Tropical Cyclone Weekly Summary #156 (July 24 - 31, 1994)

[Jack Beven]

This report is compiled from warnings issued by:
National Hurricane Center Central Pacific Hurricane Center
Naval Western Oceanography Center Fiji Meteorological Service
Meteorological Service of New Zealand Joint Typhoon Warning Center
Japanese Meteorological Agency Bureau of Meteorology, Australia
Philippine Meteorological Service Royal Observatory of Hong Kong
Indian Meteorological Department Reunion Meteorological Service
Mauritius Meteorological Service
(others may be added as they become available)

Author's note: The hrd-tardis mail system is down for the count. Please
direct any questions or comments to jbe...@delphi.com for the time being.

Special Announcement: A digitized version of the weekly summary with DMSP
polar orbiting satellite imagery is now available via the World Wide Web (http
protocol) using Mosaic. This is courtesy of Greg Deuel at the DMSP satellite
archive. It can be retrieved by:

1. Open the Open URL window (under File) in Mosaic, then typing:
http://web.ngdc.noaa.gov.

2. Find the Home Page for the DMSP satellite archive

3. Click on Weekly Updated Items, then click on the dates given on the next
page.

4. The imagery links will be color-coded inside the summary text.

For more information on the imagery and how the digitized summary and
images can be retrieved by ftp, gopher, etc., please contact Greg Deuel
(Internet: g...@po-box.ngdc.noaa.gov).


WEEKLY TROPICAL CYCLONE SUMMARY #156 JULY 24-31, 1994

North Atlantic Basin: No tropical cyclones.

Eastern North Pacific Basin (E of 140 Deg. W):

Tropical Depression 8E: Tropical Depression 8E formed near 13N 126W on
31 July. At the end of the summary period, it was moving west-northwest with
35 kt winds.

Central North Pacific Basin (180 Deg. W to 140 Deg. W):

Tropical Depression Emilia: At the start of the summary period, ex-
hurricane Emilia was southwest of the western Hawaiian Islands, moving
west-northwest with 25 kt winds. The system dissipated on 25 July near 22N
167W.

Hurricane Gilma: Gilma moved west into the Central North Pacific near 12N
140W on 24 July with 130 kt winds. The storm reached an estimated peak in-
tensity of 140 kt later that day. Weakening began on 25 July, and by the time
reconnaissance aircraft reached Gilma that day the central pressure had risen
to 965 mb. Maximum sustained winds at this time were around 100 kt. Gilma
continued west through 27 July while steadily weakening, with the cyclone
weakening to tropical storm strength on 27 July. Gilma turned west-northwest
on 28 July and northwest on 29 July as it passed south of Johnston Island.
The island reported several gusts near 35 kt during this time. Gilma turned
north-northwest as it weakened to a depression on 30 July, and it dissipated
near 19N 176W the next day. While Gilma's estimated maximum winds are as high
as Emilia's, the fact that there were no aircraft measurements from that time
means that the exact peak intensity will never be known.

Western North Pacific Basin (W of 180 Deg. W):

Tropical Storm Walt: At the start of the summary period, ex-typhoon Walt
was south of western Japan, drifting north-northeast with 55 kt winds. The
storm turned north-northwest across southwestern Japan on 25 July, with
Shimiza reporting a 985.5 mb pressure at 0300 UTC. Walt turned west into the
East China Sea on 26 July as it weakened to a depression. The system drifted
west from that time until it dissipated near 34N 127E on 28 July. There are
no reports of damage or casualties at this time.

Tropical Storm Zeke: At the start of the summary period, ex-typhoon Zeke
was moving northeast across the open Pacific with 40 kt winds. The storm
became extratropical on 25 July near 44N 162E.

Tropical Depression 13W: This system was warned on by the Joint Typhoon
Warning Center. Tropical Depression 13W formed near 14N 174E on 25 July.
Moving north-northwest, it dissipated the next day near 19N 145E. Maximum
sustained winds in this short-lived system were estimated at 30 kt. Although
this system affected the Mariana Islands, there are no reports of damage,
casualties, or significant weather.

Tropical Depression: This system was warned on by the Japanese Meteoro-
logical Agency. The depression formed near 16N 147E on 25 July, apparently
from the same area of disturbed weather that spawned TD-13W. The depression
moved north through 27 July, then it turned north-northwest on 28 July. The
system dissipated near 33N 140E on 29 July. Maximum sustained winds in this
system were estimated at 30 kt. Ship JPKN reported 43 kt sustained winds and
a pressure of 995 mb at 0600 UTC 28 July. It is not know whether this wind
report is representative of the true strength of the system.

Tropical Storm Brendan: A tropical depression formed near 16N 129E on 26
July. Moving west, the system reached minimal tropical storm intensity later
that day. (This system was named a storm by the Philippine Meteorological
Service. It was not designated a storm by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center or
the Japanese Meteorological Agency until 30 July.) The storm turned northwest
on 27 July, then it began a northward drift on 28 July. The storm continued
north on 29 July, then it accelerated across Okinawa on 30 July. Brendan
moved north on 31 July, and at the end of the summary period it was approach-
ing the west coast of the Korean peninsula with 45 kt winds.

There are numerous surface observations from this system. Ship WDZW re-
ported 32 kt sustained winds and a pressure of 999.7 mb at 0600 UTC 28 July.
Naha on Okinawa reported a minimum pressure of 995 mb around 1600 UTC 30
July. Chedu Island, Korea reported 37 kt sustained winds and a pressure of
995 mb at 1800 UTC 31 July. There are no reports of damage or casualties from
the Ryukyu Islands, but next week's summary will have details on Brendan's
passage over Korea.

Tropical Storm Amy: Tropical Storm Amy (TD-15W) formed rapidly from a per-
sistent area of low pressure near Hainan Island on 29 July. The system
drifted west on 30 July as it reached a peak intensity of 40 kt. Amy con-
tinued west into Vietnam on 31 July and dissipated. Dongfang, China reported
30 kt winds and a pressure of 987.4 mb at 0600 UTC 29 July as Amy intensified.
There are no reports of damage or casualties at this time.

Tropical Depression: A tropical depression formed near 19N 131E on 31 July.
At the end of the summary, it was moving west with 30 kt winds.

North Indian Ocean Basin: No tropical cyclones.

South Indian Ocean Basin (W of 135 Deg. E): No tropical cyclones.

South Pacific Ocean Basin (E of 135 Deg. E): No tropical cyclones.


Disclaimer: While an effort has been made to make sure this information is
accurate as possible, it was drawn from operational warnings that may not
always agree with the best track information published after the storm is
over. Please address any questions or comments on the information this
week to Jack Beven at Internet address:

be...@hrd-tardis.nhc.noaa.gov (preferable)

or

jbe...@delphi.com (new address)

Please address any questions or comments on the digitized version or the
associated satellite imagery to Greg Deuel at the DMSP satellite archive at
Internet address:

g...@po-box.ngdc.noaa.gov

Past text copies of the Tropical Cyclone Weekly Summary can be obtained via e-
mail. Please send an e-mail message to Jack Beven if you are interested.