Author Topic: Tropical cyclone Ian (Read 6332 times)

gabba · « **on:** January 11, 2014, 09:18:04 PM »

Apologies I have been watching this one for the past few days but not had a chance to post about it. TC Ian is the first TC for the 2014 pacific season, and has reached cat 5 status. Further details below

gabba · « **Reply #1 on:** January 11, 2014, 09:23:00 PM »

11 jan
http://www.stuff.co.nz/9599764/Cyclone-Ian-hits-Tonga

An extraordinarily powerful and rare category five cyclone has begun to pound northern Tonga today.

Tonga's Meteorological Service gave the top ranked category five rating to Cyclone Ian early this morning and warned of "phenomenal seas" - a major issue in an area dotted with low lying atolls.

The storm was later downgraded from the top of the scale of destructive cyclones to category four, with gusts of up to 250 kph.

12 Jan
http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/south-pacific/9601166/Cyclone-Ian-kills-one

ne person has been killed and extensive damage inflicted after Cyclone Ian ravaged Tonga yesterday.

The category-five hurricane tore across the Vava'u islands in the north, and the central Ha'apai islands in the south, before brushing the capital Nuku'alofa last night.

The Matangi Tonga website quoted Tonga Red Cross head, Sione Taumoefolau, as saying that a person was killed on Ha'apai's main island of Lifuka.

He said the island was devastated but that they were still only getting scattered reports from the region.

The Governor of Ha'apai, Tu'i Ha'angana, reported that he could see from one side of the island to the other and how "devastated" it was. There was extensive damage to the main islands of the area, Ha'ano Lifuka and Foa.

gabba · « **Reply #2 on:** January 11, 2014, 09:28:40 PM »

Special Weather Bulletin Number TWENTY NINE for Tonga ON SEVERE
TROPICAL CYCLONE IAN ISSUED FROM RSMC NADI
Jan 11/0802 UTC 2014 UTC.
TROPICAL CYCLONE WARNING.

THE HURRICANE WARNING PREVIOUSLY IN FORCE FOR THE HA'APAI GROUP IS
NOW CANCELLED.
A GALE WARNING REMAINS IN FORCE FOR THE TONGATAPU GROUP AND IS NOW IN
FORCE FOR HA'APAI GROUP.
A STRONG WIND WARNING REMAINS IN FORCE FOR THE REST OF TONGA.

SEVERE TROPICAL CYCLONE IAN CENTRE [935HPA] CAT 5 WAS LOCATED NEAR 20
DECIMAL 4 SOUTH 173 DECIMAL 9 WEST OR ABOUT 045 NAUTICAL MILES
SOUTHWEST OF HA'APAI OR 080 NAUTICAL MILES EAST-NORTHEAST OF
NUKU'ALOFA AT 110600 UTC. IAN IS CURRENTLY MOVING TOWARDS THE
SOUTH-SOUTHEAST AT ABOUT 08 KNOTS. CLOSE TO ITS CENTRE, THE CYCLONE
IS ESTIMATED TO HAVE AVERAGE WINDS UP TO ABOUT 110 KNOTS WITH
MOMENTARY GUSTS TO 155 KNOTS.

ON THIS FORECAST TRACK, THE CYCLONE IS EXPECTED TO BE LOCATED ABOUT
110 NAUTICAL MILES EAST-SOUTHEAST OF NUKUALOFA OR ABOUT 140 NAUTICAL
MILES SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF HA'APAI AT 111800 UTC AND ABOUT 195 NAUTICAL
MILES SOUTHEAST OF NUKUALOFA AT 120600UTC.

DESTRUCTIVE WINDS MAY BEGIN SEVERAL HOURS BEFORE THE CYCLONE CENTRE
PASSES OVERHEAD OR NEARBY.

FOR THE TONGATAPU AND HA'APAI GROUP:
EXPECT DAMAGING GALE FORCE WINDS WITH AVERAGE SPEED OF 40 KNOTS AND
MOMENTARY GUSTS TO 55 KNOTS. RAIN, HEAVY AT TIMES AND SQUALLY
THUNDERSTORMS. FLOODING INCLUDING SEA FLOODING OF LOW LYING COASTAL
AREAS. HIGH SEAS. DAMAGING HEAVY SWELLS.

FOR THE REST OF TONGA:
CLOCKWISE WINDS 20 TO 25 KNOTS, GUSTING TO 40 KNOTS. OCCASIONAL RAIN
AND SQUALLY THUNDERSTORMS. ROUGH TO VERY ROUGH SEAS. MODERATE TO
HEAVY SWELLS.

THE NEXT SPECIAL WEATHER BULLETIN FOR TONGA WILL BE ISSUED AROUND
111100UTC OR EARLIER.

Source: Fiji Meteorological Service

gabba · « **Reply #3 on:** January 12, 2014, 09:42:28 PM »

HURRICANE WARNING 030 ISSUED FROM RSMC NADI Jan 12/0754 UTC 2014 UTC.

SEVERE TROPICAL CYCLONE IAN CENTRE 950HPA CATEGORY 4 WAS LOCATED NEAR 24.5 SOUTH
172.2 WEST AT 120600 UTC.
POSITION GOOD.
REPEAT POSITION 24.5S 172.2W AT 120600 UTC.
CYCLONE MOVING SOUTH-SOUTHEAST AT 12 KNOTS. CYCLONE WEAKENING.

EXPECT SUSTAINED WINDS OF 90 KNOTS CLOSE TO THE CENTRE DECREASING TO 60 KNOTS BY
130600 UTC.

EXPECT WINDS OVER 63 KNOTS WITHIN 20 NAUTICAL MILES OF CENTRE,
OVER 47 KNOTS WITHIN 40 NAUTICAL MILES OF CENTRE AND
OVER 33 KNOTS WITHIN 80 NAUTICAL MILES IN NW QUADRANT AND
WITHIN 120 NAUTICAL MILES OF CENTRE ELSEWHERE.

FORECAST POSITION NEAR 26.4S 171.6W AT 121800 UTC
AND NEAR 28.2S 170.9W AT 130600 UTC.

ALL VESSELS WITHIN 300 NAUTICAL MILES OF CENTRE ARE REQUESTED TO SEND REPORTS
EVERY THREE HOURS TO RSMC NADI AND RSMC WELLINGTON. VOS REPORTING SHIPS USE
NORMAL CHANNELS. OTHER VESSELS FAX PLUS 679 6720190 OR EMAIL NADITCC AT MET DOT
GOV DOT FJ

THIS WARNING CANCELS AND REPLACES WARNING 029.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY FOR FUTURE WARNINGS ON SEVERE TROPICAL CYCLONE IAN 07F
WILL REST WITH RSMC WELLINGTON.

Source: Fiji Meteorological Service

gabba · « **Reply #4 on:** January 14, 2014, 08:04:26 AM »

Here's a good explanation of Ian and it's history.

http://gosurf.co.nz/special-forecast-tc-ian-the-final-chapter/#.UtQ2glUaySM

And a good explanation of why it went so rapidly from a cat 1 to a cat5

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Author Topic: Tropical cyclone Ian (Read 6332 times)

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Re: Tropical cyclone Ian - 2000 hrs 11 jan

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