2008 Atlantic hurricane season, Storm names
The following list of names was used for named storms that formed in the North Atlantic in 2008. The names not retired from this list were used again in the 2014 season. This was the same list used in the 2002 season, with the exceptions of Ike and Laura, which replaced Isidore and Lili, respectively. The names Ike, Omar, and Paloma were used for the first (and only, in the cases of Ike and Paloma) time this year. The name Laura was previously used in 1971.


2008 Atlantic hurricane season, Storm names, Retirement
On April 22, 2009, at the 31st Session of the RA IV Hurricane Committee, the World Meteorological Organization retired the names Gustav, Ike, and Paloma from its rotating name lists due to the number of deaths and damage they caused, and they will not be used again for another Atlantic hurricane. They were replaced with Gonzalo, Isaias, and Paulette for the 2014 season. Isaias and Paulette were not used in 2014, but were later used in the 2020 season.


2008 Atlantic hurricane season, Season effects
This is a table of all of the storms that formed in the 2008 Atlantic hurricane season. It includes their duration, names, landfall(s)—denoted by bold location names—damages, and death totals. Deaths in parentheses are additional and indirect (an example of an indirect death would be a traffic accident), but were still related to that storm. Damage and deaths include totals while the storm was extratropical, a wave, or a low, and all of the damage figures are in 2008 USD.


2008 Atlético Nacional season
The 2008 Atlético Nacional season was the club's 61st season since being founded in 1948. Nacional played in the 2008 Copa Libertadores since they won the Copa Mustang consecutively in the previous season (2007), making them the first team in Colombia to achieve this goal since the introduction of the new Copa Mustang format. Oscar Quintabani was the club's manager for the second year in a row. The team roster was almost the same as last year's.


2008 Atlético Nacional season, Team Kit
This year Atlético Nacional will be changing manufacturers since their contract with Umbro expired; this year they will be featuring Marathon as their new manufacturing sponsor. However, Postobón is still going to be their main shirt sponsor, making this their ninth year sponsoring the club.


2008 Atlético Nacional season, Team roster, Copa Mustang-I
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2008 Atlético Nacional season, Team roster, Reserve & Youth Squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2008 Atlético Nacional season, Team roster, Starting 11 Copa Mustang 2008-I
Last updated: 2008-12-26Source: Squad stats and Start formations. Only competitive matches. Using the most used start formation. Ordered by position on pitch (from back right to front left).


2008 Atlético Nacional season, Team roster, Copa Mustang-II
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2008 Atlético Nacional season, Team roster, Reserve and youth squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2008 Atlético Nacional season, Team roster, Starting 11 Copa Mustang 2008-II
Last updated: 2008-12-26Source: Squad stats and Start formations. Only competitive matches. Using the most used start formation. Ordered by position on pitch (from back right to front left).


2008 Atlético Nacional season, Copa Mustang, Copa Mustang 2008-I
The Copa Mustang 2008-I began on February 2 and ended on May 18. Atlético Nacional was a firm candidate to win the championship after winning both Colombian championships last year, but eventually had an underwhelming campaign, finishing 14th and missing out on the playoffs.


2008 Atlético Nacional season, Copa Mustang, Copa Mustang 2008-II
The expectations for this season were high, since Nacional had a poor campaign in the previous Copa Mustang tournament. At the beginning of the 2008-II Copa Mustang Nacional was not as successful as it was thought they were going to be; mainly due to many changes in the squad, and this was highlighted by a 5-0 loss against Santa Fe. The club struggled to look for a place in the top 8 during the first half of the  tournament.


2008 Atlético Nacional season, Copa Mustang, Copa Mustang 2008-II
In the other half the club was slightly getting back to shape by making the top 8 on five occasions, and it won its last three games, leading into a 3rd place finish in the last game of the tournament and qualifying to the Quadrangular Semifinals. In the quadrangular, Nacional finished last, without having a single win, and in its closing game against La Equidad at home, the club lost 4-1; only about 10,000 fans showed up to the game to see them lose on their 2008 season final game.


2008 Atlético Nacional season, Copa Colombia
Nacional had a decent run in the 2008 Copa Colombia, where they finished first in their group with only 1 loss against rivals DIM, but were unexpectedly eliminated by Primera B club Expreso Rojo in the third phase, which was the club that went the furthest in the tournament out of the clubs that weren't playing in the highest division.


2008 Atlético Nacional season, Copa Libertadores
Nacional made a good appearance in the 2008 Copa Libertadores. In the group stage they held the first place for the first five games, then in the last one when they lost 1-0 to São Paulo they went down to second place. In the round of 16 they had to play against Fluminense; in the first game Nacional lost at home 1-2, later in the second leg they lost 1-0 to the Brazilian club at Maracanã Stadium, which meant that Fluminense advanced to the next round, and Nacional were eliminated from the tournament.


2008 Auburn Tigers football team
The 2008 Auburn Tigers football team represented Auburn University during 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Tommy Tuberville served his tenth and final season as head coach at Auburn. He was joined by a new defensive coordinator Paul Rhoads and new offensive coordinator Tony Franklin, who attempted to implement Tuberville’s new without the proper players suited for the spread offense in a failed effort to correct the Tigers' offensive struggles in 2007. Tuberville fired Franklin six games into the season.


2008 Auburn Tigers football team
Auburn played a seven-game home schedule at Jordan–Hare Stadium, while traveling to Mountaineer Field in Morgantown, West Virginia for the Tigers' first ever meeting with the West Virginia Mountaineers. The Tennessee Volunteers returned to the Tigers' schedule for the first time since Auburn defeated Tennessee twice in AU's undefeated 2004 season. LSU, Arkansas, and Georgia rounded out Auburn's home conference schedule.


2008 Auburn Tigers football team, Pre-Season, Rankings
The Tigers entered the season with high expectations, ranked highly by multiple polls in the preseason. The Associated Press Poll placed Auburn at #10 while the USA Today Coaches' Poll, a component of the Bowl Championship Series rankings, had Auburn at #11. Other rankings include:


2008 Auburn Tigers football team, Pre-Season, Rankings
# 7 – Rivals.com# 8 – Athlon# 9 – Sports Illustrated# 9 – CollegeTop25 Consensus# 10 – ESPN# 13 – Lindy's# 14 – CollegeFootballNews/Scout.com


2008 Auburn Tigers football team, Pre-Season, Pre-season All-SEC Teams
Coaches All-SEC 1st Team – DT Sen’Derrick Marks & P Ryan ShoemakerCoaches All-SEC 2nd Team – RB Ben Tate, OL Tyronne Green, LB Tray Blackmon & DB Jerraud PowersCoaches All-SEC 3rd Team – DE Antonio Coleman


2008 Auburn Tigers football team, Schedule
Auburn's schedule consisted of eight Southeastern Conference opponents (four home, four away) and four non-conference opponents. AU meets Tennessee-Martin and West Virginia for the first time. The WVU game, a mid-season inter-conference Thursday night matchup, is the first of a two-game home-and-home series between the two teams. Of the remaining ten opponents that the Tigers have previously faced, Auburn holds the all-time series lead against all but Alabama and LSU. Four opponents — #1 Georgia, LSU, West Virginia and Tennessee — were ranked in both the preseason USA Today and AP Polls. Alabama was also ranked in the AP Poll. Tennessee dropped out of the polls before playing Auburn; however, Vanderbilt would enter the polls by the time the Commodores played Auburn.


2008 Auburn Tigers football team, Game summaries, Louisiana-Monroe
Auburn's first possession only picked up 1 first down, but the punt put UL-Monroe in bad field position. On the first play, Auburn Defensive End Antonio Coleman made a huge hit on UL-Monroe's quarterback, forcing a fumble on the UL-Monroe 9-yard line, and the Defense picked it up and took it back for the Auburn Tigers' first touchdown. A few possessions later, Auburn Receiver and Punt Returner Robert Dunn returned a UL-Monroe punt for a TD with 0:04 left in the 1st Quarter. At halftime, Auburn had a 17–0 lead after a Wes Byrum field goal.


2008 Auburn Tigers football team, Game summaries, Louisiana-Monroe
On the opening kickoff of the 3rd quarter, UL-Monroe fumbled the ball and Auburn recovered, leading to a TD run from Brad Lester. Another field goal from Byrum would make the score 27–0 going into the 4th Quarter. Kodi Burns had left the game with a cut in his leg, so Chris Todd played the rest of the game. Later in the 4th, Todd would lead Auburn down the field with an excellent and suddenly effective passing game, ending in a 3-yard Touchdown pass to Chris Slaughter to seal the victory.


2008 Auburn Tigers football team, Game summaries, Louisiana-Monroe
It was the first shutout for Auburn since a 27–0 wins over Arkansas State on November 4, 2006. It was also the first time Auburn had scored on Offense, Defense, and Special Teams since the 2003 73–7 beating of UL-Monroe. Auburn finished with 406 yards of offense, 321 Rushing yards and 85 passing yards. Auburn picked up 19 first downs while UL-Monroe picked up 12.


2008 Auburn Tigers football team, Game summaries, Southern Miss
Southern Miss returned to the Plains for the first time since the 1993 perfect season. Prior to that meeting, the Tigers had lost consecutive 1-point losses to Southern Miss, then quarterbacked by Brett Favre.


2008 Auburn Tigers football team, Game summaries, Southern Miss
Despite impressive offensive numbers in their opening game where Southern Mississippi put up 633 yards (427 rushing) in a 51–21 win over Louisiana-Lafayette, Larry Fedora's team did not have an answer for Auburn's tough defense. The Tigers won 27–13, improving their lead in the series all-time to 17–5.


2008 Auburn Tigers football team, Game summaries, Vanderbilt
Losing to a Vanderbilt team, at home, is quite the accomplishment. The same Auburn program whom Pat Dye resurrected through an instilment of hard work, fell at the hands of the worst SEC football program. Chris Todd couldn't hit the broad side of a barn. Kodi Burns, though not quite as atrocious, still managed to make the Commodores defense look like the 85 super bowl shuffle bears.


2008 Auburn Tigers football team, Coaching staff
but was hired by Ole Miss before 2009 season began.


2008 Auckland Open (darts)
2008 Auckland Open was a darts tournament that took place in Auckland, New Zealand on 20 September 2008.


2008 Australia Day Honours
The Australia Day Honours 2008 are appointments to various orders and honours to recognise and reward good works by Australian citizens. The list was announced on 26 January 2008 by the Governor General of Australia, Michael Jeffrey


2008 Australia Day Honours
The Australia Day Honours are the first of the two major annual honours lists, the first announced to coincide with Australia Day (26 January), with the other being the Queen's Birthday Honours, which are announced on the second Monday in June.


2008 Australia national soccer team season
This page summarises the Australia national soccer team fixtures and results in 2008.


2008 Australia national soccer team season, Summary
The main focus for the National Team was to attempt to qualify for their third World Cup. The 2010 campaign was Australia's first as a member of the AFC and they entered the qualification in the Third Round drawn into a group containing Qatar, Iraq and China. Matches took place from February until June and Australia had already succeeded in moving through the next round when they lost to China at home in the final game. Despite this, they still topped the group.


2008 Australia national soccer team season, Summary
Fourth Round qualifying had Australia in a group with Bahrain, Japan, Qatar and Uzbekistan. By the end of the calendar year, they had played three games for three wins and were sitting top of the group with five games yet to be played.


2008 Australia national soccer team season, Summary
They also enjoyed a come from behind friendly win away to the Netherlands who were ranked four in the world at the time. Australia finished the year ranked 28 on the FIFA Rankings.


2008 Australia rugby union tour
The 2008 Australia rugby union tour was a series of seven matches played by the Australia national rugby union team in November–December 2008. The tour was preceded by a match against All Blacks for the Bledisloe Cup and closed with a match against Barbarian FC


2008 Australia rugby union tour, Matches, Bledisloe Cup Match
A First match was played in Hong Kong against New Zealand. It was the fourth match between the two teams. Winning the match, the All Blaks, tied the series (2–2) valid also for Bledisloe Cup maintaining the title.


2008 Australia rugby union tour, Matches, In Italy
Against Italy, the Wallabies suffer the strong play of Italian forwards and the strong defence of "azzurri", winning the match also in the last 20 minutes, thanks a try of Quade Cooper.


2008 Australia rugby union tour, Matches, Against England
England offered a strong opposition in the first half, especially between the 35th and 39th minutes, and scored a try with Nick Easter and a penalty with Danny Cipriani, but the Aussies were always ahead thanks to the kicks of Giteau and Martlock, until a try of Adam Ashley-Cooper closed the match.


2008 Australia rugby union tour, Matches, Against France
As in the two previous matches, Wallabies obtain victory thanks a better second half. The try of Peter Hynes and a kick after France reached the 13–13 in the beginning of second Half. On French Sie, Skrela missed five kicks.


2008 Australia rugby union tour, Matches, Final match with Barbarians
Australia was approached by the British Olympic Association to play the Barbarians at Wembley Stadium on 3 December 2008. The match formed part of the BOA's programme of events to celebrate the centenary of the first London Olympic Games where Australia defeated a Great Britain (Cornwall) side in the final 32 – 3. In 1908 France were the defending Olympic champions, but when they withdrew from the event, leaving just Australia and Great Britain to contest the gold medal, it was then County champions Cornwall who took to the field to represent the host nation.


2008 Australia rugby union tour, Matches, Final match with Barbarians
Cornwall had already been defeated in Australia's earlier 31-match tour. Cornwall's 1908 contribution was also further recognised by the presentation of the Cornwall Cup to the winning captain at Wembley, with the players of the respective sides receiving gold or silver commemorative medals. The game was the first rugby union fixture to take place in the new Wembley Stadium, the old stadium having been last used for Wales' last gasp 32–31 victory over England in the then Five Nations in 1999.


2008 Australian Capital Territory general election
Elections to the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly were held on Saturday, 18 October 2008. The incumbent Labor Party, led by Jon Stanhope, was challenged by the Liberal Party, led by Zed Seselja. Candidates were elected to fill three multi-member electorates using a single transferable vote method, known as the Hare-Clark system. The result was another hung parliament with Labor winning seven seats, the Liberals six seats and the Greens finishing with four seats, giving the Greens the balance of power in the 17-member unicameral Assembly.


2008 Australian Capital Territory general election
On 31 October 2008, after almost two weeks of deliberations, the Greens chose to support a Labor minority government. Consequently, Labor was re-elected to a third consecutive term of government in the ACT. Stanhope was elected Chief Minister at the first sitting of the seventh Assembly on 5 November 2008. The election was conducted by the ACT Electoral Commission.


2008 Australian Capital Territory general election, Overview
The incumbent centre-left Labor Party, led by Chief Minister Jon Stanhope, attempted to win re-election for a third term after coming to power in 2001. They were challenged by the opposition centre-right Liberal Party, led by Zed Seselja, who assumed the Liberal leadership in December 2007. A third party, the ACT Greens, held one seat in the Assembly through retiring MLA Deb Foskey.


2008 Australian Capital Territory general election, Overview
The election saw all 17 members of the Assembly face re-election, with members being elected by the Hare-Clark system of proportional representation. The Assembly is divided into three electorates: five-member Brindabella (including Tuggeranong and parts of the Woden Valley) and Ginninderra (including Belconnen and suburbs) and seven-member Molonglo (including North Canberra, South Canberra, Gungahlin, Weston Creek, and the remainder of the Woden Valley). Election dates are set in statute to occur once every four years; the government has no ability to set the election date.


2008 Australian Capital Territory general election, Overview
Following the 2004 election outcome, Labor held 9 seats, becoming the first majority government in the territory's history. The opposition Liberal Party held 7 seats, with the Greens holding a further one. The Liberal numbers in the Assembly dropped to six in December 2007 when former Shadow Treasurer Richard Mulcahy was expelled from the party and began sitting as an independent. The opposition thus would have needed to win a further three seats, on top of regaining Mulcahy's seat, to hold government in its own right.


2008 Australian Capital Territory general election, Overview
The Liberal campaign suffered early problems in February 2008 when a number of prominent Liberal Party and business figures, including popular former Chief Minister Kate Carnell and high-profile businessman and former party finance director Jim Murphy, relaunched the 250 Club, previously a Liberal fundraising group, as the independent Canberra Business Club. The new organisation pledged to support minor party and independent pro-business candidates in the election, citing their disillusion with both major parties and the need for a third political force in the Assembly. At the same time, their best prospect for winning Mulcahy's seat of Molonglo, the Liberal Candidate for Fraser in the previous Federal election, Troy Williams, withdrew.


2008 Australian Capital Territory general election, Overview, Polling
Conducted by Patterson Market Research, and published in The Canberra Times, polling released on 4 October suggested the Green vote had doubled to tripled since the last election, at the expense of Labor, with the Liberal vote relatively unchanged. Commentators predicted the Greens would hold the balance of power and decide who forms government. The Greens stated they were willing to court both major parties.


2008 Australian Capital Territory general election, Overview, Scanning of ballot papers
In the 2001 and 2004 elections, after the first manual count of paper ballots the preferences were data entered for distribution. For the 2008 election, paper ballots were scanned and character recognition software used to identify preferences. Any preferences that could not be identified by the software were entered manually.


2008 Australian Capital Territory general election, Candidates
Sitting members at the time of the election are in bold. Tickets that elected at least one MLA are highlighted in the relevant colour. Successful candidates are indicated by an asterisk (*).


2008 Australian Capital Territory general election, Candidates, Brindabella
Five seats were up for election. The Labor Party was defending three seats. The Liberal Party was defending two seats.


2008 Australian Capital Territory general election, Candidates, Brindabella
Ben Doble Burl Doble Brian McLachlan Geoff Rake Bruce Ritchie


2008 Australian Capital Territory general election, Candidates, Ginninderra
Five seats were up for election. The Labor Party was defending three seats. The Liberal Party was defending two seats.


2008 Australian Capital Territory general election, Candidates, Ginninderra
Chris Bourke Adina Cirson Mary Porter* Dave Peebles Jon Stanhope*


2008 Australian Capital Territory general election, Candidates, Ginninderra
Harold Hird (Ind)Cathy McIlhoney (Ind)Mark Parton (Ind)Adam Verwey (Ind)Darren Churchill (-)Eddie Sarkis (-) Barry Smith (Ind)


2008 Australian Capital Territory general election, Candidates, Molonglo
Seven seats were up for election. The Labor Party was defending three seats. The Liberal Party was defending three seats. The Greens were defending one seat.


2008 Australian Capital Territory general election, Candidates, Molonglo
Andrew Barr* Eleanor BatesSimon Corbell* Louise Crossman Katy Gallagher* Mike Hettinger David Mathews


2008 Australian Capital Territory general election, Candidates, Molonglo
Helen Cross (Ind)Tony Farrell (Ind)Greg Tannahill (-) Kerri Taranto (Ind)


2008 Australian Capital Territory general election, Results
Australian Capital Territory general election, 18 October 2008Legislative Assembly << 2004–2012 >>


2008 Australian Capital Territory general election, Results
At the close of counting on election night 18 October 2008, with 82.1 per cent of the vote counted Labor had obtained 37.6 per cent of the vote across the ACT, with the Liberals at 31.1 per cent and the Greens at 15.8 per cent. Swings were recorded against both the Labor (-9.3 per cent) and Liberal (-3.7 per cent) parties with a +6.6 per cent swing towards the Greens.


2008 Australian Capital Territory general election, Results
Labor won 7 seats, the Liberals won 6 seats, while the Greens won 4 seats, giving them the balance of power, and negotiated with both major parties for the formation of a minority government. After almost two weeks of deliberations, the Greens chose to form a minority government with Labor. The ACT Electoral Commission determined and announced the election's final results on 25 October 2008 after distribution of preferences.


2008 Australian Capital Territory general election, Results
In Brindabella, Labor lost one of its three seats to Greens candidate Amanda Bresnan. Government minister John Hargreaves was re-elected, but Labor backbencher Mick Gentleman was beaten by another Labor candidate, Joy Burch. For the Liberal Party, former leader Brendan Smyth was re-elected, but shadow minister Steve Pratt lost his seat to party colleague Steve Doszpot.


2008 Australian Capital Territory general election, Results
Labor also lost a seat in Ginninderra, where Greens candidate Meredith Hunter was elected. Chief Minister Jon Stanhope and Labor MLA Mary Porter were both re-elected, and on the Liberal ticket sitting MLA Vicki Dunne was joined by Alistair Coe, who replaced retiring Bill Stefaniak.


2008 Australian Capital Territory general election, Results
In seven-member Molonglo, the Liberals lost one seat to the Greens. Labor ministers Katy Gallagher, Andrew Barr and Simon Corbell all won re-election, as did Liberal leader Zed Seselja. Sitting MLA Jacqui Burke lost to Jeremy Hanson for the second Liberal seat. The Greens increased their representation in this seat to two, electing new MLAs Shane Rattenbury and Caroline Le Couteur, the latter at the expense of Liberal-turned-Independent MLA Richard Mulcahy.


2008 Australian Carrera Cup Championship
The 2008 Australian Carrera Cup Championship was a CAMS sanctioned motor racing title for drivers of Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Cars. The championship, which was contested over nine rounds across five different states, began on 21 February 2008 at the Clipsal 500 and finished on 26 October at the Gold Coast Indy 300. It was the sixth and last Australian Carrera Cup Championship until the 2011 season.


2008 Australian Carrera Cup Championship
Craig Baird dominated the series, winning 14 of the series 25 races and the New Zealander driving for Fitzgerald Racing became the first driver to win the series twice, adding to his 2006 championship win. West Australian Dean Fiore was the runner up for Sonic Motor Racing, taking four wins and dominating the Mount Panorama round. Third was David Russell in the Sherrin Motor Sport car.


2008 Australian Carrera Cup Championship
The most dramatic moment of the season was when category managers Sherrin Motor Sport collapsed, leaving the series briefly in limbo. With the assistance of CAMS and Porsche Australia, Glenn Ridge owned company Q Media Events took over the running of the series.


2008 Australian Carrera Cup Championship, Teams and drivers
The following teams and drivers have competed in the Championship.


2008 Australian Carrera Cup Championship, Race calendar
Each of the nine rounds was contested over three races.


2008 Australian Carrera Cup Championship, Points system
Championship points were awarded on 60–54–48–42–36–30–27–24–21–18–15–12–9–6–6–3–3–3–3–3 basis to the first twenty finishers in each race with 1 point awarded to each driver finishing in positions from 21st through to last.


2008 Australian Club Championships
The 2008 Australian Club Championships (ACC) brought together the best men's and women's basketball teams from the Waratah League, South East Australian Basketball League (SEABL), Queensland Australian Basketball League (QABL), Central Australian Basketball League (CABL) and Big V competitions for their shot at national glory, with the event held at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre.


2008 Australian Club Championships
By the tournament's conclusion, the Rockhampton Rockets were crowned as the best male basketball club in Australia while the Townsville Flames were crowned women's champions for the second year in succession. The tournament marked the final year of National Finals in Australian state basketball after the Australian Basketball Association was disbanded following the 2008 season.


2008 Australian Club Championships, Tournament overview
The 2008 ACC quarter-finals began on 16 August when the two SEABL men's conference champions, the Hobart Chargers (South) and the Knox Raiders (East), faced off for the overall SEABL championship and a spot in the ACC semi-finals.


2008 Australian Club Championships, Tournament overview
The remaining 14 teams (eight women's and six men's) then faced off against each other on 23 August to determine who would be heading to the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre on 30 August for the semi-finals.


2008 Australian Club Championships, Tournament overview
The Rockhampton Rockets booked their place in the men's decider after a thrilling 100–93 victory over the Sandringham Sabres in the semi-final, while the Chargers defeated the Melbourne Tigers 128–126 in overtime in the other semi-final. In the men's Grand Final, the Rockets defeated the Chargers in a cliff hanger, 103–99, with grand final MVP Ryan McDade finishing with 24 points and 19 rebounds.


2008 Australian Club Championships, Tournament overview
In the women's Grand Final, the Townsville Flames made it double celebrations for Queensland teams, clinching back-to-back national women's championships. The Flames, who edged out theKilysth Cobras 77–71 in their semi, overpowered the Sydney Comets 73–57 in the decider. A Flames win looked on the cards at halftime when they led 38–26, but Sydney responded with a 22–10 third-quarter run to level the scores before Townsville went on a devastating 25–9 run spearheaded by MVP Cherie Smith to seal the Championship. The win marked the second year in a row that Queensland's champions completed a men's and women's ACC double.


2008 Australian Club Championships, Participants
To qualify for the event, teams had to be crowned Champion of their respective Leagues. There were also a number of wildcard entries.


2008 Australian Drivers' Championship
The 2008 Australian Drivers' Championship was a CAMS sanctioned national motor racing title which was contested concurrently with the 2008 Kumho Tyres Australian Formula 3 Championship. The championship winner was awarded the 2008 CAMS Gold Star. The 2008 championship was the 52nd Australian Drivers' Championship and the fourth to be contested with open wheel racing cars constructed in accordance with FIA Formula 3 regulations. The season began on 3 February 2008 at Eastern Creek Raceway and finished on 21 September at Symmons Plains Raceway after eight rounds across four different states with two races per round.


2008 Australian Drivers' Championship
The series was won by a British driver for the second time in three years, with James Winslow victorious after a season long battle with Leanne Tander, who was runner up by only a few points for the second year in a row. Chris Gilmour won the National Class from Irish driver Lee Farrell, while Andrew Mill clinched the Trophy Class with a round in hand.


2008 Australian Drivers' Championship, Points system
Championship points were awarded on a 20–15–12–10–8–6–4–3–2–1 basis to the top ten classified finishers in the Championship Class in each race. An additional point was awarded to the driver gaining the Championship Class pole position for each race and a further additional point was awarded to the driver setting the fastest lap in the Championship class in each race. To secure the "fastest lap" point the driver must have been declared finisher for that race.


2008 Australian Drivers' Championship, Points system
The same point-score system was also used for both the National Class and the Trophy Class.


2008 Australian Drivers' Championship, Teams and drivers
The following teams and drivers competed during the 2008 Australian Formula 3 season. The listing relates to both the 2008 Australian Drivers' Championship and to the non-championship Indy F3 Challenge races.


2008 Australian Drivers' Championship, Teams and drivers
'* - John Martin, Zahir Ali, Carlos Huertas & Jonathan Grant contested the non-championship Indy F3 Challenge races but did not contest rounds of the 2008 Australian Drivers' Championship.


2008 Australian Drivers' Championship, Results and standings, Drivers championship
Note: Race 2 of Round 1 was abandoned due to torrential rain and no points were awarded.


2008 Australian Drivers' Championship, Results and standings, Indy F3 Challenge
The Indy F3 Challenge was a three race support event for Australian Formula 3 cars at the 2008 Nikon Indy 300 meeting at the Surfers Paradise Street Circuit. It was not a round of the 2008 Australian Drivers' Championship.


2008 Australian Film Institute Awards
The 50th Annual Australian Film Institute Awards for film and television acting achievement in the cinema of Australia in 2008 were presented in a ceremony on 5–6 December 2008. During the ceremony, the Australian Film Institute presented Australian Film Institute Awards (commonly referred to as AFI Awards) in 40 categories including feature films, television, animation and documentaries. It was hosted by Stephen Curry of TV1's The King.


2008 Australian Film Institute Awards
The nominees for Best Documentary, Best Short Fiction Film and Best Short Animation were announced on 7 August whilst all the other nominees were announced at the Nominations Announcement in Sydney on 29 October. The Black Balloon had the most nominations with a total of 11 including Best Film.


2008 Australian Film Institute Awards, Winners of major awards
This is a breakdown of winners of major awards categories only. For a complete list of nominees and winners, see 50th Australian Film Institute Awards nominees and winners.


2008 Australian Football International Cup
The 2008 Australian Football International Cup was the third time the Australian Football International Cup, an international Australian rules football competition, has been contested.


2008 Australian Football International Cup
It was scheduled for 2008 (as part of the 150th year celebrations of Australian Football), with 16 nations competing.


2008 Australian Football International Cup
The tournament was hosted by both Melbourne and Warrnambool in Victoria, Australia between 27 August and 6 September, with a single match additionally played in Geelong.


2008 Australian Football International Cup
Like previous tournaments, the competition was open to men's teams with strict nationality eligibility rules.


2008 Australian Football International Cup
The Grand Final was played between New Zealand and Papua New Guinea. Papua New Guinea were victorious by 8 points with a goal kicked after the siren. Like the Grand Final in previous years, the match was played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground as a curtain raiser to the 2008 AFL Season finals match between Hawthorn Hawks and Western Bulldogs which attracted a crowd of 76,703 spectators. However unlike previous tournaments, the final was not televised.


2008 Australian Football International Cup, History and build up
The WAFL and Perth, Western Australia raised the possibility of bidding for the tournament soon after the 2005 cup had been completed, however the AFL has confirmed that the cup will once again be held in Melbourne for at least for one more year, as the 2008 Cup will coincide with Australian Rules football's 150th anniversary. The AFL later indicated that a regional round and semi-finals would be held in Warrnambool.


2008 Australian Football International Cup, History and build up
The AFL indicated that unlike earlier cups, it would likely be split into two divisions, a premier division and development division, with some discussion as to whether the eligibility rules could be loosened for the development division, to enable more countries to participate. Leagues were given the opportunity to nominate which they would prefer, with eight in each division being an initial target. Ultimately, this idea was dropped, with the sixteen teams being seeded into four pools.


2008 Australian Football International Cup, History and build up
In December 2007, it was announced that Melbourne and Warrnambool would co-host the two division event, with Melbourne matches to be played mainly in Royal Park North. Several potential new sides were announced by the AFL, including an Israeli-Palestine combination supported by the Peres Centre for Peace, China and India.


2008 Australian Football International Cup, History and build up
The USA Women's team announced an intention to send a squad to play against Australia and possibly Papua New Guinea. Additionally Canada and England announced their intentions to send Under 17s squads. As a result, there was speculation over an inaugural women's and under 17 divisions. However the AFL denied these divisions in favour of a senior men's competition only. In response, and with the Barassi International Australian Football Youth Tournament being cancelled, British and Canadian junior teams had to organise their own tours and matches against Australian schools. Despite both international teams being in Australia at the same time, they did not play against each other. The US women's team announced a 2009 tour instead.


2008 Australian Football International Cup, Competing Nations
The AFL confirmed in July 2008 that sixteen nations will compete. In addition, there will be friendly matches played between Melbourne-based migrant community teams under the names "Team Africa" and "Team Asia", as well as the Tongan side which was unable to commit to the full tournament. Also despite a previous appearance, the Spain Bulls will not be competing.


2008 Australian Football International Cup, Individual awards, World Team
The world team was selected based on player performance in the pool rounds only. India, China, the Peace Team and Finland all missed representation in the team.


2008 Australian Football International Cup, Gallery
New Zealand's captain Andrew Congalton takes a strong mark in front of an Indian opponent


2008 Australian Football International Cup, Gallery
New Zealand's Richard Bradley takes a high mark against India


2008 Australian Football International Cup, Gallery
Canada's ruckman Manny Matata takes a kick against Sweden in round 2


2008 Australian Football International Cup, Gallery
Canada's Scott Fleming kicks one of eight goals against Sweden in round 2


2008 Australian Football International Cup, Gallery
Swedish team lines up for the national anthem before taking on Canada


2008 Australian Football International Cup, Gallery
A British Bulldog gets a kick away despite close checking from a Nauruan opponent in Britain's round 2 loss


2008 Australian Football International Cup, Gallery
Robert Dipierdomenico coach of the Peres Peace team joining with his team to sign the joint anthem


2008 Australian Football International Cup, Gallery
The Papua New Guinea Mosquitos line up for the national anthem before taking on the Peace Team


2008 Australian Football International Cup, Gallery
Samoa lines up for the national anthem before taking on Japan in round 2


2008 Australian Football International Cup, Gallery
Big pack mark by Ireland's Mike Finn over South Africa


2008 Australian Football International Cup, Gallery
South Africa and Ireland contest the high ball with South African attempting to spoil


2008 Australian Football International Cup, Gallery
Papua New Guinea shortly after the final siren at the MCG


2008 Australian Formula Ford Championship
The 2008 Australian Formula Ford Championship was a CAMS sanctioned motor racing title for drivers of Formula Ford racing cars. The championship was contested over an eight-round series with three races per round.


2008 Australian Formula Ford Championship, Race calendar and results
Championship points were awarded on a 20-16-14-12-10-8-6-4-2-1 basis to the top ten finishers in each race and a bonus point was awarded to the driver achieving pole position for the first race at each round.


2008 Australian GT Championship
The 2008 Australian GT Championship was a CAMS sanctioned Australian motor racing competition for closed, production based sports cars which were either approved by the FIA for GT3 competition or approved by CAMS as Australian GT cars. It was the 12th Australian GT Championship to be awarded by CAMS. The Australian GT Sportscar Group Pty Ltd was recognised by CAMS as the Category Manager and Administrator for the 2008 championship.


2008 Australian GT Championship
The championship was won by Mark Eddy driving a Lamborghini Gallardo.


2008 Australian GT Championship, Teams and drivers
The following drivers competed in the 2008 Australian GT Championship.


2008 Australian GT Championship, Points system
Championship points were awarded on a 38-32-28-25-23-21-19-18-17-16-15-14-13-12-11-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 to the first 25 finishers in each race. Each driver's worst round point score had to be dropped from his/her overall point score.


2008 Australian GT Championship, Points system
Drivers competing with a foreign licence and a Foreign Participation Visa under FIA ISC Regulation 18 Para 5 (e.g. Hector Lester) were not allowed to score championship points.


2008 Australian GT Championship, Championship results, GT Challenge
The GT Challenge class was won by Richard Kimber  driving a Porsche 996 GT3 Clubsport.


2008 Australian GT Championship, Championship results, GT Production
The GT Production class was won by Tim Poulton driving a Lotus Exige S.


2008 Australian GT Championship, Australian Tourist Trophy
The Confederation of Australian Motorsport awarded the 2008 Australian Tourist Trophy to the winners of the 2008 Sandown GT Classic, which was the sixth and final round of the 2008 Australian GT Championship. The title, which was the nineteenth Australian Tourist Trophy, was won by Allan Simonsen and Nick O'Halloren, driving a Ferrari F430 GT3.


2008 Australian Grand Prix
The 2008 Australian Grand Prix (officially known as the 2008 Formula 1 ING Australian Grand Prix) was a Formula One motor race held on 16 March 2008 at the Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit, Melbourne, Australia. It was the first race of the 2008 Formula One season. In qualifying for the event, Lewis Hamilton for the McLaren team started from pole position ahead of Robert Kubica in the BMW Sauber by 0.15 seconds.


2008 Australian Grand Prix
The 58-lap race featured three safety car interruptions due to collisions on lap 1, 26, and 42. A high rate of attrition meant that only 7 cars of the 22 participants finished the race, with six being classified after sixth place Rubens Barrichello was disqualified for exiting the pit lane illegally. Of the six, Hamilton lead most of the race and finished first ahead of Nick Heidfeld in second in a BMW Sauber and Nico Rosberg in third in a Williams. This was Rosberg's first podium finish. In winning the race, Hamilton and McLaren led the Drivers' Championship and Constructors Championship, respectfully.


2008 Australian Grand Prix
This event also marked the first race in seven years, since the 2001 San Marino Grand Prix, not to feature cars competing using traction control, which was banned by the FIA at the end of 2007.


2008 Australian Grand Prix, Background
The Grand Prix was contested on 16 March 2008 at the Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit, Melbourne, Australia by 22 drivers, in 11 teams of two. The competing teams, known as constructors, were Ferrari, McLaren-Mercedes, Renault, Honda, Force India, BMW Sauber, Toyota, Red Bull Racing, Williams, Toro Rosso and Super Aguri.


2008 Australian Grand Prix, Background
The race was the first of the 2008 Formula One season, with several teams opting to retain the same drivers as they had in 2007, however some teams changed for 2008. One of the main driver changes involved McLaren driver Fernando Alonso, who chose to move back to Renault for the 2008 season, with Heikki Kovalainen moving in the opposite direction to McLaren. The 2007 Drivers' Championship winner Kimi Räikkönen stayed at Ferrari after his title-winning campaign, with the Finnish driver again being joined by Felipe Massa. As in the previous season, the same 11 teams took to the grid for the start of the new season.


2008 Australian Grand Prix, Background
The final mass testing session before the new season took place at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmeló, Spain between 25 and 27 February 2008. All the teams, with the exception of Super Aguri attended this three-day test which was affected by rain on the first day. On the first day of testing, Lewis Hamilton representing McLaren set the fastest lap a 1:22.276. Second was the Ferraris of Räikkönen and seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher. Hamilton continued to top the timesheets on day two with Kovalainen second.


2008 Australian Grand Prix, Background
Räikkönen was third with a time of 1:21.722, having been joined at the track by his teammate Felipe Massa. Massa's best lap of 1:22.513 only made him fifth fastest, with Kazuki Nakajima in a  Williams splitting the Ferraris in fourth. On the third and final day, the Toyota of Jarno Trulli finished in first place with the fastest lap of the testing weekend, recording a lap time of 1:20.801. Second was the Red Bull driver David Coulthard who missed the previous two day's running due to requiring treatment on a trapped nerve.


2008 Australian Grand Prix, Practice and qualifying
“There are definitely four cars that are quicker than us, so we'll get our heads down this evening and work on the race information before qualifying tomorrow. It's pretty windy out on the track, but it's an issue for everyone."


2008 Australian Grand Prix, Practice and qualifying
Mark Webber, after recording the second fastest lap in the second practice session.


2008 Australian Grand Prix, Practice and qualifying
Three practice sessions were held before the race. The first was held on Friday morning and the second on Friday afternoon - both of these sessions lasted 1 hour and 30 minutes with weather conditions dry throughout. The third session was held on Saturday morning and lasted an hour. Räikkönen, the defending champion, set the fastest time in first practice, posting a lap time of 1:26.461, four-tenths of a second quicker than Hamilton and Massa, in second and third places respectively. Heikki Kovalainen completed the top four in the McLaren, with Mark Webber in the Red Bull and Alonso in the Renault in fifth and sixth positions, two seconds off the pace. Rookie Nelson Piquet Jr. caused a brief red flag in the session, spinning off at the Ascari corner.


2008 Australian Grand Prix, Practice and qualifying
Hamilton lapped faster than Räikkönen in the second practice session with a time of 1:26.559. Webber was second in the Red Bull, nine-tenths of a second behind Hamilton. Coulthard, Webber's teammate, was fifth, three-tenths behind Kovalainen, who finished the session fourth. The Ferraris were third and sixth; Massa in 3rd and Kimi Räikkönen in sixth. Jarno Trulli in the Toyota and Nico Rosberg in the Williams completed the top eight positions. In preparation for the qualifying session, many teams put their cars on soft tyres for the third practice session.


2008 Australian Grand Prix, Practice and qualifying
The soft tyre gives better performance than the harder type of tyre but is less durable than the harder compound. The BMW Sauber team topped the third practice session with first and second positions with Robert Kubica finishing the session ahead of teammate Nick Heidfeld. Alonso was third in the Renault, with Rosberg in fourth.


2008 Australian Grand Prix, Practice and qualifying
"I am pleased to qualify third, but there is still room for improvement. It was a fairly smooth lap, and the balance of the car felt good. At the end I didn’t nail a perfect lap, but throughout the weekend I have just been taking things steady, not making any mistakes and keep pushing harder and harder. Last year I didn’t make the best start to the season, so today’s result is a great beginning to my career as a Vodafone McLaren Mercedes driver."


2008 Australian Grand Prix, Practice and qualifying
Qualifying for the race was split into three stages. The first stage of qualifying ran for 20 minutes with cars finishing in the last six positions not progressing to the next stage and retaining their position for the race. The second stage saw the next six slowest drivers not progress similarly and lasted for 15 minutes. The final stage of qualifying determined the positions from first to tenth with the fastest racer gaining pole position.


2008 Australian Grand Prix, Practice and qualifying
Hamilton won his seventh career pole position, with a time of 1:26.714 in the third session. Second was Kubica, who was a tenth of a second behind Hamilton. Kovalainen was third, with Massa fourth, four-tenths slower than Hamilton in the third stage. Heidfeld, Trulli, Rosberg and Coulthard completed the top eight positions. In contrast to Massa's fourth place, his teammate, Räikkönen finished qualifying in 16th place. His Ferrari car suffered a fuel pump problem at the end of stage one, with the Ferrari team unable to fix the problem before the second session.


2008 Australian Grand Prix, Practice and qualifying
Webber in the Red Bull and Sebastian Vettel in the Toro Rosso also suffered problems, with Webber spinning off in session two due to brake failure, leaving him down in 15th. Vettel was scheduled to be in the third session, but his Toro Rosso suffered oil pump failure, preventing him from setting a time in the session. Timo Glock in a Toyota finished qualifying in ninth position, however, he was demoted to 19th after being given two five-place grid penalties. His first five-place penalty was a result of a gearbox change, while his second five-place penalty was for impeding Webber during the session. Adrian Sutil spun and stalled during his final hot lap in first qualifying and damaged his chassis.


2008 Australian Grand Prix, Race
The conditions for the race were dry with the air temperature 37 °C (99 °F). The race started at 15:30 AEDT (GMT +10). Hamilton, from pole position on the grid, held onto the lead into the first corner with Kubica behind in second position. Vettel stalled on the grid and therefore pulled away very slowly, and lost several positions in the process. Behind the leading two, Massa spun coming out of turn one whilst racing Kovalainen, and damaged his front wing against the barriers.


2008 Australian Grand Prix, Race
Nelson Piquet Jr. made contact with Giancarlo Fisichella at the first corner forcing Fisichella to retire from the race. At turn three Mark Webber, Anthony Davidson, Jenson Button and Sebastian Vettel made contact and all had to retire. Following the collision, Kazuki Nakajima drove into Vettel as he spun and lost his front wing and had to pit in for a new one. A safety car was deployed in response to the accidents.


2008 Australian Grand Prix, Race
By the end of the first lap, Lewis Hamilton retained his lead followed by Kubica and Rosberg. Kimi Räikkönen elevated himself from fifteenth to eighth on the first lap. After the safety car was left the race on lap three, Räikkönen was stuck behind Rubens Barrichello, finally passing him lap 19 for sixth place. During the first set of pit stops Toyota driver Jarno Trulli was forced to retire due to electrical problems.


2008 Australian Grand Prix, Race
On lap 26, Massa attempted to pass David Coulthard with the two colliding forcing Coulthard to retire, and later Massa retire with an engine failure three laps later. Both Massa and Coulthard suggested the collision was the others fault. This led to a second safety car being deployed. With other cars pitting, Räikkönen decided to stay out to move up the order.


2008 Australian Grand Prix, Race
The race restarted without a safety car on lap 30 and Räikkönen made an ambitious move on Heikki Kovalainen  on turn 3, but went into the gravel trap and lost several places. Two laps later he spun the car again whilst attempting to pass Timo Glock into the same corner. Timo Glock ran wide onto the grass on lap 42 and the bottom of his car hit two substantial bumps, the second of which caused it to briefly fly up in the air and land with force sufficient to break the Suspension.


2008 Australian Grand Prix, Race
Glock spun twice and came to rest against the wall further down the track. He was forced to retire and the safety car came out for a third time. On the same lap, due to a false signal from the chief mechanic, Barrichello left a pit stop before the fuel hose had been removed from his car. Several mechanics suffered minor injuries. He would also serve a ten-second penalty for this pit stop as it was taken while the pit lane was closed. He was later disqualified for the infringement.


2008 Australian Grand Prix, Race
The race restarted on lap 47 and one lap later Kubica was forced out of the race after a collision with Kazuki Nakajima. Fernando Alonso was able to move up the field as a result of the high number of retirements and overtaking of Kovalainen and Räikkönen in a single move and was fifth with eight laps left. Räikkönen retired with Ferrari's second engine failure of the race on lap 54, after driving slowly into the pit lane.


2008 Australian Grand Prix, Race
Sébastien Bourdais was competing in his first Formula One race, but it ended on lap 56 after suffering an engine failure from fourth position. At the end of the penultimate lap, Kovalainen passed Alonso coming out of turn 13 to take fourth place, but moments later on the pit straight he accidentally hit the speed limiter designed for use in the pit lane allowing Alonso to regain fourth position.