The island of Yap is set to have a close encounter with the developing tropical depression TDa (90W.) The storm has been consolidating slowly over the last 24 hours and it's centre has recently been relocated even closer to the island famous for it's giant stone money discs.
JMA are stating a central pressure of 1004 HPA and winds of 30kts gusting to 45kts. Should this be upgraded to a tropical storm it will be called Yutu, a name contributed by China which means jade hare.
Here's the lates TAF for Yap Int. Airport:
TAFPQ TAF
AMD PTYA 170619Z 170606 04010KT P6SM VCSH SCT016CB BKN130 OVC300
TEMPO 0609 -SHRA BKN016
FM0900 36015G25KT 5SM SHRA VCSH BKN016CB OVC130
FM1500 34025G35KT 4SM SHRA BKN016CB OVC130
TEMPO 1620 VRB30G40KT 1SM +SHRA OVC010
Meanwhile a late season SW Pacific tropical cyclone has formed near the Solomon Islands and it moving west toward the south of Papua New Guinea. BOM (Bureau of Meteorology - Australia) have started issuing warnings and Cyclone Pierre is expected to intensify to 55kts over the next 24 hours.
Thursday, 17 May 2007
Tuesday, 15 May 2007
Stirrings in the West Pacific.
JMA's low pressure area was upgraded to a tropical depression today (invest 90W) and JTWC have issued a tropical cyclone formation alert for this.Lots of uncertainty as to the progression of this at the moment.
It's this time of year that things start to liven up in the West Pacific. If this storm gets going we'll be around the average for number of storms which should have formed by this time.
Here's the latest data from the experts.
JMA:
WARNING AND SUMMARY 151200.
WARNING VALID 161200.
WARNING IS UPDATED EVERY 6 HOURS.
WARNING.TROPICAL DEPRESSION 1006 HPA AT 08.8N 146.4E CAROLINES ALMOST STATIONARY.
POSITION POOR.
MAX WINDS 30 KNOTS NEAR CENTER.
JTWC:
ABPW10 PGTW 151030MSGID/GENADMIN/NAVPACMETOCCEN PEARL HARBOR HI/JTWC//SUBJ/SIGNIFICANT TROPICAL WEATHER ADVISORY FOR THE WESTERN/AND SOUTH PACIFIC OCEANS REISSUED/151030Z-160600ZMAY2007//
REF/A/MSG/NAVPACMETOCCEN PEARL HARBOR HI/151021ZMAY2007//AMPN/REF A IS A TROPICAL CYCLONE FORMATION ALERT.//RMKS/
1. WESTERN NORTH PACIFIC AREA (180 TO MALAY PENINSULA):A. TROPICAL CYCLONE SUMMARY: NONE.B. TROPICAL DISTURBANCE SUMMARY:
(1) THE AREA OF CONVECTION PREVIOUSLY LOCATED NEAR 7.4N 146.2E, IS NOW LOCATED NEAR 8.9N 145.2E, APPROXIMATELY 260 NM SOUTH OF GUAM. THE SYSTEM HAS UNDERGONE SIGNIFICANT CONSOLIDATION OVER THE LAST 12 HOURS, AS SEEN IN ANIMATED INFRARED SATELLITE IMAGERY, AND A 150601Z AMSU MICROWAVEIMAGE. THE CONVECTION IS PRIMARILY LOCATED ON THE NORTHERN PERIPHERY OF THE DISTURBANCE WITH WEAK CONVECTIVE BANDING DEVELOPING IN THE WESTERN AND SOUTHERN QUADRANTS. THE SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO TRACK WEST-NORTHWESTWARD TO NORTHWESTWARD AND DEVELOP SLOWLY OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS.
SEE REF A
It's this time of year that things start to liven up in the West Pacific. If this storm gets going we'll be around the average for number of storms which should have formed by this time.
Here's the latest data from the experts.
JMA:
WARNING AND SUMMARY 151200.
WARNING VALID 161200.
WARNING IS UPDATED EVERY 6 HOURS.
WARNING.TROPICAL DEPRESSION 1006 HPA AT 08.8N 146.4E CAROLINES ALMOST STATIONARY.
POSITION POOR.
MAX WINDS 30 KNOTS NEAR CENTER.
JTWC:
ABPW10 PGTW 151030MSGID/GENADMIN/NAVPACMETOCCEN PEARL HARBOR HI/JTWC//SUBJ/SIGNIFICANT TROPICAL WEATHER ADVISORY FOR THE WESTERN/AND SOUTH PACIFIC OCEANS REISSUED/151030Z-160600ZMAY2007//
REF/A/MSG/NAVPACMETOCCEN PEARL HARBOR HI/151021ZMAY2007//AMPN/REF A IS A TROPICAL CYCLONE FORMATION ALERT.//RMKS/
1. WESTERN NORTH PACIFIC AREA (180 TO MALAY PENINSULA):A. TROPICAL CYCLONE SUMMARY: NONE.B. TROPICAL DISTURBANCE SUMMARY:
(1) THE AREA OF CONVECTION PREVIOUSLY LOCATED NEAR 7.4N 146.2E, IS NOW LOCATED NEAR 8.9N 145.2E, APPROXIMATELY 260 NM SOUTH OF GUAM. THE SYSTEM HAS UNDERGONE SIGNIFICANT CONSOLIDATION OVER THE LAST 12 HOURS, AS SEEN IN ANIMATED INFRARED SATELLITE IMAGERY, AND A 150601Z AMSU MICROWAVEIMAGE. THE CONVECTION IS PRIMARILY LOCATED ON THE NORTHERN PERIPHERY OF THE DISTURBANCE WITH WEAK CONVECTIVE BANDING DEVELOPING IN THE WESTERN AND SOUTHERN QUADRANTS. THE SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO TRACK WEST-NORTHWESTWARD TO NORTHWESTWARD AND DEVELOP SLOWLY OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS.
SEE REF A
Monday, 14 May 2007
Cylonic storm Akash and Wpac invest 90W
01B in the north Indian Ocean has strengthened to 35kts and has been named Akash by RSMC New Delhi. They expect it to intensify further and head towards the eastern Bangladesh/Indian border.
Tracking cyclones in this region is always a tense affair given the vulnerability of Bangladesh and NE Indian coastline. At the moment it looks like this storm will not intensify into a howler however the surge could still cause considerable flooding.
Meanwhile in the NW Pacific Invest 90W is being listed as a low pressure area (LPA) by JMA and has been upgraded to FAIR by JTWC.
JMA:
LOW PRESSURE AREA 1008 HPA NEAR 06N 153E ALMOST STATIONARY
JTWC
140600SUBJ/SIGNIFICANT TROPICAL WEATHER ADVISORY FOR THE WESTERN/AND SOUTH PACIFIC OCEANS/140600Z-150600ZMAY2007//
RMKS/1. WESTERN NORTH PACIFIC AREA (180 TO MALAY PENINSULA):
A. TROPICAL CYCLONE SUMMARY: NONE.
B. TROPICAL DISTURBANCE SUMMARY:(1) THE AREA OF CONVECTION PREVIOUSLY LOCATED NEAR 6.5N 149.5E, IS NOW LOCATED NEAR 6.8N 148.5E, APPROXIMATELY 205 NM WEST OF CHUUK. RECENT ANIMATED MULTISPECTRAL SATELLITE IMAGERY INDICATES THE LOW LEVEL CIRCULATION CENTER (LLCC) IS STILL CONSOLIDATING, WITH INCREASING LOW LEVEL INFLOW FROM THE WESTERN QUADRANTS. A 132142ZAMSU MICROWAVE IMAGE REVEALS CONVECTIVE BANDING DEVELOPING IN THE NORTHWESTERN QUADRANT OF THE STORM, ALTHOUGH CONVECTION HAS YET TO DEVELOP NEAR THE LLCC. AN 131951Z WINDSAT SHOWS A WELL-DEFINED BAND OF WESTERLIES ALSO BEGINNING TO WRAP TOWARD THE LLCC. IN THE UPPERLEVELS, AN ANTICYCLONE IS BUILDING TO THE EAST OF THE DISTURBANCE, LOWERING VERTICAL WIND SHEAR AND IMPROVING RADIAL OUTFLOW. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED SURFACE WINDS ARE ESTIMATED TO BE 15 TO 20 KNOTS. MINIMUM SEA LEVEL PRESSURE IS ESTIMATED TO BE NEAR 1006 MB. DUE TO THE IMPROVING CENTRAL ORGANIZATION AND UPPER LEVEL ENVIRONMENT, THEPOTENTIAL FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF A SIGNIFICANT TROPICAL CYCLONE WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS REMAINS FAIR.
(2) NO OTHER SUSPECT AREAS.2. SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (WEST COAST OF SOUTH AMERICA TO 135 EAST):
A. TROPICAL CYCLONE SUMMARY: NONE.
B. TROPICAL DISTURBANCE SUMMARY: NONE.
FORECAST TEAM: CHARLIE//
Tracking cyclones in this region is always a tense affair given the vulnerability of Bangladesh and NE Indian coastline. At the moment it looks like this storm will not intensify into a howler however the surge could still cause considerable flooding.
Meanwhile in the NW Pacific Invest 90W is being listed as a low pressure area (LPA) by JMA and has been upgraded to FAIR by JTWC.
JMA:
LOW PRESSURE AREA 1008 HPA NEAR 06N 153E ALMOST STATIONARY
JTWC
140600SUBJ/SIGNIFICANT TROPICAL WEATHER ADVISORY FOR THE WESTERN/AND SOUTH PACIFIC OCEANS/140600Z-150600ZMAY2007//
RMKS/1. WESTERN NORTH PACIFIC AREA (180 TO MALAY PENINSULA):
A. TROPICAL CYCLONE SUMMARY: NONE.
B. TROPICAL DISTURBANCE SUMMARY:(1) THE AREA OF CONVECTION PREVIOUSLY LOCATED NEAR 6.5N 149.5E, IS NOW LOCATED NEAR 6.8N 148.5E, APPROXIMATELY 205 NM WEST OF CHUUK. RECENT ANIMATED MULTISPECTRAL SATELLITE IMAGERY INDICATES THE LOW LEVEL CIRCULATION CENTER (LLCC) IS STILL CONSOLIDATING, WITH INCREASING LOW LEVEL INFLOW FROM THE WESTERN QUADRANTS. A 132142ZAMSU MICROWAVE IMAGE REVEALS CONVECTIVE BANDING DEVELOPING IN THE NORTHWESTERN QUADRANT OF THE STORM, ALTHOUGH CONVECTION HAS YET TO DEVELOP NEAR THE LLCC. AN 131951Z WINDSAT SHOWS A WELL-DEFINED BAND OF WESTERLIES ALSO BEGINNING TO WRAP TOWARD THE LLCC. IN THE UPPERLEVELS, AN ANTICYCLONE IS BUILDING TO THE EAST OF THE DISTURBANCE, LOWERING VERTICAL WIND SHEAR AND IMPROVING RADIAL OUTFLOW. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED SURFACE WINDS ARE ESTIMATED TO BE 15 TO 20 KNOTS. MINIMUM SEA LEVEL PRESSURE IS ESTIMATED TO BE NEAR 1006 MB. DUE TO THE IMPROVING CENTRAL ORGANIZATION AND UPPER LEVEL ENVIRONMENT, THEPOTENTIAL FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF A SIGNIFICANT TROPICAL CYCLONE WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS REMAINS FAIR.
(2) NO OTHER SUSPECT AREAS.2. SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (WEST COAST OF SOUTH AMERICA TO 135 EAST):
A. TROPICAL CYCLONE SUMMARY: NONE.
B. TROPICAL DISTURBANCE SUMMARY: NONE.
FORECAST TEAM: CHARLIE//
Thursday, 10 May 2007
First post of a fresh blog
This is my first post of a fresh blog in which I'll be keeping an up to date account of the world's most powerful storms in the world's most densely populated region - typhoons in the north west Pacific.
As in the last two years, this year I will endeavour to push the boundaries of tropical cyclone intercepting by capturing more intense footage from parts of the world not associated with storm chasing - China, Philippines, Vietnam...
To get things off to a start I have published below my chase account from typhoon Xangsane which made landfall in central Vietnam with 80kt (10 min average) sustained winds on October 1st, 2006.
Here's video highlights of the action:
On Wednesday I saw that the system had bombed prior to making landfall on the Philippines, the official agency the Japan Meteorological Agency [JMA] had it up to 90 kts, 167 kmh-1, (Ten minute average) and the Joint Typhoon Warning Centre [JTWC] up to 115 kts, 213 kmh-1 (One minute average).
Obviously it was far too late to get to the Philippines and it looked like this one would track south of Hainan Island (which would be very easy for me to get to from Shanghai) and make landfall in Vietnam late Saturday night or early Sunday morning. I hadn’t even considered Vietnam as a place to intercept, let alone being able to get there in time so I assumed Xangsane would be yet another typhoon which I could only track from a distance on the internet.
But then I got thinking - if it were possible to get a Vietnamese visa in 24 hours then I could make it there in time, assuming the typhoon stayed on track for the three days it would take me to get into position. Before planning anything else I phoned an agent in Bangkok who informed me it would be possible to get an express visa, as long as I was at their office by 3pm on Thursday. This phone call was made at 5pm on Wednesday so I had a lot of preparation to do.
I drew up a list of the hurdles I had to clear to get to Vietnam by midday Saturday 30th September, which would be my cut off point. They were as follows:
a) Check if there’s a flight from Shanghai which arrives in Bangkok before 1.30pm on Thursday 28th September.
b) Actually get a seat on the flight since I’ve only got a standby ticket.
c) Get through the new international airport in Bangkok on it first full day of operations by 2pm.
d) Hope the agent on the phone was correct in regards to express visa.
e) Book tickets to Hue in central Vietnam so I arrive by midday Saturday 30th at the latest.
f) Pray my scheduled flights don’t get cancelled or badly delayed.
g) Assume the storm’s forecast track would not shift away from central Vietnam in this two and a half day time frame.
If any of these factors turned against me or even if there was a delay of a couple of hours at a crucial point it would be game over.
After 3 hours sleep I woke at 5am to rush to Shanghai Pudong International for an 8.30am flight to Bangkok. Thankfully the flight was wide open so I arrived in Thailand at 12.00pm with one hurdle cleared.
I escaped the mayhem of Suvarnbhumi’s first day of full operations and made it to my visa agent’s office by 2pm. “I’m here to apply for the 1 day express visa for Vietnam," I said. My heart sank as the woman gave me the look of “what the hell are you talking about, you can’t get a visa in one day!” After a quick phone call my fears were set aside when she informed me my passport would be ready by 5pm Friday.
Booking the tickets to central Vietnam was a minor headache but after half an hour and spending a small fortune I was due to arrive in the ancient city of Hue at 1350 on Saturday 30th, approximately 16 hours before landfall. Five hurdles cleared so far!
The day was spent buying supplies such as batteries and food and checking updates. JTWC were forecasting Xangsane to get up to 120 kts, 222 kmh-1, before making landfall to the south of Da Nang. I had read in the media there were rumours that Da Nang city could be evacuated which would make travelling to the target zone very difficult since I would have to hire a car and drive south from Hue through Da Nang and probably have to pay bribes to pass checkpoints on the way.
The delay was only temporary and soon I was on my way. The flight was fine and I arrived in Da Nang at about 2.00pm. Conditions were benign with light rain and a moderate breeze.
It was time to get to work, I hired a taxi and headed to the town of Hoi An, about 25km south of Da Nang and checked into a strong looking concrete hotel. I got chatting to a few backpackers staying in the hotel, most of whom did not know what a typhoon was let alone the fact one was due to make a direct hit in about 12 hours! One guy was even planning on taking an overnight bus down south, I quickly convinced him that was a bad idea, not that the bus would be running anyway.
I hired a van and did a quick tour of the area. The local high school was full of evacuees who had been moved from the coast (Fig. 1). The down town area was bustling with people and the cafes and shops were still open seemingly oblivious as to what was coming.
Figure 1: © 2006 James Reynolds
The evening update showed Xangsane had jogged north slightly and JTWC expected it to make landfall between Hue and Da Nang, more than 50 km north of my location but it was too late to move now. Time to get some sleep and set my alarm for 3.00am.
Things were looking slightly better landfall wise with JTWC going for almost direct hit on Da Nang with winds of 90 kts, 167 kmh-1, gusting to 110 kts, 204 kmh-1. That would put me in the southern eyewall, which would still be one hell of a show. Conditions at 3am - moderate rain with gusting wind up to about 30 mih-1, 48 kmh-1.
5.30am
Weather conditions had started to deteriorate somewhat in the previous two hours. Power had been knocked out and heavy rain was now falling in gusty winds up to about 40 mih-1, 64 kmh-1. It was still dark so there were no filming or photo opportunities. The JMA update had Xangsane offshore with winds of 80 kts, 148 kmh-1.
7.00am
Conditions were still very benign (compared to what was going to come later). There was continued heavy rain and squally winds but nothing too bad. Landfall was due in about one and a half hours and I was starting to get concerned that there might have been a big jog north and I might miss out on the best action. It was now light enough to start filming.
8.00am
About this time we started to get effected by proper tropical cyclone weather. Sheets of rain were being blown horizontally by the wind which was gusting up to 70+ mih-1, 113 kmh-1. From information I had received by mobile phone, landfall was due to take place within the next hour or so.
8.20am
It was evident that the eyewall was approaching. Huge quantities of rain were falling and the small forest to the north of my location was taking a serious battering (Fig. 2). Roofs were getting damaged and tiles starting to fall off our building. Sliding window frames broke loose and water started streaming into the building. The corridors of hotel starting to flood as rain was driven though any gap it could find. Wind started to switch from north easterly to westerly direction.
Figure 2: © 2006 James Reynolds
8.30am
It was around this time that the strongest winds hit, estimated category two one minute average winds with gusts in excess of 110 mih-1, 177 kmh-1 (Fig. 3). Visibility was severely reduced as the air was filled with the most torrential rain imaginable (Fig. 4). Judging by satellite pictures of the typhoon at landfall I must have been less than 15 km from the southern most portion of the eye (Fig. 5). The most severe conditions lasted up to an hour and by 9.30am the winds were still very strong but starting to ease. The storm had made landfall and was starting to weaken rapidly.
Figure3: © 2006 James Reynolds
Figure 4: © 2006 James Reynolds
Figure 5: © 2006 NRL Monterey Marine Meteorology Division, 2005 Google Earth, with 0000 GMT and 0300 GMT RSMC Tokyo analysis positions marked on.
Figure 6: © 2006 James Reynolds
Today I hired a van and drove up to Da Nang to assess the damage along the coastal highway. Large amounts of corrugated metal were strewn all over (Fig. 8). As was expected all along the beach front the damage from the surge was considerable and there was evidence the highway had been completely inundated (Fig. 9). Wind damage was more extensive than in Hoi An, one gust had been so strong it bent a communications tower in half (Fig. 10).
Figure 10: © 2006 James Reynolds
Wednesday 3rd October
This trip was the most demanding I have ever undertaken, with everything that could have gone wrong it was a miracle I managed to get to the right place in time. Luck was on my side and this is rarely the case when storm chasing! It was also my first solo typhoon eyewall intercept which made things much more nerve racking. I’d like to thank everyone who gave me their support and updates whilst I was one the move including Peter Kirk, Neil Robbins, John Reynolds, Simone Lussardi, Geoff Mackely, Reed Timmer and the fantastic staff at the Grassland Hotel in Hoi An who helped me out with every need.
As in the last two years, this year I will endeavour to push the boundaries of tropical cyclone intercepting by capturing more intense footage from parts of the world not associated with storm chasing - China, Philippines, Vietnam...
To get things off to a start I have published below my chase account from typhoon Xangsane which made landfall in central Vietnam with 80kt (10 min average) sustained winds on October 1st, 2006.
Here's video highlights of the action:
- Wednesday 27th September 2006
I had been tracking tropical storm Xangsane (Lao word for elephant) since it had formed just to the east of the Philippines. Storms born in this area often form into real whoppers and are very likely to make landfall somewhere over mainland Asia so I was watching it closely.
On Wednesday I saw that the system had bombed prior to making landfall on the Philippines, the official agency the Japan Meteorological Agency [JMA] had it up to 90 kts, 167 kmh-1, (Ten minute average) and the Joint Typhoon Warning Centre [JTWC] up to 115 kts, 213 kmh-1 (One minute average).
Obviously it was far too late to get to the Philippines and it looked like this one would track south of Hainan Island (which would be very easy for me to get to from Shanghai) and make landfall in Vietnam late Saturday night or early Sunday morning. I hadn’t even considered Vietnam as a place to intercept, let alone being able to get there in time so I assumed Xangsane would be yet another typhoon which I could only track from a distance on the internet.
But then I got thinking - if it were possible to get a Vietnamese visa in 24 hours then I could make it there in time, assuming the typhoon stayed on track for the three days it would take me to get into position. Before planning anything else I phoned an agent in Bangkok who informed me it would be possible to get an express visa, as long as I was at their office by 3pm on Thursday. This phone call was made at 5pm on Wednesday so I had a lot of preparation to do.
I drew up a list of the hurdles I had to clear to get to Vietnam by midday Saturday 30th September, which would be my cut off point. They were as follows:
a) Check if there’s a flight from Shanghai which arrives in Bangkok before 1.30pm on Thursday 28th September.
b) Actually get a seat on the flight since I’ve only got a standby ticket.
c) Get through the new international airport in Bangkok on it first full day of operations by 2pm.
d) Hope the agent on the phone was correct in regards to express visa.
e) Book tickets to Hue in central Vietnam so I arrive by midday Saturday 30th at the latest.
f) Pray my scheduled flights don’t get cancelled or badly delayed.
g) Assume the storm’s forecast track would not shift away from central Vietnam in this two and a half day time frame.
If any of these factors turned against me or even if there was a delay of a couple of hours at a crucial point it would be game over.
- Thursday 28th September
After 3 hours sleep I woke at 5am to rush to Shanghai Pudong International for an 8.30am flight to Bangkok. Thankfully the flight was wide open so I arrived in Thailand at 12.00pm with one hurdle cleared.
I escaped the mayhem of Suvarnbhumi’s first day of full operations and made it to my visa agent’s office by 2pm. “I’m here to apply for the 1 day express visa for Vietnam," I said. My heart sank as the woman gave me the look of “what the hell are you talking about, you can’t get a visa in one day!” After a quick phone call my fears were set aside when she informed me my passport would be ready by 5pm Friday.
Booking the tickets to central Vietnam was a minor headache but after half an hour and spending a small fortune I was due to arrive in the ancient city of Hue at 1350 on Saturday 30th, approximately 16 hours before landfall. Five hurdles cleared so far!
It was time to check updates and grab a cold beer. Checked into hotel and saw latest updates from JTWC. Xangsane had weakened after crossing the Philippines but was due to intensify back up to 115 kts, 213 kmh-1, and make a direct hit on Da Nang. Everything was going to plan so far.
- Friday 29th September
The day was spent buying supplies such as batteries and food and checking updates. JTWC were forecasting Xangsane to get up to 120 kts, 222 kmh-1, before making landfall to the south of Da Nang. I had read in the media there were rumours that Da Nang city could be evacuated which would make travelling to the target zone very difficult since I would have to hire a car and drive south from Hue through Da Nang and probably have to pay bribes to pass checkpoints on the way.
Visa collected fine and evening update still showed Xangsane barrelling into the area south of Da Nang as a major typhoon. Everything now hinged on there being no problems with my flights on Saturday.
- Saturday 30th September
Caught 8.00am flight to Hanoi and managed to change ticket so I could fly to Da Nang instead of Hue. Whilst waiting in the airport lounge people were crowding around the TV which was showing the local news report. The typhoons outer bands were already affecting central Vietnam and it looked as if our flight would be the last one in. My blood pressure was going through the roof as I heard an announcement saying the flight was delayed. For the whole trip to go bust now would have been a nightmare, especially since I’d spent upward of £500 to get to where I was.
The delay was only temporary and soon I was on my way. The flight was fine and I arrived in Da Nang at about 2.00pm. Conditions were benign with light rain and a moderate breeze.
It was time to get to work, I hired a taxi and headed to the town of Hoi An, about 25km south of Da Nang and checked into a strong looking concrete hotel. I got chatting to a few backpackers staying in the hotel, most of whom did not know what a typhoon was let alone the fact one was due to make a direct hit in about 12 hours! One guy was even planning on taking an overnight bus down south, I quickly convinced him that was a bad idea, not that the bus would be running anyway.
I hired a van and did a quick tour of the area. The local high school was full of evacuees who had been moved from the coast (Fig. 1). The down town area was bustling with people and the cafes and shops were still open seemingly oblivious as to what was coming.
Figure 1: © 2006 James Reynolds
The evening update showed Xangsane had jogged north slightly and JTWC expected it to make landfall between Hue and Da Nang, more than 50 km north of my location but it was too late to move now. Time to get some sleep and set my alarm for 3.00am.
- Sunday 1st October
3.00am
Woke up to find power was still on and managed to sneak onto the internet for what was to be the last time before landfall to check the updates. Luckily I was in SMS contact with Peter Kirk and my Dad in the UK, Simone Lussardi in Hong Kong and Geoff Mackley in New Zealand so further updates could be relayed to me once the power failed.
Things were looking slightly better landfall wise with JTWC going for almost direct hit on Da Nang with winds of 90 kts, 167 kmh-1, gusting to 110 kts, 204 kmh-1. That would put me in the southern eyewall, which would still be one hell of a show. Conditions at 3am - moderate rain with gusting wind up to about 30 mih-1, 48 kmh-1.
5.30am
Weather conditions had started to deteriorate somewhat in the previous two hours. Power had been knocked out and heavy rain was now falling in gusty winds up to about 40 mih-1, 64 kmh-1. It was still dark so there were no filming or photo opportunities. The JMA update had Xangsane offshore with winds of 80 kts, 148 kmh-1.
7.00am
Conditions were still very benign (compared to what was going to come later). There was continued heavy rain and squally winds but nothing too bad. Landfall was due in about one and a half hours and I was starting to get concerned that there might have been a big jog north and I might miss out on the best action. It was now light enough to start filming.
8.00am
About this time we started to get effected by proper tropical cyclone weather. Sheets of rain were being blown horizontally by the wind which was gusting up to 70+ mih-1, 113 kmh-1. From information I had received by mobile phone, landfall was due to take place within the next hour or so.
8.20am
It was evident that the eyewall was approaching. Huge quantities of rain were falling and the small forest to the north of my location was taking a serious battering (Fig. 2). Roofs were getting damaged and tiles starting to fall off our building. Sliding window frames broke loose and water started streaming into the building. The corridors of hotel starting to flood as rain was driven though any gap it could find. Wind started to switch from north easterly to westerly direction.
Figure 2: © 2006 James Reynolds
8.30am
It was around this time that the strongest winds hit, estimated category two one minute average winds with gusts in excess of 110 mih-1, 177 kmh-1 (Fig. 3). Visibility was severely reduced as the air was filled with the most torrential rain imaginable (Fig. 4). Judging by satellite pictures of the typhoon at landfall I must have been less than 15 km from the southern most portion of the eye (Fig. 5). The most severe conditions lasted up to an hour and by 9.30am the winds were still very strong but starting to ease. The storm had made landfall and was starting to weaken rapidly.
Figure3: © 2006 James Reynolds
Figure 4: © 2006 James Reynolds
Figure 5: © 2006 NRL Monterey Marine Meteorology Division, 2005 Google Earth, with 0000 GMT and 0300 GMT RSMC Tokyo analysis positions marked on.
2.00pm
The winds had calmed down sufficiently for me to venture outside and assess the damage. Walked about 5 km to the beach from the hotel through down town Hoi An. Damage seemed to be reasonably light away from the coast. Many trees had been blown over and superficial damage to buildings. Weaker building had roofs blown off. Many people were venturing back to their homes to see if anything was left (Fig. 6). Nearer the beach I encountered the remnants of the storm surge which had trashed large areas (Fig. 7). I returned to the hotel tired, wet and very satisfied with what I had managed to capture.
The winds had calmed down sufficiently for me to venture outside and assess the damage. Walked about 5 km to the beach from the hotel through down town Hoi An. Damage seemed to be reasonably light away from the coast. Many trees had been blown over and superficial damage to buildings. Weaker building had roofs blown off. Many people were venturing back to their homes to see if anything was left (Fig. 6). Nearer the beach I encountered the remnants of the storm surge which had trashed large areas (Fig. 7). I returned to the hotel tired, wet and very satisfied with what I had managed to capture.
Figure 6: © 2006 James Reynolds
Figure 7: © 2006 James Reynolds
- Tuesday 2nd October
Today I hired a van and drove up to Da Nang to assess the damage along the coastal highway. Large amounts of corrugated metal were strewn all over (Fig. 8). As was expected all along the beach front the damage from the surge was considerable and there was evidence the highway had been completely inundated (Fig. 9). Wind damage was more extensive than in Hoi An, one gust had been so strong it bent a communications tower in half (Fig. 10).
I spoke to some local people who reported that winds had suddenly died down and their ears had popped (due to very low pressure) and then after about 20 minutes the fierce winds returned from the opposite direction. The power supplies had been seriously disrupted but luckily my hotel had a generator which ran for 3 hours in the evening, during which time I was able to get online and post updates! Xangsane was now over southern Laos as a tropical storm and was approaching Thailand, weakening all the while.
Figure 8: © 2006 James Reynolds
Figure 9: © 2006 James Reynolds
Figure 10: © 2006 James Reynolds
I was amazed by the friendliness of the people and how they still maintained such a positive outlook even though their houses and businesses had just been trashed.
Wednesday 3rd October
Travel day. Flew back to Thailand with a brief stopover in Saigon. Power was still out in Hoi An when I left but most of my kit had dried out ok. Once in Bangkok I managed to retrieve footage from a DVD disc which had been damaged, have a hot shower and enjoy a cold beer! After six flights in as many days I was exhausted. Mission accomplished.
This trip was the most demanding I have ever undertaken, with everything that could have gone wrong it was a miracle I managed to get to the right place in time. Luck was on my side and this is rarely the case when storm chasing! It was also my first solo typhoon eyewall intercept which made things much more nerve racking. I’d like to thank everyone who gave me their support and updates whilst I was one the move including Peter Kirk, Neil Robbins, John Reynolds, Simone Lussardi, Geoff Mackely, Reed Timmer and the fantastic staff at the Grassland Hotel in Hoi An who helped me out with every need.
I would also like to thank everyone on the UKWeatherworld forum for their support. At the time of writing I believe I am not only the first person to storm chase in Vietnam but also the only person in the world, so far this year, to make a successful tropical cyclone eyewall intercept. (Geoff Mackley later became only the second person in the world to achieve this in 2006 when he intercepted the eyewall of Typhoon Durian in the Philippines.)
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