Typhoon FITOW Chased by Cyclone DANAS

UPDATED at 14:30UTC Saturday, October 5, 2013

DANAS has intensified to a typhoon force packing sustained winds of about 125km/hr. FIRE-EARTH models show that DANAS could potentially influence its predecessor, typhoon FITOW,  effectively pinwheeling the earlier typhoon [“Fujiwhara Effect,”] if the former stalls, or becomes quasi stationary again.

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China issues highest warning as Typhoon FITOW nears

China’s meteorological agency on Saturday issued a “Red Alert,” the country’s highest in its weather warning system, as Typhoon FITOW neared its southeast coast.

FITOW was located approximately 550km east of Taipei, according to FIRE-EARTH projections, tracking WNW at about 13km/hr, generating maximum significant wave heights of about 12 meters.

FITOW as of 9:00UTC on October 5, 2013

• Location: near 27.0ºN,119.3ºE
• Movement and speed: WNW  at 13km/hr
• Max sustained winds: 175km/hr
• Max wind gusts: 210km/hr
• Max significant wave heights: 12m

Typhoon FITOW (TY 1323) Chased by Tropical Cyclone DANAS (TS 1324) . MTSAT-2 image recorded at 7:00UTC on 2013-10-05. IMAGE credit: Digital Typhoon.

The typhoon is expected to move NW at a speed of about 15 km per hour, and would likely strengthen slightly, said China’s National Meteorological Center (NMC).

“FITOW is likely to make landfall in the coastal areas between central Zhejiang Province and northern Fujian Province between Sunday night and Monday morning,” said NMC.

“The center said it is unusual for a typhoon to make landfall in southeast China in October, urging local authorities and residents to raise their alerts and closely follow relevant information,” said a report.

China’s maritime authorities have also issued an “Orange Alert,” their second highest alert level, for coastal storm surges.

List of Tropical Cyclones in the Western North Pacific [October 5, 2013]

1. SONAMU
2. SHANSHAN
3. YAGI
4. LEEPI
5. BEBINCA
6. RUMBIA
7. SOULIK
8. CIMARON
9. JEBI
10. MANGKHUT
11. UTOR
12. TRAMI
13. PEWA
14. UNALA
15. KONG-REY
16. YUTU
17. TORAJI
18. MAN-YI
19. USAGI
20. PABUK
21. WUTIP
22. SEPAT
23. FITOW
24. DANAS (TS1324)

Related Links

• Typhoon FITOW Makes Minor Detour October 4, 2013
• Two Cyclones Moving Toward Japan October 1, 2013
• WUTIP Hammers Central Vietnam October 1, 2013
• Typhoon WUTIP Headed for Vietnam, Laos, Thailand September 29, 2013
• USAGI Disaster Update: 25 Dead; 7,100 Homes Destroyed September 23, 2013
• FEWW New Hurricane Scale September 3, 2008
• Satellite Imagery