Tropical Cyclone Weekly Summary #159 (August 14 - 21, 1994)
JACK
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)
WEEKLY TROPICAL CYCLONE SUMMARY #159 AUGUST 14 - 21, 1994
North Atlantic Basin:
Tropical Storm Beryl: Tropical Depression Three formed over the northern
Gulf of Mexico near 30N 88E on 14 August. Initially moving north-northeast,
the system turned east the next day as it reached tropical storm strength.
Beryl reached a peak intensity of 45 kt late on 15 August as it drifted
erratically near Panama City, Florida. The storm accelerated north-northeast
on 16 August and weakened to a low pressure area over land later that day.
Beryl was a large system that affected much of the southeastern United
States. Reconnaissance aircraft measured a central pressure of 1001 mb at
0000 UTC 16 August, while Panama City and Tyndall Air Force Base both
measured 1001-1002 mb pressures at about the same time. The strongest winds
were well east of the center, with Tallahassee, Florida reporting 46 kt
sustained winds at 0617 UTC 16 August and a peak gust of 56 kt at 0619 UTC.
An automated station at Turkey Point, Florida also reported a 56 kt gust at
0548 UTC 16 August. Apalachicola, Florida reported a storm rainfall total of
10 in (254 mm). Beryl's remains also spawned at least 30 tornadoes from
Georgia into the Middle Atlantic States. There are no reports of casualties
from the landfall region, but at least one person was reported missing in the
tornado outbreak. Some property damage occurred in the Florida Panhandle,
with additional damage from tornadoes and flooding further north. There are
no monetary damage estimates at this time.
Hurricane Chris: Tropical Depression 4 formed near 12N 40W on 16 August.
Initially moving west, the system reached tropical storm intensity later that
day. Chris moved west-northwest on 17-18 August while slowly strengthening.
The storm turned northwest on 19 August as it reached a peak intensity of 65
kt. Chris continued northwest on 20 August, and it turned north on 21 August
while weakening to minimal tropical storm strength. At the end of the summary
period, Chris was just east of Bermuda, moving north with 35 kt winds.
Reconnaissance aircraft reached Chris well after peak intensity, and the
lowest aircraft pressure was 1009 mb. At one point, the central pressure rose
to 1016 mb. A ship reported 60 kt winds and a pressure of 1001 mb at 1500 UTC
17 August. Bermuda did not report significant winds or pressures. The island
did receive 3 in (76 mm) of rain.
Eastern North Pacific Basin (E of 140 Deg. W):
Hurricane John: At the start of the summary period, John was moving west
through the Eastern North Pacific with 45 kt winds. John moved generally
westward through 18 August as a poorly-organized storm with 40-50 kt winds.
John began to intensify on 19 August while continuing west, and it reached
hurricane intensity on 20 August. Further strengthening followed, and by the
time John reached 140W late on 20 August it was packing 100 kt winds.
Tropical Depression 12E: Tropical Depression 12E formed near 23N 118W on
14 August from a persistent low pressure area. The system moved generally
west-northwest until it dissipated near 26N 124W on 15 August. Maximum
sustained winds in this short-lived system were estimated at 30 kt.
Central North Pacific Basin (180 Deg. W to 140 Deg. W):
Hurricane John: John crossed 140W near 15N at about 0000 UTC 21 August,
moving west with 100 kt winds. Strengthening continued, and at the end of
the summary period John was continuing west with 130 kt winds.
Western North Pacific Basin (W of 180 Deg. W):
Typhoon Ellie: At the start of the summary period, Ellie was moving west-
northwest through the Yellow Sea with 65 kt winds. Ellie turned north as it
weakened to a tropical storm on 15 August, and the system made landfall in
northeastern China on 16 August. Ellie became extratropical later that day
near 43N 126E.
In addition to the reports in the previous summary, Dalian, China reported
a minimum pressure of 991.2 mb at 2100 UTC 15 August. Chengshantou, China
reported a minimum pressure of 991.4 mb at 1800 UTC the same day, with 49 kt
sustained winds at 1500 UTC. There are still no reports of damage or cas-
ualties anywhere along Ellie's track at this time.
Tropical Storm Li: At the start of the summary period, ex-hurricane Li was
moving west-northwest with 35 kt winds. Li turned north-northwest on 15
August as it weakened to a depression, then it slowed to an erratic drift the
next day. Li continued to drift aimlessly until it dissipated near 17N 170E
on 18 August.
Typhoon Fred: Tropical Depression 19W formed near 18N 145E on 14 August.
It was initially moving west, and this track continued the next day as the
cyclone reached tropical storm strength. Fred moved west-southwest on 16
August as it reached typhoon strength, then it turned west-northwest the
next day. Fred continued a west-northwest track through 19 August, when it
reached a peak intensity of 130 kt. The typhoon moved north-northwest
through the southern Ryukyu Islands on 20 August with 115 kt winds, then it
turned west-northwest and moved into China on 21 August. At the end of the
summary period, Fred was just inland from the Chinese coast, moving west-
northwest with 80 kt winds.
Fred seriously affected China, the southern Ryukyu Islands, and Taiwan.
Ishigakijima Island, Japan, reported a minimum pressure of 941.6 mb at 1200
UTC 20 August, with sustained winds of 50 kt at 1800 UTC. Higher winds and
lower pressures occurred between the 3 hourly observations. Miyakojima Island,
Japan, reported 53 kt sustained winds and a pressure of 967.9 mb at 1200 UTC
the same day. Funding, China, reported a minimum pressure of 978.5 mb at
1500 UTC 21 August, while Shipu, China reported 51 kt sustained winds at 1200
UTC the same day. Press reports indicate that 770 people were killed in
China with 490 others missing. 500,000 homes were damaged or destroyed and
damage estimates are up to 1.2 billion dollars. One person was reported
missing from Taiwan. There are no reports of damage or casualties from the
Ryukyu Islands.
North Indian Ocean Basin:
Tropical Depression: A tropical depression formed near 21N 89E on 17
August. The system moved west-northwest into the Indian coast near Paradip
on 18 August. It continued west-northwest until it weakened to a low pressure
area over land on 21 August. Maximum sustained winds were estimated at 30 kt.
This system probably resembled a monsoon depression more than a true tropical
cyclone.
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:
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.
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).