*Archive:*Weather around the World 5

[highcliffe2]

23/08/2004

By Kirsty McCabe

Typhoons cause trouble in the Pacific

A state of emergency was declared in Guam on Sunday after the passage of Super-Typhoon Chaba.

Although the storm passed about 85 miles northeast of Guam, it still caused powerful winds that brought down power lines, grounded flights, flooded roads and homes and sent residents scurrying for shelter. The highest wind speed recorded on Guam was 61mph and strong winds continued to be a problem on Monday.

The nearby Northern Mariana Islands felt the brunt of Chaba as the storm passed only 30 miles northeast of the island of Rota, where officials said winds were recorded as high as 132mph. There were no initial reports of injuries, according to the US Commonwealth’s Emergency Management Office. The super-typhoon, with sustained winds of 160mph and gusts of 180mph, is now heading towards Japan.

Another tropical storm, Typhoon Aere, is heading towards Taiwan, which issued land and sea warnings on Monday. If Aere stays on its present course it will slam into Taiwan’s northeast coast on Tuesday, says the Central Weather Bureau, bringing torrential rain, flash floods and landslides.

With winds of 75mph and gusts of up to 96mph, Aere was 273 miles southeast of Taipei at 0600 GMT on Monday and moving northwest at 9mph. The military said it had delayed the final exercise of its annual joint-force war games, originally scheduled for Wednesday, because of the storm.

Last month, Typhoon Mindulle brought heavy downpours which killed at least 22 people in central and southern Taiwan with another 14 people missing and feared dead. Agricultural damage was estimated at US$135 million.

In 2001, one of Taiwan's deadliest years for storms, Typhoon Toraji killed 200 people. A few months later, Typhoon Nari caused Taipei's worst flooding on record and killed 100 people.

Related Links: Joint Typhoon Warning Centre

Information thanks to the BBC Weather Website

[highcliffe2]

24/08/2004

By Jay Wynne

An update on Typhoon Aere

Typhoon ‘Aere’ tore through Japan’s southernmost Ryukyu islands from late Monday into early Tuesday – two young girls were swept away and others were injured as the winds gusted in excess of 100mph, 50-70mm of rain fell per hour and waves reached 10 metres.

Later in the day the effects of ‘Aere’ were to be felt over Northern Taiwan. Taiwan is a densely populated and mountainous island – the mountains, when subjected to intense rainfall, become unstable, and landslides are relatively common. Early this morning ‘Aere’ was moving at a very slow 6 or 7 mph. This increases the potential for some prolonged and very heavy rain with a high risk of flash floods and landslides. Taiwan’s Central Weather Bureau is predicting that there could be as much as a metre of rain in the mountains in the next couple of days and this will cause all kinds of trouble.

The rain was already heavy enough to close schools, government offices and financial markets on Tuesday morning and it also prompted the suspension of internal flights after a plane slid off the runway in heavy rain and strong winds; thankfully no one was injured in this incident. However, at least five fishermen were lost when their boats capsized.

‘Aere’ has probably reached its peak in terms of wind strength but there is plenty more rain to come. The Typhoon is expected to slowly ease away from Taiwan before it crashes into the southeast of mainland China tomorrow evening and then it should weaken further.

Related Links: Joint Typhhon Warning Centre

Information thanks to the BBC Weather Website

[highcliffe2]

25/08/2004

By Elizabeth Saary

China braces itself for the worst

Taiwan faced a second day battling with the effects of Typhoon ‘Aere’ The storm began lashing the island with torrential rain and strong winds on Tuesday, and due to the slow forward movement of the system, it has not yet cleared through. The centre of the storm was, at the time of writing, situated just offshore from the northern tip of Taiwan, but it is a large system and the wind and rain extend a fair distance away from its centre.

During Tuesday night, ‘Aere’ continued to cause widespread damage. Power lines have been torn away, leaving many thousands of homes without power. Trees have been uprooted and aircraft grounded. There are reports that parts of Taiwan have received nearly 1.5 metres, almost five feet of rain in the past two days.

The typhoon looks set to continue on its westerly course which will bring it into contact with eastern China before too long. With this in mind, the Chinese government have begun evacuating people from areas likely to be affected. They are clearly not taking any chances after typhoon ‘Rananim’ wrought havoc in Zhejiang province earlier this month. ‘Rananim’ was one of the most powerful and destructive typhoons to hit China in recent years and it is thought that ‘Aere’ may be almost as bad with torrential rain, storm-force winds, flooding and landslides expected.

So far, around half a million people have been evacuated from both Fujian and Zhejiang, and over 40,000 fishing boats have been called to port. The typhoon is expected to make landfall sometime this evening.

Meanwhile, super typhoon ‘Chaba’, situated further out at sea in the northwest Pacific, was producing wind speeds of 210mph (330km/h) as it headed slowly towards southern Japan. This beast of a storm will also have to be closely monitored in the coming few days.

Information thanks to the BBC Weather Website

[highcliffe2]

26/08/2004

By Jay Wynne

In the wake of a Typhoon

Typhoon Aere battered Taiwan for some three days and the death toll has risen. Rainfall amounts have been phenomenal with up to 1.5 metres (close to 5 feet) of rain in the mountains.

Wednesday night saw a massive landslide bury an entire village in northern Taiwan leaving at least fifteen people missing. Eyewitness reports suggest that this was a catastrophic event, the whole village swamped by a wall of mud in about ten seconds. Many others were trapped in the hills as roads were cut off in floods and landslides. Helicopters ferried in rescuers and supplies.

This slow moving typhoon has eased away from Taiwan and, as forecast, made its way towards southeast China. Earlier this month the same area was trashed by Typhoon Rananim and 164 people lost their lives. This time around the authorities decided to take action well in advance. About 1 million people were evacuated from low lying areas, flights were cancelled and small vessels were held in port.

The decision to evacuate has proved to be a very wise one. Typhoon Aere made landfall in the Fujian province early on Thursday and while there was massive destruction to houses and infrastructure, just one man was reported missing and there were only a few other injuries.

On a positive note, the winds are now easing and the copious amounts of rain have helped to ease the drought conditions in the area.

In the Sichuan province of western China, far from Aere, heavy rains have caused landslides with at least ten dead and several missing.

There’s another typhoon out there and it’s a big one. Indeed super typhoon Chaba is packing winds of 150mph and gusts of 180mph. At the moment it’s on a collision course with Okinawa and by the weekend it’ll have Kyushu in its sights.

Related Links: Joint Typhoon Warning Centre

Information thanks to the BBC Weather Website

[highcliffe2]

27/08/2004

By Tori Good

Bank Holiday Weekend Ahead - place your bets, please!

It’s Friday…. Hurrah! And it’s a Bank Holiday weekend in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, so is the weather going to play ball, or are we going to be mopping up another wet weekend?

Well, it’s been raining again, overnight and today, and in the last week or so we have seen flooding in Londonderry, Lochearnhead and, of course, Boscastle. Torrential rain has been recorded elsewhere also, so it’s been a bit of a wash out so far this August. The final statistics won’t come in until the end of the month, but already many places have reported more than twice their usual August rainfall, and some towns have had their wettest August on record.

A far cry from this time last year, then.

To help put our recent rainfall experienced into perspective, the UK is by no means the only place where wet weather has dampened spirits. Senj, which lies on the Adriatic coast of Croatia, has had a fair few downpours in the last few weeks, the most recent bringing a further 78mm of rain in just six hours. Given that here, they usually record 80mm in the whole month, that downpour was certainly intense.

The wet season is still bringing severe rains to central Africa. Chad has been affected recently, as is the norm for this time of year. But, these seasonal rains have also brought downpours to more southern countries. The southern shores of Lake Victoria have seen a rather impressive 38mm in a few hours from a series of thunderstorms. The average for August is just 20mm.

There has been some rather warm weather around Europe though. Catania lies on the eastern coast of the island of Sicily. The maximum temperature recorded on the 26th was a scorching 39 Celsius, which would certainly be enough to stop me in my tracks.

Talking of tracks, Paula Radcliffe is bravely taking part in the 10,000 metres tonight in Athens. The conditions there have so far certainly been stifling, but perhaps mercifully not necessarily humid, which would have made it so much worse for the athletes taking part in the Olympic Games. However, even towards sundown, when the race begins, the evening temperatures will still be hovering around the 30 degree mark, so it will still be far from ideal for the runners.

Good luck to everyone taking part – and if it helps, the weekend here in the UK is looking a little better than of late! Monday especially looks like it will be rather a lovely day, so that’s something else to look forward to.

Information thanks to the BBC Weather Website

[highcliffe2]

28/08/2004

By Kirsty McCabe

Concern over Britain's harvest

Heavy rainfall across the UK this summer may cause greater damage to the farming industry than 2001’s devastating food-and-mouth outbreak.

With August not yet over, weather records have already been broken for many areas of the UK. Summer 1912 may have been wetter overall, but the Midlands, northern and eastern England and parts of Scotland have had around double their usual August rainfall this year.

Some farmers are expecting to lose their entire crop and EU subsidies are not due to be paid until at least November. The National Farmer’s Union, backed by the Conservatives, are pressing the government to offer financial help to crop farms affected by the wet summer. The NFU says ministers should help deliver EU subsidies earlier than usual.

Thousands of farmers in north-east England are being forced to stand by and watch crops being ruined in the waterlogged ground, according to the NFU. The north of England has been hardest hit, says Lord Haskins, the government’s chief rural adviser, although farmers across Britain are suffering.

In Scotland, farmers have suffered the worst harvest in almost 20 years after torrential rain ruined some fields. Much of the oil seed crop has already failed, although farmers are hoping to save their wheat and barley. But the National Farmers’ Union of Scotland (NFUS) has warned that time is running out to save the rest.

Ten days of dry and windy weather would dry out crops and save Britain’s harvest, said an NFU expert. However, despite today’s dry weather, we will see further outbreaks of rain next week, and that will make things even more difficult for the farmers.

Last year’s dry weather provided a bumper harvest, but this year’s storms have created problems that could last into 2005 as seeds and soil become damaged as well, according to BBC Radio 4’s Farming Today.

Information thanks to the BBC Weather Website

[highcliffe2]

29/08/2004

By Matt Taylor

The storms count continues to rise.

After a rather slow start to the year, the storms around the world really are following on hot pursuit of each other. At present, there are no fewer than six major storms in full swing.

The main hot spots for such turbulent weather are around the western Atlantic, and northwest Pacific. In the latter, we are currently seeing one almighty beast of a storm. This is Typhoon 'Chaba'.

'Chaba' is now nearing the island of Kyushu in southern Japan, and is set to be the strongest storm of the year to hit the country. Some of the smaller islands to the south of Japan have already begun to bear the brunt of the storm. Winds are hitting speeds of 100mph, and on the island of Amani Oshima (335 miles southwest of Tokyo) around 6000 homes are without electricity.

Torrential rain accompanies the fierce winds, and because the storm is relatively slow-moving it's feared that some places could see up to 800mm (32 inches) of rain. Adding to the worries is the fact that the storm coincides with the highest tides of the year.

After crossing Kyushu on Monday, 'Chaba' is then set to move on a track that takes it along Japan's west coast. This is a similar track to that of Typhoo 'Megi' which triggered flooding and landslides earlier in the month, killing ten people.

The problems in the northwest Pacific don't end there. South of 'Chaba' there is yet another potentially massive storm brewing. Typhoon 'Songda' is now starting to make its way towards the Northern Mariana islands, and winds could reach 165mph making it a Super Typhoon.

Two storms in the western Atlantic are also now causing concern. First of all there is Tropical Storm 'Gaston'. Located off the coast of the Carolinas, it's set to reach hurricane status later on Sunday before heading inland. At the time of writing, hurricane warnings were already in place for the South Carolina coast.

There is possibly worse to come in the north Caribbean. We already have a hurricane raging to the northeast of the Lesser Antilles. Hurricane 'Frances' is already a category four hurricane with wind-speeds of around 140 mph, but is set to increase to a category five on Monday. This could be a very serious step for the residents of Barbados later next week, as the islands lie on it's forecast track. Incidently, Hurricane 'Charley' which hit Florida earlier this month, was a category four hurricane. Watch this space!

Related Links: National Hurricane Centre, Miami

Joint Typhoon Warning Centre

Information thanks to the BBC Weather Website

[Matty M]

Thanks a bunch dude

[highcliffe2]

No probs man

30/08/2004

By Louise Lear

Storms swamp Southern Carolina

Tropical storm Gaston finally sloshed ashore in South Carolina yesterday with near hurricane-force winds and torrential rain.

Gaston made landfall near McClellanville, a small fishing village that was brushed by Hurricane Charley earlier this month. The combination of wind and rain knocked down trees, power lines and left low-lying streets waist-deep in water. Although the storm weakened considerably as it came ashore sustained wind speeds of 70mph with gusts exceeding 80 mph were recorded across the Isle of Palms, a barrier island north of Charleston and onto the mainland.

In parts of Charleston itself more than 8 inches (20 cm) of rain fell in three hours turning streets into small lakes. The flooding was made worse by ground already saturated with heavy rains from Hurricane Charley and the remnants of Tropical storm Bonnie which hit the area earlier this month.

It’s turning out to be a busy storm season with Hermine and Frances already spinning into action. Hermine, the eighth storm of the season is out in the Atlantic and not looking too much of a threat although it may well graze Massachusetts coast during the week.

Frances looks more like a threat; it was a category 4 storm on the Saffir-Simpson 1-5 scale but has lost a little strength, currently a category 3 however as it’s still travelling across warm waters it could intensify further. Its current path shows the storm moving towards the northern Caribbean islands and southern Florida once again.

One thing worth pointing out is that we tend to get the tail end of the hurricane’s after they’ve passed across the Atlantic helping to reinforce our wettest August on record, so if there are further storms to come that means a wet and windy end of the week across the British Isles!

Information thanks to the BBC Weather Website

[i luv snow]

thats sweet dude, respect :wink: :roll:

[snow_blizzard]

Thank you highcliff2

[highcliffe2]

31/08/2004

By Louise Lear

Storms, storms and more storms.

The typhoon and hurricane season is in full swing at the moment, so it’s been a busy week documenting their final track and destruction left in their path.

Deadly typhoon Chaba shows little sign of decay as it powers towards northern Japan after killing at least seven people and flooding thousands of homes in the south. Winds of up to 108 kilometres (67 miles) per hour, roared into the Tsugaru Straits between Japan’s main island of Honshu and northernmost Hokkaido prefecture. Mudslides, flooding and rough seas have been forecast for the next 24 hours.

Chaba has been the most powerful typhoon to affect Japan this year. Meanwhile a US Pacific territory, the Northern Mariana Islands, are bracing themselves for another tropical storm, Songda, and this too is expected to twist and turn towards typhoon-lashed southern Japan by the end of the week.

From typhoons in Japan, to hurricanes in the Atlantic, the forecast looks just as grim. The remains of Gaston can be found across south-eastern Virginia, moving away from the east coast in the next couple of days. But there’s little time for residents to clear up the damage as another dangerous hurricane, Frances, continues to churn westward through the eastern Atlantic Ocean. This is a category 4 hurricane at the moment and storm watches are in effect for Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and northern Leewards Islands. There is a strong possibility though that by Friday this storm could be heading right across the Bahamas and Florida.

Information thanks to the BBC Weather Website

[highcliffe2]

01/09/2004

By Darren Bett

Hurricane season update.

A state of emergency has been declared in Virginia as tropical storm Gaston dumped 36cm (14 inches) of rain on central parts of the state.

An area of about 20 blocks in Richmond was declared uninhabitable as James River overflowed its banks. The main highway was closed and 100,000 homes in the area were left without power.

The rain was much more than forecast as Gaston stalled for several hours over Virginia. Gaston is sweeping out into the Atlantic now but Richmond's woes may not be over.

Hurricane Frances is currently north of Puerto Rico with winds of 140mph. Hurricane force winds extend 70 miles from the centre. Frances is forecast to cut a swathe through the Torks and Caicos Islands and the Bahamas today. Residents have been advised to leave or take shelter from this Category 4 hurricane.

To put this into perspective, Hurricane Charley was also a Category 4 hurricane as it slammed into Florida a few weeks ago.

People in Florida are gearing up for a repeat performance this weekend as Frances is forecast to maintain strength and head for this part of the United States. If it follows the usual path for hurricanes in the Atlantic, Francis could hug the coast and eventually bring more damaging rain to Virginia.

Gaston and Frances have capped one of the most active months for the Atlantic hurricane season. Eight tropical storms formed in August and four went on the become hurricanes.

Related Links: National Hurricane Centre, Miami

NOAA Website Features - Hurricanes

BBC Weather Feature - Hurricane Season

Information thanks to the BBC Weather Website

[highcliffe2]

02/09/2004

By Susan Powell

Storm update

Two majors storms continue to pose serious threat to land in the coming days. Here we look at the latest on both Hurricane Frances and Typhoon Songda.

FRANCES

The eye of Hurricane Frances is currently located around 35 miles northeast of Mayaguana Island in the Bahamas.

Latest aircraft observations have recorded sustained winds around 145mph, making this a Category 4 storm on the Saffir-Simpson scale. There is the possibility that the storm may continue to intensify, even if only slightly, in the next 24 hours.

The forecast track of Frances takes the large core of the storm over the Central Bahamas in the next 24 hours. Hurricane force winds are set to extend outwards from core for around 80 miles.

In the longer term the storm is expected to head towards the Atlantic coast of Florida in the next 72 hours.

Hurricane Warnings remain in effect for all of the Bahamas and for the Turks and Caicos Islands. A Hurricane Watch is currently in force for the east coast of Florida from Florida City northward to Flagler Beach - however this is likely to be upgraded to a warning in the near future.

Latest news reports have detailed storm damage to buildings and trees in the Turks and Caicos Islands but fortunately no injuries - despite 20,000 residents ignoring the call to be evacuated. Many, however, have been left without power or phone lines. Cruiseships and flights in this area have all been diverted or cancelled.

SONGDA

Typhoon Songda is currently located in the Philippine Sea, around 250 miles south of the Japanese island of Iwo Jima.

The storm is currently packing sustained winds of around 115 mph. Songda is forecast to continue intensifying for the next 24 hours, with sustained winds possibly reaching in excess of 130 mph.

The storms forcast track continues to move it west-northwestward in the next few days. There is no immediate threat to land from this system - but the current forcast path would mean that Taiwan and China's Zhejiang province would both come under serious threat towards the end of the week.

Information thanks to the BBC Weather Website

[highcliffe2]

03/09/2004

By Kirsty McCabe

Latest on Frances and Songda

Two major storms continue to threaten millions of people; Hurricane Frances in the Atlantic and Typhoon Songda in the northwest Pacific.

FRANCES

Hurricane Frances is now about 300 miles from the Florida lower east coast, approaching Eleuthera Island in the northwestern Bahamas. The storm has weakened slightly, but it is still a dangerous Category 3 storm on the Saffir-Simpson scale with sustained winds of 120 mph and higher gusts.

Frances tore through the sparsely populated southeastern Bahamas on Thursday creating 15-foot waves. It weakened slightly as it headed to the island chain’s main towns of Nassau and Freeport, but Frances could strengthen again as it crosses the warm Gulf Stream before it reaches Florida.

A hurricane warning is in effect for the east coast of Florida, from Florida City northward to Flagler Beach, including Lake Okeechobee. That means hurricane conditions are expected within the area within the next 24 hours.

A tropical storm warning and a hurricane watch are in effect for the middle and upper Florida Keys from south of Florida City southward to the Seven Mile Bride, including Florida Bay.

A hurricane warning also remains in effect for the central and northwestern Bahamas. On Thursday, the eye of the storm crossed San Salvador Island, home to more than 900 people, bringing 120 mph winds and disrupting electricity services on Long Island, which has about 3000 residents.

Most buildings in the Bahamas are built of concrete, stone or other heavy materials to withstand winds of up to 125 mph. So far, no fatalities have been reported.

The hurricane is moving towards the northwest at around 9mph, and on its current track the core will move over the central and northwestern Bahamas today. The hurricane-force winds (greater than 74 mph) extend up to 80 miles from the centre, with tropical force winds (greater than 39 mph) extending up to 185 miles.

Along with the strong winds, storm surge flooding of between 4 and 14 feet above normal tide levels is expected mainly on the western sides of the Bahama islands. When Frances reaches Florida it may bring coastal storm surge flooding of 6 to 11 feet above normal tide levels near to and to the north of where the centre makes landfall. The effect of the winds will be felt from Saturday morning (local time) and it is likely to make landfall on Saturday evening given the latest track information.

Rainfall amounts of 7 to 12 inches, locally as high as 20 inches are possible and the swells generated by Frances will affect portions of the southeastern coast of the United States, causing dangerous surf and rip currents.

Dozens of flights to and from Florida have been cancelled and cruise ships diverted.

SONGDA

Typhoon Songda is around 950 miles from Taiwan’s east coast and has sustained winds of 109 mph with gusts of up to 130 mph. If it maintains its current course it will be the third storm to strike Taiwan in a month, bringing more chaos to a country still recovering from Typhoons Aere and Rananim.

Songda lashed several islands in the Northern Marianas chain on Wednesday, but despite winds of 120 mph there were no reports of injuries.

The typhoon is likely to bring heavy rain and strong winds to Taiwan, which could lead to landslides and flooding. It was moving west at 12 mph and could swing northwest as it closes in on Taiwan on Saturday.

The nearby Japanese island of Okinawa is also at risk. Songda is then expected to move north towards South Korea and southern Japan but it is unclear at the moment whether it will directly hit Japan, which is still recovering from Typhoon Chaba.

Related Links: Images of Frances from NOAA - National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service

Information thanks to the BBC Weather Website

[highcliffe2]

04/09/2004

By Kirsty McCabe

Latest updates on Hurricane Frances and Typhoon Songda

Two major storms continue to threaten millions of people; Hurricane Frances in the Atlantic and Typhoon Songda in the northwest Pacific.

FRANCES

Hurricane Frances may not be as strong as Hurricane Charley was a few weeks ago, but it is much bigger. So although Frances is unlikely to produce winds as strong as Charley’s, the length of time it is wet and windy for will be longer.

Bahamians have already experienced the problems of the slow-moving storm, as its high winds and heavy rainfall continued to rake the northwestern Bahamas on Saturday. The centre of Frances, now a strong Category 2 storm after it weakened on Friday, was about 45 miles east of Freeport on Grand Bahama Island at 10am BST on Saturday.

Top wind speeds fell from 145 mph to 105 mph as Frances pounded the Bahamas, ripping apart roofs, shattering windows and toppling trees. There is a chance that Frances could strengthen as it crosses the warm Gulf Stream, although it is expected to remain a borderline category 2/3 hurricane until landfall.

The hurricane force winds (greater than 74 mph) extend up to 105 miles from the centre and the tropical storm force winds (greater than 39 mph) extend up to 185 miles.

The storm is now crawling northwest towards Florida at about 6 mph. This lumbering pace combined with its monstrous size – twice as big as the devastating Hurricane Andrew in 1992 – means that Frances could spend hours across Florida. If it remains there for two cycles of high tide, that would mean two rounds of storm surges around 5 to 10 feet high (1.5 to 3 metres) and the possibility of disastrous flooding.

By 10am BST, Frances was about 125 miles east of West Palm Beach, Florida, and gusty winds were already buffeting the coastline. The large core of the hurricane is expected to be very near the Florida east coast by late tonight or early Sunday morning local time, nearly a day later than earlier predictions. For the most part, the evacuees seem to be adapting calmly to spending Labor Day weekend in shelters.

Almost all of the Florida east coast was under a hurricane warning, reviving memories of Hurricane Andrew, the most costly US storm in history, which ravaged the Miami area in 1992 and caused $25 billion in damages.

Florida's most populous areas were at risk, including Tampa and tourist centre Orlando. Disney World and other central Florida theme parks were closed for Saturday. Kennedy Space Center secured its three space shuttles.

SONGDA

Typhoon Songda is now around 300 miles southeast of Okinawa, Japan, moving west-northwestwards at 13 mph. Compared to Frances, Songda is a much stronger storm, packing sustained winds of 140 mph and could cause storm surges of 40 feet.

The latest track information suggests it will pass north of Taiwan, heading towards China but will then turn towards the north on Sunday, and move up the East China Sea towards South Korea.

Related Links: National Hurricane Centre, Miami

Joint Typhoon Warning Centre

NOAA Website Features - Hurricanes

Information thanks to the BBC Weather Website

[highcliffe2]

05/09/2004

By Helen Young

Labor Day ruined for many in Florida

Never let it be said, ‘hurricanes hardly ever happen’ and ‘they never strike the same place twice’. For that’s exactly what’s happening in Florida just now.

The second hurricane to hit Florida in the space of a few weeks made landfall on Saturday night at Sewall’s Point. This storm was larger, (the largest in living memory), and slower moving than the previous one, Charley, but equally ferocious.

Viewed from space, the eye of the storm was unusually large, some 45 km across. However the entire eye was expected to be inland early on Sunday. Residents were warned not to be fooled by the lull in the storm as the eye approaches and to stay in the shelters for a further few hours as the other side of the storm, with winds up to hurricane force, still had to pass through.

The hurricane force winds extend outward up to 85 miles from the centre of the storm and storm force winds extend up to 200 miles. Torrential rain up to 500 millimeters is expected to affect the peninsula throughout the day. If this wasn’t enough the storm is expected to produce isolated tornadoes over parts of central and north Florida during Sunday morning.

2 million people are without power and now the storm is slowly heading for western Florida where residents are still mopping up from Hurricane Charley, three weeks ago. Flooding is the major worry now from both torrential rain and storm surges.

This is the fourth hurricane of the season, on average five make landfall in the USA every year, so could there be one more to come?

Around the other side of the world yet another Typhoon is nearing Japan, Typhoon Songda. If Songda makes landfall on one of Japan’s four major islands, it will be the seventh typhoon to do so this year, compared with the average of less than three.

Early on Sunday Songda was 44 miles east of the regional capital of Naha, 990 miles southwest of Tokyo. Like hurricane Frances this typhoon has winds up to 100 mph.

Songda is forecast at present to brush past Kyushu and then to travel up the western coast. This is an area still repairing damage from the two previous typhoons, only time will tell if disaster will befall this region again.

Related Links: BBC News

National Hurricane Centre, Miaimi

Joint Typhoon Warning Centre

NOAA Website Features - Hurricanes

BBC Weather Feature - Lifecycle of a hurricane

Information thanks to the BBC Weather Website

[highcliffe2]

06/09/2004

By Matt Taylor

Will Ivan be as terrible?

At the moment, no sooner do we assess the effects of one storm, than we’re looking to the next. Behind ‘Songda’ comes ‘Sarika’, and after ‘Frances’ lurks ‘Ivan’.

The Bahamas, and Florida have borne the brunt of Hurricane ‘Frances’. In the Bahamas, two lives were taken over the weekend as winds hit speeds of around 168kmph (105mph). Over a thousand people headed for shelters, and there were problems caused by power outages.

Luckily, as the hurricane edged towards Florida, it slowed down and lost some of its energy. However, the winds were still strong enough to knock out the power to some two million people. The rain also remained torrential, with 332mm (over 13 inches) of rain recorded at West Palm Beach in just 42 hours. This is well above the 220mm (around 10 inches) that would normally fall during the whole month of September.

The storm could regain some further energy during Monday as it heads out over the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico, before moving towards the Florida Panhandle and Alabama. Hurricane warnings remain in force.

Back in the Caribbean, a hurricane watch has returned. This time to Barbados, as another hurricane, ‘Ivan’ looms large. Currently a category four storm, with winds of around 215kmph (135mph), it is set to move across the Caribbean this week with Florida once again in its sight.

Parts of Japan are also having a torrid year. Two strong earthquakes rattled central and western areas on Sunday. In addition to these have been the storms. So far this year, six typhoons have battered Japan’s main islands. This is around double the amount we would expect to see, and as I write there is yet another one making its mark.

Typhoon ‘Songda’ caused chaos in the smaller Ryukyu Islands, to the south, during Saturday and Sunday. As one of the most powerful typhoons to hit the Okinawa area in several years, it caused over 21 injuries and the loss of power to around 30,000 households. Winds during the early hours of Monday morning were gusting to about 144kmph (90mph), and while the winds are set to gradually ease the storm will still be a potent one.

High seas and torrential rain will continue to lash many as it reaches landfall on the island of Honshu during Tuesday. It is feared that parts of southwest Japan could be deluged by around 500mm (20 inches) of rain in the coming days, triggering floods and landslides.

The storm is then set to move up the west coast of the main island of Kyushu in a similar track to the two previous major storms – Typhoons ‘Megi’ and ‘Chaba’. Between them, these storms took 20 lives.

The story doesn’t end there. Once again, in the northwest Pacific we have yet another storm brewing. To the south of Iwo Jima, Tropical Storm ‘Sarika’ is winding itself up. Current forecast tracks take it to the south of Japan, but this may change.

Related Links: National Hurricane Centre, Miami

Joint Typhoon Warning Centre

Information thanks to the BBC Weather Website

[highcliffe2]

07/09/2004

By Matt Taylor

Storms don't require a name to make the headlines!

Over the past week our eyes have been turned to the various Hurricanes and Typhoons that have been battering different parts of the globe. As huge recognisable storms, these can be quick to identify and track. They also provide the various news channels around the world with instant and dramatic footage.

However, some of the most serious weather events can occur when an area gets stuck under a constantly reoccurring weather pattern. This is what has occurred in some parts of China – the western province of Sichuan especially.

Here, there has been constant rain over a number of days. In the city of Dazhou around 360mm (14 inches) of rain fell between Thursday and Monday. A massive 128mm (5 inches) of rain also fell during Monday alone on Huili (also in Sichaun). This wasn’t far from the 180mm (7 inches) of rain that is expected to fall during the whole month.

It’s therefore understandable why this part of China has been subjected to widespread mudslides and flooding. Thousands of people have been stranded as the floodwaters rose, cutting off a number of villages. Over a hundred people have also lost their lives, making this a larger humanitarian disaster than either Hurricane ‘Frances’ or Typhoon ‘Songda’.

So what has caused such a disaster? Believe it or not, high pressure rather than low has a big hand in it! While high pressure is usually associated with dry and settled conditions, in this case it has interacted with the topography around the region to produce such persistent rain.

For almost a week, a high pressure has persisted across northern and central China. Around the high pressure, the winds have been blowing in a clockwise direction. This has taken the air over the South China Sea and the damp ground of southern and eastern China, picking up a lot of moisture on the way. As this air reaches the likes of Sizhuan the problems begin.

To the western border of Sichuan the ground rises sharply into the eastern end of the Himalayas. As the air comes into contact with the mountains it too is forced to rise sharply. With so much moisture contained within the air, deep convective clouds form and heavy rainfall is triggered.

While the winds remain in roughly the same direction, as it has done, the clouds will continue to form and the rain fall. Not until the direction of the wind changes will the conditions ease. Thankfully, the area of high pressure will gradually slip southwards a touch over the coming few days, and the rain gradually ease…for now.

Information thanks to the BBC Weather Website

[highcliffe2]

08/09/2004

By Matt Taylor

'Ivan' the terrible, gains strength.

As Hurricane ‘Ivan’ starts to wind up, ‘Frances’ and ‘Songda’ are now winding down…but not before they have finished leaving their mark.

Typhoon ‘Songda’ has spent the past few days battering the length and breadth of Japan, and is now clearing the northern island of Hokkaido. Although it has now been downgraded to a mere tropical storm, winds are still reaching speeds of around 60mph (97kmph) and seas are still very high and unforgiving.

In its wake, it has left widespread damage and disruption. Well over 300mm (12 inches) of rain fell in parts of west and southwest Japan, and it is reported to have killed 24 people as it swept across the country.

Over in the United States; Hurricane ‘Frances’ had one last burst of energy before weakening to into a tropical depression. As it passed over the Gulf of Mexico, the storm briefly intensified ahead of it making landfall for a second time on the Florida Panhandle. As it then moved into Georgia, it deposited up to 130mm (5 inches) of rain and spawned a number of tornados.

During its reign over Florida and Georgia, it is believed to have taken 24 lives. It has also left around 3 million people without power, some of which may have to wait a week before it returns.

And then there is ‘Ivan’…

Hurricane ‘Ivan’ is already a category four storm, the second strongest storm rating, with sustained winds of 140mph. Grenada, in the southeast Caribbean, has been the worst hit so far. The island only has a population of 90, 000, but most were confined to hurricane shelters as the storm attacked on Tuesday. Even some of these were insufficient to withstand the storms rage.

Further south, on the north coast of Colombia and Venezuela, storm warnings were in force and some shipping stopped due to the proximity of ‘Ivan’.

There are now fears that ‘Ivan’ could intensify further to a category five storm, with winds gusting to 180mph (290kmph). This may turn out to be terrible news for the residents of Jamaica and western Cuba - ‘Ivan’ has them in its sights. Florida could also be another stop on it’s journey early next week!

Related Links: National Hurricane Centre, Miami

Hurricanes, Typhoons & Tropical Cyclones Worldwide

Information thanks to the BBC Weather Website

[highcliffe2]

09/09/2004

By Sarah Wilmshurst

Hurricane Ivan steams through the Caribbean

Hurricane Ivan, the most powerful hurricane to hit the Caribbean in a decade, has devastated Grenada, damaging 90 per cent of homes in the "Spice Isle". It has now intensified and is heading northwest - towards Jamaica and Cuba this weekend and then maybe southern Florida at the beginning of next week.

Early on Thursday Ivan was upgraded to a category five hurricane - the most dangerous category on a one to five scale. Sustained winds are now 160mph, with gusts nearing 200mph. Torrential rain is expected with rainfall amounts of 125-175mm (5-7 inches) which could cause flash floods and mud slides. It is not only the wind and rain that are of concern. Storm surge flooding is also expected with tides 3 to 5 feet above normal and large waves. These conditions can be expected right along the path of the hurricane.

Ivan has already pummelled Barbados and St Vincent, before completely devastating Grenada. Here 15 people died, and along with homes being destroyed, a 17th Century prison has been flattened allowing inmates to escape. A woman died in Tobago as the hurricane passed by, and battering waves in Venezuela have been blamed for the death of a man.

At present Ivan is moving in a very similar direction to that of Charley a few weeks ago, prompting fear in Florida of yet another hurricane heading their way.

If Ivan moves as expected and does hit Jamaica, it could be more destructive than hurricane Gilbert which was only a category three hurricane when it devastated the island back in 1998.

A hurricane warning is issued when hurricane conditions are expected to affect an area within 24 hours, a hurricane watch is issued when hurricane conditions are a potential threat in the next 24 to 36 hours.

Currently there is a hurricane warning in force for Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao. There is a hurricane watch for the Guajira peninsula of Columbia, the northern coast of Venezuela and the southwest peninsula of Haiti (including Port Au Prince). There is also a hurricane watch in force for Jamaica and the Cayman Islands at the time of writing, but this may soon be upgraded to a hurricane warning for Jamaica.

Related Links: National Hurricane Centre, Miami

Information thanks to the BBC Weather Website

[highcliffe2]

10/09/2004

By Rob McElwee

Mandatory evacuation ahead of hurricane 'Ivan'

Throughout Friday, residents and vistors have been ordered to evacuate the entire Florida Keys . This is all before there is even a hurricane watch in force.

Hurricane 'Ivan' is a dangerous storm and has not yet reached its peak intensity. The forecast track over the next two days has high confidence and puts Jamaica at risk today, Friday. The future risk is for Cuba and then, probably Florida.

The last devastating hurricane to hit Jamaica was a category 3, later 5, (Gilbert in 1988), this one is hovering between 4 and 5. 5 is the top of the scale and represents winds in excess of 155mph.

At 0300 GMT the eye of the storm was in the middle of the Caribbean. The eye itself, the quiet centre, is 10 miles wide. The hurricane force winds, those in excess of 74mph cover an area radiating 50 miles from the centre of the eye.

But the cloud shield with banded showers and thunderstorms already covers Hispaniola and is starting through Jamaica. This will be the herald for Jamaicans and a worrying sight. The hurricane has largely wrecked Grenada and is at least as violent now.

The eye is due in Kingston, Jamaica this evening local time, over the Cayman Islands on Saturday evening and western Cuba on Sunday evening. The reason Floridians are evacuating is that the forecast for Monday and Tuesday takes the hurricane through the Keys and up the Gulf coast of Florida. That would make it the third major tropical storm, in short succession.

Thankfully, accuracy beyond two days is not anything like as confident and there is plenty of scope for the track to change...

Related Links: National Hurricane Centre, Miami

Information thanks to the BBC Weather Website

[Matty M]

Thanksn Highcliffe your consistency is amazing Well Done

[highcliffe2]

Cheers Matty

11/09/2004

By Elizabeth Saary

How hurricanes have shaped our history

Hurricane Ivan is currently tearing a destructive path across the Caribbean. Although the forecast track for more than a few days into the future is always open to some doubt with these storms, Florida is taking no chances and has already ordered a mass evacuation from the Keys. This hurricane season has been particularly active, and if Ivan hits Florida, it will be the third hurricane to do so this season – and there are still another two months to go. In today’s weather news, I will take a look at how hurricanes have affected people in the past.

Hurricanes have been causing devastation throughout history, but it is only relatively recently that people have been able to understand how they occur and predict where they might go. Having experienced a tropical cyclone myself, I have some idea of how destructive and frightening these kinds of storms can be. Imagine how much worse it must be if you have no idea what is happening or why.

Hurricanes get their name from the Mayan god ‘Huracan’ who is the god of wind and storms. In the days before there was a good understanding of meteorology, it is no surprise that ancient civilisations thought the wrath of gods had descended upon them.

In fact, it is the more historical hurricanes that often caused the most death, due mostly to the lack of preparedness. The more financially destructive hurricanes have come in more recent years due to greater development in hurricane-prone regions.

In 1900 the deadliest hurricane in history to strike the US killed over 8,000 people, mainly in Galveston, Texas where nearly three-quarters of the city was destroyed. The victims were completely oblivious to what was heading their way.

Fast forward to 1992, and by this time hurricane forecasting has dramatically improved due to the advent of computers, satellite technology and reconnaissance aircraft. So when a category five hurricane, Andrew, headed towards Florida, no one could say they did not know what to expect. The loss of life from Andrew was subsequently well under 100. However, due to the path that Andrew took, through some of the most densely built upon areas of Florida and the southern US, the damage bill rose to over $25 billion dollars – the costliest natural disaster in US history.

It remains to be seen what Ivan has in store for the history books.

Information thanks to the BBC Weather Website

[highcliffe2]

12/09/2004

By Tori Good

Ivan wreakes more chaos and devastation in the Caribbean

There is only one story to stay with at the moment, and that is of course Hurricane Ivan – dubbed a ‘super-hurricane’ by some of the world press, as it has now reached Category 5 in strength. This means that the mean wind speeds are in excess of 155mph, with higher gusts.

At the time of writing, Ivan had mean wind speeds up to 165 mph. It had been expected to hit Jamaica head on, but at the last moment, the hurricane veered west slightly and instead the eye of the storm passed over sea.

Although the storm didn’t directly hit the island, Jamaica still bore the brunt of the phenomenal winds tearing around the system. As Ivan isn’t moving particularly quickly, Kingston Town suffered the lashing for around ten hours, with devastating consequences.

As Ivan remained over open waters, its energy feed from the warm tropical waters below has not been interrupted. This is one of the reasons why the storm itself has not started to weaken as yet. Although the mean wind speeds are fluctuating, it is still a massive storm; in fact, it is the 6th most powerful Atlantic hurricane on record to have formed, with a central pressure of 912 millibars (or hectoPascals).

The hurricane is imminently sweeping across Grand Cayman, and I can only imagine that with an island so small and so flat, the storm surge alone will have catastrophic effects. The forecast storm surge across Cayman is between 5 and 8 feet (about 2 ½ metres) which is a terrifying prospect for those living on the island.

It is then forecast to hit western Cuba, before finally approaching the USA. Ivan should have weakened a little by this stage, but nonetheless will still be a very intense storm, following hot on the heels of hurricanes Charley and Frances, which have both hit Florida in the last few weeks.

This extremely dangerous hurricane is certainly going to go down in history due to its devastating consequences, both to life and livelihood, as well as the financial implications of the physical ruin. Over the next few days, we will keep you posted on the latest Ivan news, as we follow the progress across the Caribbean.

Related Links: National Hurricane Centre, Miami

Information thanks to the BBC Weather Website