[Index]
Monthly Global Tropical Cyclone Summary July 2008
[Summaries and Track Data] [Prepared by Gary Padgett]
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Cyclones
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Monthly Global Tropical Cyclone Summary July 2008 [Summaries and Track Data] [Prepared by Gary Padgett] |
MONTHLY GLOBAL TROPICAL CYCLONE SUMMARY
JULY, 2008
(For general comments about the nature of these summaries, as well as
information on how to download the tabular cyclone track files, see
the Author's Note at the end of this summary.)
*************************************************************************
JULY HIGHLIGHTS
--> Longest-lived Atlantic July tropical cyclone on record brushes
Bermuda
--> Category 2 hurricane strikes southern Texas
--> Three hurricanes in Eastern North Pacific
--> Two typhoons strike Taiwan followed by landfall in China
*************************************************************************
WIKIPEDIA TROPICAL CYCLONE REPORTS
Short reports with satellite pictures and small-scale maps for all
tropical cyclones may be found at the following links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_Atlantic_hurricane_season>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_Pacific_hurricane_season>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_Pacific_typhoon_season>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_North_Indian_cyclone_season>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008-09_Southern_Hemisphere_tropical_cyclone_season>
For some storms more detailed reports have been prepared. In those cases
I will include the specific links in the reports for the applicable
tropical cyclones.
*************************************************************************
!!!!!!!!!! EXTRA FEATURE !!!!!!!!!!
A REVIEW OF THE 2007-2008 TROPICAL CYCLONE SEASON
FOR THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE
Following is a tabular summary of all the tropical depressions
and tropical cyclones which occurred in the Southern Hemisphere
between 1 July 2007 and 30 June 2008 as reported in the Monthly
Global Tropical Cyclone Summaries prepared by the author.
(1) Number - this is the sequential cyclone number assigned by JTWC
in Hawaii.
(2) Name - the name (if any) assigned by the responsible Tropical
Cyclone Warning Centre. For systems in the South Indian Ocean
west of 90E and in the Southwest Pacific east of 160E which were
unnamed, the alphanumeric designator applied by La Reunion or
Fiji, respectively, is given in this column.
(3) Dates - range of dates for which tracking information for the
cyclone is available in the Global Tropical Cyclone Tracks files
prepared by the author. The dates given in most cases refer to
the time the system was in warning status and generally do not
include the pre-depression stages of the disturbance.
(4) Pressure - Lowest central pressure (either estimated or recorded)
during the lifetime of the cyclone. An asterisk (*) following
the pressure indicates the reading was an actual measured
pressure. Central pressure is given in millibars, which is
numerically equivalent to hectopascals.
(5) MSW 1-min avg - maximum 1-minute average sustained windspeed in
knots as assigned by JTWC. An asterisk (*) following the MSW
indicates that it was an actual measured value.
(6) MSW 10-min avg - maximum 10-minute average sustained windspeed
in knots as assigned by the responsible Tropical Cyclone Warning
Centre. An asterisk (*) following the MSW indicates that it was
an actual measured value.
(7) Basins - tropical cyclone basins where the cyclone tracked during
its life:
SWI - Southwest Indian Ocean - West of 90E
AUW - Northwest Australia/Southeast Indian Ocean - 90E to 135E
AUE - Northeast Australia/Coral Sea - 135E to 160E
SPA - South Pacific Ocean - East of 160E
SAT - South Atlantic Ocean
A number in parentheses (e.g. (1) ) following an entry refers to
a note following the entries for the given basin. A separate table
is given for each of the four Southern Hemisphere basins.
Abbreviations for Tropical Cyclone Warning Centres:
JTWC - Joint Typhoon Warning Center, formerly on Guam, now at
Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
MFR - Meteo France Reunion (RSMC La Reunion)
RSMC - Regional Specialised Meteorological Centre
*************************************************************************
SOUTHWEST INDIAN OCEAN
JTWC NAME DATES CENT MSW MSW BASIN
NUM PRS 1-MIN 10-MIN
(mb) (kts) (kts)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
--- ----- 21-24 Jul --- 30 -- SWI (1)
01S ----- 27-31 Jul 992 35 40 SWI/AUW (2)
--- (MFR-01) 11-14 Oct 1005 30 25 SWI (3)
04S Bongwe 17-24 Nov 976 65 60 SWI (4)
06S Celina 12-21 Dec 992 35 40 SWI
07S Dama 18-21 Dec 995 50 35 SWI
09S Elnus 30 Dec-05 Jan 994 40 35 SWI
13S Fame 24 Jan-01 Feb 972 80 65 SWI (5)
14S Gula 26 Jan-03 Feb 950 85 85 SWI (6)
16S Hondo 04-25 Feb 906 125 120 SWI
18S Ivan 07-22 Feb 930 115 100 SWI
22S Jokwe 04-15 Mar 930 100 105 SWI
23S Kamba 07-12 Mar 930 110 100 SWI
25S Lola 20-26 Mar 994 45 35 SWI
NOTES:
(1) No warnings were issued by any agency for this system. JTWC
rendered one Dvorak rating of T2.5/2.5, but intensity estimates
from SAB were at T2.5/2.5 for about 24 hours, suggesting that the
system was as least a strong tropical depression and possibly a
minimal tropical storm based on a 1-min avg criterion.
(2) Meteo France issued no warnings on this system. BoM Perth in real
time assigned a peak MSW of 30 kts, but in post-storm analysis the
intensity was upped to 40 kts based upon QuikScat data. Therefore,
the system is now officially considered as an unnamed tropical
cyclone.
(3) JTWC issued no warnings on this system--in the track I prepared I
obtained the 1-min avg MSW values from the JTWC and SAB satellite
fix bulletins.
(4) JTWC's estimated peak 1-min avg MSW of 65 kts was at 19/1800 UTC,
at which time MFR was reporting 50 kts (10-min avg). MFR's peak
10-min avg MSW of 60 kts occurred at 22/0600 UTC, at which time
JTWC was reporting a 1-min avg MSW of 55 kts.
(5) The highest 10-min avg MSW assigned by MFR was 60 kts at 27/0600 and
1200 UTC. The MFR warning issued at 27/1800 UTC, after the center
had moved inland in Madagascar, indicated that Fame had briefly
reached the tropical cyclone stage with winds of 65 kts shortly
before moving onshore.
(6) In the JMV file, JTWC has upped Gula's peak 1-min avg MSW to 100 kts.
*************************************************************************
NORTHWEST AUSTRALIA / SOUTHEAST INDIAN OCEAN
JTWC NAME DATES CENT MSW MSW BASIN
NUM PRS 1-MIN 10-MIN
(mb) (kts) (kts)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
03S Lee-Ariel 13-22 Nov 980 65 50 AUW/SWI (1)
08S Melanie 27 Dec-02 Jan 964 60 60 AUW
--- ----- 31 Dec-02 Jan 994 -- 30 AUW
10S Helen 03-06 Jan 975 45 50 AUW
17S ----- 04-10 Feb 992 40 30 AUW (2)
19S Nicholas 12-20 Feb 944 80 80 AUW
21S Ophelia 27 Feb-07 Mar 972 65 60 AUW
26S Pancho 24-30 Mar 938 95 90 AUW
28S Rosie 20-25 Apr 980 45 50 AUW
29S Durga 22-25 Apr 988 40 40 AUW (3)
NOTES:
(1) TC Lee formed in the Australian Region and moved westward into the
Southwest Indian Ocean basin, where it was renamed Arial by Mauritius.
Both BoM Perth and Metro France estimated the peak 10-min avg MSW at
50 kts.
(2) BoM Perth forecast peripheral gales for this system, but it was not
named as it did not meet the structural requirements for a tropical
cyclone that gales be wrapped around more than 50% of the center for
at least six hours.
(3) TC Durga formed north of 10S in the AOR of the Jakarta TCWC, which
became operational in January, 2008, and was the first cyclone to be
named by that agency.
*************************************************************************
NORTHEAST AUSTRALIA / CORAL SEA
JTWC NAME DATES CENT MSW MSW BASIN
NUM PRS 1-MIN 10-MIN
(mb) (kts) (kts)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
02P Guba 12-19 Nov 970 75 75 AUE (1)
--- ----- 27 Dec-04 Jan 995 -- 50 AUE (2)
--- ----- 11-13 Feb --- -- 50 AUE (3)
20P ----- 28 Feb-01 Mar 999 35 30 AUE (4)
NOTES:
(1) The name Guba was assigned by the TCWC at Port Moresby, Papua New
Guinea.
(2) This LOW was not a tropical cyclone, but was perhaps at least
partially a hybrid system.
(3) System was not a tropical cyclone but rather a vigorous monsoon LOW.
(4) Brisbane treated this system as a tropical LOW with peripheral gales.
JTWC issued only two warnings, and the significant deltas between
JTWC's and Brisbane's center fixes suggest that JTWC was perhaps
following a different LLCC.
*************************************************************************
SOUTH PACIFIC OCEAN
JTWC NAME DATES CENT MSW MSW BASIN
NUM PRS 1-MIN 10-MIN
(mb) (kts) (kts)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
--- (03F) 24 Nov-02 Dec 999 -- 30 SPA (1)
05P Daman 03-10 Dec 925 105 105 SPA (2)
--- (05F) 10-16 Dec 1000 -- 30 SPA (3)
11P Elisa 07-12 Jan 980 45 50 SPA
--- (08F) 09-14 Jan 998 -- 25 SPA
--- (09F) 12-13 Jan 999 -- 25 SPA
12P Funa 15-20 Jan 930 105 95 SPA
--- (11F) 19-24 Jan 992 -- 30 SPA (4)
15P Gene 26 Jan-09Feb 945 100 85 SPA
24P (14F) 19-23 Mar 998 35 30 SPA
--- (15F) 04-07 Apr 1002 -- 30 SPA (3)
27P (16F) 17-19 Apr 998 35 30 SPA (5)
NOTES:
(1) Dvorak satellite intensity estimates on 1 December reached T2.5/2.5
from JTWC and T3.0/3.0 from SAB, suggesting that the system was
possibly a minimal tropical storm based on a 1-min avg MSW criterion.
(2) Dr. Karl Hoarau estimates that Daman reached a peak 1-min avg MSW of
130 kts at 1800 UTC 6 December.
(3) Some peripheral gales associated with this system.
(4) System was a large, monsoon-gyre circulation with an extensive area
of peripheral gales at times reaching storm force. A Brisbane
bulletin on the 22nd noted that the system was similar to the famous
June, 1994, storm which destroyed a cruising fleet.
(5) Dvorak ratings from CPHC and Brisbane reached T3.0/3.0 early on the
18th. JTWC's ratings peaked at T2.5/2.5 at 17/2330 UTC and were
coming down by 18/0530 UTC. The highest noted from SAB was T2.0/2.0.
The satellite intensity estimates from CPHC and Brisbane seem to
support this system being a minimal "10-min avg" tropical cyclone.
RSMC Nadi did forecast peripheral gales for the system.
*************************************************************************
*************************************************************************
ACTIVITY BY BASINS
ATLANTIC (ATL) - North Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico
Activity for July: 1 tropical storm
1 hurricane
1 intense hurricane
Sources of Information
----------------------
Most of the information presented below was obtained from the
various tropical cyclone products issued by the Tropical Prediction
Center/National Hurricane Center (TPC/NHC) in Miami, Florida:
discussions, public advisories, forecast/advisories, tropical weather
outlooks, special tropical disturbance statements, etc. Some
additional information may have been gleaned from the monthly
summaries prepared by the hurricane specialists and available on
TPC/NHC's website. All references to sustained winds imply a
1-minute averaging period unless otherwise noted.
Atlantic Tropical Activity for July
-----------------------------------
Tropical cyclone activity in the Atlantic basin during July was much
above average. Three tropical storms formed--two of these reached
hurricane force and one became a major hurricane. On average, one named
storm forms in July with a hurricane appearing every other year. In
terms of accumulated cyclone energy (ACE), July, 2008, was the third
most active on record, after 2005 and 1916. The reports which follow
are pretty much taken verbatim from the monthly summary for July prepared
by the Hurricane Specialists at TPC/NHC.
The official storm reports for some of the individual cyclones are
already available on TPC/NHC's website at the following URL:
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/2008atlan.shtml>
HURRICANE BERTHA
(TC-02)
3 - 20 July
------------------------------------
Bertha developed from a strong tropical wave which moved off the
coast of western Africa on 1 July. The system gradually became better
organized and a tropical depression formed early on 3 July over the far
eastern Atlantic about 165 nm south-southeast of the Cape Verde Islands.
The depression strengthened and was upgraded to Tropical Storm Bertha
on the second advisory (03/1500 UTC) while passing south of the Cape
Verdes. Bertha's MSW had increased to 45 kts by 04/1200 UTC, but
changed little over the next couple of days as the cyclone moved
quickly west-northwestward over cooler SSTs. Late on 6 July, Bertha
reached warmer waters and began to strengthen, reaching hurricane
intensity at 0600 UTC on the 7th about 740 nm east of the Northern
Leeward Islands. Bertha then turned northwestward and rapidly
intensified, reaching a peak intensity of 105 kts early on 8 July.
(NOTE: In post-storm analysis, it has been determined that Bertha
reached a peak intensity of 110 kts at 07/2100 UTC--a strong Category 3
hurricane on the Saffir/Simpson scale.)
Late on the 8th increased shear caused the cyclone to weaken, followed
by re-intensification on the 9th as the shear decreased. During the
next couple of days, Bertha turned north-northwestward with a decrease
in forward speed. On 12-13 July the hurricane stalled a couple hundred
miles south-southeast of Bermuda and gradually weakened to a tropical
storm. On 14 July the cyclone began moving north-northwestward with the
center passing about 35 nm east of Bermuda. After passing Bermuda, the
forward speed slowed down again and Bertha turned eastward, followed by
a turn to the southeast. After this the storm accelerated northeastward
and regained hurricane status again on 18 July. Bertha passed about
390 nm southeast of Cape Race, Newfoundland, before becoming extra-
tropical over the North Atlantic on the 20th. The extratropical LOW
continued northeastward toward Iceland where it subsequently merged with
a larger extratropical cyclone.
Bertha brought tropical storm conditions to Bermuda during its close
passage on the 14th. Hurricane-force wind gusts were experienced at
some elevated locations on Bermuda; however, only minor damage was
reported. Bertha's 17 days as a tropical cyclone makes it the longest-
lived July Atlantic basin tropical cyclone on record.
The Wikipedia report on Hurricane Bertha may be accessed at the
following link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Bertha_(2008)>
TROPICAL STORM CRISTOBAL
(TC-03)
19 - 24 July
--------------------------------------------
Cristobal formed from an area of disturbed weather associated with a
broad area of low pressure that moved northeastward from the Gulf of
Mexico across Florida. The system continued to move northeastward near
the East Coast of the United States and became a tropical depression
at 19/0000 UTC about 55 nm south-southeast of Charleston, South Carolina.
The depression continued moving slowly northeastward and was upgraded to
Tropical Storm Cristobal at 19/2100 UTC while centered about 195 nm
southwest of Cape Hatteras. While the storm moved northeastward near
the North Carolina Outer Banks, the coast escaped the strongest winds
since most of the associated weather was located to the east of the
center. Cristobal later moved away from the U. S. coast with increasing
forward speed and reached its maximum intensity of 55 kts on 21 July
while located about 630 nm southwest of Halifax, Nova Scotia. Cristobal
then moved to the east-northeast and became extratropical on the 23rd
about 330 nm east of Halifax. No damage or casualties are known to have
resulted from Tropical Storm Cristobal.
The Wikipedia report on Tropical Storm Cristobal may be accessed at
the following link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_Storm_Cristobal_(2008)>
U. S. rainfall data for Cristobal may be found at the following URL:
http://www.hpc.ncep.noaa.gov/tropical/rain/cristobal2008.html>
HURRICANE DOLLY
(TC-04)
20 - 28 July
-----------------------------------
The month's second hurricane originated from a tropical wave that
emerged from Africa on 11 July. The system moved rapidly westward and
generated a surface low-pressure area about 1400 nm east of the Windward
Islands on 13 July. The LOW moved generally westward over the next
several days and cross the Windward Islands early on 17 July. As the
system traversed the eastern and central Caribbean Sea it had a broad
low-level circulation with winds to tropical storm force in squalls, but
lacked a definite center of circulation. The system reached the western
Caribbean on 20 July and a well-defined center of circulation formed with
Tropical Storm Dolly being classified on the first advisory at 1500 UTC.
Dolly was then centered about 260 nm east of Chetumal, Mexico.
The newly-formed tropical storm moved northwestward and temporarily
became disorganized while its center was reforming near the northeastern
Yucatan Peninsula. Dolly re-organized over the Gulf of Mexico on the
21st and headed west-northwestward toward the western Gulf of Mexico
coastline. On 22 July the cyclone turned toward the northwest and
strengthened into a hurricane. Dolly slowed its forward speed and
reached a peak intensity of 85 kts on 23 July shortly before its eye
made landfall on South Padre Island, Texas, a short distance southeast
of Port Mansfield. After landfall the cyclone weakened steadily, being
downgraded to a tropical storm early on 24 July and to a tropical
depression later that day as it crossed the Rio Grande. The weakening
Dolly dumped heavy rains along its path. The surface circulation
dissipated over northern Mexico on the 25th but its remnants aloft moved
over New Mexico on 26-27 July while continuing to produce heavy rains.
The system lost its identity as it approached the Texas Panhandle early
on 28 July. One person drowned in rough surf in the Florida Panhandle,
and preliminary damage totals range from $750 million to $1 billion.
The Wikipedia report on Hurricane Dolly may be accessed at the
following link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Dolly_(2008)>
U. S. rainfall data for Dolly may be found at the following URL:
http://www.hpc.ncep.noaa.gov/tropical/rain/dolly2008.html>
*************************************************************************
NORTHEAST PACIFIC (NEP) - North Pacific Ocean East of Longitude 180
Activity for July: 1 tropical depression
1 tropical storm
3 hurricanes
Sources of Information
----------------------
Most of the information presented below was obtained from the
various tropical cyclone products issued by the Tropical Prediction
Center/National Hurricane Center (TPC/NHC) in Miami, Florida (or the
Central Pacific Hurricane Center (CPHC) in Honolulu, Hawaii, for
locations west of longitude 140W): discussions, public advisories,
forecast/advisories, tropical weather outlooks, special tropical
disturbance statements, etc. Some additional information may have
been gleaned from the monthly summaries prepared by the hurricane
specialists and available on TPC/NHC's website. All references to
sustained winds imply a 1-minute averaging period unless otherwise
noted.
Northeast Pacific Tropical Activity for July
--------------------------------------------
Tropical cyclone activity in the Eastern North Pacific during July was
near average. Four tropical storms formed with three reaching hurricane
intensity, but none of these reached intense hurricane status (Category 3
or higher). Additionally, another tropical depression formed but did
not become a named storm. On the average about four tropical storms form
during July with two becoming hurricanes and one reaching intense
hurricane status. At the beginning of the month Hurricane Boris was
ongoing and Tropical Depression Cristina was dissipating. The reports
which follow are pretty much taken verbatim from the monthly summary
prepared by the Hurricane Specialists at TPC/NHC.
Tropical Depression 05E was a short-lived tropical cyclone that formed
from a tropical wave on 5 July about 150 nm south-southeast of Acapulco,
Mexico. The cyclone initially moved northwestard but turned to the
north-northwest the next day and slowed in its forward motion. A very
large area of convective activity accompanied the depression on 6 July,
but most of that remained offshore from Mexico until late that day.
Continuing slowly northward, the center of TD-05E made landfall very
early on the 7th just west of Lazaro Cardenas with maximum winds of about
30 kts, and the circulation dissipated inland over mountainous terrain
a few hours later. Heavy rains were dumped at some locations along the
coast of Mexico, including more than 5.5 inches at Manzanillo, but no
casualties, floods, or other significant impacts have been reported.
The official storm reports for some of the individual cyclones are
already available on TPC/NHC's website at the following URL:
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/2008epac.shtml>
TROPICAL STORM DOUGLAS
(TC-04E)
2 - 4 July
------------------------------------------
Douglas was a weak, short-lived tropical storm that formed from an
area of low pressure on 1 July about 245 nm southwest of Manzanillo,
Mexico. Douglas moved toward the northwest, paralleling the southwestern
coast of Mexico where it produced heavy rains. The cyclone reached its
maximum intensity of 35 kts at 1200 UTC on 2 July near 17.6N/107.6W.
Douglas remained a minimal tropical storm for 24 hours and then began
to weaken as it moved over cooler waters. It had become a remnant LOW
by 3 July. No impacts resulting from Tropical Storm Douglas have been
reported.
The Wikipedia report on Tropical Storm Douglas may be accessed at the
following link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_Storm_Douglas_(2008)>
HURRICANE ELIDA
(TC-06E)
12 - 19 July
-----------------------------------
Elida was a Category 2 hurricane that did not affect land. It first
formed as a tropical depression on 11 July about 350 nm southeast of
Acapulco and became a tropical storm later that day. Elida moved west-
northwestward on a track roughly parallel to the Pacific Coast of Mexico
while gradually strengthening over the next couple of days, becoming
a hurricane on 14 July about 290 nm south-southwest of Cabo Corrientes.
Elida then turned westward, and very little strengthening occurred over
the next two days while the cyclone experienced some easterly vertical
wind shear. By the 16th the shear had diminished and Elida began to
intensify. The hurricane reached its peak intensity of 90 kts at 1800
UTC on 16 July near 16.9N/117.2W, shortly before the center reached
cooler SSTs. Gradual weakening began on the 17th, and Elida weakened to
a tropical storm on 18 July and to a depression on the 19th. Lacking
organized thunderstorm activity, Elida degenerated to a remnant LOW later
that day about 1365 nm west of the southern tip of Baja California. By
21 July the westward-moving LOW had dissipated. No damage or casualties
are known to have resulted from Hurricane Elida.
The Wikipedia report on Hurricane Elida may be accessed at the
following link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Elida_(2008)>
HURRICANE FAUSTO
(TC-07E)
16 - 22 July
------------------------------------
Fausto developed from a tropical wave that moved westward from the
coast of Africa on 5 July. The system showed signs of organization upon
reaching the Eastern Pacific on 13 July, and gradual development ensued
during the next couple of days. A tropical depression formed on 16 July
about 485 nm southeast of Acapulco, and the cyclone reached tropical
storm intensity later that day. After an initial westward motion, Fausto
moved west-northwestward, becoming a hurricane on 18 July. The hurricane
then turned northwestward and "unsteadily" strengthened to an estimated
peak intensity of 85 kts at 0600 UTC 21 July near 19.9N/114.9W. Later on
the 21st, a turn toward the west-northwest brought Fausto over cooler
waters and it quickly weakened to a tropical storm. Additional weakening
caused the cyclone to decay to a remnant LOW on 22 July about 650 nm
west of the southern tip of Baja California. The LOW dissipated on the
24th about 1045 nm west of the Baja's southern tip. No impacts are known
to have resulted from Hurricane Fausto.
HURRICANE GENEVIEVE
(TC-08E)
21 - 27 July
---------------------------------------
Genevieve developed from a tropical wave that almost produced an
Atlantic tropical depression near the coast of Nicaragua on 17 July. The
wave moved westward into the Pacific on 18 July and the associated
cloudiness and thunderstorms showed signs of organization as the system
moved westward to the south of Central America and Mexico on 19-20 July.
The disturbance evolved into a tropical depression on 21 July about
215 nm south-southwest of Acapulco and intensified into a tropical storm
later that day. Over the next few days, Genevieve moved on a westward to
west-northwestward track with some fluctuations in strength. It
eventually became a hurricane at 25/1200 UTC while located about 500 nm
southwest of Cabo San Lucas. Genevieve's peak intensity was 65 kts, and
this was maintained for only 18 hours. The cyclone weakened back to a
tropical storm early on the 26th as it continued moving westward. It
continued to weaken, becoming a depression early on 27 July and
dissipating as a tropical cyclone later that day. Genevieve's remnant
LOW continued to move westward for several days, and by month's end had
become indistinct as it crossed into the Central Pacific region. No
damage or casualties are known to have resulted from Hurricane Genevieve.
*************************************************************************
NORTHWEST PACIFIC (NWP) - North Pacific Ocean West of Longitude 180
Activity for July: 3 tropical depressions **
2 typhoons
** - None of these were classified as tropical depressions by JTWC; two
were treated as depressions by JMA only, and one by JMA and PAGASA
Sources of Information
----------------------
Most of the information presented below is based upon tropical
cyclone warnings and significant tropical weather outlooks issued
by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center of the U. S. Air Force and
Navy (JTWC), located at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. In the companion
tropical cyclone tracks file, I normally annotate track coordinates
from some of the various Asian warning centers when their center
positions differ from JTWC's by usually 40-50 nm or more. All
references to sustained winds imply a 1-minute averaging period
unless otherwise noted.
Michael V. Padua of Naga City in the Philippines, owner of the
Typhoon 2000 website, normally sends me cyclone tracks based upon
warnings issued by the Japanese Meteorological Agency (JMA) and the
Philippines' Atmospheric, Geophysical & Astronomical Services
Administration (PAGASA). A very special thanks to Michael for the
assistance he so reliably provides.
In the title line for each storm I have referenced all the cyclone
names/numbers I have available: JTWC's depression number, the
JMA-assigned name (if any), JMA's tropical storm numeric designator,
and PAGASA's name for systems forming in or passing through their
area of warning responsibility.
Northwest Pacific Tropical Activity for July
--------------------------------------------
The Northwest Pacific basin was fairly active during July. Five
tropical systems were identified as tropical depressions by one agency
or another, and two became named storms with both reaching typhoon
intensity. Reports on Typhoons Kalmaegi/Helen and Fung-wong/Igme,
authored by Kevin Boyle, follow. The two typhoons were similar in
that they both crossed the island of Taiwan and made landfall in
China.
JMA classified a system as a weak tropical depression from 6-9 July
east of the Marianas. The disturbance was located near 21N/149E at
0600 UTC 6 July when first referenced in a JMA High Seas Bulletin.
The depression remained stationary in this vicinity until early on the
8th when it began to move east-northeastward. By the time of the final
mention of the system at 09/0600 UTC it had moved to near 27N/157E. This
weak LLCC formed in a band of convection along the southeastern periphery
of a large monsoon gyre. JTWC classified the disturbance as a 'poor'
area on the 6th, briefly upgrading the development potential to 'fair'
at 08/0600 UTC when it had shown increased organization. The
strengthening, however, was brief, and by 1700 UTC 8 July the convection
had largely dissipated. No track was included for this system in the
companion cyclone tracks file.
PAGASA initiated warnings on a circulation in the South China Sea
near 13N/118E at 0000 UTC on 4 July, naming it Tropical Depression Gener.
Gener moved west-northwestward and had exited PAGASA's AOR by 05/0000
UTC. During this time JMA classified the system as only a low-pressure
area, while JTWC included the disturbance in their STWOs as a 'poor'
area. A TCFA was issued at 07/0130 UTC with the circulation center
estimated to be near 20.8N/113.2E. A QuikScat pass at 06/2221 UTC noted
winds of 15-20 kts near the core while stronger winds of 25 kts were
located 2 to 3 degrees from the center--a typical monsoon depression
structure. JMA abruptly upgraded the system to a 30-kt depression
at 07/0600 UTC, but six hours later the center was moving inland into
China just east of Hong Kong.
Finally, JMA referenced another disturbance as a tropical depression
from 13/0600 to 15/0600 UTC. At 13/0600 UTC the system was centered
near 22N/138E and remained quasi-stationary near that location for about
24 hours. Early on the 14th it began to drift westward, reaching
24N/132E by 15/0000 UTC. Only JMA classified this system as a tropical
depression, and it was elevated to 30-kt status for only two warning
cycles beginning at 14/0600 UTC. JTWC elevated the potential for
development to 'fair' on 13 July, but downgraded it back to 'poor' on
the 14th. I did prepare a tabular track for this depression due to its
being elevated briefly to 30 kts by JMA.
TYPHOON KALMAEGI
(TC-08W / TY 0807 / HELEN)
12 - 21 JULY
----------------------------------------------
Kalmaegi: contributed by North Korea, means 'sea-gull'
A. Synoptic History
-------------------
The first mention of the pre-Kalmaegi disturbance was in JTWC's
STWO issued at 0600 UTC 11 July when it was located approximately
355 nm southeast of Taipei, Taiwan. JMA first began classification of
a tropical depression at 12/0600 UTC. The system was initially slow to
develop due to the close proximity of dry air, but following an increase
in the deep convection, a TCFA was issued at 13/0930 UTC. The first
warning on Tropical Depression 08W was issued at 14/0600 UTC with the
system moving slowly west-southwestwards between the subtropical and
near-equatorial ridges. Only slow intensification occurred over the
following 24 hours as the storm moved on a rather slow hairpin, and
abruptly turned towards the north. TD-08W was upgraded to a 35-kt
tropical storm at 15/1200 UTC, located approximately 245 nm northeast
of Manila, Philippines. JMA raised their 10-min avg MSW to 35 kts six
hours later and assigned the name Kalmaegi. PAGASA began releasing
bulletins at 13/1800 UTC and named the system Helen.
Steady intensification occurred on 16 July as the tropical cyclone
accelerated toward the north or north-northwest on a path towards Taiwan.
JTWC upgraded Kalmaegi to an 80-kt typhoon at 17/0000 UTC, positioning
the centre approximately 170 nm south-southeast of Taipei. At the same
time, JMA raised their 10-min avg MSW to 70 kts. The storm reached its
peak intensity of 90 kts six hours later. (JMA estimated a maximum
intensity of 75 kts with a minimum CP of 960 hPa.) Typhoon Kalmaegi
made landfall over northeastern Taiwan on 17 July and emerged over the
Taiwan Strait early the next day. Weakening, it was lowered to a
55-kt tropical storm at 18/0000 UTC. The system moved over the coast of
China at 18/1000 UTC about 30 nm east-northeast of Luoyuan with the MSW
estimated at 45 kts. JTWC issued their final warning at 18/1800 UTC.
Tropical Storm Kalmaegi (JMA 35 kts, 10 min-avg) turned north and passed
across eastern China on 19 July and into the Yellow Sea the next day.
Kalmaegi was declared extratropical over North Korea on 20 July. JMA
issued the final warning at 21/1800 UTC with the system centred in the
Sea of Japan and moving northeastward.
B. Damage and Casualties
------------------------
According to the online wikipedia report, Typhoon Kalmaegi left
19 people dead in Taiwan, and caused an estimated US$16 million of damage
to agriculture. An estimated 115,000 people lost power on the island,
primarily in Tainan, Nantou County, and in Taichung County. Rainfall
amounts in some mountainous areas of Tainan County in southern
Taiwan topped 1100 mm. The storm caused NT$300 million worth of damage
and destroyed about 5,100 hectares of orchards and crops.
Two persons were reported dead, and one person injured, in the
Philippines, according to the NDCC. Damages to infrastructure and
agriculture were estimated at nearly 5.7 million pesos and 1.3 million
pesos, respectively. A total of 31,129 people were affected. There
were no reports of damages or casualties from China as a result of
Kalmaegi. However, 360,000 people fled coastal and low-lying areas
to safety.
The Wikipedia report on Kalmaegi may be accessed at the following
link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Typhoon_Kalmaegi_(2008)>
(Report written by Kevin Boyle)
TYPHOON FUNG-WONG
(TC-09W / TY 0808 / IGME)
23 - 30 JULY
---------------------------------------------
Fung-wong: contributed by Hong Kong, means 'Phoenix', and
is also the name of a peak in Hong Kong.
A. Introduction
---------------
Typhoon Fung-wong was the second tropical cyclone to strike Taiwan
and China during the month of July, following the arrival of Typhoon
Kalmaegi ten days earlier. Fung-wong was a wet typhoon, bringing high
rainfall totals and leading to widespread flooding over Taiwan and
Fujian and Zhejiang Provinces of China. Three casualties were
reported, two in Taiwan, and one from mainland China. Four people were
killed in the Philippines as a result of the southwest monsoon induced
by Fung-wong.
B. Synoptic History
-------------------
Typhoon Fung-wong formed from a TUTT-induced disturbance
approximately 665 nm east-southeast of Okinawa, Japan, and was initially
mentioned in JTWA's STWO issued at 2000 UTC 20 July. The system
gradually organized while drifting slowly westward, and became the
subject of a TCFA at 24/0600 UTC. At this time the disturbance was
embedded in a monsoon depression with the strongest winds and virtually
all the deep convection over the southern semicircle. JMA began issuing
warnings on a tropical depression at 23/0000 UTC. The first warning on
Tropical Depression 09W was released at 24/1200 UTC. TD-09W
intensified as it tracked steadily westwards, and was upgraded to a
tropical storm twelve hours later. JMA assigned the name Fung-wong after
that agency upped their 10-min avg MSW to 35-kts at 25/0600 UTC. PAGASA
started issuing advisories at 24/0000 UTC, dubbing the system Igme.
Still tracking westwards, Tropical Storm Fung-wong was upgraded to a
65-kt typhoon at 26/1200 UTC while located approximately 345 nm southeast
of Taipei, Taiwan. Six hours later, JMA elevated the storm to typhoon
status. Fung-wong continued to intensify as it moved west-
northwestward along the perimeter of a subtropical ridge, reaching a
maximum intensity of 95 kts at 27/1800 UTC. The cyclone made landfall
over Taiwan with the MSW estimated at 85 kts around 28/0000 UTC at a
point about 85 nm south of Taipei. Drifting northwestward, Fung-wong
crossed the Taiwan Strait and weakened to tropical storm intensity
before moving over the coast of mainland China south of Fuzhou at 28/1500
UTC. JTWC ceased issuing warnings at 28/1800 UTC. The tropical cyclone
continued to track further inland over China with a MSW of 45 kts
(JMA 10-min avg). JMA issued its last advisory at 29/1200 UTC with the
system dissipating over eastern China.
Typhoon Fung-wong was the second of two successive tropical cyclones
to cross the island of Taiwan and then affect China during the month of
July.
C. Damage and Casualties
------------------------
Typhoon Fung-wong brought heavy rain which resulted in flooding in
eastern Taiwan. According to the online Wikipedia report, one casualty
was reported from China with six others injured.
The Wikipedia report on Typhoon Fung-wong may be accessed at the
following link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Typhoon_Fung-wong_(2008)>
(Report written by Kevin Boyle)
*************************************************************************
NORTH INDIAN OCEAN (NIO) - Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea
Activity for July: No tropical cyclones
*************************************************************************
SOUTHWEST INDIAN OCEAN (SWI) - South Indian Ocean West of Longitude 90E
Activity for July: No tropical cyclones
*************************************************************************
NORTHWEST AUSTRALIA/SOUTHEAST INDIAN OCEAN (AUW) - From 90E to 135E
Activity for July: No tropical cyclones
*************************************************************************
NORTHEAST AUSTRALIA/CORAL SEA (AUE) - From 135E to 160E
Activity for July: No tropical cyclones
*************************************************************************
SOUTH PACIFIC (SPA) - South Pacific Ocean East of Longitude 160E
Activity for July: No tropical cyclones
*************************************************************************
SPECIAL FEATURE - SOURCES OF TROPICAL CYCLONE INFORMATION
The purpose of this section is to list some websites where many and
varied types of tropical cyclone information are archived. Many readers
will know about these already, but for the benefit of those who don't,
I wanted to include them.
(1) Aircraft Reconnaissance Information
---------------------------------------
Various types of messages from reconnaissance aircraft may be
retrieved from the following FTP site:
ftp://ftp.nhc.noaa.gov/pub/products/nhc/recon/>
Information regarding how to interpret the coded reconnaissance
messages may be found at the following URL:
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/reconlist.shtml>
Links are also included to websites with further information about the
U. S. Air Force 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron and the NOAA Air-
craft Operations Center.
(2) Archived Advisories
-----------------------
All the advisory products (public advisories, forecast/advisories,
strike probabilities, discussions, various graphics) issued by TPC/NHC
are archived on TPC's website. For the current year (using 2004 as an
example), the archived products can be found at:
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2004/index.shtml>
Links to tropical products archives for earlier years are available at
the following URL:
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/pastall.shtml>
JTWC warnings for past storms are archived on the NRL Monterrey website:
http://www.nrlmry.navy.mil/tc_pages/tc_home.html>
On the NRL site, the link to past years can be found in the upper left
corner of the screen.
I am not aware at the moment of any other TCWC which archives all
its tropical cyclone warning/advisory products for public access, but
if I learn of any, I will add them to this list.
(3) Satellite Imagery
---------------------
Satellite images of tropical cyclones in various sensor bands are
available on the NRL Monterrey and University of Wisconsin websites,
courtesy of Jeff Hawkins and Chris Velden and their associates. The
links are:
http://www.nrlmry.navy.mil/tc_pages/tc_home.html>
http://cimss.ssec.wisc.edu/tropic/tropic.html>
On the NRL site, the link to past years can be found in the upper left
corner of the screen. For the CIMSS site, a link to data archives is
located in the lower left portion of the screen.
Additional tropical satellite imagery, along with looping ability for
composite microwave imagery for the Western Hemisphere north of the
equator, can be found at:
(1) For the Eastern North Pacific:
http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/PS/TROP/trop-epac.html>
(2) For the Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea:
http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/PS/TROP/trop-atl.html>
(4) Cyclone Tracking Information
--------------------------------
There is a U. S. Navy site that tracks tropical cyclones at 6-hourly
intervals which often includes pre and post-advisory positions. The
link to the site is:
http://www.nrlmry.navy.mil/atcf_web/doc_archives/>
Steve Young has compiled many of these tracks onto a single webpage
which is very user-friendly:
http://home.earthlink.net/~shy9/tc1.htm>
I'm sure there are other sites with available imagery available, and
as I learn of them, I will add the links to this list.
*************************************************************************
EXTRA FEATURE
In order to shorten the amount of typing in preparing the narrative
material, I have been in the habit of freely using abbreviations and
acronyms. I have tried to define most of these with the first usage
in a given summary, but I may have missed one now and then. Most of
these are probably understood by a majority of readers but perhaps a
few aren't clear to some. To remedy this I developed a Glossary of
Abbreviations and Acronyms which I first included in the August, 1998
summary. I don't normally include the Glossary in most months in
order to help keep them from being too long. If anyone would like to
receive a copy of the Glossary, please e-mail me and I'll be happy
to send them a copy.
*************************************************************************
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This summary should be considered a very preliminary
overview of the tropical cyclones that occur in each month. The cyclone
tracks (provided separately) will generally be based upon operational
warnings issued by the various tropical cyclone warning centers. The
information contained therein may differ somewhat from the tracking and
intensity information obtained from a "best-track" file which is based
on a detailed post-seasonal analysis of all available data. Information
on where to find official "best-track" files from the various warning
centers will be passed along from time to time.
The track files are not being sent via e-mail. They can be retrieved
from the archive sites listed below. (Note: I do have a limited e-mail
distribution list for the track files. If anyone wishes to receive
these via e-mail, please send me a message.)
Both the summaries and the track files are standard text files
created in DOS editor. Download to disk and use a viewer such as
Notepad or DOS editor to view the files.
The first summary in this series covered the month of October,
1997. Back issues can be obtained from the following websites
(courtesy of Michael Bath, Michael V. Padua, Michael Pitt, and
Chris Landsea):
http://australiasevereweather.com/cyclones/>
http://www.typhoon2000.ph>
http://mpittweather.com>
ftp://ftp.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/pub/landsea/padgett/>
Another website where much information about tropical cyclones may
be found is the website for the UK Meteorological Office. Their site
contains a lot of statistical information about tropical cyclones
globally on a monthly basis. The URL is:
http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/tropicalcyclone>
TROPICAL CYCLONE REPORTS AVAILABLE
JTWC now has available on its website the Annual Tropical Cyclone
Report (ATCR) for 2007 (2006-2007 season for the Southern Hemisphere).
ATCRs for earlier years are available also.
The URL is: http://metocph.nmci.navy.mil/jtwc.php>
Also, TPC/NHC has available on its webpage nice "technicolor"
tracking charts for the 2007 Atlantic and Eastern North Pacific
tropical cyclones; also, storm reports for all the 2007 Atlantic
and Eastern North Pacific cyclones are now available, as well as
track charts and reports on storms from earlier years.
The URL is: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov>
A special thanks to Michael Bath of McLeans Ridges, New South Wales,
Australia, for assisting me with proofreading the summaries.
PREPARED BY
Gary Padgett
E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: 334-222-5327
Kevin Boyle (Northwest Pacific)
E-mail: [email protected]
*************************************************************************
*************************************************************************
|
Document: summ0807.htm
Updated: 25th November 2008 |
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