Posts Tagged ‘Cyclone RENE’
Posted by feww on February 17, 2010
TC RENE Wreaked Havoc on Tongatapu Island as Forecast
Tongan capital of Nuku’Alofa was left battered, though it could have been much worse had RENE not weakened before the assault. There were no reported injury or fatality as of posting.
Tropical Cyclone RENE. Sat image JTWC/SATOP. Date/Time: 16 feb 2010 at 17:30UTC – Click image to enlarge.
Background:
Tropical Cyclone RENE (TC 15P) Details
- Date/Time: 17 February 2010 – 00:30 UTC
- Position: Near 26.5ºS, 177ºE
- Sustained Movement: 225 degrees
- Forward speed: ~ 25 km/hr (~ 14 kt)
- Tropical Cyclone RENE has been tracking SOUTHWEST over the past 6 hours.
Current Wind Distribution:
- Maximum Sustained winds: ~ 65km/hr (~ 35 kt)
- Maximum Gusts: ~ 80 km/hr (~ 45 kt)
- RENE is expected to dissipate as a TC over open water in the next 12 hours.
Wave Height and Location:
- Maximum significant wave height: ~ 5m (15 ft)
- Location: TC RENE was located about 1,200 km (~ 650 NM) NNE of Auckland, New Zealand
- Sources: CIMSS, JTWC and Others
Additional Satellite Imagery
NOAA East Pacific Floater 1 GOES Satellite Imagery – Cyclone FIFTEEN (TC 15P)
See also: UW- CIMSS Cyclone Portal
Related Links:
Posted in cyclone, Pacific Ocean, storm, storm rene, Tropical Cyclone RENE | Tagged: Cyclone RENE, Cyclone RENE Update 17 Feb, hurricane, Nuku’Alofa, RENE Update 7, RENE Update feb 17, South Pacific, TC 15P, Tonga, Tongatapu | Leave a Comment »
Posted by feww on February 16, 2010
Cyclone RENE still strong, but won’t last long!
Unfavorable environmental conditions, especially cooler sea surface temperatures and ocean heat content, will bring an end to RENE as a tropical cyclone over open water in the next 24 to 36 hours.
Tropical Cyclone RENE – GOES IR Satellite image (JSL2 enhancement) – Source: NOAA. Click image to enlarge.
Background:
Tropical Cyclone RENE (TC 15P) Details
- Date/Time: 16 February 2010 – 01:00 UTC
- Position: Near 24ºS, 177ºW
- Sustained Movement: 225 degrees
- Forward speed: 24 km/hr (~ 13 kt)
- Tropical Cyclone RENE has been tracking SOUTHWEST over the past 6 hours.
Current Wind Distribution:
- Maximum Sustained winds: ~ 120km (~ 60 kt)
- Maximum Gusts: ~ 150 km/hr (~ 110 kt)
- RENE is now a Cat. 1 Hurricane on FEWW New Hurricane Scale.
- Unfavorable environmental conditions, especially cooler sea surface temperatures and ocean heat content will bring an end to RENE as a tropical cyclone over open water in the next 24 to 36 hours.
Wave Height and Location:
- Maximum significant wave height: ~ 8m (24 ft)
- Location: TC RENE was located about 780 km (~ 420 NM) Southeast of NADI, FIJI.
- Sources: CIMSS, JTWC and Others
Additional Satellite Imagery
NOAA East Pacific Floater 1 GOES Satellite Imagery – Cyclone FIFTEEN (TC 15P)
See also: UW- CIMSS Cyclone Portal
Related Links:
Posted in cyclone, Pacific Ocean, storm, storm rene, Tropical Cyclone RENE | Tagged: Cyclone RENE, Cyclone RENE Update 16 Feb, hurricane, RENE Update 6, RENE Update feb 16, South Pacific, TC 15P | 1 Comment »
Posted by feww on February 15, 2010
Cyclone RENE Continues to Pummel Tonga Islands
Having killed at least one person, leaving behind a trail of destruction in the American Samoa (despite false media reports to the contrary), Cyclone RENE continues to lash the island groups of Tonga with wind gusts of 200 km/hr and heavy rain.
According to two different reports, the roofs are being torn off building, trees ripped out of the ground, with power and communication lines cut off on the Vava’u and Ha’apai island groups.
RENE is now headed toward the Tongan capital of Nuku’Alofa on the main island of Tongatapu.
Tropical Cyclone RENE – IR-WV Difference Satellite Image – Source: UW-CIMSS. Click image to enlarge.
Map of Tonga Island Groups. Source: USGovt. Click image to enlarge.
Background:
Tropical Cyclone RENE (TC 15P) Details
- Date/Time: 15 February 2010 – 00:01 UTC
- Position: Near 19.6ºS, 174.4ºW
- Sustained Movement: 245 degrees
- Forward speed: 19 km/hr (~ 10 kt)
- Tropical Cyclone RENE has been tracking SOUTHWEST over the past 6 hours.
Current Wind Distribution:
- Maximum Sustained winds: ~ 165km (~ 90 kt)
- Maximum Gusts: ~ 205 km/hr (~ 110 kt)
- RENE is now a Cat 2B Hurricane on FEWW New Hurricane Scale.
- The cyclone is expected to begin losing its intensity sharply within the next 24 hours due to cooler sea surface temperatures and high vertical wind shear.
Wave Height and Location:
- Maximum significant wave height: ~ 9m (27 ft)
- Location: TC RENE was located about 880 km (~ 475 NM) Southeast of NADI, FIJI.
- Sources: CIMSS, JTWC and Others
Additional Satellite Imagery
NOAA East Pacific Floater 1 GOES Satellite Imagery – Cyclone FIFTEEN (TC 15P)
See also: UW- CIMSS Cyclone Portal
Related Links:
Posted in cyclone, hurricane, NUKUALOFA, storm, Tongatapu | Tagged: Cyclone RENE, Cyclone RENE Update 15 Feb, Cyclone RENE Update 5, RENE 15 Feb | 2 Comments »
Posted by feww on February 13, 2010
RENE Heading West
Tropical Cyclone RENE has slowed down and consolidated; it’s intensifying and pummeling American Samoa as it heads west.
Background:
Tropical Cyclone RENE – IR-WV Difference Satellite Image – Source: UW-CIMSS. Click image to enlarge.
Tropical Cyclone RENE – NOAA GOES JSL2 IR CH4 Satellite Image- Date as inset. Click image to enlarge. Click here for the most recent update.
Tropical Cyclone RENE (TC 15P) Details
- Date/Time: 12 February 2010 – 13:00 UTC
- Position: Near 14.3ºS, 169.8ºW
- Sustained Movement: 280 degrees
- Forward speed: 10 km/hr (~ 6 kt)
- Tropical Cyclone RENE has been tracking WEST over the past 6 hours.
Current Wind Distribution:
- Maximum Sustained winds: ~ 157 km (~ 85 kt)
- Maximum Gusts: ~ 195 km/hr (~ 105 kt)
Wave Height and Location:
- Maximum significant wave height: ~ 9m (26 ft)
- Location: TC RENE was located about 120 km (~ 70 NM) ENE of Pago-Pago
- Rene could intensify to a Cat 2B Hurricane [probability of 65 percent] possibly a Cat 3A Hurricane [probability of 45 percent] within the next 72 hours.
- Sources: CIMSS, JTWC and Others
Additional Satellite Imagery
NOAA East Pacific Floater 1 GOES Satellite Imagery – Cyclone FIFTEEN (TC 15P)
See also: UW- CIMSS Cyclone Portal
Recent Disasters in Samoa Islands Region
In September 2009, the Samoa tsunami killed more than 200 people in the Samoan islands and Tonga, destroying dozens of villages.
In January 2004, Cyclone Heta struck Samoa Islands and American Samoa, destroying or damaging more than 4,500 homes in American Samoa. Heta also destroyed 90 percent of the crops in the region.
Related Links:
Posted in cyclone, hurricane, storm, Tropical Cyclone RENE | Tagged: American Samoa, Cyclone RENE, Cyclone RENE Update 3, Cyclone RENE Update 3 (13 Feb), Manu'a islands, Ofu, Olosega, pago-pago, Samoa Islands, South Pacific, Ta'u, TC 15P | 5 Comments »
Posted by feww on February 13, 2010
RENE Hovering Near PAGO-PAGO
Cyclone RENE continues to intensify, seemingly intent on wreaking havoc in the S Pacific island groups
In fact, based on the available information, there’s little to prevent the cyclone [turning around] tracking west, and targeting Samoa Islands, despite the forecast paths.
Cyclone Rene. NOAA GOES AVNCOLOR Enhancement IR Satellite image. Click image to enlarge. Click HERE or the Latest Image. See Enhanced Image.
Political Map of American Samoa and Samoa Islands. Click image to enlarge.
Tropical Cyclone RENE (TC 15P) Details
- Date/Time: 13 February 2010 at 03:00 UTC
- Position: Near 13.5ºS, 169.5ºW
Current Wind Distribution:
- Maximum Sustained winds: ~ 130km (~ 70 kt)
- Maximum Gusts: ~ 160 km/hr (~ 85 kt)
Wave Height and Location:
- Maximum significant wave height: ~ 8.5m (25 ft)
- Sources: CIMSS, JTWC and Others
Additional Satellite Imagery
NOAA East Pacific Floater 1 GOES Satellite Imagery – Cyclone FIFTEEN (TC 15P)
See also:
Posted in cyclone, hurricane, Pacific Ocean, storm, tropical cyclone | Tagged: Cyclone RENE, Cyclone RENE Update 2, pago-pago, Pukapuka, RENE Update feb 13, Samoa, Samoa Islands, South Pacific, TC 15P | 6 Comments »
Posted by feww on February 12, 2010
Slow Forward Motion May Help RENE to Strengthen
Tropical Cyclone RENE (TC 15P) – Water Vapor Satellite Image. Source: UW-CIMSS. Click Image to enlarge.
Tropical Cyclone RENE (TC 15P) Details
- Date/Time: 12 February 2010 – 01:30 UTC
- Position: Near 13.0ºS, 166.0ºW
- Sustained Movement: 215 degrees
- Forward speed: 9 km/hr (~ 5 kt)
- Tropical Cyclone RENE has been tracking SOUTH over the past 6 hours.
Current Wind Distribution:
- Maximum Sustained winds: ~ 110km (~ 60 kt)
- Maximum Gusts: ~ 140 km/hr (~ 75 kt)
Wave Height and Location:
- Maximum significant wave height: ~ 6m (18 ft)
- Location: TC RENE was located about 500 km (~ 270 NM) ENE of Pago-Pago
- Rene could intensify to a Cat 2B Hurricane [probability of 65 percent] possibly a Cat 3A Hurricane [probability of 45 percent] within the next 72 hours, depending on its forward motion speed.
- Sources: CIMSS, JTWC and Others
South Pacific and North America are two places to avoid right now!
Additional Satellite Imagery
NOAA East Pacific Floater 1 GOES Satellite Imagery – Cyclone FIFTEEN (TC 15P)
See also:
Posted in cyclone, hurricane, Pacific Ocean, storm, tropical cyclone | Tagged: Cyclone RENE, Cyclone RENE Update 1, pago-pago, Pukapuka, South Pacific, TC 15P | 6 Comments »
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