MONTHLY GLOBAL TROPICAL CYCLONE SUMMARY
SEPTEMBER, 2006
Second Installment
SPECIAL NOTE: The September summary is being issued in three
installments. The first covered the Atlantic basin, and the third will
cover the Northwest Pacific basin. This installment covers the North-
east Pacific and North Indian Ocean basins plus contains an extra
feature.
NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: Almost two years ago I began including links to
track graphics prepared by John Diebolt of Tucson, Arizona, and archived
on his tropical cyclone website. A few months back John experienced a
disk crash which resulted in a error. He had to request assistance from
the programmer who had written the map-generation software, but so far
has not been able to get the problem solved. As a convenience to users,
I've also recently been including links to the individual tabular tracks,
prepared by myself, which John had archived on his website. Now, due to
family concerns, John has not had time to place the tracks for recent
cyclones on the website. I have checked the websites listed at the end
of the summaries and found that the entire September track file has been
archived on two of them. The links are:
http://australiasevereweather.com/cyclones/2007/trak0609.htm
http://www.typhoon2000.ph/garyp_mgtcs/sep06tks.txt
(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
--> Atlantic more active--four hurricanes form but all recurve well out
in Atlantic--Bermuda, Newfoundland, Azores, Spain, Ireland and
Great Britain experience some effects
--> Major hurricane strikes mainland Mexico
--> Intense typhoon slashes through central Phlippines while another
strikes Ryukyus
--> Strong Arabian Sea tropical storm forms just off western Indian
coast
*************************************************************************
!!!!!!!!!! EXTRA FEATURE !!!!!!!!!!
SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE TROPICAL CYCLONE NAMES
2006 - 2007 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 2006-2007 season (** indicates name has already been
assigned):
Perth Darwin Brisbane Port Moresby
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Isobel George Nelson Alu
Jacob Helen Odette Buri
Kara Ira Pierre Dodo
Lee Jasmine Rebecca Emau
Melanie Kim Sheryl Fere
Nicholas Laura Tania Guba
Ophelia Matt Vernon Hibu
Pancho Narelle Wendy Ila
Rosie Oswald Alfred Kama
Selwyn Penny Blanch Lobu
Tiffany Caleb
Victor Denise
Zelia Ernie
Alison Frances
Billy Greg
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 Tropical Cyclone Advisory 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 Mauritius and Madagascar, but only advises regarding when
or when not to assign a name to a developing cyclone.
Names for the 2006-2007 season (** indicates name has already been
assigned):
Southwest Indian South Pacific
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Anita Newa Xavier ** Hettie
Bondo Olipa Yani ** Innis
Clovis Panda Zita Joni
Dora Quincy Arthur Ken
Enok Rabeca Becky Lin
Favio Shyra Cliff Mick
Gamede Tsholo Daman Nisha
Humba Unokubi Elisa Oli
Indlada Vuyane Funa Pat
Jaya Warura Gene Rene
Katse Xylo
Lisebo Yone
Magoma Zouleha
*************************************************************************
ACTIVITY BY BASINS
ATLANTIC (ATL) - North Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico
Activity for September: 2 hurricanes
2 major hurricanes
NOTE!!! The Atlantic basin was covered in the first installment of the
September summary.
*************************************************************************
NORTHEAST PACIFIC (NEP) - North Pacific Ocean East of Longitude 180
Activity for September: 2 tropical depressions **
1 tropical storm
1 major hurricane
** - both the non-developing tropical depressions formed in the Central
North Pacific region
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
-------------------------------------------------
Following are some statistics for the Northeast Pacific basin during
the month of September:
September Average
Parameter 2006 1971 - 2005
--------------------------------------------------------
Named Storms (NS) 2 3.5
Hurricanes (H) 1 2.2
Intense Hurricanes (IH) 1 1.1
Named Storm Days (NSD) 11.25 17.4
Hurricane Days (HD) 3.75 8.3
Intense Hurricane Days (IHD) 0.75 2.6
The month of September, 2006, was well below normal in the Northeast
Pacific basin with the overall net tropical cyclone activity (utilizing
all six parameters) being only about 55% of the average level normally
seen in September, whereas in August the overall tropical activity had
been almost 2.5 times the average. The month also was much quieter than
September, 2005, when the overall net activity had been almost twice
the average. Interestingly, the Atlantic basin was quiet during August
when the Northeast Pacific was active, but was well above normal during
September when the Pacific was well below normal.
Two named storms developed, Hurricane Lane and Tropical Storm Miriam.
Lane was a small but intense hurricane which formed and remained near
the Mexican coast and ultimately made landfall near El Dorado as a strong
Category 3 hurricane--the first major hurricane to strike the West Coast
of Mexico in four years. Miriam was a short-lived minimal tropical storm
which formed in an extension of the ITCZ to the west of Lane and never
affected land. Reports on both Lane and Miriam follow below.
No more tropical cyclones formed east of 140W, but two tropical
depressions were classified by the Central Pacific Hurricane Center in
Honolulu during the month of September. Tropical Depression 02C formed
on the 18th about 675 nm south of Honolulu. This system was initially
forecast to reach hurricane intensity within 48 hours, but this forecast
failed miserably. TD-02C's winds reached 30 kts at 19/0600 UTC and this
was the highest for the depression's history. The system was never able
to completely break away from the ITCZ and unable to develop persistent
rainbands and central convection. By 20/1200 UTC the low-level center
had become completely exposed with disorganized convection off to the
west of the center. Interestingly, some of the models were still
indicating that TD-02C would strengthen, but given the observed weakening
trend and the appearance, the intensity was lowered to 25 kts at 1500
UTC. The depression continued to weaken as it drifted westward and the
final CPHC advisory, issued at 20/2100 UTC, placed the dissipating center
about 395 nm southeast of Johnston Island. The remnants of TC-02C
continued to move westward and eventually brought some heavy rainfall
to Kwajalein Atoll. Some information on this will be included in Part 3
of the September summary, covering the Northwest Pacific basin.
Tropical Depression 03C formed on 26 September--the first CPHC
advisory at 26/2100 UTC placed the center in the far western portion of
the Central North Pacific region about 585 nm west-southwest of Johnston
Island. Unlike TD-02C, the initial advisory for this system never called
for it to reach tropical storm intensity, and in this case the forecast
verified. This depression was never well-organized and CPHC issued only
three advisories on the system. The final advisory, issued at 27/0900
UTC, noted that there was doubt as to whether or not a closed circulation
existed, and given that the environment was quite hostile with dry mid-
level air and increasing shear, any remaining circulation would likely
soon dissipate. At the time of the final CPHC advisory TD-03C was
about to cross longitude 180, and JMA issued four bulletins on the system
as a weak tropical depression through 28/0600 UTC.
The online Wikipedia reports for the Eastern Pacific cyclones may
be accessed at the following URL:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006_Pacific_hurricane_season
A more expanded report is available for Hurricane Lane. The link to
this is included in the report on Lane below.
HURRICANE LANE
(TC-13E)
13 - 17 September
-------------------------------------
A. Introduction
---------------
Hurricane Lane was a fairly small but intense tropical cyclone which
formed and remained within about 100 nm of the Mexican coastline. Lane
became the first hurricane of Category 3 or higher intensity to strike
Mexico since the destructive Hurricane Kenna of October, 2002. Kenna
had peaked at 145 kts--a Category 5 hurricane--before striking the
coast near the fishing village of San Blas as a 120-kt Category 4
hurricane. Hurricane Kenna was the last of three Category 5 hurricanes
which roamed Eastern Pacific waters during the 2002 season, the others
being Elida and Hernan.
B. Synoptic History
-------------------
A tropical wave passing several hundred miles south of the Gulf of
Tehuantepec spawned an area of disturbed weather on 11 September which
persisted as it moved slowly westward. Convection and banding features
slowly improved and the system was classified as Tropical Depression 13E
at 2100 UTC on 13 September while located about 100 nm southwest of
Acapulco. TD-13E slowly intensified and was upgraded to Tropical Storm
Lane at 0900 UTC on 14 September while centered about 80 nm off the
Mexican coast. Lane continued to strengthen as it moved northwestward
around the western periphery of a mid-level ridge centered over Mexico.
Throughout its life the cyclone moved on a track roughly parallel to and
generally less than 100 nm off the Mexican coastline.
Since the storm posed a threat to Mexico, reconnaissance missions were
flown into the storm by the U. S. Air Force Hurricane Hunters. Based on
a peak FLW of 76 kts and a 90-min pressure drop from 989 to 985 mb, Lane
was upgraded to a hurricane at 15/2100 UTC while centered only about
35 nm west-northwest of Cabo Corrientes. Lane's track had by that time
shifted more to the north-northwest at about 8 kts. Once having reached
hurricane intensity, Lane intensified rapidly--a possibility which had
been suggested by the SHIPS model. Only three hours after reaching
hurricane intensity, Lane was a Category 2 hurricane with 85-kt winds
passing just west of the Islas Marias.
Intensification continued and at 16/0900 UTC Lane became the season's
fifth major hurricane as the MSW was upped to 100 kts, based on Dvorak
ratings of T5.5 from all three agencies. The storm was then located
about 45 nm southwest of Mazatlan, Mexico, and moving toward the north-
northwest at 9 kts. Hurricane Lane reached its peak intensity of 110 kts
at 1500 UTC. The 8-10 nm eye was embedded in cloud tops of -70 to -80 C
and had become better defined during the previous few hours. Satellite
intensity estimates remained at 102 kts from TAFB and AFWA but had
increased to 115 kts from SAB.
The center of Hurricane Lane made landfall about 20 nm southeast of
El Dorado, Mexico, around 1915 UTC. A reconnaissance plane reached the
eye of Lane just before landfall and measured a CP of 955 mb along
with maximum 700-mb FLWs of 110 kts in the southeastern eyewall. An
eyewall dropsonde in the southern eyewall just after landfall measured
a surface wind of 108 kts. Once inland the storm predictably began
to weaken rapidly over the mountainous terrain with some southwesterly
shear also aiding in the weakening process. Lane was downgraded to a
tropical storm at 17/0900 UTC, and the final TPC/NHC advisory on the
weakening depression was issued at 17/1500 UTC, placing the dissipating
surface center about 150 km east-northeast of Los Mochis, Mexico. Some
of the moisture from Lane eventually reached Texas.
C. Damage and Casualties
------------------------
Due to Lane's track near the Mexican coast, effects were felt in
several areas. In Acapulco, wave action and heavy rains caused flooding
in coastal streets. Around 200 homes were flooded and the heavy rains
were responsible for a mudslide, resulting in the death of a 7-year old
boy. Offshore, strong waves capsized a boat, leaving one person missing.
Heavy rainfall in the states of Michoacan and Jalisco (187 mm in Cajon
de Pena) also led to flooding and landslides with some fatalities
reported. In the landfall area roads were washed away and flimsy homes
destroyed with electricity poles, trees, and traffic signs blown down.
In Mazatlan strong winds and heavy rain resulted in flooded streets and
power outages. The total death toll from Hurricane Lane stands at four
with total damages estimated around $110 million (USD).
Much of the above information was obtained from the online Wikipedia
report on Hurricane Lane, and many more details are available in the
report. This excellent and very informative report may be accessed at
the following URL:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Lane_%282006%29
(Report written by Gary Padgett)
TROPICAL STORM MIRIAM
(TC-14E)
16 - 18 September
-----------------------------------------
Tropical Storm Miriam was a short-lived and weak tropical storm which
formed in a broad area of disturbed weather extending westward from
Hurricane Lane. The system was classified as a tropical depression (14E)
at 16/0600 UTC when located roughly 450 nm southwest of Cabo San Lucas
on the southern tip of the Baja California Peninsula. TD-14E initially
moved slowly northeastward, embedded in southwesterly flow feeding into
Hurricane Lane. Operationally, the depression was upgraded to Tropical
Storm Miriam at 1800 UTC on the 16th while located approximately 400 nm
southwest of Cabo San Lucas. (In post-storm analysis it has been
determined that the depression and tropical storm stages were each
reached six hours earlier than reported operationally.)
Tropical Storm Miriam reached its peak intensity of 40 kts at 17/0300
UTC and maintained this strength for 18 hours. Northeasterly wind shear
along with inflow from a cooler and stable environment to the north
inhibited further intensification and Miriam began to weaken on the 17th.
The system was downgraded to a depression at 18/0900 UTC and the final
TPC/NHC advisory written at 18/1500 UTC. The remnant LOW moved northward
toward the Baja before dissipating on 21 September a short distance
offshore.
The official storm report on Tropical Storm Miriam, authored by James
Franklin, is available on the TPC/NHC website at the following URL:
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/2006epac.shtml
Some of the information above was taken from this report. No damage
or casualties are known to have resulted from Tropical Storm Miriam.
(Report written by Gary Padgett)
*************************************************************************
NORTHWEST PACIFIC (NWP) - North Pacific Ocean West of Longitude 180
Activity for September: 1 possible tropical depression or storm **
3 tropical depressions ++
1 tropical storm ##
2 typhoons
2 super typhoons &&
** - system received repeated Dvorak ratings of T2.5 from both JTWC and
AFWA but was never started as a tropical depression, nor so
classified by JMA
++ - one of these was classified as a tropical depression by JMA only;
another formed late in month and became named tropical cyclone in
early October
## - system was classified as a minimal tropical storm by JTWC only
&& - one of these was a visitor from the Central North Pacific
NOTE!!! The Northwest Pacific basin will be covered in the third
installment of the September summary.
*************************************************************************
NORTH INDIAN OCEAN (NIO) - Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea
Activity for September: 2 depressions **
1 tropical cyclone of gale intensity ++
1 severe cyclonic storm
** - no warnings isused on these systems by JTWC
++ - system was treated only as a depression by IMD
Sources of Information
----------------------
Most of the information presented below is based upon tropical
cyclone warnings and significant tropical weather outlooks issued
by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center of the U. S. Air Force and
Navy (JTWC), located at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Occasionally some
information may be gleaned from the daily tropical weather outlooks
and other bulletins issued by the Indian Meteorological Department
(IMD), which is the World Meteorological Organization's Regional
Specialised Meteorological Centre (RSMC) for the basin.
The reported maximum sustained winds (MSW) are based on a 1-minute
averaging period, which is used by all U. S. civilian and military
weather services for tropical cyclone warnings. For synoptic
observations in the North Indian Ocean region, both 10-minute and
3-minute average winds are employed, but IMD makes no attempt to
modify the Dvorak scale for estimating tropical cyclone intensity;
hence, a 1-minute average MSW is implied. In the North Indian Ocean
basin JTWC usually does not initiate warnings until a system has
become well-organized and likely to attain tropical storm status
within 48 hours.
North Indian Ocean Tropical Activity for September
--------------------------------------------------
The northern Bay of Bengal had been quite prolific during August,
producing several weak depressions. This trend continued into early
September with IMD identifying a depression on the 3rd, centered at
1200 UTC about 100 nm southeast of Balasore. The system moved
westward and crossed the coast near Chandbali around 0100 UTC on
4 September and slowly weakened thereafter. This system was
referenced in the STWOs from JTWC as an area with a 'poor' potential
for development.
A couple of quiet weeks ensued before activity resumed. Based on
very sketchy information in the IMD bulletins and on a report on the
Wikipedia website, IMD upgraded a low-pressure area near Jamshedpur to
depression status on 21 September. This city lies well inland, so likely
this system was a monsoon depression. Over the next two days the
depression moved northward into the state of Bihar, weakening to a low-
pressure area on the 24th. According to the Wikipedia report, torrential
downpours associated with this system caused flooding that led to 170
fatalities and left around 375,000 persons homeless.
There were two storms in the North Indian Ocean for which warnings
were issued. Severe Cyclonic Storm Mukda formed in the northeastern
Arabian Sea on 20 September and remained quasi-stationary for most of
its existence while intensifying to near hurricane force. During the
final days of the month, another weak northern Bay of Bengal system was
designated Tropical Cyclone 05B by JTWC. Short reports on Mukda and
TC-05B follow.
The online Wikipedia reports for the North Indian Ocean cyclones may
be accessed at the following URL:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006_North_Indian_cyclone_season
SEVERE CYCLONIC STORM MUKDA
(TC-04A / ARB0601)
20 - 25 September
-----------------------------------------------
Mukda: contributed by Thailand
An area of convection developed and persisted on 18 September
approximately 170 nm west-northwest of Mumbai (Bombay), India. An
18/1344 UTC QuikScat image revealed flaring convection within an area
of surface troughing. Upper-level analysis depicted favorable
divergence aloft with low to moderate vertical shear. By the next day
the disturbance had moved to a position about 250 nm west of Mumbai
and appeared to be have become slightly better organized, so JTWC
raised the potential for further development to 'fair'. The system
continued to move westward away from India and at 20/1800 UTC lay
approximately 350 nm west of Mumbai. Animated multi-spectral imagery
depicted a partially-exposed LLCC with deep convective banding wrapping
into the western quadrant. Based on satellite intensity estimates,
the system by this time was sufficiently organized to be classified
as a tropical depression with winds likely around 30 kts. At 20/2300
UTC JTWC issued a TCFA for the system as convective organization
continued to improve.
The first JTWC warning on TC-04A was issued at 21/0000 UTC with the
center located about 315 nm south of Karachi, Pakistan, drifting west
at 4 kts with the MSW estimated at 35 kts. The intensity had increased
to 45 kts by 21/1200 UTC where it reached a plateau for a day or so.
Steering currents had become very weak by 1200 UTC and the storm moved
very little over the next few days. At 22/0000 UTC the MSW was still
estimated at 45 kts, but there were signs that TC-04A was strengthening.
A 21/2107 UTC AMSR-E pass had depicted tightly-curved convective banding
and a formative eye. IMD had designated the system as a depression at
21/0300 UTC, upped it to deep depression status at 1200 UTC, and at
22/0000 UTC named the system Cyclonic Storm Mukda.
Mukda continued to intensify, reaching an estimated peak intensity of
60 kts by 22/1800 UTC--this being based on JTWC's operational warning
intensity. It seems very likely that Mukda reached hurricane intensity
on 22 September. JTWC's satellite analyst rendered a Dvorak rating of
T4.0/4.0 at 22/1730 UTC, SAB's rating was T4.5/4.5 at 22/1430 UTC, and
AFWA returned ratings of T4.5/4.5 for several hours on the 22nd. The
IMD upgraded Mukda to a severe cyclonic storm early on the 23rd, implying
peak winds between 48 and 63 kts. Regardless of its intensity, Mukda
didn't go anywhere--it remained quasi-stationary in the general area
roughly 250-300 nm south of Karachi throughout its life as a cyclonic
storm. JTWC dropped the MSW to 55 kts at 23/0600 UTC, and Mukda's
intensity continued to steadily drop, reaching minimal tropical storm
intensity of 35 kts by 24/0000 UTC with the storm still essentially
stationary. JTWC issued their final warning on Mukda at 24/1800 UTC,
and by 25/0000 UTC, the winds had dropped to about 25 kts based on
a consensus of satellite intensity estimates. The remnants of Mukda
hung around for several days in the northern Arabian Sea, gradually
drifting westward. Convection would occasionally flare up near the
still well-defined LLCC, but no serious attempts at regeneration were
observed.
No damage or casualties are known to have resulted from Severe
Cyclonic Storm Mukda.
(Report written by Gary Padgett)
TROPICAL CYCLONE
(TC-05B)
28 - 30 September
-------------------------------------
A STWO issued by JTWC at 1800 UTC on 27 September noted that an area
of convection had formed approximately 420 nm southeast of Calcutta,
India, and was moving westward into the Bay of Bengal. A LLCC was
in evidence and vertical wind shear in the region was low. Based on
satellite intensity estimates the system had become a 30-kt tropical
depression by 28/0600 UTC when located about 300 nm south-southeast of
Calcutta. JTWC issued the first warning on TC-05B at 1200 UTC with
the system then passing 250 nm south of Calcutta, moving toward the
west-northwest at 13 kts. The initial warning intensity was 35 kts,
which was the system's peak intensity per JTWC's warnings.
Guided by a mid-level steering ridge, TC-05B continued westward
and made landfall near Gopalpur around 29/1200 UTC. With the center
moving inland, JTWC issued their third and final warning on the system
at this time. This location is also approximately 290 nm southwest of
Calcutta. AFWA returned a Dvorak rating of T3.5/3.5 (55 kts) at 28/1800
UTC, suggesting that the system might possibly have been slightly
stronger than analyzed by JTWC. However, the IMD never upgraded this
system to deep depression status, implying that in their opinion the
MSW never reached 30 kts.
No damage or casualties resulting from Tropical Cyclone 05B have been
reported.
(Report written by Gary Padgett)
*************************************************************************
SOUTHWEST INDIAN OCEAN (SWI) - South Indian Ocean West of Longitude 90E
Activity for September: No tropical cyclones
*************************************************************************
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
*************************************************************************
SPECIAL FEATURE - SOURCES OF TROPICAL CYCLONE INFORMATION
The purpose of this section is to list some websites where many and
varied types of tropical cyclone information are archived. Many readers
will know about these already, but for the benefit of those who don't,
I wanted to include them.
(1) Aircraft Reconnaissance Information
---------------------------------------
Various types of messages from reconnaissance aircraft may be
retrieved from the following FTP site:
ftp://ftp.nhc.noaa.gov/pub/products/nhc/recon/
Information regarding how to interpret the coded reconnaissance
messages may be found at the following URL:
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/reconlist.shtml
Links are also included to websites with further information about the
U. S. Air Force 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron and the NOAA Air-
craft Operations Center.
(2) Archived Advisories
-----------------------
All the advisory products (public advisories, forecast/advisories,
strike probabilities, discussions, various graphics) issued by TPC/NHC
are archived on TPC's website. For the current year (using 2006 as an
example), the archived products can be found at:
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2006/index.shtml
Links to tropical products archives for earlier years are available at
the following URL:
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/pastall.shtml
JTWC warnings for past storms are archived on the NRL Monterrey website:
http://www.nrlmry.navy.mil/tc_pages/tc_home.html
On the NRL site, the link to past years can be found in the upper left
corner of the screen.
I am not aware at the moment of any other TCWC which archives all
its tropical cyclone warning/advisory products for public access, but
if I learn of any, I will add them to this list.
(3) Satellite Imagery
---------------------
Satellite images of tropical cyclones in various sensor bands are
available on the NRL Monterrey and University of Wisconsin websites,
courtesy of Jeff Hawkins and Chris Velden and their associates. The
links are:
http://www.nrlmry.navy.mil/tc_pages/tc_home.html
http://cimss.ssec.wisc.edu/tropic/tropic.html
On the NRL site, the link to past years can be found in the upper left
corner of the screen. For the CIMSS site, a link to data archives is
located in the lower left portion of the screen.
Additional tropical satellite imagery, along with looping ability for
composite microwave imagery for the Western Hemisphere north of the
equator, can be found at:
(1) For the Eastern North Pacific:
http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/PS/TROP/trop-epac.html
(2) For the Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea:
http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/PS/TROP/trop-atl.html
I'm sure there are other sites with available imagery available, and
as I learn of them, I will add the links to this list.
*************************************************************************
EXTRA FEATURE
In order to shorten the amount of typing in preparing the narrative
material, I have been in the habit of freely using abbreviations and
acronyms. I have tried to define most of these with the first usage
in a given summary, but I may have missed one now and then. Most of
these are probably understood by a majority of readers but perhaps a
few aren't clear to some. To remedy this I developed a Glossary of
Abbreviations and Acronyms which I first included in the August, 1998
summary. I don't normally include the Glossary in most months in
order to help keep them from being too long. If anyone would like to
receive a copy of the Glossary, please e-mail me and I'll be happy
to send them a copy.
*************************************************************************
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This summary should be considered a very preliminary
overview of the tropical cyclones that occur in each month. The cyclone
tracks (provided separately) will generally be based upon operational
warnings issued by the various tropical cyclone warning centers. The
information contained therein may differ somewhat from the tracking and
intensity information obtained from a "best-track" file which is based
on a detailed post-seasonal analysis of all available data. Information
on where to find official "best-track" files from the various warning
centers will be passed along from time to time.
The track files are not being sent via e-mail. They can be retrieved
from the archive sites listed below. (Note: I do have a limited e-mail
distribution list for the track files. If anyone wishes to receive
these via e-mail, please send me a message.)
Both the summaries and the track files are standard text files
created in DOS editor. Download to disk and use a viewer such as
Notepad or DOS editor to view the files.
The first summary in this series covered the month of October,
1997. Back issues can be obtained from the following websites
(courtesy of Michael Bath, Michael V. Padua, Michael Pitt, Chris
Landsea, and John Diebolt):
http://australiasevereweather.com/cyclones/
http://www.typhoon2000.ph <http://www.typhoon2000.ph/>
http://mpittweather.com <http://mpittweather.com/>
ftp://ftp.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/pub/landsea/padgett/
http://www.tropicalcyclone2005.com/
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:
http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/tropicalcyclone
TROPICAL CYCLONE REPORTS AVAILABLE
JTWC now has available on its website the Annual Tropical Cyclone
Report (ATCR) for 2004 (2003-2004 season for the Southern Hemisphere).
ATCRs for earlier years are available also.
The URL is: https://metocph.nmci.navy.mil/jtwc.html
Also, TPC/NHC has available on its webpage nice "technicolor"
tracking charts for the 2005 Atlantic and Eastern North Pacific
tropical cyclones; also, storm reports for all the 2005 Atlantic
and Eastern North Pacific cyclones are now available, as well as
track charts and reports on storms from earlier years.
The URL is: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov <http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/>
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 (Northwest Pacific)
E-mail: newchapelobservatory@btinternet.com
Simon Clarke (Northeast Australia/Coral Sea, South Pacific)
E-mail: scla4255@bigpond.net.au
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