Just 54 days into 2019 and we had a super typhoon!
Typhoon Wutip was the strongest February storm seen in the western Pacific Ocean in 70 years. On Feb. 23 2019, Wutip became a rare February super typhoon – just shy of Category 5 strength – with sustained winds of 155 mph, only three other February storms in the Northwest Pacific basin have reached at least Category 4 intensity since records began in the 1940s.
Millions of people were affected by the deadly storm caused by cyclone Idai
In March, the deadly Tropical Cyclone Idai rapidly strengthened to a Category 3 storm in the warm waters of the Mozambique Channel. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center said the storm had sustained winds of 120 mph, the storm did strengthen to a Category 4 storm with winds near 145 mph. In the escalating disaster, hundreds of dead Zimbabweans were seen floating in the floodwaters into Mozambique. Catch News of India reported the death toll from the cyclone that smashed into Mozambique and Zimbabwe rose to more than 300 as rescuers raced against the clock to help survivors, 350,000 people were at risk," claimed Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi. The UN, meanwhile, said Tropical Cyclone Idai was one of the worst storms to hit southern Africa in decades had also unleashed a humanitarian crisis in Malawi, affecting nearly a million people and forcing more than 80,000 from their homes. The United Nations warned that millions of people were affected by the deadly storm caused by cyclone Idai in Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi. The actual death toll from the storm was believed to more than 1,000.
Cyclone Trevor and Tropical Cyclone Veronica batter Australia
Two powerful cyclones sandwiched northern Australia and both are expected to make landfall in March. On the northwestern part of the country, the very powerful Tropical Cyclone Veronica made landfall during the same weekend as Cyclone Trevor made landfall on the northeastern part of the country. The largest evacuation before a cyclone in Australia's Northern Territory happened when Cyclone Trevor made landfall in March. Already in 2019, Australia has suffered its hottest January ever the wettest February the hottest start to Autumn in 30 years and the hottest March heatwave in 52 years and now Australia's Northern Territory was set to be battered by the strongest cyclone since 2015.
April saw Tropical Cyclone Kenneth following the deadly Cyclone Idai
The experts were saying it will be the strongest storm ever recorded in the area and it comes just weeks after Cyclone Idai which battered south-east Africa and has affected millions of people with the death toll now above 1,000. Tropical Cyclone Kenneth was the first tropical cyclone with the equivalent of hurricane strength to strike Mozambique's northern province of Cabo Delgado since modern record-keeping. Hundreds of thousands of people were still in need of aid after Cyclone Idai had battered Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi in March, according to Accuweather. This was the first time in recorded history that two strong tropical cyclones hit Mozambique in the same season, with Tropical Cyclone Kenneth following on the heels of Tropical Cyclone Idai
Still in April and Tropical Cyclone Fani was forecast to become a formidable cyclone in the Bay of Bengal
Tropical Cyclone Fani was forecast to become a formidable cyclone in the Bay of Bengal and a significant danger to parts of eastern India and Bangladesh. Cyclone Fani intensified into an “extremely severe” storm along the eastern Indian state of Odisha, according to the India Meteorological Office.
Hawaii under attack
In July, Tropical storm Erick had strengthened to hurricane category with sustained winds of 70 mph and was heading toward Hawaii, Erick went on to become a category 3 hurricane. Meanwhile, the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida was issuing advisories on Tropical Storm Flossie, centred over 2400 miles east-southeast of Hilo, Hawaii. Flossie gradually strengthened and became a hurricane.
Into August and a triangle of tropical storm systems in the Western Pacific Ocean
A triangle of tropical storm systems in the Western Pacific Ocean was seen by Japan’s Himawari-8 satellite on Tuesday, August 6, 2019. To the north, was Tropical Storm Francisco, which made landfall in southern Japan as a typhoon, bringing heavy rainfall and strong wind gusts up to roughly 85 mph. To the south was Tropical Storm Lekima, which headed toward Japan’s southern Ryukyu Islands, Taiwan and eastern China. Tropical Storm Krosa had formed farther east over the open water near Guam and also strengthened into a typhoon as it moved northward toward Iwo Jima and the Ogasawara Islands.
Tropical Storm Lekima morphs into a super typhoon!
China's Eastcoast was bracing itself as the most powerful typhoon since 2014 approached, leaving authorities to issue a "red alert."
Lekima had increased its strength to super typhoon status.
Super typhoon Lekima, the strongest since 2014, was expected to hit the mainland and then turn north, more than a million people had been evacuated. Typhoon Lekima had battered Taiwan with winds of more than 190km/h (120mph).
A third storm hits Japan in only 10 days
A severe tropical storm may made landfall in western Japan in the middle of August, the third in 10 days bringing torrential rains, violent winds, and rough seas. The Meteorological Agency estimated that Krosa was producing sustained winds of 108 kilometres per hour and gusts of 144 kilometres per hour. Some of the most incredible statistics were being banded around by The Japan Meteorological Agency regarding the severity of Typhoon Krosa. The Japan Meteorological Agency claimed rainfall exceeded 1,200 millimetres in western and eastern Japan areas facing the Pacific. Incredibly,1,200 millimetres is more than 10 times the average Japanese rainfall for August and in ft and inches, weighs in at nearly 4ft or 47 inches, which of course is well over 1 metre.
Dorian
Record busting Cat 5 Hurricane Dorian was confirmed the second-strongest Atlantic storm on record: Top sustained winds of 185 mph with gusts topping 220 mph (350 KMH)
As we headed into September and hitting the peak of the Atlantic hurricane season, catastrophic Hurricane Dorian has slowed to a crawl over Grand Bahama Island. Hurricane Dorian Dorian's forward speed slowed to a virtual stall near Grand Bahama Island. The eyewall pummeled the island for more than 24 straight hours. On September the 11th, a Dutch Marine friend of mine, stationed in Willemstad, Curacao sent me a clip from the local newspaper the Knipselkrant Curacao, regarding the desperate state of the Bahamas, just days after the cat 5 Hurrican Dorian destroyed the islands. He claimed, finally, aid to the Bahamas was starting to get going. 84 extra marines flew from the Netherlands and France to the area. Meanwhile, a British ship RFA Mounts Bay was also active and there was also help from its own naval ships. However, it was a race against time, 70,000 people needed food and shelter and thousands were missing. The death toll was 43, but it was expected to rise because 6,600 people were reported missing.Dorian
"They are forming like roaches out there," NHC Spokesman!
Six Named Storms Line up at Once in Atlantic and Eastern Pacific Basins and Ties Modern Record Six named tropical storms lined up and were currently active in the Atlantic and Eastern Pacific basins, equaling the record of combined storms in the two areas at one time. Humberto was now heading northeast into the Atlantic and Kiko heading west toward Hawaii in the Pacific, four new tropical cyclones had formed. Tropical Depression Imelda went on to dump the heaviest rainfall Houston had seen from one storm system since Harvey. Imelda is moving slowly northwestward through eastern Texas, with heavy rain extending primarily to the south and east of its circulation centre north of the Gulf Of Mexico. Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Jerry was intensifying in the Atlantic and was expected to move near or north of the Leeward Islands as a hurricane later that week. Jerry was currently centred more than 600 miles east of the Leeward Islands and was tracking west-northwestward, according to the Weather Channel. Along the Eastern Pacific Basin, Tropical Cyclone Mario had developed which would threaten the Westcoast of Mexico and the US as well as Tropical Cyclone Lorena. After checking with colleagues, veteran National Hurricane Center forecaster Eric Blake tweeted that this combined number of active storms in both basins was believed to tie a modern record from September 1992. "They are forming like roaches out there," Blake tweeted Tuesday afternoon.
Record-breaking Hurricane Lorenzo morphed into a category 5 hurricane
The second Atlantic hurricane to reached CAT5 to impact the UK! Record-breaking Hurricane Lorenzo morphed into a category 5 hurricane the strongest on record so far North and East in the Atlantic Basin and was on course to batter Ireland and the UK into early October. Hurricane Lorenzo intensified into a Category 5 hurricane smashing a record for the easternmost Atlantic hurricane to attain such a strong intensity. It was now only the second Atlantic hurricane to have reached CAT5, after hurricane Dorian which devastated the Bahamas earlier in September. This is by far the farthest east in the Atlantic Ocean any of the previous 35 Category 5 hurricanes have occurred in records dating to the 1920s according to the Weather Channel.
Super Typhoon Hagibis strongest storm on the planet: To become the strongest of the year:
Most intensification by a tropical cyclone in the western North Pacific in 25 years It developed from tropical storm to a monster Super Typhoon in just 18 hours and was set to become the biggest and strongest storm of this year. Hagibis was classed as "violent" -- the Japanese Meteorological Association, (JMA) highest classification, with gusts as strong as 270 kilometres per hour. According to Japan Today, Super Typhoon Hagibis was heading for Tokyo, Japanse most densely populated area, ahead of the big Rugby World Cup weekend. Fukushima region hardest hit by typhoon Hagibis as radioactive soil was pushed from the mountains down into areas where people live and crops are grown News outlets worldwide were reporting the death toll was approaching 100 as 90 residents of Japan have died as a result of Typhoon Hagibis with others still missing. At least 200 people were injured, 30 of them seriously. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transportation dispatched experts to investigate damaged embankments at seven large rivers including those in Nagano and Fukushima where massive flooding occurred. According to Asahi Shimbun a popular Japanese Daily, a temporary storage facility containing some 2,667 bags stuffed with radioactive contaminants from the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster was unexpectedly inundated by floodwaters brought by Typhoon Hagibis. Torrential rain flooded the storage facility and released the bags into a stream 100 meters away. Officials from Tamara City in Fukushima Prefecture said that each bag is approximately one cubic meter in size. Authorities were only able to recover six of the bags and it is uncertain how many remain on the loose.
Two million evacuated as deadly Cyclone Bulbul smashes into the Bay Of Bengal while Vietnam prepares for Tropical Storm Nakri
Cyclone Bulbul smashed into the Bay Of Bengal on the 9th of November after more than 2 million people had earlier been evacuated. Typhoon Kammuri reached Super Typhoon status Typhoon Kammuri is moving west-southwest at 10 mph. The forecast track took Kammuri into the Northern Philippine with the capital city Manila taking a direct hit. The death toll from the monster Typhoon rose to 10 with many missing, 350,000 people had been evacuated. Winds gusting up to 200 kph (124 mph) damaged homes and structures and tore down trees and signage as it barreled through central islands south of the capital.
In early December, the Indian Ocean put on a show: Five (5) tropical systems developed at the same time
A pretty impressive and rare tropical activity was ongoing in the Indian Ocean were 5 tropical systems had developed in early December. The two northernmost systems (Tropical cyclones 06A and 07A) were already supporting tropical storm strength, while the southernmost systems (91S and 92S) were both tropical depressions. The easternmost system (92B) was still developing. The impressive and rare tropical activity which is currently ongoing in the Indian Ocean has intensified with three of the five tropical systems seen yesterday developing into hurricanes, or tropical cyclones, as they are called in that part of the world. The strongest of the five, Ambali rapidly intensified with 115 mph wind-speeds in 24 hours, making it the most rapid intensification in a 24-hour period in the Southern Hemisphere by a named storm on record and the second most rapid intensification globally. Tropical Cyclone Belna intensified well south of the Equator. Tropical Cyclone Pawan (known locally as Cyclonic Storm Pawan), was north of the Equator and was a weak system that would bring increased moisture and heavy rain and flooding to an already saturated Somalia which has been devastated by deadly flooding since October. In Somalia, over half a million people have now been affected by the ongoing floods since October. With homes destroyed and crops devastated, flood-hit communities are in desperate need of assistance, says the UN. Heavy rains in Somalia and the Ethiopian highlands caused the Shabelle and Juba Rivers to overflow. Flooding has now affected over half a million people in Somalia alone, of whom 370,000 are displaced from their homes, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
For the 21st time this year, the Philippines are preparing for a typhoon!
Typhoon Phanfone expected to make landfall on Xmas day: Monster Typhoon Kammuri killed ten earlier this month. For the second time in a month, the Philippines are in the sight of a typhoon. Typhoon Phanfone is forecast to gradually strengthen as it churns westward toward the central Philippines, where it could pose a typhoon threat over the Christmas holiday. Phanfone is locally known as Ursula in the Philippines. Typhoon Phanfone will be the 21st tropical storm to enter the Philippines this year.
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