GARY PADGETT'S MONTHLY GLOBAL TROPICAL CYCLONE SUMMARY JANUARY, 2006 (For general comments about the nature of these summaries, as well as information on how to download the tabular cyclone track files, see the Author's Note at the end of this summary.) ************************************************************************* JANUARY HIGHLIGHTS --> Final Atlantic tropical storm of 2005 roams central Atlantic waters in early January --> First North Indian Ocean tropical cyclone of 2006 forms --> Intense tropical cyclone forms in Mozambique Channel --> Two cyclones form off Northwestern Australia while three cyclones form in South Pacific ************************************************************************* EXTRA FEATURE - INDEX TO MONTHLY AND EXTRA FEATURES FOR 2005 Beginning in May, 2000, I began including with each monthly summary an extra feature which I called the Feature of the Month. Beginning with July, 2005, I suspended these as a regular monthly item, but have since included some extra features as time permits. Following is an index to the regular Feature of the Month from January through June, 2005, plus the extra features included since July, 2005. JAN - 2005 TROPICAL CYCLONE NAMES for the NORTHWEST PACIFIC BASIN ALSO - Index to Feature of the Month Articles for 2004 FEB - INTRODUCING ANOTHER OUTSTANDING TROPICAL CYCLONE WEBSITE ALSO - NORTH INDIAN OCEAN CYCLONE NAMES for 2005 MAR - WESTERN HEMISPHERE TROPICAL CYCLONE NAMES for 2005 ALSO - 2004 SEASONAL STATISTICS FOR THE ATLANTIC AND NORTHEAST PACIFIC BASINS APR - REVIEW OF GLOBAL TROPICAL CYCLONE TERMINOLOGY MAY - WIND REPORTING CRITERIA (Results of 2003 survey) JUN - A REVIEW OF THE 2004-2005 TROPICAL CYCLONE SEASON FOR THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE JUL - none AUG - REPORT ON SEVERE SOUTH AMERICAN EXTRATROPICAL CYCLONES SEP - SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE TROPICAL CYCLONE NAMES for 2005-2006 OCT - 2006 TROPICAL CYCLONE NAMES for the NORTHWEST PACIFIC BASIN and for the NORTH INDIAN OCEAN NOV - none DEC - A REVIEW OF THE 2005 TROPICAL CYCLONE SEASON FOR THE NORTHERN HEMISPHERE ************************************************************************* ACTIVITY BY BASINS ATLANTIC (ATL) - North Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico Activity for January: 1 tropical storm ** ** - system actually formed in late December Atlantic Tropical Activity for January -------------------------------------- As the year 2006 dawned, the first inter-annual tropical cyclone in 51 years was stirring waters of the east-central subtropical Atlantic. Tropical Storm Zeta, which formed rather suddenly from a non-tropical LOW on 30 December, continued operating until dissipation on 6 January, generating a peak estimated intensity of 55 kts. Zeta was the first Atlantic tropical cyclone to form in late December and continue into the new year since Hurricane Alice of 1954-1955. The only other system in the Atlantic Best Tracks database during the month of January is a subtropical storm which formed in late January, 1978. The report on Tropical Storm Zeta was included in the December summary. ************************************************************************* NORTHEAST PACIFIC (NEP) - North Pacific Ocean East of Longitude 180 Activity for January: No tropical cyclones ************************************************************************* NORTHWEST PACIFIC (NWP) - North Pacific Ocean West of Longitude 180 Activity for January: 1 tropical depression ** ** - not treated as a tropical depression by JTWC Northwest Pacific Tropical Activity for January ----------------------------------------------- One tropical system formed in the Northwest Pacific basin during January, as classified by JMA and PAGASA. A tropical depression formed on 20 January roughly 300 nm east of the southernmost Philippine island of Mindanao. JMA began including the system as a weak depression in the summary section of their High Seas Bulletins. The depression moved on a somewhat erratic northwesterly track toward the central Philippines over the next few days. On the 23rd, as it was nearing the Philippines, the system became slightly better organized and JMA classified it as a 30-kt tropical depression. Also, PAGASA initiated warnings on the system, naming it Tropical Depression Agaton. Agaton crossed the northern portion of Samar Island and the extreme southern tip of Luzon. The system then weakened but continued to move westward into the South China Sea. JMA continued to follow it for a few more days, but it had dissipated by 27 January about halfway between southern Vietnam and northern Borneo. JTWC did not classify Agaton as a tropical depression. A graphic depicting the track of Tropical Depression Agaton may be found at the following link: ************************************************************************* NORTH INDIAN OCEAN (NIO) - Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea Activity for January: 1 tropical cyclone of gale intensity ** ** - classified as a deep depression by IMD Sources of Information ---------------------- Most of the information presented below is based upon tropical cyclone warnings and significant tropical weather outlooks issued by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center of the U. S. Air Force and Navy (JTWC), located at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Occasionally some information may be gleaned from the daily tropical weather outlooks and other bulletins issued by the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), which is the World Meteorological Organization's Regional Specialised Meteorological Centre (RSMC) for the basin. The reported maximum sustained winds (MSW) are based on a 1-minute averaging period, which is used by all U. S. civilian and military weather services for tropical cyclone warnings. For synoptic observations in the North Indian Ocean region, both 10-minute and 3-minute average winds are employed, but IMD makes no attempt to modify the Dvorak scale for estimating tropical cyclone intensity; hence, a 1-minute average MSW is implied. In the North Indian Ocean basin JTWC usually does not initiate warnings until a system has become well-organized and likely to attain tropical storm status within 48 hours. TROPICAL CYCLONE (TC-01A) 13 - 17 January ------------------------------------ Tropical Cyclone 01A should probably be thought of as the final North Indian Ocean cyclone of the active 2005 fall transition season. Starting with Cyclonic Storm Pyarr in mid-September, TC-01A was the seventh system to reach tropical storm intensity in the basin (although JTWC did not regard Pyarr as a tropical storm). January tropical cyclones of gale intensity are very infrequent in the North Indian Ocean, although one did form in January of 2005--Cyclonic Storm Hibaru--along with another weaker tropical depression. Prior to 2005, the last January tropical storm in the basin was in 1991, and no tropical cyclones of hurricane intensity have developed in the North Indian basin in the month of January since at least 1981. Even though it was interesting from a climatological standpoint, TC-01A was quite insignificant meteorologically speaking. Peaking at only 40 kts (per JTWC), the cyclone was quite short-lived and remained over water throughout its lifetime. A STWO issued by JTWC at 0200 UTC on 12 January noted that a persistent area of convection was located approximately 170 nm south of Colombo, Sri Lanka, with cycling but organized deep convection. Animated water vapor imagery indicated a well-organized mid-level circulation but it was not evident that a LLCC existed. Vertical wind shear was low and upper-level outflow moderately good. A 12/0024 UTC QuikScat pass indicated a well-organized LLCC so the potential for development was upped to 'fair' at 12/1800 UTC. Deep convection continued to increase around the well-defined LLCC and JTWC issued a TCFA at 0830 UTC on 13 January. The circulation center was then estimated to be about 190 nm southwest of Colombo and observations in the vicinity indicated sustained winds of 20 to 30 kts. A bulletin issued by RSMC New Delhi (IMD) at 13/1200 UTC noted that a depression had formed over the southeastern Arabian Sea. The first of three JTWC warnings on TC-01A was issued at 1800 UTC on the 13th, placing the center approximately 230 nm west-southwest of Colombo, tracking toward the northwest at 12 kts. Associated convection was still increasing and some modest intensification was forecast over the next couple of days, followed by weakening as the system encountered strong northerly flow in the central Arabian Sea. TC-01A reached its peak intensity of 40 kts at 0600 UTC on 14 January when it was centered about 355 nm west of Colombo. There had been no significant change in convection, but water vapor imagery showed that the radial outflow was becoming slightly fragmented. Only 12 hours later JTWC issued their final warning on the system, which was then located about 550 nm west of Colombo, moving west-northwestward at 16 kts. There had been a significant decrease in deep convection and a 14/1348 UTC QuikScat pass indicated that the LLCC had become poorly-defined. The MSW was still estimated at 35 kts, but TC-01A was forecast to continue weakening as it tracked into a less favorable environment. The residual LLCC continued to track westward into the south-central Arabian Sea over the next 2 to 3 days, and satellite bulletins from SAB suggested that it remained near tropical storm intensity during this period following the issuance of JTWC's final warning. Incidentally, at 14/0230 UTC SAB's Dvorak rating was T3.5--55 kts, implying a somewhat stronger storm than analyzed by JTWC. Early on the 14th the IMD elevated the system to deep depression status (i.e., 30 kts), but had downgraded it back to depression status (25 kts) by 1200 UTC that day. A graphic depicting the track of Tropical Cyclone 01A may be found at the following link: No damage or casualties are known to have resulted from Tropical Cyclone 01A. (Report written by Gary Padgett) ************************************************************************* SOUTHWEST INDIAN OCEAN (SWI) - South Indian Ocean West of Longitude 90E Activity for January: 1 tropical disturbance 1 intense tropical cyclone Sources of Information ---------------------- The primary sources of tracking and intensity information for Southwest Indian Ocean tropical cyclones are the warnings issued by the Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre on La Reunion Island, part of Meteo France (MFR), and the Regional Specialised Meteorological Centre for the basin. However, tropical cyclones in this region are named by the Sub-regional Tropical Cyclone Advisory Centres in Mauritius and Madagascar with longitude 55E being the demarcation line between their respective areas of naming responsibility. The La Reunion centre only advises these agencies regarding the intensity of tropical systems. References to sustained winds imply a 10-minute averaging period unless otherwise stated. In the companion tropical cyclone tracks file, I occasionally annotate positions from warnings issued by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) of the U. S. Air Force and Navy, located at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, when they differ from MFR's coordinates by usually 40-50 nm or more. The JTWC warnings are also the source of the 1-minute average maximum sustained wind values included in the tracks file. Additionally, information describing details of satellite imagery and atmospheric circulation features included in the narratives is often gleaned from the JTWC warnings. Southwest Indian Ocean Tropical Activity for January ---------------------------------------------------- Whereas the eastern portion of the Southwest Indian Ocean basin had been the scene of some tropical storm and cyclone activity during November and December, in January the focus shifted to the western portion of the basin, in particular the Mozambique Channel. Highlighting the month of January was the extremely erratic Intense Tropical Cyclone Boloetse late in the month and continuing into early February. A detailed report on Boloetse follows. Early in the month (3 January) another system formed in the Mozambique Channel northwest of Europe Island, moved west-southwestward to the coast of Mozambique, then sort of slid down the coastline, gradually working its way farther inland. This system was designated as Tropical Disturbance 07 by MFR, the highest 10-min avg sustained wind being estimated at 25 kts, and this occurred while the center was just inland from the Channel. JTWC's highest Dvorak rating was T2.0/2.0 at 0530 UTC on 5 January, while SAB had assigned Dvorak numbers of T2.5/2.5 on the 4th while the center was still over water. The disturbance began to drift farther inland on the 6th and had dissipated by the 7th. A graphic depicting the track of this system may be found at the following link: INTENSE TROPICAL CYCLONE BOLOETSE (MFR-08 / TC-09S) 24 January - 6 February ----------------------------------------------------- Boloetse: contributed by Lesotho A. Introduction and Storm Origins --------------------------------- If a scale could be invented to quantify the "erratic-ness" of a tropical cyclone's track, then surely Tropical Cyclone Boloetse would rank in the Top Ten of all cyclones in all basins. This remarkable cyclone existed in one form or another for almost two weeks in late January and early February, and twice in its life became slow-moving and erratic with a very convoluted track, in each case describing a double loop. The first occasion occurred on 26-28 January while of tropical storm intensity just east of southern Madagascar. The second loop-de-loop happened from 31 January through 3 February in the south- central Mozambique Channel, during which time Boloetse intensified from a tropical depression into a tropical cyclone (i.e., hurricane). After this point, however, the cyclone's track became very straight and smooth, passing just off southwestern Madagascar as it sped southeast- ward into the subtropical Southwest Indian Ocean. A graphic (without date/time annotations) depicting the entire track of Tropical Cyclone Boloetse may be found at the following link: John Diebolt has prepared three other graphics consisting of blowups of certain portions of Boloetse's track. These will be referenced below at appropriate points. Boloetse's illustrious career began on 23 January when an area of convection formed and persisted about 300 nm north-northwest of Reunion Island. A 23/1128 UTC AMSU-B pass revealed that a LLCC was developing near the convection. An upper-level analysis indicated that the system was located within a low vertical shear environment with weak poleward and equatorward divergence. RSMC La Reunion (MFR) initiated bulletins on the developing LOW at 0000 UTC 24 January, numbering it as Tropical Disturbance 08. The center of the system was located roughly 250 nm north-northwest of Reunion Island. JTWC issued a TCFA for the system at 24/2130 UTC--a 24/1918 UTC AMSU-B image had depicted an increase in convection over a very small, but well-defined, LLCC. The developing disturbance at the time was tracking west-southwestward in the general direction of Madagascar. B. Synoptic History: Phase I - East of Madagascar ------------------------------------------------- Tropical Disturbance 08 continued to intensify and at 25/0000 UTC MFR upgraded the system to tropical depression status with 30-kt winds. At the same time, JTWC issued its first warning on TC-09S with the 1-min avg MSW estimated at 35 kts. Six hours later MFR had further upgraded the system to a moderate tropical storm with 40-kt winds (10-min avg). The Meteorological Service of Madagascar concurred and assigned the official name, Boloetse. At the time of its upgrade, Tropical Storm Boloetse was located approximately 285 nm west-northwest of Reunion Island. The newly-christened storm's track became more southerly as it tracked around the western periphery of an anticyclone situated over the South Indian Ocean. Boloetse reached an initial peak intensity of 50 kts at 0600 UTC 26 January with the CP estimated at 990 mb. Interestingly, while MFR had upped the storm's MSW, JTWC lowered their MSW estimate from 45 kts to 35 kts at 26/1200 UTC. By this time the tropical storm was entering a region of ambiguous steering between ridges to the east and west. The southerly motion slowed and Boloetse reached the southernmost point of its track during this phase of its life at 26/1800 UTC, being centered about 285 nm west- southwest of Reunion Island. Also, the storm was showing signs of weakening--at 1800 UTC MFR lowered the intensity to 40 kts. A ridge to the southwest became the dominant steering influence and Boloetse embarked on a somewhat "zig-zaggy" northwestward track, crossing its earlier track once and almost reaching it again at 28/0000 UTC when it jogged temporarily to the north-northeast. Unfavorable vertical shear continued to increase and Boloetse was downgraded to a tropical depression at 27/1800 UTC and further to tropical disturbance status at 28/1200 UTC. After around 28/0000 UTC the system's track became generally westerly and ex-Boloetse's center made landfall in eastern Madagascar just north of Mananjary shortly before 29/0000 UTC with peak winds estimated at only 25 kts. JTWC issued their final warning on the system at 29/0000 UTC, but MFR continued to follow the weak system west- ward across Madagascar. The MFR bulletin at 29/0000 UTC forecast dissipation over the island, but just six hours later the next bulletin suggested that ex-Boloetse would emerge into the Mozambique Channel with a hint of some modest re-intensification. A graphic depicting the track of Tropical Storm Boloetse up to and including its Madagascar landfall may be found at the following link: C. Synoptic History: Phase II - Mozambique Channel -------------------------------------------------- The weak remnant circulation of Boloetse moved westward across the large island of Madagascar, turning to the northwest around 30/0000 UTC and shortly afterward emerging into the Mozambique Channel just south of Morandava. At this stage MFR was classifying ex-Boloetse as a "zone of disturbed weather"--the weakest classification used by that agency. Peak sustained winds were estimated at only 20 kts. After reaching the Channel the disturbance moved somewhat to the north-northwest, reaching a point approximately 250 nm west-southwest of Majunga around 30/1200 UTC. After this, the track bent to the southwest. The MFR bulletin issued at 30/0600 UTC forecast the system to eventually regain tropical storm status, and this is indeed what happened. JTWC issued a TCFA at 30/2030 UTC, noting that the LLCC was improving in definition and that convection was increasing in its vicinity. Shear was low to moderate and upper-level outflow was good. MFR re-upgraded the system to tropical depression status at 31/0600 UTC, and 12 hours later Tropical Storm Boloetse had reformed about 200 nm east of Beira, Mozambique. At the same time, JTWC re-initiated warnings on the storm, still designated as TC-09S. Once again Boloetse found itself in a weak steering environment. A 700-mb ridge to the southeast was the primary influence, but the ridge was broad and weak. Over the next 1 & 1/2 days the tropical storm drifted north-northwestward, described a tiny counter-clockwise loop, moved slightly to the east, then generally southeastward. During the time that Boloetse was trapped once again between two ridges, environmental conditions were becoming quite favorable for intensification: shear was low, SSTs were warm, and outflow was good. Early on 2 February Boloetse began to strengthen rather rapidly--the MSW was bumped up from 35 kts at 01/1800 UTC to 55 kts six hours later. By 02/1200 UTC the storm had reached tropical cyclone (i.e., hurricane) intensity while located only about 30 nm north of the point at which it had been re-upgraded to tropical storm status two days earlier. By 0600 UTC 3 February a building ridge extending from an anticyclone east of Madagascar was beginning to influence Boloetse and the cyclone had begun to move on a definite southeasterly track. Intensification had continued and winds were by this time up to 80 kts. Tropical Cyclone Boloetse reached its peak intensity of 90 kts (100 kts 1-min avg per JTWC) around 1800 UTC 3 February while centered approximately 115 nm west-northwest of Toliara on the southwestern coast of Madagascar, moving southeastward at 12 kts. The minimum CP estimated by MFR was 946, and Boloetse at its peak remained a rather small tropical cyclone. The radius of hurricane-force winds was around 30 nm, and gales covered a zone about 180 nm in diameter. Based on MFR's warnings, Boloetse retained its 'intense tropical cyclone' classification (MSW of 90 kts) for 18 hours before a slow weakening trend set in. The steady southeasterly track continued, bringing the center of Boloetse to within around 20-25 nm of the southwestern Madagascar coastline around 1200 UTC 4 February with the peak MSW estimated at 80 kts. Following the close approach to Madagascar Boloetse's intensity began to decline more rapidly due to the effects of land interaction and higher vertical shear. The cyclone continued its southeasterly heading into the open South Indian Ocean, gradually accelerating due to the effects of an approaching mid-latitude trough. Boloetse was moving at around 11 kts when it made its closest approach to Madagascar--24 hours later it was moving south- eastward at 20 kts. After passing Madagascar the storm became increasingly under the influence of the mid-latitude flow and gradually began to lose its tropical characteristics. By 1800 UTC 5 February the transition had progressed enough that MFR classified Boloetse as an extratropical storm with winds estimated at 55 kts. The system continued to speed southeastward to higher latitudes, and the final MFR warning was issued at 06/1200 UTC, placing the center approximately 1000 nm to the south-southeast of Reunion Island. A graphic depicting the convoluted track of Boloetse while in the Mozambique Channel may be found at the following link: Another graphic depicting Boloetse's close approach to Madagascar and its subsequent dash into mid-latitudes may be found at the following link: D. Damage and Casualties ------------------------ While it is likely that gale-force winds, even gusts exceeding hurricane force, along with torrential rainfall, would have been experienced in southwestern Madagascar during the close approach of Tropical Cyclone Boloetse, no reports of any damage or casualties resulting from this tropical cyclone have been received. (Report written by Gary Padgett) ************************************************************************* NORTHWEST AUSTRALIA/SOUTHEAST INDIAN OCEAN (AUW) - From 90E to 135E Activity for January: 2 severe tropical cyclones Sources of Information ---------------------- The primary sources of tracking and intensity information for Northwest Australia/Southeast Indian Ocean tropical cyclones are the warnings and advices issued by the Tropical Cyclone Warning Centres at Perth, Western Australia, and Darwin, Northern Territory. References to sustained winds imply a 10-minute averaging period unless otherwise stated. In the companion tropical cyclone tracks file, I occasionally annotate positions from warnings issued by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) of the U. S. Air Force and Navy, located at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, when they differ from the Australian centres' coor- dinates by usually 40-50 nm or more. The JTWC warnings are also the source of the 1-minute average maximum sustained wind values included in the tracks file. Additionally, information describing details of satellite imagery and atmospheric circulation features included in the narratives is often gleaned from the JTWC warnings. SEVERE TROPICAL CYCLONE CLARE (TC-05S) 7 - 10 January ------------------------------------------------- A. Introduction and Storm Origins --------------------------------- Severe Tropical Cyclone Clare was the second tropical cyclone of the 2005-2006 season to form in the Perth TCWC's AOR and the first to make landfall on the Australian continent. Earlier, in mid-November, Severe Tropical Cyclone Bertie had formed at a very low latitude in the western part of the Australian Region and subsequently moved west of longitude 90E into the Southwest Indian Ocean basin where it had been renamed Alvin. Clare's story began with a weak LOW which on 4 January was located in the Arafura Sea north of Cape Wessel but was expected to move slowly westward. By the 6th the LOW was situated in the Timor Sea near Bathhurst Island and the potential for development was considered 'high' for the 9th. However, things began happening faster than expected. Early on 7 January the LOW began to show signs of developing and Perth initiated shipping warnings and tropical cyclone advices at 0600 UTC, placing the center about 300 nm north-northeast of Broome and moving west-southwestward at 14 kts. Steady intensification continued and only six hours later Tropical Cyclone Clare was christened with winds estimated up to 40 kts. Clare's center was then located about 230 nm north of Broome, still moving west-southwestward at 14 kts. The rather rapid development seen earlier did not continue, however, as an upper- level anticyclone located to the south over the Kimberley region tended to limit poleward divergence, although it was at the same time providing good westward divergence. B. Synoptic History ------------------- By 0000 UTC 8 January Tropical Cyclone Clare's intensity began to increase steadily. The MSW was upped to 50 kts at that time, and 15 hours later the system had reached severe tropical cyclone status (i.e., hurricane intensity). At the time, Clare's center was located approximately 145 nm north of Port Hedland, moving southwestward at 11 kts as it tracked around the northwestern periphery of a mid-level ridge center over the Australian continent. By 0000 UTC 9 January Severe Tropical Cyclone Clare reached its estimated peak intensity of 75 kts, which it maintained until after landfall. The minimum CP estimated by BoM Perth was 960 hPa. As Clare approached the coast its track became increasingly south- southwesterly. The center of the severe tropical cyclone crossed the Pilbara coast just to the west of Dampier around 09/1600 UTC, or midnight local time. The MSW was estimated at 75 kts with peak gusts to 105 kts as Clare moved onshore. Following landfall the cyclone began to weaken quickly as it continued moving farther inland into the western portion of the state of Western Australia. The final advice issued by BoM Perth at 1500 UTC 10 January placed the center of the former tropical cyclone about 190 km north-northeast of Gascoyne Junction, or about 110 km northwest of Mount Augustus. The staff of the Perth TCWC has prepared an excellent online report on Severe Tropical Cyclone Clare which may be accessed at the following link: Some of the information in this write-up has been taken from the BoM report. A graphic depicting the track of Severe Tropical Cyclone Clare may be found at the following link: C. Meteorological Observations ------------------------------ Following are some preliminary observations gleaned from the BoM report on Clare: Daily Rainfall (exact times not given) ====================================== Wickham 215 mm Karratha 212 mm Roebourne 205 mm Maximum Winds ============= Gust of 77 kts (142 km/hr) at Karratha at 09/1150 and 09/1450 UTC Gust of 71 kts (131 km/hr) at Roebourne at 09/1240 UTC Sustained wind (10-min avg) of 71 kts (131 km/hr) at Legendre Island at 09/1000 UTC D. Damage and Casualties ------------------------ Preliminary reports indicate that communities in Clare's path escaped major structural damage although there were many reports of minor damage. Downed power lines and flooding disrupted power and telecommunications to many parts of the Pilbara region. The storm surge peaked as the tide was approaching low tide, thus minimizing the effects of the surge. There have been no reports of any storm surge damage. Also, fortunately no fatalities or injuries have been reported. E. Additional Discussion ------------------------ Clare was unusual for a cyclone of its intensity in that JTWC's 1-min avg MSW estimates consistently ran well under BoM Perth's reported MSW values. JTWC's peak MSW was 60 kts (1-min avg) at 09/0000 UTC, well under the concurrent intensity from Perth of 75 kts--roughly equivalent to a 1-min avg MSW of 85 kts. Surface observations, especially the Legendre Island report of peak 10-min avg winds of 71 kts, support the intensity reported by Perth. Clare appears to have been a case where the appearance in satellite imagery did not reflect the true intensity very well. I saved several satellite bulletins from JTWC and SAB, and the highest Dvorak rating from both agencies was T3.5/3.5--55 kts for a 1-min avg. Which brings up another issue. The Perth TCWC's decision to upgrade the tropical LOW to Tropical Cyclone Clare, as well as some of the intensity estimates later in the cyclone's lifetime, were based in part upon surface observations from offshore oil platforms. BoM has access to this data because of contracts from the oil companies since the agency provides additional warning services that are in excess of "normal" community requirements. The data is considered proprietary since the individual oil companies do not wish to make the data available to their competitors; hence, it is not allowed to go into the WMO data system. (The information in the above paragraph was based upon some information received from Bruce Harper. My inclusion of this information should in no wise be construed to the effect that I am either in agreement with or critical of the oil companies' policy of keeping their data proprietary.) (Report by Gary Padgett) SEVERE TROPICAL CYCLONE DARYL (TC-08S) 17 - 23 January ------------------------------------------------- A. Introduction and Storm Origins --------------------------------- Following about 10 days after Clare, Severe Tropical Cyclone Daryl formed near the Western Australian coastline and kept coastal residents on alert for several days as it pursued a west-southwesterly track parallel to the coastline, but fortunately the cyclone remained off- shore and eventually dissipated at sea without moving inland. It did, however, reach hurricane intensity as it chugged along on its cruise down the coast. Like many Timor Sea tropical cyclones, Daryl had its origins inland over northern Australia. As early as 14 January a 1001-mb tropical LOW, embedded in the monsoon trough, lay inland just west of Borroloola. Over the succeeding days the LOW moved slowly westward and by the 16th was near the Western Australia/Northern Territory border. Recognizing the potential for tropical cyclone development once the system moved out over the Timor Sea, the Perth TCWC began issuing tropical cyclone advices at 0400 UTC on 17 January. The poorly-defined center of the LOW was then located approximately 200 km south-southwest of Kalumburu and was essentially stationary. The tropical LOW continued to drift westward and shipping bulletins were initiated at 18/0600 UTC with the LOW located near Kuri Bay on the west Kimberley coast. With the center of the LOW located over water intensification proceeded quickly. Tropical Cyclone Daryl was named at 18/1200 UTC, centered approximately 115 nm north-northeast of Broome and moving west-southwestward at 5 kts with 35-kt winds. B. Synoptic History ------------------- At 1800 UTC 18 January the center of Daryl was relocated to a point about 40 nm north-northwest of Cape Leveque. The MSW was upped to 40 kts, in part due to a report of 43 kts from Adele Island, located approximately 40 nm to the north of the center. JTWC issued a TCFA for Daryl at 2000 UTC. The remarks in the warning referenced the Adele Island report, yet the agency did not issue their first warning until 19/0000 UTC, at which time Perth had raised the MSW to 50 kts (10-min avg). Daryl at this time was centered about 115 nm north-northeast of Broome and was moving southwestward at about 5 kts as it was guided along the northwestern periphery of a mid-level ridge centered over Australia. Daryl's intensity remained fairly constant for the next couple of days as it moved in a west-southwesterly direction parallel to the Western Australian coastline. A 19/1701 UTC TRMM pass had indicated the presence of a developing eye, and JTWC upped the MSW to 65 kts (1-min avg) at 20/0600 UTC. Perth's intensity had been temporarily upped to 60 kts (10-min avg) at 20/0000 UTC, but this was dropped back to 50 kts at 20/0600 UTC. Daryl was located within an environment of fairly strong easterly shear which kept much of the deep convection pushed to the west of the partially- exposed LLCC. Convection increased on the 20th in the western and northern quadrants of Daryl due to a small upper-level anticyclone which became superimposed on the tropical cyclone, helping to ameliorate somewhat the effects of the moderate to high vertical shear. BoM Perth upgraded Daryl to severe tropical cyclone (i.e., hurricane) status with 65-kt winds at 1800 UTC, locating the center approximately 115 nm north-northeast of Karratha. Daryl was then moving west- southwestward at 14 kts with the minimum CP estimated at 965 hPa. The cyclone did not remain at hurricane intensity for very long--at 21/0300 UTC Perth lowered the MSW back to 55 kts. Satellite and radar imagery indicated that deep convection had decreased during the past few hours. As the 21st progressed convection continued to wane and the upper and lower-level circulations began to decouple. Accordingly, the warnings from both Perth and JWTC showed a decline in the intensity as Daryl continued to move west-southwestward parallel to the coastline. By 22/1200 UTC the LLCC was fully-exposed with cycling deep convection located along the western periphery of the system. JTWC issued their final warning on Daryl at this time. The Perth TCWC continued to main- tain Daryl as a 40-kt tropical cyclone for another 18 hours. The final gale warning from Perth was issued at 0600 UTC 23 January, placing the center approximately 225 nm west-northwest of Carnarvon. Maximum winds had decreased to 30 kts and the ex-Daryl LOW was moving southwestward at 15 kts and expected to dissipate. On 20 January some very cold cloud tops were noted in infrared satellite imagery in association with Tropical Cyclone Daryl, the coldest being -102.1 Deg C. The very cold tops colder than -100 Deg C persisted for several hours, suggesting that they were not isolated overshooting tops, but rather something of a more continuous nature with a very cold local tropopause. A graphic depicting the track of Severe Tropical Cyclone Daryl may be found at the following link: C. Damage and Casualties ------------------------ Although Tropical Cyclone Daryl moved fairly close to the Western Australian coastline and some areas may have experienced gale-force or near gale-force gusts, no reports of significant damage nor any casualties have been received. (Report written by Gary Padgett) ************************************************************************* NORTHEAST AUSTRALIA/CORAL SEA (AUE) - From 135E to 160E Activity for January: 1 severe tropical cyclone 1 over land monsoon LOW Sources of Information ---------------------- The primary sources of tracking and intensity information for Northeast Australia/Coral Sea tropical cyclones are the warnings and advices issued by the Tropical Cyclone Warning Centres at Brisbane, Queensland, and Darwin, Northern Territory, and on very infrequent occasions, by the centre at Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. References to sustained winds imply a 10-minute averaging period unless otherwise stated. In the companion tropical cyclone tracks file, I occasionally annotate positions from warnings issued by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) of the U. S. Air Force and Navy, located at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, when they differ from the Australian centres' coor- dinates by usually 40-50 nm or more. The JTWC warnings are also the source of the 1-minute average maximum sustained wind values included in the tracks file. Additionally, information describing details of satellite imagery and atmospheric circulation features included in the narratives is often gleaned from the JTWC warnings. For the portion of Tropical Cyclone Jim's track lying east of longitude 160E, the following applies: The primary sources of tracking and intensity information for South Pacific tropical cyclones are the warnings and advisories issued by the Tropical Cyclone Warning Centres at Nadi, Fiji (for waters north of latitude 25S), and Wellington, New Zealand (for waters south of latitude 25S). References to sustained winds imply a 10-minute averaging period unless otherwise stated. NORTHERN TERRITORY MONSOON LOW 24 January - 1 February -------------------------------------------------- The Northern Territory Monsoon LOW had its origins as a weak westerly-moving tropical LOW in the Arafura Sea just off the northern coast of the Northern Territory late in January. The LOW swung southwestward around the Tiwi Islands on 24 January as a 999-hPa LOW and then progressed southward to make landfall to the west of Darwin. The LOW continued to drift in a slow, zigzag path between the western border and the central part of the Northern Territory and was particularly notable as it deepened over land. While over land, the LOW exhibited the large scale structure of a tropical cyclone in satellite imagery, but was without the inner core, eye wall and spatially-restricted zone of very high wind-speeds around the eye that would normally be associated with a tropical cyclone. Nonetheless, on 30 and 31 January the LOW exhibited an eye- like feature, and throughout its life was associated with convection in the form of rotating bands, similar in appearance to the outer bands of a tropical cyclone. An estimated minimum central pressure of 989 hPa is thought to have been achieved at 31/0000 UTC. Thereafter, the LOW rapidly dispersed over the southwestern corner of the Northern Territory. The LOW initiated an active monsoon onset over the northern Top End, and brought heavy falls to many parts of the western Northern Territory, including some areas of the Tanami Desert, which exceeded their annual average rainfall in just a few days. BoM reported heavy rainfalls in the Darwin region, with many 24-hour totals exceeding 100 mm. Some major totals were 204.6 mm at Larrakeyah on 24 January and 184 mm at Channel Point in the 24 hours ending at 9:00 AM on 25 January. As the LOW passed through the Victoria River District, the Victoria Highway was cut by floodwaters, isolating Timber Creek and the Victoria River Crossing. The LOW continued to move south into the Tanami Desert, where it produced a record breaking 239 mm of rain at Suplejack in the 24 hours ending at 9:00 AM on 31 January. This was broken again on the following day with another 243 mm falling. As the LOW moved south of Darwin, strong winds prevailed along the north coast in the monsoon flow to the north of the system with some significant wind gusts recorded, mainly in monsoon squall lines. BoM reported that Elcho Island received gusts to 45 kts (80-85 km/h). Charles Point also recorded gusts to 44 kts (81 km/h) and Woolner received a 52-kt (96 km/h) wind gust during a monsoon squall line just after midday on 31 January. Furthermore, as the LOW deepened over land over the central Tanami Desert, sustained winds to near gale-force were produced at Rabbit Flat. Winds averaging in excess of 25 kts were experienced at the station from before 31/0800 UTC until after 31/2300 UTC, peaking at 32 kts, gusting to 45 kts, at 1100 UTC. The peak gust of 49 kts (91 km/h) from the west-northwest was recorded at 31/1137 UTC. Also, Rabbit Flat received 165 mm of rain in the 24 hours ending at 9:00 AM on 1 February. A comprehensive discussion of the Northern Territory Monsoon Low can be found at: Australian storm chaser Michael Bath has made available on his website an animated satellite picture loop for the week 26 January to 1 February: (Note: This is a 10-Mbyte file.) (Report written by Simon Clarke with substantial commentary provided by BoM) TROPICAL CYCLONE JIM (TC-10P / TD-08F) 26 January - 2 February ------------------------------------------- A. Introduction and Storm Origins --------------------------------- On 24 January 2006 the monsoon trough swept southwards over northern Australia, linking from a monsoon depression off the Top End of the Northern Territory (see separate report - Northern Territory Monsoon Low) to a broad area of LOW pressure which was establishing itself close to the tropical north coast of Queensland between Cairns and Ingham. By 24/2300 UTC, moist northeasterly winds were being drawn onto the coast south of the small LOW. Particularly heavy rain was recorded on the coastline between Ingham and Townsville in the warm air advection set up in response to a 700-hPa thermal trough extending up to North Queensland from the south. Over the next 24 hours the low deepened to 1004 hPa and moved to a position approximately 55 nm off the coast near Cardwell. Satellite imagery depicted increasing convection near a well-defined LLCC which was moving slowly to the east-northeast at 5 kts. Over this 24-hour period the warm air advection increased in strength and rainfall intensified along the Queensland coast between Ingham and Townsville. The LOW continued to deepen as it drifted away from the coast, being steered along the southern periphery of a mid-level ridge to its north. An upper-level analysis indicated that the system was located near a ridge axis with low to moderate vertical wind shear and favorable divergence aloft. By 27/1800 UTC the central pressure (990 hPa) could be accurately calculated from surrounding observations as the LOW passed to the east of Flinders Reef (WMO 94290), where the winds were 150/35 kts (10-min mean) and the mean sea level pressure was 994.2 hPa. The system was code named Jim six hours later at 28/0000 UTC near 17.3S/ 149.5E, or approximately 200 nm east of Cairns, Queensland. B. Synoptic History ------------------- As Tropical Cyclone Jim continued to deepen and move offshore in a general east to east-northeasterly direction, sporadic gale force winds were experienced well to the south of the centre in the Whitsunday Islands region of Queensland. The cyclone passed to the south of Willis Island where westerly winds averaging 33 kts were recorded at 28/0200 UTC. Jim passed to the north of Lihou Reef (WMO 94296) at 28/0500 UTC with a MSLP there of 995.2 hPa with easterly winds averaging 35 kts a short time later. The upper-level outflow gradually improved over the system and convection consolidated around the LLCC, resulting in intensification. The peak intensity--an estimated CP of 955 hPa and peak MSW (10-min avg) of 80 kts--was attained near 17.7S/161.4E, or about 400 nm northwest of Noumea, New Caledonia, at 30/0600 UTC. This intensity was maintained for a further 24 hours as Jim was steered to the east-southeast at 20 kts by the equatorial ridge oriented northwest-southeast and an upper-level LOW situated poleward of the LLCC. Jim turned to the southeast, passing approximately 90 nm parallel to the northeastern coastline of New Caledonia and gradually weakened as upper-level shear increased over the cyclone. Forward momentum slowed in response to the filling of the upper- level LOW to the south of the system, which also resulted in a relaxation of the mid-level flow that was steering the cyclone. In turn, the subtropical ridge to the west of the system built eastwards, blocking Jim's path. High vertical wind shear, lack of good upper-level outflow, low sea surface temperatures and the entrainment of cold air from the south eventually led to the demise of Jim and the system was classified as extratropical at 1200 UTC on 1 February near 30.0S/175.0E, or approximately 375 nm east-southeast of Norfolk Island. Convection became displaced from the LLCC, which persisted as a vortex clearly seen in visible imagery for several days after. This vortex became stranded by the subtropical ridge to the south and gradually performed a U-turn, drifting slowly northwestward back toward New Caledonia before finally dissipating over water without any appreciable redevelopment. A graphic depicting the track of Severe Tropical Cyclone Jim may be found at the following link: C. Casualties and Damage ------------------------ There were no reports of significant damage in Queensland as a result of Jim. Heavy rain was driven on-shore between Ingham and Townsville, causing flooding of coastal rivers and streams. BoM reported the heaviest falls in the 24 hours to 9:00 AM on 27 January of 258 mm at Home Hill, 211 mm at Lucinda, 189 mm at Alva Beach and 188 mm at Townsville. A barge being used in the reconstruction of the Willis Island Meteorological Station (mid Coral Sea) was damaged during the storm and lost the loading ramp on its front. On 31 January, the Solomon's port of Guadalcanal was closed to shipping as the result of strong winds and rough seas. In Honiara, the Ramos III of the Malaita Shipping Company blew from its anchoring spot to the shoreline. It was reported that many Honiara residents were left "shocked to see the vessel being thrown aground by the tossing waves". No one was aboard the vessel at the time. Elsewhere, parts of the main highway and sections of the feeder roads were reported as being covered with water. Jim passed just north of New Caledonia on 30-31 January, brushing the islands with strong winds and heavy rainfall, but no significant damage was reported. A maximum alert was announced for the North Eastern Loyalty Islands where a direct impact was thought a strong possibility. However, Jim left the Northern Group of Islands largely unaffected. Despite being placed well to the west of Fiji, Jim was blamed for heavy downpours that caused widespread flash-flooding that cut roads, damaged crops and ruined businesses in the western part of Fiji's main island, Viti Levu. Most schools in western and northern Fiji were closed while several public roads north of the country's international airport were flooded and closed to all traffic. No fatalities or serious injuries were reported in any of the areas affected by the cyclone. (Report written by Simon Clarke) ************************************************************************* SOUTH PACIFIC (SPA) - South Pacific Ocean East of Longitude 160E Activity for January: 3 tropical depressions 1 tropical cyclone of gale intensity 1 tropical cyclone of storm intensity 1 tropical cyclone of hurricane intensity ** ** - system formed in Bribane's AOR and entered Fiji's AOR already at hurricane strength Sources of Information ---------------------- The primary sources of tracking and intensity information for South Pacific tropical cyclones are the warnings and advisories issued by the Tropical Cyclone Warning Centres at Nadi, Fiji (for waters north of latitude 25S), and Wellington, New Zealand (for waters south of latitude 25S). References to sustained winds imply a 10-minute averaging period unless otherwise stated. In the companion tropical cyclone tracks file, I occasionally annotate positions from warnings issued by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) of the U. S. Air Force and Navy, located at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, when they differ from the Southern Hemisphere centres' coordinates by usually 40-50 nm or more. The JTWC warnings are also the source of the 1-minute average maximum sustained wind values included in the tracks file. Additionally, information describing details of satellite imagery and atmospheric circulation features included in the narratives is often gleaned from the JTWC warnings. South Pacific Tropical Activity for January ------------------------------------------- The first two named tropical cyclones of the 2005-2006 South Pacific season came to life in January. Both Tam and Urmil formed around mid-month over waters between Fiji and Samoa and moved off quickly to the southeast. Reports on these cyclones, written by Simon Clarke, follow. Three other systems were numbered as tropical depressions by RSMC Nadi, Fiji. Tropical Depression 05F formed on 10 January about 115 nm east-southeast of Pago Pago, American Samoa. At the time this system formed, the pre-Tam depression (TD-04F) was struggling to get its act together farther to the west, and it looked for a time as if TD-05F might become the dominant system, but it moved southward into an area of increasing vertical shear and began to weaken, thus giving TD-04F a better chance of developing. The last reference to TD-05F, at 0600 UTC on 13 January, placed the weakening center about 200 nm east- southeast of Tongatapu. A graphic depicting the track of Tropical Depression 05F may be found at the following link: Also around mid-month, Fiji designated another low pressure area as Tropical Depression 07F. At 0600 UTC on the 15th TD-07F was located roughly 425 nm to the north of Fiji. The system began to move slowly to the southwest at 5 kts but remained very weak with winds estimated at no more than 15 kts. The final reference to the system in Fiji's Tropical Weather Bulletins at 16/1800 UTC placed the LOW approximately 175 nm west-northwest of Fiji. Tropical Depression 09F was very brief, appearing in Nadi's bulletins only on 30 January. At 30/0900 UTC it was located about 125 nm east-northeast of Noumea, New Caledonia, moving quickly to the southeast at 20 kts, and this was the last mention of this system in Nadi's bulletins. Tracks were not included for TD-07F and TD-09F in the companion cyclone tracks file. TROPICAL CYCLONE TAM (TD-04F / TC-06P) 6 - 15 January ---------------------------------------- A. Introduction and Storm Origins --------------------------------- Tropical Cyclone Tam was the first tropical cyclone to form in the Southwest Pacific for the 2005/2006 season in what could be considered a late start for this region. Tam was first identified as Tropical Depression 04F near 15.0S/ 179.5E, or approximately 200 nm north-northeast of Fiji, as early as 6 January 2006. At this time, TD-04F was located under the 250-hPa ridge which sustained its deep convection to the north and east of the LLCC. Environmental shear was low over the system. However, with no appreciable surges in the low-level subtropical airflow, the system lingered for a few days while moving slowly west-southwestward towards the main Fiji Islands of Vanua Levu and Viti Levu. The depression fluctuated between phases of strengthening and weakening, affected by diurnal influences with periods of dry air entrainment and occasional strong shear evident in its western quadrants. Occasionally, the LLCC lost most of its deep convection. On 9 January, TD-04F drifted north, moving into an area of upper- level divergence with minimal shear and re-assimilated with the South Pacific ITCZ. The region was experiencing intensifying monsoonal activity with a new and stronger depression (TD-05F) developing to the east of TD-04F. This new depression threatened to dominate and absorb TD-04F. SSTs in the region were approximately 29-30 C with moist tropical air feeding into both systems from the north, producing a conducive environment for further development. At 10/2100 UTC, TD-05F was located near 15.2S/169.0W, or about 115 nm southeast of Pago Pago, American Samoa, and moving south- southeastward to the south of Niue at 12 kts into a region of increasing environmental shear. This system failed to develop any further as a result, and this in turn provided TD-04F with the opportunity to intensify. By 12/0600 UTC the centre of TD-04F (991 hPa) was located near 14.7S/177.3W, or roughly 335 nm northeast of Fiji, moving eastward at 15 kts and was officially upgraded to tropical cyclone status and named Tam by RSMC Nadi. B. Synoptic History ------------------- The newly-christened Tam was steered to the southeast by the deep environmental northwesterlies while deep convection formed a cold overcast over the LLCC. Tam reached a peak intensity of maximum 10- min avg winds of 45 kts at 13/0000 UTC (near 17.0S/173.2W) with a CP of 987 hPa. The cyclone was located approximately 200 nm southwest of Pago Pago, American Samoa, at this time. Thereafter, Tam continued to maintain deep convection close to the LLCC despite vertical shear increasing over the system as the translational speed of the LLCC resulted in negligible resultant shear. However, by 13/1200 UTC, Tam's convective tops were being blown off to the southeast by the increasing upper-level wind shear. Decreasing SSTs, strong upper-level shear and overall acceleration to the south at 30 kts resulted in Tam's being declared extratropical near 33.0S/168.0W, or approximately 835 nm southwest of Rarotonga, by 14/1200 UTC. The extratropical LOW continued to race to the south, being located several hundred miles east of New Zealand's North Island by 15/0000 UTC. A graphic depicting the track of Tropical Cyclone Tam may be found at the following link: Another graphic with a blow-up of the earlier portion of Tam's track may be found at the following link: C. Damage and Casualties ------------------------ Tam passed as close as 20 nm to Niuafo'ou, Tonga (population 500), while at minimal tropical storm strength. There were no reports of any significant damage to this island or elsewhere throughout its passage across the South Pacific. Niue reported widespread fallen branches, minor damage to crops and some localized power interruption, but nothing of significance. This minor damage probably resulted from the combined stormy effects of Tropical Cyclone Tam and Tropical Depression 05F. (Report written by Simon Clarke) TROPICAL CYCLONE URMIL (TD-06F / TC-07P) 13 - 15 January ------------------------------------------ Tropical Cyclone Urmil was a short-lived cyclone that followed a similar track to that taken by Tropical Cyclone Tam a couple of days earlier. TD-06F was first identified near 14.0S/174.0W, or approximately 200 nm west of Pago Pago, American Samoa, at 13/1800 UTC, moving to the southeast at 10 kts. Tropical Cyclone Tam was located to the southeast of TD-06F at this time and moving rapidly to the southeast and weakening. TD-06F rapidly spun up in Tam's wake under favourable conditions of divergent 250-hpa flow, moderate environmental shear and SST's of 29 C. By 13/2100 UTC, TD-06F was officially upgraded to cyclone status and named Urmil. The cyclone was located near 15.3S/174.1W, or approximately 190 nm west-southwest of Pago Pago, American Samoa, and continuing to move in an ever-accelerating path to the southeast. Urmil's peak intensity (CP of 975 hPa - maximum 10-min avg wind of 60 kts ) was reached at 14/1200 UTC when the centre was located about 160 nm northeast of Tongatapu (near 19.8S/172.8W). This followed a 6-hour period of explosive development whereby the primary band completely wound around Urmil's LLCC. At this time, environmental conditions were favourable for development despite upper-level shear of approximately 20 kts. The resultant shear had a negligible effect given the increasing translational speed of the cyclone at the surface. However, the cyclone was running into ever-increasing vertical shear and was soon to lose its organisation with cloud tops decreasing in spatial extent and warming significantly near its centre. At 15/0000 UTC, Urmil's deep convection was displaced about 0.5 degrees to the south of the exposed LLCC. The cyclone was subsequently downgraded to an extratropical depression six hours later near 25.0S/170.0W, or approximately 620 nm west-southwest of Rarotonga in the Cook Islands. Ultimately, the remnant LOW lost its identity soon afterward in the mid-latitude westerlies. A graphic depicting the track of Tropical Cyclone Urmil may be found at the following link: Urmil passed as close as 50 nm east of the Vava'u Group and 80 nm east of the Ha'api Group, producing little more than intermittent gales and storm-swept tides. Urmil also passed midway between Tongatapu and Niue (approximately 110 nm from each), and again there were no reports of significant damage. (Report written by Simon Clarke) ************************************************************************* SPECIAL FEATURE - SOURCES OF TROPICAL CYCLONE INFORMATION The purpose of this section is to list some websites where many and varied types of tropical cyclone information are archived. Many readers will know about these already, but for the benefit of those who don't, I wanted to include them. (1) Aircraft Reconnaissance Information --------------------------------------- Various types of messages from reconnaissance aircraft may be retrieved from the following FTP site: Information regarding how to interpret the coded reconnaissance messages may be found at the following URL: Links are also included to websites with further information about the U. S. Air Force 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron and the NOAA Air- craft Operations Center. (2) Archived Advisories ----------------------- All the advisory products (public advisories, forecast/advisories, strike probabilities, discussions, various graphics) issued by TPC/NHC are archived on TPC's website. For the current year (using 2004 as an example), the archived products can be found at: Links to tropical products archives for earlier years are available at the following URL: JTWC warnings for past storms are archived on the NRL Monterry website: On the NRL site, the link to past years can be found in the upper left corner of the screen. I am not aware at the moment of any other TCWC which archives all its tropical cyclone warning/advisory products for public access, but if I learn of any, I will add them to this list. (3) Satellite Imagery --------------------- Satellite images of tropical cyclones in various sensor bands are available on the NRL Monterrey and University of Wisconsin websites, courtesy of Jeff Hawkins and Chris Velden and their associates. The links are: On the NRL site, the link to past years can be found in the upper left corner of the screen. For the CIMSS site, a link to data archives is located in the lower left portion of the screen. Additional tropical satellite imagery, along with looping ability for composite microwave imagery for the Western Hemisphere north of the equator, can be found at: (1) For the Eastern North Pacific: (2) For the Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea: I'm sure there are other sites with available imagery available, and as I learn of them, I will add the links to this list. ************************************************************************* EXTRA FEATURE In order to shorten the amount of typing in preparing the narrative material, I have been in the habit of freely using abbreviations and acronyms. I have tried to define most of these with the first usage in a given summary, but I may have missed one now and then. Most of these are probably understood by a majority of readers but perhaps a few aren't clear to some. To remedy this I developed a Glossary of Abbreviations and Acronyms which I first included in the August, 1998 summary. I don't normally include the Glossary in most months in order to help keep them from being too long. If anyone would like to receive a copy of the Glossary, please e-mail me and I'll be happy to send them a copy. ************************************************************************* AUTHOR'S NOTE: This summary should be considered a very preliminary overview of the tropical cyclones that occur in each month. The cyclone tracks (provided separately) will generally be based upon operational warnings issued by the various tropical cyclone warning centers. The information contained therein may differ somewhat from the tracking and intensity information obtained from a "best-track" file which is based on a detailed post-seasonal analysis of all available data. Information on where to find official "best-track" files from the various warning centers will be passed along from time to time. The track files are not being sent via e-mail. They can be retrieved from the archive sites listed below. (Note: I do have a limited e-mail distribution list for the track files. If anyone wishes to receive these via e-mail, please send me a message.) Both the summaries and the track files are standard text files created in DOS editor. Download to disk and use a viewer such as Notepad or DOS editor to view the files. The first summary in this series covered the month of October, 1997. Back issues can be obtained from the following websites (courtesy of Michael Bath, Michael V. Padua, Michael Pitt, Chris Landsea, and John Diebolt): Another website where much information about tropical cyclones may be found is the website for the UK Meteorological Office. Their site contains a lot of statistical information about tropical cyclones globally on a monthly basis. The URL is: TROPICAL CYCLONE REPORTS AVAILABLE JTWC now has available on its website the Annual Tropical Cyclone Report (ATCR) for 2004 (2003-2004 season for the Southern Hemisphere). ATCRs for earlier years are available also. The URL is: Also, TPC/NHC has available on its webpage nice "technicolor" tracking charts for the 2004 Atlantic and Eastern North Pacific tropical cyclones; also, storm reports for all the 2004 Atlantic and Eastern North Pacific cyclones are now available, as well as track charts and reports on storms from earlier years. The URL is: A special thanks to Michael Bath of McLeans Ridges, New South Wales, Australia, for assisting me with proofreading the summaries. PREPARED BY Gary Padgett E-mail: garyp@alaweb.com Phone: 334-222-5327 Kevin Boyle (Eastern Atlantic, Western Northwest Pacific, South China Sea) E-mail: newchapelobservatory@btinternet.com Simon Clarke (Northeast Australia/Coral Sea, South Pacific) E-mail: saclarke@iprimus.com.au ************************************************************************* ************************************************************************* Posted: 04.25.06 / Typhoon2000.ph, Typhoon2000.com