GARY PADGETT'S MONTHLY GLOBAL TROPICAL CYCLONE SUMMARY SEPTEMBER, 2003 (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.) ************************************************************************* SEPTEMBER HIGHLIGHTS --> Long-lived intense Cape Verde hurricane makes devastating strike on U. S. East Coast--still a tropical storm in Ontario, Canada --> Nova Scotia experiences significant hurricane damage --> Another hurricane strikes the Baja California Peninsula and moves up entire Gulf of California --> Very deadly and devastating typhoon strikes South Korea --> Unusually early-season tropical storm forms in Southwest Indian Ocean ************************************************************************* ***** Feature of the Month for September ***** SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE TROPICAL CYCLONE NAMES 2003 - 2004 SEASON TROPICAL CYCLONE NAMES for the AUSTRALIAN REGION The Australian Bureau of Meteorology maintains three Tropical Cyclone Warning Centres (TCWC): Perth, Western Australia; Darwin, Northern Territory; and Brisbane, Queensland. Each centre is allotted a separate list of tropical cyclone names for tropical cyclones forming within its area of responsibility (AOR). In addition a TCWC located at Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea (PNG)--a former Australian territory-- maintains a list of native names to assign to the very rare tropical cyclones which form within its AOR. The AORs of the respective centres are: (1) Perth - 125E westward to 90E and south of 10S. Currently, and for at least the next few years, the Perth TCWC will issue warnings for any systems north of 10S and south and west of the Indonesian islands. (2) Darwin - 125E eastward to 138E and extending northward to the equator. There is a little irregularity with the eastern border in the Gulf of Carpentaria. The Darwin TCWC issues High Seas Warnings for the entire Gulf of Carpentaria, but Brisbane issues Tropical Cyclone Advices and names cyclones in the eastern portion of the Gulf. Also, currently, and for at least the next few years, the Darwin TCWC will issue warnings for any systems west of 125E and within the Indonesian archipelago in the Banda, Flores, and Java Seas. (3) Brisbane - 138E eastward to 160E and generally south of 10S. The northern border with the Port Moresby AOR is somewhat irregular. (4) Port Moresby, PNG - immediate vicinity of the island of New Guinea and eastward to 160E generally north of 10S although the southern border is somewhat irregular. Names for the 2003-2004 season (** indicates name has already been assigned): Perth Darwin Brisbane Port Moresby ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Jana ** Debbie ** Fritz Guba Ken ** Evan Grace Ila Linda Fay Harvey Kama Monty George Ingrid Matere Nicky Helen Jim Rowe Oscar Ira Kate Tako Phoebe Jasmine Larry Raymond Kim Monica Sally Laura Nelson Tim Matt Odette Vivienne Pierre Willy Rebecca Adeline Sandy Bertie Tania Clare Vernon TROPICAL CYCLONE NAMES for the SOUTHWEST INDIAN OCEAN and the SOUTH PACIFIC OCEAN The Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre (TCWC) at Nadi, Fiji, has tropical cyclone warning responsibility for the South Pacific east of 160E and from the equator to 25S. The Meteorological Service of New Zealand at Wellington has warning responsibility for waters south of 25S, but almost all tropical cyclones in this basin form north of 25S. When a rare cyclone forms in the Wellington area of responsibility (AOR), it usually will be assigned a name from the Fiji list (such as was done for Tropical Cyclone Gita in February, 1999.) Tropical cyclone warning responsibility for South Indian waters west of 90E are shared by several TCWCs. The Regional Specialty Meteorological Centre (RSMC) for the region is the office of Meteo France on the island of La Reunion. However, following a long-standing practice, the sub-regional centres at Mauritius and Madagascar share the responsibility for actually naming tropical storms with Mauritius naming systems east of 55E and Madagascar covering the area west of 55E. RSMC La Reunion issues warnings for the basin independently of these sub-regional centres, but only advises regarding when or when not to assign a name to a developing cyclone. Names for the 2003-2004 season (** indicates name has already been assigned): Southwest Indian South Pacific ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Abaimba ** Naledi Heta ** Sheila Beni ** Olie Ivy Tam Cela ** Patou Judy Urmil Darius ** Quilmane Kerry Vaianu Elita Ralph Lola Wati Frank Sefate Meena Xavier Gafilo Tom Nancy Yani Helma Umuri Olaf Zita Itseng Valetta Percy Arthur Jubela Wells Rae Becky Katiba Xivier Lenny Yvonne Moingaza Zuri ************************************************************************* ACTIVITY BY BASINS ATLANTIC (ATL) - North Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico Activity for September: 1 tropical depression 1 tropical storm 1 hurricane 2 major hurricanes ** ** - one of these did not reach major hurricane status until October Sources of Information ---------------------- Most of the information presented below was obtained from the various tropical cyclone products issued by the Tropical Prediction Center/National Hurricane Center (TPC/NHC) in Miami, Florida: discussions, public advisories, forecast/advisories, tropical weather outlooks, special tropical disturbance statements, etc. Some additional information may have been gleaned from the monthly summaries prepared by the hurricane specialists and available on TPC/NHC's website. All references to sustained winds imply a 1-minute averaging period unless otherwise noted. Atlantic Tropical Activity for September ---------------------------------------- September was an active month in the Atlantic basin. Over the period 1950-2002, the month of September has averaged 3.5 named tropical storms, 2.4 hurricanes, and 1.25 intense (Category 3+) hurricanes. September, 2003, produced 4 named storms, 3 hurricanes, and 1 intense hurricane. (Kate, which formed in September, did not reach major hurricane status until October.) Over the 1950-2002 period, September has averaged about three intense hurricane days. This year, there were 13.5--due to the long-lived Cape Verde hurricanes Fabian and Isabel. As the month opened, Fabian was already a major hurricane and continued to intensify, reaching its peak intensity on 1 September. On the 5th the large, severe hurricane passed directly over the island of Bermuda as a Category 3 hurricane on the Saffir/Simpson scale--the most intense storm to strike the island since 1926. Since Fabian originated in August, it was covered completely in the August tropical cyclone summary. Also, on the first couple of days in September, the remnants of former Tropical Storm Grace were weakening over Texas and Arkansas. Tropical Storm Isabel was christened in the eastern Atlantic on 6 September, and subsequently became the first Category 5 hurricane in the Atlantic basin since Hurricane Mitch in October, 1998. Isabel reached a peak intensity of 145 kts and maintained intense hurricane status for 8 days, Category 4 intensity for 6.75 days, and was a Category 5 hurricane for a total of 2.25 days. Isabel fortunately weakened as it approached the U. S. East Coast, and was a Category 2 hurricane with 90-kt winds as it made landfall on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Hurricane Juan formed on the 25th east-southeast of Bermuda. Initially more subtropical in nature, Juan soon acquired tropical storm characteristics and reached hurricane intensity the next day. Juan pursued a basic northward trajectory which carried the hurricane inland near Halifax, Nova Scotia, on the 29th as a Category 2 hurricane. The storm was reported to have been the most destructive hurricane to strike the city of Halifax in well over a century. Tropical Storm Kate formed during the final week of September in the eastern Atlantic, briefly reached hurricane intensity early on the 30th, and then weakened back to tropical storm status. Kate regained hurricane intensity late on 1 October, and on the 3rd became the season's third major hurricane. The only other tropical cyclone to form during September was Tropical Depression 14. This system formed southeast of the Cape Verde Islands and later moved northwestward, passing near or over the westernmost Cape Verdes as it weakened. The official TPC/NHC storm report on TD-14, written by James Franklin, can be found at the following URL: Since the TPC/NHC storm reports are now available online, I have not written detailed preliminary reports as I usually do. Links to the various cyclone reports can be found in the brief report on each storm. TROPICAL STORM HENRI (TC-12) 3 - 13 September ---------------------------------------- Tropical Storm Henri was a short-lived cyclone which formed in the eastern Gulf of Mexico in early September from a tropical wave which had left the coast of Africa several days earlier. Henri reached an estimated peak intensity of 50 kts on 5 September, then weakened very quickly to tropical depression status and crossed the Florida Peninsula, moving eastward into the Atlantic. The depression never regained tropical storm intensity in the Atlantic and soon became extratropical. The official storm report on Henri, authored by Daniel Brown and Miles Lawrence, is available online at the following URL: The peak Best Track intensity of 50 kts represents an upgrade from the peak operational intensity of 45 kts. The Best Track file is contained in the storm report referenced above. The operational track, including the extratropical gale stage, can be found in the tropical cyclone tracks file for September prepared by the author. HURRICANE ISABEL (TC-13) 6 - 22 September ------------------------------------ Hurricane Isabel was one of the truly great Atlantic hurricanes of the past century. Based on the operational MSW estimates, Isabel was a hurricane for 11.5 days and an intense hurricane for 8.0 days. Even more significantly, the great storm was at Saffir/Simpson Category 5 intensity for 2.25 days, making it the third longest-lived Category 5 hurricane since the beginning of the reconnaissance era in 1944. The hurricane also maintained 130-kt winds (equivalent to a Western Pacific super typhoon) for four full days. Another significant feature of Isabel was that it reached Category 5 intensity further east (45.9W) than any other known Category 5 storm. The previous easternmost Catetory 5 development was Hurricane Cleo in 1958 (49.8W), but it is very question- able whether Cleo was truly a Category 5 hurricane. The only other hurricanes to reach Category 5 intensity east of 60W, based on the current Best Track file, were Donna in 1960 (58.0W) and Hugo in 1989 (54.6W). (NOTE: The other Atlantic hurricanes maintaining Category 5 intensity longer than Isabel were Dog in 1950 (2.5 days) and Allen in 1980 (3.0 days)). Very, very fortunately for the U. S. East Coast, Isabel had weakened into a 90-kt Category 2 hurricane by the time it made landfall on North Carolina's Outer Banks on 18 September. The storm was still deadly and destructive, however. At least 16 fatalities were directly attributed to Isabel, mostly from drowning. There were some more deaths indirectly related to the hurricane. The storm pushed water levels in the upper Chesapeake Bay to record levels. Levels in Washington DC, Annapolis and Baltimore exceeded the previous record levels established in the 1933 Chesapeake-Potomac hurricane. Delaware Bay and the Delaware River also experienced a significant storm surge. The total damage caused by Isabel in the U. S. is currently estimated at $3.37 billion. Isabel was able to generate the so-called "annular" hurricane struc- ture around the time it reached its maximum intensity. Annular hurri- canes generally display a large eye surrounded by a solid ring of intense convection, with little convection elsewhere. Such storms are usually not prone to the ups and downs in intensity related to the eyewall replacement cycles commonly seen in intense tropical cyclones. One very interesting feature of Isabel was the formation of mesovortices in the eyewall. These were very striking in satellite imagery, at one point being arranged in a pentagonal "starfish" pattern. Tropical Storm Isabel was named on the morning of 6 September in the far eastern Atlantic, being upgraded directly from a tropical wave. Hurricane intensity was reached on 7 September, and by 1200 UTC on the 8th Isabel had become the season's second intense hurricane. Category 5 intensity was initially reached at 1800 UTC on the 11th and maintained through 1200 UTC on the 14th (except for a 12-hour period on the 13th). The peak operational MSW was estimated at 140 kts, but this was nudged upward 5 kts during post-storm analysis. Isabel was still a tropical storm when it made its final landfall in Canada (after crossing Lake Erie). According to data sent by Chris Fogarty of the Canadian Hurricane Centre, at least two stations on the north shore of Lake Erie (Port Colborne and Long Point) recorded sustained winds exceeding gale force. Chris' report on Isabel can be accessed at the following link: The official NHC report for "super" Hurricane Isabel, authored by Jack Beven, is now available at the following URL: HURRICANE JUAN (TC-15) 25 - 30 September ------------------------------------- Hurricane Juan formed out of the complex interaction between a tropical wave, an upper-level LOW, and a frontal zone. The first advisory on Tropical Depression 15 was issued at 1500 UTC on 25 September, and the system was upgraded to Tropical Storm Juan six hours later. However, a careful analysis of all the available data suggests that a depression had formed on 24 September. Juan moved on a generally north-northwest to northerly track from its genesis south- east of Bermuda and made landfall near Halifax, Nova Scotia, as a Category 2 hurricane on the Saffir/Simpson scale. The last time Halifax was struck by the eyewall of a hurricane was on 21 August 1893. Juan was the most damaging hurricane to strike Nova Scotia in modern times. According to a report on the website of the Canadian Hurricane Centre, Juan claimed eight lives, either directly or indirectly. (The NHC report indicates two direct fatalities with three indirect.) Thousands of trees were blown down, and there were many downed power lines as well as considerable structural damage. Juan also crossed Prince Edward Island as a tropical storm. The Canadian news media reported that the total estimated damage from Juan was around $200 million (Canadian dollars). The official TPC/NHC storm report on Juan, authored by Lixion Avila, is available at the following URL: The Canadian Hurricane Centre has a page dedicated to coverage of Hurricane Juan at the following link: Also, Chris Fogarty has put together a page of many Juan-related articles as well as pictures of storm damage: HURRICANE KATE (TC-16) 25 September - 9 October -------------------------------------------- Tropical Depression 16 formed on 25 September roughly 800 nm west- southwest of the Cape Verde Islands. Moving northwestward for the next couple of days, the system was upgraded to Tropical Storm Kate on the 27th. Kate proved to be stubborn, and despite south-southwesterly vertical shear, strengthened during the following two days, briefly attaining hurricane status on 29 September. A temporary weakening trend set in as Kate, moving on a northeasterly track, turned abruptly west-southwestward. The storm re-intensified and became a hurricane once more on 1 October, and became the season's third intense hurricane on the 3rd when winds reached 100 kts. Kate's west-southwesterly heading veered gradually more westward and the storm reached its peak estimated intensity of 110 kts on 4 October when located approximately 565 nm east-southeast of Bermuda. Kate began to slowly weaken after reaching its maximum intensity. Furthermore, it had turned northward by 6 October, then began to accelerate north-northeastward as the MSW fell below hurricane strength. The system became extratropical on 8 October but remained a powerful storm as it crossed the North Atlantic, passing south of Iceland on the 9th and north of the UK the next day. The tail end of Hurricane Kate brought gales to much of northern Scotland with gusts reaching 60 kts. The official TPC/NHC storm report on Hurricane Kate, written jointly by Richard Pasch and Robert Molleda, is now available online at the following URL: (This brief report written by Kevin Boyle) ************************************************************************* NORTHEAST PACIFIC (NEP) - North Pacific Ocean East of Longitude 180 Activity for September: 1 tropical storm 2 hurricanes Sources of Information ---------------------- Most of the information presented below was obtained from the various tropical cyclone products issued by the Tropical Prediction Center/National Hurricane Center (TPC/NHC) in Miami, Florida (or the Central Pacific Hurricane Center (CPHC) in Honolulu, Hawaii, for locations west of longitude 140W): discussions, public advisories, forecast/advisories, tropical weather outlooks, special tropical disturbance statements, etc. Some additional information may have been gleaned from the monthly summaries prepared by the hurricane specialists and available on TPC/NHC's website. All references to sustained winds imply a 1-minute averaging period unless otherwise noted. Northeast Pacific Tropical Activity for September ------------------------------------------------- September was a month of near-normal activity in the Northeast Pacific basin. Over the 1971-2002 period, the averages for the month are 3.5 named storms, 2.2 hurricanes, and 1.1 intense hurricanes. September of 2003 produced 3 named storms, 2 hurricanes, but no intense hurricane. Hurricane Marty, however, became a Category 2 hurricane shortly before striking the southern tip of Mexico's Baja California Peninsula. As the month opened, Hurricane Jimena was beginning to weaken as it passed to the south of Hawaii's Big Island. The storm continued to weaken as it moved west-southwestward across the Central North Pacific, crossing the International Dateline into the Western North Pacific just before dissipating. Other than Marty, the other named storms forming in September were Tropical Storm Kevin and Hurricane Linda. Kevin was just a minimal tropical storm for only six hours while Linda reached minimal hurricane strength for 12 hours before quickly weakening. There was one additional system which warrants mentioning. A tropical disturbance developed around 1000 nm west-southwest of the tip of Baja California on 4 September. The area of low pressure remained stationary for about 24 hours, then began a slow northward drift. On the 5th convection increased somewhat around the center, prompting SAB to assign a Dvorak rating of T2.5/2.5. Concurrent Tropical Weather Outlooks from TPC/NHC indicated that a tropical depression could be forming. However, early on 6 September convection began to diminish and the T-numbers from SAB began to quickly come down. (This system was being rated during the period 4-7 September, and the NRL temporary number was 91E.) Reports for the cyclones are already available on TPC/NHC's website, so I have not written the usual detailed preliminary reports for these storms, but only a brief synopsis of each which will include the link to the individual storm reports. In the case of Tropical Storm Kevin, however, Kevin Boyle submitted a short report on his namesake shortly after the cyclone's brief life, so I have included that below. TROPICAL STORM KEVIN (TC-11E) 3 - 6 September ---------------------------------------- This short-lived wimpy tropical storm formed from a disturbance that moved westward off the coast of Mexico near Manzanillo. This was being noted in East Pacific STWOs issued by NHC on 31 August. The system moved generally west-northwestward for a couple of days and was expected to only slowly strengthen and organise. Even when the first warning was issued at 1500 UTC on 3 September the disturbance did not look very impressive, and satellite classifications at this time were T1.0 at the most. The initial position of the LLCC was located near 19.2N, 111.9W, and this was only a rough estimate due to the difficulty in pinpointing the centre. The depression was located in an area of modest north- easterly shear, and slow strengthening was forecast to continue until the system reached cooler SSTs in two to three days time. Factors justifying issuance of the first warning were: a southerly wind and a 1001.6 mb pressure reported from Socorro Island at 03/1200 UTC, deep convection becoming more concentrated near Socorro as evidenced from satellite imagery, and data from a QuikScat pass at 0100 UTC. At the time of the first advisory the depression was centred roughly 250 nm south-southwest of Cabo San Lucas. Tropical Depression Eleven-E continued to move west-northwestward, along with the monsoon flow, with a MSW of 30 kts. The storm possessed a large circulation which was elongated northwest-southeast with abundant convection in a curved band southwest of the centre. The LLCC remained difficult to locate and three satellite fixes were east of the previous position at 04/0300 UTC near a burst of convection. Further relocation at 04/1500 UTC (to 21.2N, 114.3W) was based on satellite and microwave imagery from a 1200 UTC TRMM pass. The depression, still over SSTs of 28-29 C, had a slim chance of making the grade as a tropical storm before moving into increasingly colder waters. It did so at 04/2100 UTC but for six hours only (warning #6) and unduly peaked at 35 kts. QuikScat data at 04/1335 UTC found a large area of 30 kt winds surrounding the nucleus of the cyclone with rain contaminated winds as high as 55 kts in the southwestern quadrant. The core of Kevin was composed of multiple swirls of clouds rotating around it, and this made life difficult for the satellite analysts and NHC in determining where the actual centre was. It was decided to locate the position of the broad circulation as a whole to overcome this problem. At the time of its upgrade to tropical storm status, Kevin was located approximately 300 nm west-southwest of Cabo San Lucas. At 0300 UTC on 5 September Kevin was downgraded to a tropical depres- sion, the east-northeasterly wind shear exposing the LLCC as the tropical cyclone began to make its way towards cooler waters. Enhanced infrared satellite imagery and a 0436 UTC TRMM pass located the LLCC displaced 90 nm from the deep convection, and by the end of the day there was no associated thunderstorm activity. On the final forecast/advisory at 06/0300 UTC, Kevin was just basically a large swirl of low-level clouds located roughly 475 nm west of Cabo San Lucas. The remnants of the depression persisted for several days, eventually drifting northward, then east-northeastward, and finally to the east-southeast. There have been no reports of damage or casualties resulting from the ephemeral Tropical Storm Kevin. (Report written by Kevin Boyle) NOTE: The official NHC storm report on Tropical Storm Kevin, written by Stacy Stewart, is now available online at the following link: HURRICANE LINDA (TC-12E) 14 - 17 September ------------------------------------- Tropical Depression 12E formed on 14 September about 300 nm west- southwest of Manzanillo, Mexico. Six hours later the depression was upgraded to Tropical Storm Linda. Linda moved northwestward and intensified steadily, reaching hurricane intensity around 1800 UTC when centered approximately 265 nm southwest of Cabo San Lucas on the tip of the Baja California Peninsula. Linda did not intensify beyond 65 kts, and was downgraded back to a tropical storm only 12 hours after being upgraded to hurricane status. Linda's track turned toward the west and the storm steadily weakened, the last advisory being issued at 2100 UTC on 17 September. The official storm report on Hurricane Linda, written by Jack Beven, is now available online at the following link: HURRICANE MARTY (TC-13E) 19 - 25 September ------------------------------------- Hurricane Marty became the second hurricane in less than a month to affect the Baja California Peninsula. Whereas Ignacio in late August had moved to the east of Cabo San Lucas, eventually making landfall north of La Paz and dissipating over the southern portion of the peninsula, Marty moved directly over the Cabo as a Category 2 hurricane and moved up the entire eastern shore of Baja California, reaching the upper reaches of the Gulf of California as a tropical storm. The system then weakened to a depression and meandered about the northern Gulf for a couple of days before dissipating. The Mexican government reported that Marty was responsible for twelve deaths in the country. Five lives were lost when a fishing vessel sank while the remainder of the fatalities were due to flash flooding along rivers over the southern peninsula. Some articles about the effects of Marty can be found at the following URL: The official NHC storm report on Hurricane Marty, written by James Franklin, is available online at the following link: ************************************************************************* NORTHWEST PACIFIC (NWP) - North Pacific Ocean West of Longitude 180 Activity for September: 3 tropical depressions ** 2 typhoons 1 super typhoon ** - None of these were classified as tropical depressions by JTWC. One of these was named by PAGASA and treated as a tropical depression by some of the other Asian TCWCs; two others were classified as tropical depressions by JMA only. 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. In the companion tropical cyclone tracks file, I normally annotate track coordinates from some of the various Asian warning centers when their center positions differ from JTWC's by usually 40-50 nm or more. All references to sustained winds imply a 1-minute averaging period unless otherwise noted. Michael V. Padua of Naga City in the Philippines, owner of the Typhoon 2000 website, normally sends me cyclone tracks based upon warnings issued by the Japanese Meteorological Agency (JMA) and the Philippines' Atmospheric, Geophysical & Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA). Also, Huang Chunliang of Fuzhou City, China, sends me each month tracks obtained from warnings issued by the National Meteorological Center of China (NMCC), the Central Weather Bureau of Taiwan (CWBT) and the Hong Kong Observatory (HKO). A very special thanks to Michael and Chunliang for the assistance they so reliably provide. In the title line for each storm I have referenced all the cyclone names/numbers I have available: JTWC's depression number, the JMA-assigned name (if any), JMA's tropical storm numeric designator, and PAGASA's name for systems forming in or passing through their area of warning responsibility. Northwest Pacific Tropical Activity for September ------------------------------------------------- As the month of September opened, intense Typhoon Dujuan was passing just south of the southern tip of Taiwan. A couple of days later a somewhat weaker typhoon made landfall in southeastern China near Hong Kong. The complete report on Typhoon Dujuan was included in the August tropical cyclone summary. Three typhoons came to life during September with Super Typhoon Maemi by far the most significant. The intense storm peaked at 150 kts on the 10th, and although somewhat weaker by the time it landed in South Korea, Maemi still caused much destruction and loss of life in that nation. The other September typhoons, Choi-wan and Koppu, both were typhoons of moderate intensity which pursued generally northeasterly tracks that carried them southeast of Japan into the open North Pacific. In addition to the typhoons, three other systems were classified as tropical depressions by one or more of the Asian TCWCs, although not by JTWC. The first of these was tracked as a tropical depression by JMA only on the 2nd and 3rd as it moved generally northward several hundred miles east of the Northern Marianas. JTWC had assigned this area a fair development potential on 31 August, but downgraded it to poor on 1 September. Another system which only JMA referenced as a tropical depression formed on 12 September at a fairly high latitude about 200 nm southeast of Tokyo. JTWC initially assigned this system a fair potential for development, but no TCFA was issued. The system consisted of a well- defined fully-exposed LLCC with associated convection displaced to the southeast. Shear was relatively weak, but there was very little divergence over the area. (No track was given for this system in the companion cyclone tracks file.) The third tropical depression was named Quiel by PAGASA. This system, as tracked by PAGASA, formed well to the east of the Philippines and eventually tracked into the northern South China Sea. However, there was a "jump" of four degrees of longitude on 17 September. This was another confusing "monsoon mess" situation similar to that which had occurred in August with Tropical Depression Lakay and Tropical Storm Vamco. A second circulation arose in the general region which PAGASA dubbed Roskas and which subsequently became Typhoon Choi-wan. More details on Quiel can be found in the September tropical cyclone tracks file. The reports on Typhoons Maemi, Choi-wan and Koppu were written by Kevin Boyle and with significant contributions by Huang Chunliang. A special thanks to these gentlemen for their assistance. Also included below is a report sent by Huang Chunliang concerning rainfall associated with a South China Sea system, probably a monsoon depression, in mid- September. SUPER TYPHOON MAEMI (TC-15W / 0314 / POGI) 3 - 15 September ------------------------------------------ Maemi: contributed by DPR (North) Korea is the cicada, a type of insect which chirps during the summer months when typhoons threaten Korea Pogi: PAGASA name, means 'handsome' A. Storm Origins ---------------- Super Typhoon Maemi's explosive career began when an area of convection formed approximately 160 nm southeast of Yap (7.6N, 140.3E). This suspect area was noted in JTWC's STWO issued at 0600 UTC on 2 September, having persisted for the previous 12 hours. At this time microwave imagery, combined with a QuikScat pass, indicated a broad surface trough while animated multi-spectral satellite pictures revealed cycling and disorganised convection. Upper-air analyses showed both diffluence and shearing conditions to be moderate. The potential for the disturbance's development during the next 24 hours was assessed as poor. This was upgraded to fair status at 04/1300 UTC when convection was seen to become better organised in enhanced satellite animations, and a 04/0731 UTC QuikScat pass revealed a weak, broad and elongated LLCC. Guam was reporting light winds from the northwest and surface pressures of 1009 mb; the centre of the disturbance was located approximately 310 nm to the southeast. Shearing conditions were clearly evident in animated satellite images, and 200-mb charts from the University of Wisconsin CIMSS were showing 20-30 kts of northeasterly shear over the system. Despite this, JTWC issued a TCFA at 05/0200 UTC after a 04/2211 UTC SSM/I pass depicted deep convective bands in the southern quadrants wrapping into the LLCC. Warnings were initiated at 05/1800 UTC on Tropical Depression 15W, located approximately 65 nm west-northwest of Guam. At that time a marked increase in deep convection was noted over the LLCC in enhanced infrared satellite imagery. TD-15W intensified at a climatological rate as it moved west-northwestward at 15 kts under the steering influence of a low to mid-level ridge north-northeast of the system. The depression was upgraded to a 40-kt tropical storm on the second warning, issued at 06/0000 UTC, based on a 40-kt QuikScat observation and CI estimates of 30 kts and 45 kts. The Prognostic Reasoning message issued by JTWC at this time called for TS-15W to continue moving west-northwestward through 96 hours. After 96 hours a deep trough over eastern China was expected to weaken the mid-level ridge over western China, causing the tropical cyclone to change to a north-northwesterly heading. In the meantime, the storm was predicted to intensify due to favourable outflow and shear conditions. B. Track and Intensity History ------------------------------ Tropical Storm 15W continued moving west-northwestward at 13 kts, arriving at a position approximately 230 nm west-northwest of Guam by 0600 UTC on 6 September. At this time JMA upgraded the system to tropical storm intensity and assigned the name Maemi. Upper-level analysis charts indicated that the environment remained conducive to further strengthening, and the MSW increased by five knots on the next two warnings, issued at 1200 UTC and 1800 UTC, to 45 kts and 50 kts, respectively. During this period the storm tracked northwestward before reverting back to its original west-northwesterly heading at 07/0000 UTC, by which time the maximum intensity had risen to 60 kts. Maemi became a typhoon at 07/1200 UTC when located approximately 650 nm southeast of Okinawa, Japan. Only a 5-kt increase in the MSW was noted during the 8th, and despite the system's becoming further organised (with an eye beginning to form at 1800 UTC as seen in enhanced infrared imagery), the overall intensity remained steady at 75 kts until the 9th. Then Maemi got down to some serious intensification. PAGASA had little cause for concern, except for enhancement of the southwest monsoon, as it was clear by this time that Typhoon Pogi (their internal name) was curving away from the Philippines. In fact, by 0000 UTC on 9 September Typhoon Maemi/Pogi had turned to a northwesterly heading. The 16-nm irregular eye, as depicted in a SSM/I pass at 08/2253 UTC, was centred approximately 305 nm south-southeast of Okinawa. Rapid strengthening had already begun with the MSW jumping from 75 kts to 90 kts. The MSW took a bigger jump to 115 kts at 09/0600 UTC, and by 09/1200 UTC Maemi was a super typhoon with a MSW of 130 kts. JTWC's wind distribution on the 1200 UTC warning (#16) indicated that Maemi was a fairly small cyclone with 100-kt winds extending 20 nm from the centre and a gale radius of 130 nm. Super Typhoon Maemi was expected to be influenced by the mid-level ridge to the north-northeast for at least another 24 hours or so before turning poleward into a weakness induced by a shortwave trough over China. This trough was expected to engage Maemi and turn the storm northeastward between Korea and Japan. At 0000 UTC on 10 September Super Typhoon Maemi was approaching the southern part of the Ryukyu Island chain and passing approximately 180 nm south of Okinawa, Japan, moving on a northwesterly heading at a slower pace of 5 kts. However, Maemi was not to make its closest point of approach to Okinawa for another 36 hours. Animated water vapour imagery showed that outflow from the northwest quadrant had merged into the upper-level southwesterly flow ahead of the major shortwave trough over eastern China. This had the effect of whisking away the cyclone's exhaust, and by 10/0000 UTC the MSW had reached monumental proportions. Based on CI estimates of 127, 140 and 155 kts, the MSW reached a peak of 150 kts, gusting to 180 kts. Unfortunately, Miyakojima lay in the path of the super typhoon and the island had to endure extreme conditions while the eye passed by just to the northeast at 10/1800 UTC. The lowest pressure recorded on Miyakojima was 912.0 mb at 1912 UTC. The intensity began to fall at this point to 135 kts--no consolation to Miyakojima, however. Editor's Note: The peak 10-min avg MSW estimates from JMA and NMCC were 105 kts and 120 kts, respectively. PAGASA was estimating the intensity of Typhoon Pogi/Maemi at 100 kts at the time the storm moved out of that agency's AOR at 10/1200 UTC. Super Typhoon Maemi was turning poleward at 0000 UTC on 11 September as the steering flow influencing the typhoon changed. This allowed the storm to creep a little bit closer to Okinawa, Japan, and the eye passed approximately 130 nm west-northwest of Okinawa. At this juncture Maemi began to accelerate as it moved northward into the East China Sea, the MSW holding steady at 135 kts (although it had dipped briefly to 130 kts at 11/0000 UTC). A definite weakening trend set in at 11/1800 UTC when Maemi lost its super typhoon title and the MSW dropped to 120 kts. This was the result of increasingly hostile environmental conditions caused by the deepening trough encroaching from the west. The next day at 12/0000 UTC Maemi was located approximately 160 nm south of Cheju Island, moving smartly toward the north-northeast at 23 kts towards the Korean Peninsula. The MSW was still estimated at 120 kts, but convection on the western side had weakened. At 12/0600 UTC Maemi was nearing Cheju Island with winds still near 100 kts. Six hours later the typhoon was located approximately 30 nm southwest of Pusan and was poised to skirt the southeastern coast of South Korea. Weakening continued, albeit slowly at first, but the Korean Peninsula took a significant amount of strength away and Maemi crossed South Korea as an 80 to 90-kt system. By 12/1800 UTC Typhoon Maemi was undergoing transition to a extratropical system as it pushed northeastward at 24 kts over the Sea of Japan. This extratropical conversion was more or less complete six hours later and the MSW fell below typhoon intensity. The circulation of the once-powerful Maemi began to fall apart, and multi-spectral satellite imagery indicated that the mid-level circulation centre had sheared 100 nm to the north-northeast of the LLCC. The final warning from JTWC was issued at 13/0000 UTC; the last position was 40.5N, 134.8E, or approximately 300 nm west of Misawa, Japan. JMA declared Maemi extratropical at 14/0000 UTC and tracked the remnants north- northeastward to a position east of the Kamchatka Peninsula where the system had weakened to a 45-kt gale by the 15th. C. Meteorological Observations from China ----------------------------------------- All the observations in this section were obtained from a report sent by Huang Chunliang of Fuzhou City, Fujian Province, China. A special thanks to Chunliang for compiling and sending the information. (1) Rainfall Observations from Taiwan (WMO stations) ---------------------------------------------------- City/County Station Period Rainfall (WMO ID) (UTC) (mm) -------------------------------------------------------------------- Ilan City, Ilan 46708 09/1600-10/1600 122.0 Chu-tzu-hu, Taipei City 46693 09/1600-10/1600 120.5 Taipei, Taipei City 46692/58968 09/1600-10/1600 114.0 (2) Rainfall Observations from Taiwan (Automatic weather stations) ------------------------------------------------------------------ City/County Station Period Rainfall (CWB ID) (UTC) (mm) -------------------------------------------------------------------- Ilan County C1U61 09/1600-10/1600 227.5 Ilan County C1U52 09/1600-10/1600 201.5 Ilan County C1U63 09/1600-10/1600 186.0 Ilan County C1U51 09/1600-10/1600 167.5 Ilan County C1U67 09/1600-10/1600 167.0 Ilan County C1U66 09/1600-10/1600 160.0 Ilan County C1U62 09/1600-10/1600 123.5 Ilan County C0U60 09/1600-10/1600 123.0 Ilan County C1U69 09/1600-10/1600 122.5 Ilan County C1U59 09/1600-10/1600 111.0 Ilan County C0U64 09/1600-10/1600 108.0 Ilan County C1U50 09/1600-10/1600 106.5 Taipei County L1A81 09/1600-10/1600 220.0 Taipei County L1A83 09/1600-10/1600 163.0 Taipei County 01A17 09/1600-10/1600 160.0 Taipei County C0A53 09/1600-10/1600 158.0 Taipei County L1A82 09/1600-10/1600 146.5 Taipei County L1A80 09/1600-10/1600 144.0 Taipei County C0A57 09/1600-10/1600 142.5 Taipei County A0A9M 09/1600-10/1600 135.5 Taipei County 01A21 09/1600-10/1600 132.0 Taipei County C0A54 09/1600-10/1600 131.0 Taipei County L1A79 09/1600-10/1600 130.5 Taipei County 01A44 09/1600-10/1600 130.0 Taipei County C0A55 09/1600-10/1600 126.0 Taipei County C1A9N 09/1600-10/1600 125.5 Taipei County C0A51 09/1600-10/1600 125.5 Taipei County C0A58 09/1600-10/1600 125.5 Taipei County C1A65 09/1600-10/1600 124.5 Taipei County C0A9D 09/1600-10/1600 115.0 Taipei County C1A64 09/1600-10/1600 112.0 Taipei County L1A84 09/1600-10/1600 111.0 Taipei County C1A70 09/1600-10/1600 105.0 Taipei City C1A69 09/1600-10/1600 143.5 Taipei City 01A42 09/1600-10/1600 115.0 Taipei City 01A43 09/1600-10/1600 115.0 Taipei City C0A9H 09/1600-10/1600 112.0 Taipei City C1A73 09/1600-10/1600 109.5 Taipei City C0A9C 09/1600-10/1600 107.0 Hsinchu County C0D36 09/1600-10/1600 146.5 Hsinchu County C1D40 09/1600-10/1600 122.5 Hsinchu County C1D39 09/1600-10/1600 115.5 Hsinchu County C1D42 09/1600-10/1600 113.0 Hsinchu County 21D15 10/1600-11/1600 100.0 Yunlin County C0K24 09/1600-10/1600 141.5 Miaoli County C0E41 09/1600-10/1600 124.0 Miaoli County C1E47 09/1600-10/1600 102.5 Taoyuan County 01C40 09/1600-10/1600 106.0 Taoyuan County A0C54 09/1600-10/1600 103.5 Taoyuan County 21C08 09/1600-10/1600 101.0 Chia-I County C1M62 09/1600-10/1600 103.5 D. Meteorological Observations from Japan ----------------------------------------- The information in this section was also sent by Huang Chunliang. (1) Peak Wind Observations (from Okinawa) ----------------------------------------- Station Station Lat Lon Alt MSW Time Gust Time Name (WMO ID) (m) (kts) (UTC) (kts) (UTC) --------------------------------------------------------------------- Naha 47936 26.2N 127.7E 28 37 10/1020 63 11/1012 Kumejima 47929 26.3N 126.8E 4 35 11/0740 71 11/0825 Miyakojima 47927 24.8N 125.3E 40 75 10/1800 144 10/1812 Ishigakijima 47918 24.3N 124.2E 6 42 10/1750 78 10/2006 Iriomotejima 47917 24.4N 123.8E 9 36 11/0210 61 10/0041 Irabu 93011* 24.8N 125.2E 10 82 10/1950 * - JMA station code Note: Only stations that reported sustained winds (10-min avg) greater than gale force or gusts greater than typhoon force are included above. (2) More gust reports (from Okinawa & Nagasaki) ----------------------------------------------- Station WMO Lat Lon Alt Gust Time Name ID (m) (kts) UTC ------------------------------------------------------------------ Miyakojima, Okinawa 47927 24.8N 125.3E 40 85 10/1330 Miyakojima, Okinawa 47927 24.8N 125.3E 40 91 10/1510 Miyakojima, Okinawa 47927 24.8N 125.3E 40 107 10/1550 Miyakojima, Okinawa 47927 24.8N 125.3E 40 117 10/1700 Miyakojima, Okinawa 47927 24.8N 125.3E 40 143 10/1740 Nago, Okinawa 47940 26.6N 128.0E 6 59 11/1500 Sasebo, Nagasaki 47812 33.2N 129.7E 4 59 12/0711 Hirado, Nagasaki 47805 33.4N 129.6E 58 61 12/0820 Izuhara, Nagasaki 47800 34.2N 129.3E 4 79 12/1020 Izuhara, Nagasaki 47800 34.2N 129.3E 4 90 12/1136 Note: Above are those which were highlighted in the JMA local warnings and could not be regarded as the peak values. (3) Records (from Miyakojima, Okinawa) -------------------------------------- (a) As was noted in Part 1, the station reported a peak gust of 144 kts at 10/1812 UTC, which turned out to be the fourth highest daily peak that had ever been recorded in Okinawa, or the seventh highest daily peak that had ever been recorded in Japan (see Section d for the Top Ten). (b) The station reported a minimum pressure of 912.0 hPa (sea level) at 10/1912 UTC, which turned out to be the second lowest daily value that had ever been recorded in Okinawa, or the fourth lowest daily value that had ever been recorded in Japan (see Section e for the Top Ten). (c) Rains of 58.5 mm recorded from 10/2021 UTC through 10/2121 UTC represent the peak hourly value for the station during the passage of Maemi. Rains of 402.5 mm recorded from 10/0800 UTC through 11/0800 UTC broke the former record 24-hour total ever recorded in September by the station. A storm total of 465 mm was recorded from 08/1500 UTC through 12/0600 UTC. (d) The Top Ten typhoons that brought the highest daily peak gusts to Japan have been listed below: Rank JMA Storm Pk Gust Station Date TY # Name (kts) Name (JST) ------------------------------------------------------------------ 01* 6618 Cora 166 Miyakojima, Okinawa Sep 05, 1966 02 6118 Nancy 164 Murotomisaki, Kochi Sep 16, 1961 03 6816 Della 155 Miyakojima, Okinawa Sep 22, 1968 04 7009 Wilda 153 Naze, Kagoshima Aug 13, 1970 05 6816 Della 152 Miyakojima, Okinawa Sep 23, 1968 06 6523 Shirley 150 Murotomisaki, Kochi Sep 10, 1965 07 0314 Maemi 144 Miyakojima, Okinawa Sep 11, 2003 08 5612 Emma 143 Naha, Okinawa Sep 08, 1956 09 6420 Wilda 141 Uwajima, Ehime Sep 25, 1964 10 9413 Doug 136 Yonagunijima, Okinawa Aug 07, 1994 10 7705 Vera 136 Ishigakijima, Okinawa Jul 31, 1977 Note (*): It should be noted that the station located on top of Mt. Fuji recorded a peak SSW gust of 177 kts associated with TY 6626 (Typhoon Ida) on 25 September 1966. But it was not included in the roster above since it was reported by a mountain station. (e) The Top Ten typhoons that brought the lowest daily minimum pressures (sea level) to Japan have been listed: Rank JMA Storm Min Press Station Date TY # Name (hPa) Name (JST) ------------------------------------------------------------------ 01 7709 Babe 907.3 Okinoerabu, Kagoshima Sep 09, 1977 02 5914 Sarah 908.1 Miyakojima, Okinawa Sep 15, 1959 03 ---- ---- 911.6 Murotomisaki, Kochi Sep 21, 1934 04 0314 Maemi 912.0 Miyakojima, Okinawa Sep 11, 2003 05 ---- Ida 916.1 Makurazaki, Kagoshima Sep 17, 1945 06 6118 Nancy 918.0 Naze, Kagoshima Sep 15, 1961 07 ---- Ida 922.6 Kagoshima, Kagoshima Sep 17, 1945 08 6314 Gloria 923.5 Ishigakijima, Okinawa Sep 10, 1963 09 6314 Gloria 926.3 Ishigakijima, Okinawa Sep 11, 1963 10 9609 Herb 927.1 Iriomotejima, Okinawa Jul 31, 1996 (4) Hourly Sustained Wind/Pressure Observations ----------------------------------------------- 1. Station: Miyakojima, Okinawa (WMO 47927) ------------------------------------------- Latitude: 24.79 N Longitude: 125.28 E Altitude: 40 m The hourly MSW (10-min avg) exceeded gale force at Miyakojima from 1300 UTC on 10 September through 0500 UTC on the 11th, except for a two-hour drop off when the station was in the typhoon's eye. The peak hourly MSW of 75 kts occurred at 10/1800 UTC, shortly before eye passage. The minimum hourly SLP recorded in the eye was 913.2 hPa at 10/1900 UTC. 2. Station: Irabu, Okinawa (JMA 93011) -------------------------------------- Latitude: 24.83 N Longitude: 125.17 E Altitude: 10 m The hourly MSW (10-min avg) exceeded gale force at Irabu from 0900 UTC on 10 September through 0400 UTC on the 11th except for 0100 UTC on the 11th. The eye of Maemi did not pass over this station. The maximum hourly MSW of 76 kts occurred at 10/2000 UTC. (5) Rainfall Observations ------------------------- Only a report highlighted in one of the JMA local warnings was given below due to my (Huang Chunliang's) personal time restriction: 10/2000 UTC - 10/2100 UTC Shimojishima, Okinawa 108 mm Note--Two important sources of this special report should be noted here: 1. A special report prepared by the local meteorological service of Okinawa, which is under the control of JMA: (Size: 318 Kbytes -- Language: Japanese) 2. Raw data on the offical web pages of JMA (Japanese version): E. Meteorological Observations from Korea ----------------------------------------- Roger Edson sent along some observations from South Korea taken on 12 September through 1300 UTC. A special thanks to Roger for passing along this information. (1) Rainfall Observations ------------------------- Below are listed the daily precipitation amounts exceeding 100 mm. Presumably, these are the rainfall totals from 0000 through 1300 UTC on the 12th, around the time of landfall near Pusan. Station Precipitation (mm) Station Precipitation (mm) --------------------------------------------------------------------- Wando 119.5 Yeosu 214.0 Suncheon 159.0 Jangheung 134.0 Haenam 134.5 Goheung 273.5 Jeju 231.5 Uljin 125.5 Daegu 135.0 Pohang 131.5 Gumi 118.0 Yeongcheon 122.5 Masan 152.0 Tongyeong 139.0 Jinju 250.5 Geochang 146.5 Hapcheon 169.0 Miryang 159.5 Sancheong 221.5 Geoje 116.5 Namhae 401.5 (2) Wind Observations --------------------- At 12/1215 UTC the Pusan Airport was reporting sustained SSE winds of 59 kts, gusting to 77 kts. One hour later the same station was reporting sustained SSW winds of 46 kts, gusting to 62 kts. A very important wind observation was made on the island of Cheju, just off the coast of South Korea. Typhoon Maemi's center passed just east of the island with much of the island in the eye. Seongsanpo, on the east side of Cheju, recorded the minimum pressure of 955.1 hPa at 0700 UTC. The station was in the eye with a MSW (10-min avg) of only around 30 kts. The airport on the north coastline of the island recorded winds of near typhoon strength at 60 kts. But Gosan on the western side of Cheju and in the western eyewall recorded a 10-min mean wind of 93 kts. At 0600 UTC JTWC was estimating the 1-min avg MSW at 105 kts. A 93-kt 10-min avg wind equates to a 1-min mean wind of 106 kts--very good agreement. The Gosan observation also was very close to NMCC's 0600 UTC 10-min avg MSW of 90 kts, but somewhat higher than JMA's estimate of 80 kts. F. Damage and Casualties ------------------------ Typhoon Maemi was described as the most powerful storm of the century as it tore through South Korea, and press reports indicate that at least 85 people died in that nation. The Korean government deployed 5600 soldiers to help rescue workers search for 25 missing persons and perform clean-up operations. A total of 25,000 people were forced from their homes and had to seek shelter in schools and public buildings. South Korea's largest port of Busan was badly affected by the storm-- eleven container-lifting cranes, each weighing 900 tons each were toppled and 6 metre-long steel containers were scattered around the port. Typhoon Maemi made landfall at high tide, and 282 ships were beached and wrecked by large waves. At one beach a cruise ship converted into a floating hotel was flipped over onto its side--fortuitously it had been evacuated in time. At least 18 empty fishing vessels were capsized. The world's largest shipbuilder, Hyundai Heavy Industries, reported that giant waves threw a 200,000-ton offshore storage facility belonging to Exxon Mobile into a 37,000-ton petrochemicals carrier being built by Hyundai Mipo Dockyard for a German firm. Both were damaged. Vast areas of farmland, cities and rivers were flooded as up to 460 mm of rain fell. Up to 12,626 acres of farmland, including rice paddies and orchards, were flooded before the harvest, raising concerns that the price of rice--the country's staple food--might rise significantly. Widespread flooding also caused chaos on roads. The few cars that did venture out were buffeted by strong winds as they moved cautiously with headlights and hazard lights on. Many highway road signs were downed (some fell on vehicles), traffic signals were damaged, vehicles were seen floating down streets that were turned into raging torrents, and many roads were blocked or washed away by landslides. One landslide derailed an express train travelling from Seoul to Andong, injuring 28 people. Navy divers were called in to search flooded areas for victims, and soldiers used buckets to scoop water from underground parking lots. Five of South Korea's nuclear power plants were shut down due to damage to main current transformers and power lines. Fortunately, no radiation leakages were reported. About 20 major factories in the cities of Ulsan and Onsan on the southeast coast, including two major oil refineries, were forced to temporarily halt operations. Electricity was cut to 1.4 million households, but power was soon restored to the majority of these. The power outage partially paralyzed telephone networks: both fixed-line and cellular networks were affected. Typhoon Maemi also passed through North Korea, but the extent of damage there is not known because the government has restricted the release of information. Editor's Note: An OCHA report on the ReliefWeb website, dated 22 September 2003, indicated that as of that date the confirmed death toll from Maemi in South Korea had risen to 117 with 13 still missing. The total damage estimate from the storm was place at US$4.1 billion. About 5000 homes were destroyed with an additional 13,000 damaged. Additional articles can be found at the following URL: (Report written by Kevin Boyle and Huang Chunliang) MONSOON DEPRESSION RAINFALL 15 - 16 September ----------------------------------------------- The following report was prepared in its entirety by Huang Chunliang of Fuzhou City, Fujian Province, China. A special thanks to Chunliang for compiling and sending the information. A. Introduction --------------- JTWC never mentioned the system in their STWOs, neither did NRL list it as an invest area; thus, no temporary number was assigned by NRL. JMA was the only agency that ranked the system as a weak tropical depression, as follows: 15/0600 UTC: TROPICAL DEPRESSION 1004 HPA AT 20N 110E 15/1200 UTC: TROPICAL DEPRESSION 1004 HPA AT 21N 110E 15/1800 UTC: TROPICAL DEPRESSION 1004 HPA AT 21N 110E 16/0000 UTC: TROPICAL DEPRESSION 1004 HPA AT 21N 109E Judging by the satellite appearances, the system is probably best classified as a monsoon depression, in my opinion. Since the system was treated as a weak tropical depression by JMA, and since it caused widespread torrential rains in the coastal area of Guangdong Province and a few stations of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, a brief report is included on this system. B. Rainfall Observations ------------------------ Provinces/Region Station Period (UTC) Rainfall ---------------- -------------- ------------------ --------- Guangdong Doumen 14/0000 -- 15/0000 225.3 mm Guangdong Doumen 15/0000 -- 16/0000 136 mm Guangdong Shantou 14/0000 -- 15/0000 109.1 mm Guangdong Shanwei 14/0000 -- 15/0000 146.5 mm Guangdong Yangjiang 15/0000 -- 16/0000 126.0 mm Guangdong Zhongshan 14/0000 -- 15/0000 222 mm Guangdong Zhongshan 15/0000 -- 16/0000 172 mm Guangdong Zhuhai 15/0000 -- 16/0000 142 mm Guangdong Boluo 15/0000 -- 16/0000 123 mm Guangdong Panyu 15/0000 -- 16/0000 123 mm Guangdong Yangchun 16/0000 -- 17/0000 142.8 mm Guangxi Lipu 16/0000 -- 17/0000 142.5 mm Guangxi Jinxiu 16/0000 -- 17/0000 146.2 mm Note: In Guangdong Province, storm totals (14/0000 -- 17/0000 UTC) exceeded 250 mm in the cities/counties/districts of Zhongshan, Doumen, Shunde, Panyu, Zhuhai, Yangchun and Jieyang, with Zhongshan reporting the highest amount of 420.3 mm. (Report written by Huang Chunliang) TYPHOON CHOI-WAN (TC-16W / 0315 / ROSKAS) 17-24 September -------------------------------------------- Choi-wan: contributed by Hong Kong, China, means 'colourful cloud'; also the name of a housing estate in Hong Kong Roskas: PAGASA name, is the name for the screw--a piece of hardware A. Storm Origins: ----------------- Typhoon Choi-wan did not take too long to develop out of an area of deep convection initially located approximately 480 nm south-southeast of Okinawa at 0130 UTC on 17 September. Indeed, only 16.5 hours elapsed from JTWC's initial reference in the STWO issued at 17/0130 UTC to the first warning at 1800 UTC later that same day. Animated multi-spectral imagery and a 16/2215 UTC microwave pass indicated that the area of deep convection was located on the northeast edge of a broad trough. Even though the convection appeared rather disorganised, it was under an area of weak vertical wind shear and favourable diffluence aloft, so the potential for development at this stage was assessed as fair. This was upgraded to good and a TCFA released when the LLCC was seen to consolidate and organise in both animated enhanced infrared pictures and microwave imagery. The first warning followed at 17/1800 UTC on Tropical Depression 16W, located approximately 250 nm south-southeast of Okinawa, Japan. Initial movement was toward the northwest at 8 kts. B. Storm History ---------------- PAGASA had already assigned their internal name Roskas by the time of the first JTWC warning, and following JMA's upgrade to a tropical storm (40 kt, 10-min avg) at 0000 UTC on 18 September, the depression was christened Choi-wan from the international naming list. Six hours later TD-16W (Choi-wan) was relocated westward to a position approxi- mately 285 nm south of Naha, Okinawa, based on the latest multi-spectral imagery and a 18/0130 UTC SSM/I pass, both which suggested two possible LLCCs associated with the system. The Prognostic Reasoning Message for the system issued at 18/1200 UTC indicated a poleward heading as the developing system moved into southwesterly flow associated with an east- ward moving shortwave trough, located at the time over the Korean Peninsula. TD-16W continued to consolidate and intensify. An 18/1121 UTC SSM/I pass in combination with satellite animations indicated the formation of a deep convective band in the eastern semicircle. Based on satellite CI estimates of 35 kts and 45 kts, JTWC finally upgraded Choi-wan to tropical storm intensity with a MSW of 45 kts at 18/1800 UTC. For the past several hours Choi-wan had been moving northward at 8 kts. By 19/0000 UTC Choi-wan was closing in on Okinawa. The northerly heading had brought the system to a position approximately 75 nm south of Naha. The MSW had increased to 55 kts and Choi-wan strengthened to typhoon intensity while crossing Okinawa around 19/1200 UTC. The storm veered north-northeastward, crossing the ridge axis, but strengthening was forecast for the next 24 to 36 hours before Choi-wan would enter the unfavourable westerly wind flow. The intensity of Choi-wan remained constant with the MSW only slowly rising to 70 kts by 20/0600 UTC and to 75 kts twelve hours later. Outflow enhancement was noted in 20/1200 UTC microwave imagery, although a recent QuikScat pass indicated that the low-level circulation was slightly elongated while the microwave image revealed dry air entrainment from the west. Typhoon Choi-wan had undergone a temporary track change-- an eastward trek--as it rode over the mid-level ridge located to the southeast. At 0000 UTC on the 21st Typhoon Choi-wan was moving east-northeastward at a faster speed of 22 kts from a position approximately 365 nm south- southwest of Tokyo, Japan. Visible satellite imagery revealed a 12-nm diameter eye at this time. The system had resumed its intensification, reaching a peak intensity of 95 kts at 21/0600 UTC. By this time the eye had expanded to 45 nm in diameter with enhanced outflow continuing to the north and northeast. However, microwave imagery at 21/1200 UTC indicated that the upper-level circulation was beginning to tilt slightly to the east of the LLCC. Typhoon Choi-wan started to weaken as its movement settled into a northeasterly heading. The MSW had dropped to 85 kts by 22/0000 UTC as shearing conditions in the mid-level westerly zone began to separate the deep convection from the LLCC. Typhoon Choi-wan was accelerating northeastward away from Japan, being then centred approximately 250 nm east of Tokyo. The associated deep convection decreased significantly as the intensity of Choi-wan fell to 80 kts at 22/0600 UTC, to 70 kts six hours later, and to below typhoon strength at 1800 UTC, by which time extratropical transition was complete and the last warning issued by JTWC. The last warning position was near 39.4N, 151.1E, or 450 nm east of Misawa, Japan. The extratropical remnants of Choi-wan, as tracked by JMA, sped east- northeastward across the northern Pacific. By 0000 UTC on 24 September the system had crossed the International Dateline and had weakened into a 40-kt gale south of the Aleutians. (Editor's Note: The peak 10-min avg MSW and minimum CP as reported by JMA were 70 kts and 960 hPa, respectively. CWBT also estimated the peak intensity of Choi-wan at 70 kts, whereas NMCC's peak MSW was higher at 80 kts. Choi-wan/Roskas had exited PAGASA's AOR long before the peak intensity was reached.) C. Meteorological Observations ------------------------------ The following meteorological observations were compiled and sent by Huang Chunliang. A special thanks to Chunliang for sending the information. 1. Peak Wind Reports -------------------- NOTE: All sustained wind speeds reported below are 10-min avg winds. (a) Station: Naha, Okinawa (WMO 47936) Lat 26.2N, Lon 127.7E, Alt 28 m Winds reached a sustained speed of 36 kts at 19/1350 UTC with a peak gust of 60 kts recorded at 19/1157 UTC. (b) Station: Nago, Okinawa (WMO 47940) Lat 26.6N, Lon 128.0E, Alt 6 m Peak MSW of 36 kts occurred at 19/1240 UTC and the highest gust recorded was 62 kts at 19/1502 UTC. (c) Station: Ojima, Tokyo (WMO 47675) Lat 34.8N, Lon 139.4E, Alt 74 m Gale-force winds of 33 kts were reported at 1510 UTC on 21 September, gusting to a top speed of 64 kts at 21/1934 UTC. (d) Station: Hachijojima , Tokyo (WMO 47678) Lat 33.1N, Lon 139.8E, Alt 79 m A MSW of near typhoon force, 62 kts, was recorded at 21/1510 UTC, while a top gust of 116 kts was reported at 1434 UTC on the 21st. A gust of 99 kts, occurring at 21/1430 UTC, was highlighted in a JMA local warning. Winds first reached sustained gale force from the east-northeast at 21/1300 UTC, increasing to storm force by 22/1500 UTC. By 1600 UTC the MSW began to ease while the SLP started to rise after the minimum of 958.6 hPa was reached at 1533 UTC. Winds continued at gale force for another two hours from the north until between 1700 and 1800 UTC when they fell below 35 kts. (e) Station: Miyakejima, Tokyo (WMO 47677) Lat 34.1N, Lon 139.5E, Alt 36 m A MSW of 57 kts was recorded at 21/1300 UTC with a gust of 80 kts at 21/2108 UTC. (f) Station: Choshi, Chiba (WMO 47648) Lat 35.7N, Lon 140.9E, Alt 20 m Sustained winds reached 50 kts at 21/2250 UTC while earlier at 2108 UTC a peak gust of 68 kts occurred. (g) Station: Ajiro, Shizuoka (WMO 47668) Lat 35.1N, Lon 139.1E, Alt 67 m The MSW reached 39 kts at 21/1550 UTC with a peak gust of 61 kts at 21/1632 UTC. The following gust reports below were taken from JMA local warnings and cannot be taken as peak values. (h) Station: Okinoerabu, Kagoshi (WMO 47942) Lat 27.4N, Lon 128.7E, Alt 27 m 19/0851 UTC 69 kts 19/1046 UTC 81 kts 19/1155 UTC 82 kts (i) Station: Yakushima, Kagoshima (WMO 47836) Lat 30.4N, Lon 130.7E, Alt 36 m 20/0640 UTC 52 kts (2) Minimum Sea Level Pressure Observations ------------------------------------------- Naha, Okinawa 985.8 hPa (19/0608 UTC) Nago, Okinawa 983.8 hPa (19/1004 UTC) Hachijojima, Tokyo 958.6 hPa (21/1533 UTC) Note: Only stations that reported sea level pressures below 990 hPa are included above. 3. Storm Total Rainfall Observations ------------------------------------ The most torrential hourly amount associated with Choi-wan was recorded in Hachijojima during the 1-hr period ending at 21/1512 UTC, accumulating to 91.5 mm. The maximum storm total for the period 19/1500 UTC-22/0300 UTC was 281.0 mm. Other stations (in Japan) which received storm totals above 200 mm during the period 19/1500 UTC-22/0300 UTC were: Miyakejima, Tokyo WMO 47677 288.5 mm Miyake-Ako, Tokyo JMA 44227 316 mm Miyake-Izu, Tokyo JMA 44229 291 mm Ojima, Tokyo WMO 47675 211.0 mm Amagisan, Shizuoka JMA 50427 228 mm A couple of rainfall amounts from Okinawa for the period 17/1500 UTC-19/1500 UTC include: Naha, Okinawa WMO 47936 139.5 mm Nago, Okinawa WMO 47940 105.0 mm (4) Sources of Data ------------------- 1. Reports prepared by the local meteorological services of Okinawa and Tokyo, which are under the control of JMA. 2. Raw data on the official web pages of JMA (Japanese version): D. Damage and Casualties ------------------------ No reports of damage or casualties have been reported in association with Typhoon Choi-wan. (Report written by Kevin Boyle and Huang Chunliang) TYPHOON KOPPU (TC-17W / 0316 / SIKAT) 24 September - 2 October -------------------------------------------- Koppu: contributed by Japan, means 'cup', and specifically refers to the constellation Crater Sikat: PAGASA name, means 'popular' A. Storm Origins ---------------- A new area of convection developed near 10.0N, 141.0E, or approxi- mately 220 nm east-northeast of Yap Island. This suspect area was mentioned in JTWC's STWO at 0600 UTC on 22 September. The development potential of this broad circulation was assessed as poor. This was upgraded to fair at 23/2130 UTC as organisation improved. A surface analysis indicated multiple circulations in the monsoon trough, while at upper-levels a TUTT cell centred to the northeast was enhancing outflow. At 24/0230 UTC JTWC issued a TCFA relocating the disturbance to near 14.9N, 139.4E, or approximately 360 nm west of Saipan. The first warning on Tropical Depression 17W was issued at 1200 UTC on 24 September, placing the centre roughly 480 nm west-northwest of Guam. The exact location of the LLCC was still highly uncertain at this point as the system remained embedded within the broad trough. Movement was toward the west-northwest at 10 kts and this heading continued into the 25th. Intensification was slow and the MSW remained at 25 to 30 kts through the 25th and 26th due to the hindering effects of the TUTT cell located to the northeast. During this time the depression began a slow northward drift, and then finally reached tropical storm intensity at 27/0000 UTC. A northeastward acceleration had started in response to a shortwave trough heading toward Japan as well as to changes in the position of the equatorial and subtropical ridges. (Editor's Note: PAGASA issued only four warnings on this system as Tropical Depression Sikat, well before it had reached tropical storm intensity. The final PAGASA warning was issued at 0000 UTC on 26 September as Sikat was moving northeastward out of the agency's AOR.) B. Track and Intensity History ------------------------------ JMA named this system Koppu just prior to JTWC's upgrade to a 50-kt tropical storm at 27/0000 UTC. At this time it was located approximately 234 nm south-southwest of Iwo Jima, moving north-northeastward at 16 kts. After some additional strengthening the intensity of Koppu remained static at 60 kts for a day or so. Then, following the appearance of a 60-nm ragged eye on the 28/1154 UTC SSM/I pass (infrared satellite imagery had revealed an eye feature earlier in the day), Koppu was upgraded to a 70-kt typhoon at 28/1200 UTC, by which time it had slowed to a 2-kt crawl as it moved through the ridge axis. Earlier, Koppu had made its closest approach to Iwo Jima at 28/0000 UTC, passing 50 nm to the west of the island. Typhoon Koppu began to accelerate once again at 0000 UTC on 29 September. At this time it was centred approximately 160 nm north of Iwo Jima, moving north-northeastward at 9 kts with the MSW estimated at 80 kts. A peak intensity of 90 kts was reached at 29/0600 UTC, and soon afterward, a weakening trend began. The eye faded, deep convection weakened and the circulation took on an elongated appearance. Koppu was now undergoing extratropical transition as it continued to accelerate northeastward at 20 kts. At 0000 UTC on 30 September, Koppu, barely a typhoon, lay approximately 390 nm east-southeast of Tokyo, Japan. Convection had almost completely sheared away and extratropical transformation was nearly complete. Koppu was downgraded to a tropical storm at 30/0600 UTC and the final warning issued by JTWC. The remnant extratropical storm could be followed for several more days as it moved south and east of the Kamchatka Peninsula. The final reference in JMA's High Seas Bulletins, at 0000 UTC on 2 October, placed the 50-kt storm near 48.0N, 167.0E. (Editor's Note: The peak 10-min avg MSW estimated by JMA and CWBT was 70 kts, while NMCC's peak intensity was 80 kts. The minimum CP estimated by JMA was 960 hPa.) C. Meteorological Observations ------------------------------ The meteorological observations in this section were compiled and sent by Huang Chunliang. A special thanks to Chunliang for sending the information. (1) Hourly Sustained Wind/Pressure Observations from Chichijima --------------------------------------------------------------- WMO 47971, Lat 27.1N, Lon 42.2E, Alt 3m) NOTE: All MSW values are 10-min avg winds. Winds started to increase from the southeast at 1600 UTC, 28 September, and reached gale force six hours later and storm intensity at 0400 UTC, 29 September. During this period SLP pressure had been falling (about 3 mb per 3 hours) and reached a minimum of 974.6 mb at 29/0300 UTC. The highest hourly sustained winds (from the south- southwest) occurred at 29/0400 UTC, peaking at 55 kts. Winds quickly dropped to gale force and had fallen below 30 kts by 29/0700 UTC. A peak wind gust of 108 kts was recorded on Chichijima, Japan, at 29/0300 UTC and was the third highest gust measured at this station. Only two storms have brought stronger gusts: Super Typhoon Marge of 1983 (116 kts) and Typhoon Ben of 1986 (114 kts). In the history of the station, only one typhoon has brought a MSW higher than Koppu and that was Joan of 1997 (62 kts). The highest sustained winds observed in association with Koppu were 60 kts. Other gust reports from Chichijima include: a gust of 69 kts at 28/2224 UTC, 78 kts at 28/2320 UTC, and 93 kts at 29/0042 UTC. All of these observations were highlighted in the JMA local warnings and cannot be regarded as the peak values. (2) Sources of Data ------------------- This report was distilled, translated and edited from the raw data on the official web pages of JMA (Japanese version): (3) Wind/Pressure Reports from Iwo Jima --------------------------------------- The MSW reached a maximum of 38 kts at 28/0600 UTC and 28/1500 UTC. A peak gust of 59 kts was recorded at 27/2100 UTC and a pressure of 982.1 hPa was also reported at this time. Also, a minimum pressure of 980 hPa was reported at 28/0000 UTC. These reports were from 3-hourly synoptic observations and cannot be taken as peak/minimum values. D. Damage and Casualties ------------------------ There have been no reports of damage or casualties resulting from Typhoon Koppu. (Report written by Kevin Boyle and Huang Chunliang) ************************************************************************* NORTH INDIAN OCEAN (NIO) - Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea Activity for September: No tropical cyclones ************************************************************************* SOUTHWEST INDIAN OCEAN (SWI) - South Indian Ocean West of Longitude 90E Activity for September: 1 moderate tropical storm 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 warning centres on Mauritius and Madagascar with longitude 55E being the demarcation line between their respective areas of warning 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 September ------------------------------------------------------ The tropical storm season in the Southwest Indian Ocean west of 90E got underway early with the formation of Tropical Storm Abaimba. Such early-season storms are unusual but not all that rare in this basin. JTWC initiated warnings on TC-01S on 29 September and upgraded the system to minimal tropical storm status the next day. The system intensified markedly on 1 October and was named Abaimba by the Meteorological Service of Mauritius. Tropical Storm Abaimba meandered around at a very low latitude several hundred miles west-northwest of Diego Garcia and had dissipated by 4 October. TROPICAL STORM ABAIMBA (MFR-01 / TC-01S) 29 September - 4 October -------------------------------------------- Abaimba: contributed by Tanzania A. Storm Origins ---------------- The precursor to this early-season tropical storm in the Southwest Indian Ocean was an area of convection which formed about 600 nm west of Diego Garcia early on 29 September. JTWC issued a STWO at 0400 UTC, noting that satellite imagery indicated cycling deep convection near an elongated LLCC with the convection wrapping into the center. The development potential was assessed as fair based on the presence of good diffluence aloft and weak to moderate vertical shear. MFR issued their first bulletin on Tropical Disturbance 01 at 0600 UTC, and JTWC followed with a TCFA at 0930 UTC which relocated the disturbance to a position approximately 590 nm west-northwest of Diego Garcia. JTWC issued the first warning on Tropical Cyclone 01S at 1800 UTC, again relocating the center--this time to a point 505 nm west-northwest of Diego Garcia. The MSW (1-min avg) was estimated at 30 kts, based on CI estimates of 25 and 35 kts. The system was quasi-stationary with the LLCC located just east of the deepest convection. At 0000 UTC on 30 September MFR upped the MSW (10-min avg) to 30 kts, which qualified the system for formal tropical depression status. JTWC upped their MSW estimate to 35 kts (1-min avg) at 0600 UTC; at the time TC-01S was located about 475 nm west-northwest of Diego Garcia, moving southeast- ward at 4 kts. The LLCC was partially-exposed to the northeast of the deep convection. The intensity remained static for the remainder of the 30th as the depression continued moving slowly east-southeastward. It was forecast to turn to the southwest in 12-24 hours as a low to mid- level ridge built to the south. B. Storm History ---------------- At 0600 UTC on 1 October the center of TC-01S was located roughly 420 nm west-northwest of Diego Garcia, moving very slowly southwestward. Poleward outflow had improved, and the LLCC was no longer exposed. JTWC upped the MSW to 50 kts (1-min avg), based on CI estimates of 35 and 45 kts plus QuikScat data. Also, MFR and the Mauritius Meteorological Service upgraded the system to tropical storm status with the latter agency assigning the name Abaimba. MFR bumped up their MSW estimate from 30 to 45 kts (10-min avg) at 0600 UTC. However, at 1800 UTC MFR lowered the intensity to 40 kts. JTWC's MSW remained at 50 kts, but the warning noted that there was evidence of some cooler air infiltrating the western side of Abaimba's circulation. A SSM/I pass at 02/0451 UTC revealed a fully-exposed LLCC with deep cycling convection located 100 nm to the west under 20-30 kts of north- easterly shear. JTWC downgraded the MSW to 30 kts (1-min avg) and placed the center about 290 nm west-northwest of Diego Garcia, moving south- eastward at 6 kts. MFR's intensity remained at 35 kts, but this was lowered to 30 kts at 1200 UTC. The factors responsible for Tropical Storm Abaimba's sudden weakening were adjudged to be a lack of upper- level outflow, increased vertical shear, and entrainment of cooler (and likely drier) air. Interestingly, at 0600 UTC on 3 October, JTWC upped the MSW back to 35 kts (1-min avg) and forecast Abaimba to strengthen steadily, reaching 55 kts in 48 hours. The storm at this time was located approximately 335 nm west-northwest of Diego Garcia, moving slowly southwestward at 3 kts. Abaimba's organization was improving somewhat, and the system was forecast to move into a more favorable environment of increased outflow and reduced vertical shear. However, Abaimba continued to present a very poorly-organized appearance in satellite imagery. MFR dropped the MSW to 25 kts at 1200 UTC, although the bulletin noted that stronger winds were likely occurring in isolated spots in the southwestern semicircle. At 1800 UTC JTWC once more dropped the intensity to 30 kts, but still forecast the system to recover and undergo some modest strengthening. At 0600 UTC on 4 October MFR and JTWC decreased their MSW estimates to 20 kts and 25 kts, respectively. The JTWC warning indicated that CI estimates were 25 and 30 kts, and the agency's forecast still called for Abaimba to re-intensify to tropical storm strength. This optimistic forecast failed to verify, however, and MFR issued their final bulletin on the system at 1200 UTC. JTWC likewise issued their final warning on the dissipating system at 1800 UTC, placing the center about 460 nm west of Diego Garcia and moving west-northwestward at 6 kts. All deep convection associated with the LLCC had dissipated during the previous twelve hours. C. Damage and Casualties ------------------------ No damage or casualties are known to have resulted from Tropical Storm Abaimba. (Report written by Gary Padgett) ************************************************************************* NORTHWEST AUSTRALIA/SOUTHEAST INDIAN OCEAN (AUW) - From 90E to 135E Activity for September: No tropical cyclones ************************************************************************* NORTHEAST AUSTRALIA/CORAL SEA (AUE) - From 135E to 160E Activity for September: No tropical cyclones ************************************************************************* SOUTH PACIFIC (SPA) - South Pacific Ocean East of Longitude 160E Activity for September: No tropical cyclones ************************************************************************* 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 July, 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, and Chris Landsea): 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 complete Annual Tropical Cyclone Report (ATCR) for 2002 (2001-2002 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 2002 Atlantic and Eastern North Pacific tropical cyclones; also, storm reports for all the 2002 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 Huang Chunliang: (Assistance with Western Northwest Pacific, South China Sea) E-mail: huangchunliang@hotmail.com Simon Clarke (Northeast Australia/Coral Sea, South Pacific) E-mail: saclarke@iprimus.com.au ************************************************************************* ************************************************************************* >> Published: 02.04.04 Typhoon2000.com / Typhoon2000.ph