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

Could Typhoon Melor Drag Parma Back to Philippines?

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.

For additional images and animation, visit Satellite Imagery Links Page.

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.

Related Links:

• When Will Global Food Shortages Begin Biting
• “Twin-engine” hurricanes, “Supercharged” Typhoons
• Super Typhoon Parma May Churn Manila to Vanila
• Philippines Extreme Rain from TS Ketsana
• Manila Flooding Could Trigger Quakes
• Philippines: Worst Floods in Living Memory