Typhoon Melor may be heading toward Kanto region, Japan
Barring a big surprise or last-minute change of heart, typhoon Melor will only briefly enter the Philippines territory late Monday (local time), exiting mostly uneventfully by early Tuesday.
Typhoon Melor. MTSAT Unenhanced Still Image. Time and date as inset. To update and enlarge, click on image. The very slow moving storm Parma to the WNW of Melor loitering in NW Luzon and southern tip of Taiwan region could be dragged back to Luzon, as Melor heads NNW towards Japan. Note Melor’s well-defined eye and its near-perfect symmetry.
Typhoon Melor. MTSAT RGB Still Image. Time and date as inset. To update and enlarge, click on image. [Remember, Earth is NOT flat. :)]
Typhoon Melor. MTSAT Infra Red Short Wave – Still Image. Time and date as inset. To update and enlarge, click on image.
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Melor is not expected to impact Philippines directly, but it is controlling the movement of typhoon Parma, which is moving west very slowly as it passes over northern Luzon.
The two typhoons are interacting, somewhat pinwheeling [“Fujiwhara Effect,”] with Melor packing more powerful winds being the driver, as Parma weakens. In fact, it is possible that Melor could drag Parma back on to Luzon, at least temporarily.
Melor spared Guam and Saipan over the weekend, with NWS in Guam reporting gusts of up to 38 mph and little rain as Melor moved north away from the island Saturday night.
The following information is provided by Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA)
TYPHOON 0918 (Melor) Issued at 00:45 UTC, 5 October 2009
Forecast for 05:00 UTC, 5 October 2009
- Intensity: Very Intense
- Center position: N18°30′(18.5°), E136°20′(136.3°)
- Direction and speed of movement: WNW 25km/h(14kt)
- Central pressure: 910hPa
- Maximum wind speed near the center: 198 km/h
- Maximum wind gust speed : 288 km/h
- Area of 50kt (93km/h) winds or more : 190km (100NM)
- Area of 30kt (56km/h) winds or more: NE560km, SW390km(210NM)
JMA forecast track for Typhoon Melor. Image may be subject to copyright.
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