Tropical Cyclone Weekly Summary #161 (August 28 - September 4, 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 #161 AUGUST 28 - SEPTEMBER 4, 1994
North Atlantic Basin:
Tropical Depression Five: Tropical Depression Five formed near 21N 94W on
29 August from a tropical wave that moved across the Yucatan Peninsula.
Initially moving west, the system turned west-northwest the next day. TD-5
moved northwest into Mexico near Tampico and dissipated on 31 August. Maximum
sustained winds in this system were estimated at 30 kt. The minimum central
pressure measured by reconnaissance aircraft was 1005 mb, while the lowest
pressure at Tampico was 1007.8 mb at 2300 UTC 30 August. While this system
produced heavy rains over parts of northeastern Mexico, there are no reports
of damage or casualties at this time.
Eastern North Pacific Basin (E of 140 Deg. W):
Tropical Storm Kristy: Tropical Depression 13E formed near 15N 126E on 29
August. Initially moving west, the system continued this course the next day
as it reached tropical storm intensity. Kristy continued west until it moved
into the Central North Pacific near 16N 140W on 31 August. At that time, it
was packing 55 kt winds.
Tropical Storm Lane: Tropical Depression 14E formed near 18N 109E on 3
September. Initially moving west, the system moved west-northwest the next
day as it reached tropical storm intensity. At the end of the summary period,
Lane was moving west-northwest with 45 kt winds. Lane passed near Socorro
Island as it was developing, but there were no reports of significant winds
or pressures.
Central North Pacific Basin (180 Deg. W to 140 Deg. W):
Hurricane Kristy: Kristy entered the Central North Pacific on 31 August,
moving west with 55 kt winds. Strengthening continued, and Kristy reached
hurricane intensity later that day. Kristy continued west on 1 September as
it reached a peak intensity of 90 kt. It then turned west-southwest on 2
September while weakening to a minimal tropical storm. Kristy turned west on
3 September as it weakened to a depression. At the end of the summary period,
Kristy was continuing west with 30 kt winds.
Western North Pacific Basin (W of 180 Deg. W):
Typhoon Gladys: At the start of the summary period, ex-typhoon Gladys was
moving west-southwest with 35 kt winds. Gladys turned west on 29 August
while maintaining minimal tropical storm strength, and this motion continued
the next day as Gladys started to re-intensify. Gladys regained typhoon
strength on 31 August, and it reached a peak intensity of 90 kt later that
day. The storm also turned west-northwest at this time. Gladys continued
west-northwest across Taiwan into China on 1 September, making it the latest
in a series of tropical cyclones that have plagued this region. The storm
weakened to a low pressure system over China the next day.
Gladys moved across central Taiwan with the central core missing the
reporting stations. Chiang Kai Shek airport in Taipei reported 30 kt sustained
winds with gusts to 53 kt at 0300 UTC 1 September. Hulien reported a minimum
pressure of 992 mb at the same time. In China, Mazu reported 35 kt sustained
winds at 1200 UTC 1 September, while Pingtan reported a minimum pressure of
992.4 mb at the same time. Press reports indicate that 6 people were killed
on Taiwan with 50 injured. There are no reports of damage or casualties from
China at this time.
Tropical Storm Harry: At the start of the summary period, Harry was moving
westward over Vietnam with 45 kt winds. The system continued inland and
dissipated the next day. Although Harry affected Hainan Island and northern
Vietnam, there are no reports of damage or casualties at this time.
Typhoon Ivy: At the start of the summary period, Ivy was moving north-
northeast with 45 kt winds. Ivy turned north-northwest on 29 August, and
this motion continued the next day. Ivy turned north on 31 August as it
reached a peak intensity of 75 kt. The cyclone turned to a north-northeast
track on 1 September as it weakened to a tropical storm, and this track
continued until it became extratropical near 45N 170E on 4 September.
Typhoon John: At the start of the summary period, John was just west of
the International Dateline, moving west-northwest with 95 kt winds. John
turned northwest on 30 August as its winds increased to 110 kt. This track
continued the next day as John weakened, then the cyclone turned northeast on
31 August as it weakened to a tropical storm. John slowed to an east-northeast
drift on 1-2 September, then it drifted southeast on 3 September. At the end
of the summary period, John was near 26N 178E moving east-southeastward. The
maximum sustained winds were estimated at 35 kt by the Joint Typhoon Warning
Center and the Japanese Meteorological Agency, but ship WFLG suggests the
system was stronger. It reported 55 kt sustained winds with a pressure of
991.2 mb at 1500 UTC 4 September.
As of this writing, John has unofficially broken the longevity record for
north Pacific tropical cyclones, and it is threatening the all-time record
set by Hurricane Ginger in 1971. There will be more details in the next
summary.
Tropical Depression: This system was warned on by the Philippine Meteoro-
logical Service. A tropical depression formed near 10N 133E on 29 August.
Moving west, the system dissipated the next day near 11N 129E. Maximum
sustained winds in this system were estimated at 30 kt.
Tropical Storm Joel: A tropical depression formed in the South China Sea
near 16N 114E on 3 September. Initially moving west-northwest, the system
turned west the next day as it reached tropical storm strength. At the end of
the summary period, Joel was moving west through the South China Sea with 35
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:
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).