Tropical Cyclone Weekly Summary #212 (August 20 - 27, 1995)

[Jack Beven]

This report is compiled from warnings issued by:
National Hurricane Center Central Pacific Hurricane Center
Naval Pacific Meteor./Ocean. 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 #212 AUGUST 20 - 27, 1995

North Atlantic Basin:

Tropical Storm Felix: At the start of the summary period, ex-hurricane
Felix was between New England and Bermuda, moving north with 60 kt winds.
Felix turned northeast and accelerated on 21 August, and the system became
extratropical near 48N 48W on 22 August.

Felix affected Bermuda and the coast of the U.S. Mid-Atlantic states
during its life. Only minor damage has been reported so far. However, press
reports indicate high surf associated with the storm caused 9 deaths along the
Mid-Atlantic coast.

Hurricane Humberto: Tropical Depression Nine formed near 14N 36W on 22
August. The system reached tropical storm strength later that day as it moved
west-northwest. Humberto turned west on 23 August as it reached hurricane
strength, then it resumed a west-northwest course on 24 August as it reached a
peak intensity of 90 kt. The hurricane turned north-northwest on 25 August and
north on 26 August. At the end of the summary period, Humberto was continuing
north with 70-75 kt winds.

Hurricane Iris: Tropical Depression Ten formed near 14N 51W on 22 August.
The cyclone was initially moving west-northwest, and this motion continued
the next day as the system rapidly reached hurricane strength. A first peak
intensity of 70 kt was reached late on 23 August. Iris turned west-southwest
on 24 August, and this general motion continued the next day while the system
weakened to a tropical storm. This brought the storm near the Leeward Islands
early on 26 August. Iris moved slowly northwest on 26 August and north on 27
August. Maximum winds decreased to 40 kt on 26 August, then increased to 55
by the end of the summary period. At the end of the summary period, Iris was
continuing north through the northern Leeward Islands.

Iris' slow motion through the Leewards resulted in prolonged tropical
storm conditions. Antigua reported a peak gust of 40 kt at 1900 UTC 27 August,
with a minimum pressure of 996 mb one hour later. A reconnaissance plane
measured a minimum pressure of 991 mb late on 23 August, along with flight-
level winds of 92 kt. Martinique reported a storm total rainfall of 13.78 in
(350 mm). Press reports to date indicate that 5 people have died due to Iris
in the Leewards.

Tropical Storm Jerry: Tropical Depression Eleven formed near 24N 79W on 22
August. The system moved northwest and reached minimal tropical storm strength
(35 kt) just before making landfall near Palm Beach, Florida on 23 August.
Jerry weakened to a depression over the Florida Peninsula late on 24 August.
The cyclone then moved north along the Florida west coast and into the Florida
Panhandle on 25 August. Jerry weakened to a low pressure area over Georgia
later that day.

Jerry affected Florida and the Bahamas, with the remnant low affecting
Georgia and the Carolinas. The automated station at Lake Worth, Florida
reported 37 kt sustained winds at 2100 UTC 23 August, with a peak gust of 46
kt at 1956 UTC. Patrick Air Force Base, Florida reported 33 kt sustained winds
with gusts to 38 at 1138 UTC 24 August. Winter Haven, Florida reported a
minimum pressure of 1003.1 mb at 0753 UTC the same day. Jerry produced storm
total rainfalls of up to 15 in (381 mm) in Florida, with the remnant low
producing similar amounts in North and South Carolina.

There are no known casualties in Florida, and only minor flooding damage
was reported. However, flooding in the Carolinas caused 10 deaths. No
monetary damage figures are available at this time.

Tropical Depression Twelve: Tropical Depression Twelve formed near 16N 34W on
26 August. It moved west-northwest through the end of the summary period, at
which time it had 30 kt winds.

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

Tropical Storm Gil: Tropical Depression 8E formed near 16N 102W on 21
August. The cyclone initially moved west, and this motion continued the next
day as the system reached tropical storm strength. Gil moved northwest on 23
August, then it turned west-northwest on 24 August and maintained this motion
through the rest of its life. The storm reached a peak intensity of 60 kt on
25 August, with steady weakening noted thereafter. Gil weakened to a depres-
sion on 27 August, and it dissipated later that day near 23N 121W.

Although Gil affected parts of the Mexican coast, there are no reports of
damage or casualties. Ship ELCO5 reported 45 kt sustained winds at 0900 UTC
21 August.

Central North Pacific Basin (180 Deg. W to 140 Deg. W): No tropical cyclones.

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

Tropical Storm Janis: Tropical Depression 10W formed near 20N 131E on 21
August. The system drifted west as it reached tropical storm strength later
that day. Janis moved west-northwest on 22 August, then turned northwest on
23 August. The storm turned north-northwest on 24 August, and this motion
continued until it made landfall on the east coast of China on 25 August.
Janis reached a peak intensity of 55 kt just prior to landfall. The cyclone
turned north-northeast later on 25 August and northeast on 26 August as it
moved across the East China Sea. It became extratropical near 38N 128E (just
before crossing the Korean Peninsula) late on 26 August.

Janis affected the Ryukyu Islands, eastern China, and Korea. Dachen Island
reported 39 kt sustained winds and a 994.9 mb pressure at 1800 UTC 24 August.
Naha and Kadena Air Force Base on Okinawa reported 35 kt gusts at 0330 and
0406 UTC 23 August, respectively.

So far, there are no damage or casualty reports from China or Japan. How-
ever, extratropical Janis and the frontal system it merged with produced heavy
rains over the Korean Peninsula. Press reports indicate 41 people were killed
in South Korea. Janis also caused flooding in North Korea, but no casualty
figures are available at this time.

Tropical Depression 11W: Tropical Depression 11W formed near 25N 125E on
22 August. The system moved slowly southwest before it was absorbed into
Tropical Storm Janis on 23 August. Maximum sustained winds in this short-
lived system were estimated at 25-30 kt.

Tropical Storm Lois: A tropical depression formed over the South China Sea
near 18N 116E on 23 August. The cyclone drifted erratically through 25 August,
then it assumed a west-northwest track on 26 August when it was designated 13W
by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. The depression reached tropical storm
strength later that day. Lois continued west-northwest through toward Hainan
Dao Island through the end of the summary period, at which point it was
packing 60 kt winds.

Xisha Island, China, reported 35 kt winds and a pressure of 988.2 mb at
0000 UTC 27 August. Ship VRUI9 reported 37 kt winds and a pressure of 997.9
mb at 1800 UTC 26 August. There are no reports of damage or casualties at
this time.

Typhoon Kent/Gening: A tropical depression formed near 13N 130E on 25
August. Initially stationary, the system started a west-northwest motion on
26 August. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center designated this system Tropical
Depression 13W on 26 August, and it reached tropical storm strength later
that day. Kent/Gening (The Philippine Meteorological Service named the system
Gening.) turned northwest on 27 August as it reached typhoon strength, and at
the end of the summary period it was continuing this track with 65 kt winds.

The only available surface observation during this time was from ship VMBD.
It reported 47 kt winds at 1800 UTC 26 August, with a minimum pressure of
996.6 mb three hours earlier.

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 insure that this information is
as accurate as possible, this is a preliminary and unofficial report drawn
from operational warnings. Thus, it 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 addresses:

jbe...@delphi.com

or

be...@trdis.aoml.erl.gov

Past text copies of the Tropical Cyclone Weekly Summary can be obtained via
anonymous ftp from squall.met.fsu.edu in directory pub/jack. They are also
available by e-mail. Please send an e-mail message to Jack Beven if you are
interested.

A digitized version of the weekly summary with DMSP polar orbiting imagery
is available over the World Wide Web. This is courtesy of the DMSP satellite
archive. It can be found at: http://web.ngdc.noaa.gov/ under the Weekly
Tropical Cyclone Summary link of the DMSP Satellite Archive home page.

For more information on the imagery and how to retrieve the digitized
summary and images by other methods, please contact the DMSP archive at:

dm...@ngdc.noaa.gov