3 CAT 4 hurricanes in Pacific Ocean

[underfire]

First time ever, 3 CAT 4 Hurricane in Pacific Ocean near HI....looks like perhaps even a 4th forming...

http://i62.tinypic.com/2ym6c05.jpg

Safe flying to all...

https://pbs.twimg.com/tweet_video/CNmru6zVAAIZo49.mp4

[Volume]

For sure totally unrelated to the stupid idea of global warming...
Some interesting data on ocean temperature development (http://www.data.jma.go.jp/gmd/kaiyou/english/ohc/ohc_global_en.html)...

[unworry]

I'm guessing these will need a wide berth. Wondering which major airways will be affected ... and who will be trying to thread the needle


https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CNoJpsDWIAMD5gJ.jpg

[unworry]

There is basically no difference between a hurricane, a typhoon, and a cyclone. They are all different names for the same kind of intense low pressure system.

The diagram below depicts how different regions refer to tropical cyclones (winds of 70+mph) ...

http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--NFmTIiRf--/c_fit,fl_progressive,q_80,w_636/n1cbyutvplwu1rgsgoq8.png

It is not uncommon for a system to cross a given lat/long and be renamed, as it passes from one agency to another (e.g. Typhoon Alisa becomes Tropical Cyclone Alisa as responsibility passes from Japanese Meteorological Agency to the Australian Bureau of Meteorology)

As these storms in the Eastern Pacific cross 140°W into the Central Pacific, they become the responsibility of the Central Pacific Hurricane Center (http://www.prh.noaa.gov/cphc/)in Honolulu, which governs tropical storms in the northern hemi between 140°W and the International Date Line (180°W).

[Volume]

(e.g. Typhoon Alisa becomes Tropical Cyclone Alisa as responsibility passes from Japanese Meteorological Agency to the Australian Bureau of Meteorology)The Japan Meteorological Agency calles the according website "Tropical Cyclone Information" with the address http://www.jma.go.jp/en/typh/ ...
So even they are confused ;)

[ManaAdaSystem]

I've flown over tropical storms/cyclones in the Arabian Sea a number of times without much worries. Just some scattered TS at level, but the main weather was well below us.
Not familiar with the Pacific types. Avoid at all cost, or continue with caution?

[FullWings]

Not familiar with the Pacific types. Avoid at all cost, or continue with caution?
As it says FREQ CB tops FL530 on the current SIG WX chart, I, for one, would give it a wide berth...

[peekay4]

So even they are confused ;)
The word "cyclone" has a couple of different meanings. The first meaning is as depicted in unworry's picture above.

But the term "cyclone" in meteorology also means any closed, rotating low-pressure system. So both Hurricanes and Typhoons are types of cyclones. Tornados and even dust devils are also type of cyclones.

And yes, somewhat confusingly, a Cyclone is also a type of cyclone. :}

Since cyclone means a closed low-pressure system, an anti-cyclone is any closed high-pressure system.

It's good for pilots to be familiar with this second definition of cyclone because sometimes we will see the term depicted in meteorology charts, reports, etc. E.g., a cyclone might be forming over Colorado, or an anti-cyclone might persist over Germany.

More: some definitions of Typhoons, Hurricanes and Cyclones (http://agora.ex.nii.ac.jp/digital-typhoon/help/world.html.en).

[Gooneyone]

Yesterday Cape Verde islands got hit by a hurricane. First time in over a hundred years I heard them report

[hamster3null]

Yesterday Cape Verde islands got hit by a hurricane. First time in over a hundred years I heard them report

In the vicinity of Cape Verde, Atlantic hurricanes travel east to west, and, since islands are fairly close to the coast of Africa, tropical storms rarely have time to reach hurricane status before they clear the islands.

It still happens from time to time. Tropical Storm Danielle passed within 200 miles from the islands in 2004. Jeanne passed even closer in 1998 at Category 1 strength. Yesterday's hurricane was unique because it went straight through the islands.

[LeadSled]

Yesterday Cape Verde islands got hit by a hurricane. First time in over a hundred years I heard them report

Folks,
That's interesting, I wonder what the tropical revolving thing was, that got me stuck there in the late 1970's. No aircraft in or out for about four/five days. If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck ------.
I still have a nameboard from a sizable fishing boat that was smashed to firewood just near the hotel. My one souvenir of Portugal's first penal colony, a salt mine.
Tootle pip!!

[underfire]

Regardless of the reasons for the hurricanes/cyclones/typhoons...they are there and it looks like a wild ride.

Safe travels.

[yotty]

That would be tropical Storm "Fred"! National Hurricane Center (http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/)

[dsc810]

The word word Typhoon originates from the Chinese meaning 'big wind'.

[cwatters]

The increase in activity is probably due to...

"Current El Nino climate event 'among the strongest'"

Current El Nino climate event 'among the strongest' - BBC News (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-34120583)

[Lonewolf_50]

The word word Typhoon originates from the Chinese meaning 'big wind'. Originating after the emperor had too many szechuan (sichaun?) peppers on his spicy pork at the banquet ...

[vapilot2004]

Central Pacific Hurricane Center in Honolulu, which governs tropical storms in the northern hemi

Amusing word choice!

[peekay4]

(from Google)

https://s3.amazonaws.com/org.barkah.misc/typhoon-origin.png

Interestingly, one of the 3 cyclones above -- now called Typhoon Kilo -- may become one of the longest living tropical cyclones:

http://i.imwx.com/images/maps/truvu/map_specnewsdct-09_ltst_4namus_enus_485x273.jpg

http://www.weather.com/storms/hurricane/news/tropical-depression-three-c-tropical-storm-hurricane-kilo-pacific-hawaii-2015

[beardy]

I have heard tales of brave crews overflying monsters like these and looking down into the eye, with little thought of engine failure drift down altitudes nor of depressurisation descents.

[unworry]

Amusing word choice!

governs ... as in "presides over", not "controls" ;)

[vapilot2004]

Unworry, of course!

I can totally picture presiding over such a thing. ;)

[hamster3null]

Folks,
That's interesting, I wonder what the tropical revolving thing was, that got me stuck there in the late 1970's. No aircraft in or out for about four/five days. If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck ------.
I still have a nameboard from a sizable fishing boat that was smashed to firewood just near the hotel. My one souvenir of Portugal's first penal colony, a salt mine.
Tootle pip!!

Are you positive that it was late 1970s? There were no significant storms affecting Cape Verde during the entire decade.

Your tropical revolving thing might have been either Frances in 1980 or Fran in 1984.

[peekay4]

There's an entire set of hurricanes called Cape Verde hurricanes, because they start at or near Cape Verde islands. Although most usually don't get to full-strength until later, many develop quickly enough to affect daily life in Cape Verde:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_Verde-type_hurricane

On average there are two Cape Verde type hurricanes each season.

In August & September 1979 there were two back-to-back major Cape Verde hurricanes: Hurricane David (Category 5) and Hurricane Frederic (Category 4). Both caused extensive damage.

[Landflap]

Beardy : I'm with Manama on this. Flown over many in the Asia area. Admit to have struggled with Met Theory in the days when the UK ATPL was VERY hard, but I thought these were 'surface' phenomina. I took that to mean I could whiz over the top. If engine failures etc worry you, when avoiding these rotters by some twenty to thirty miles and you get your feared failure...................er, where are you gonna go.............?

[hamster3null]

If you look at the articles for those two hurricanes, you can see that their tracks were actually pretty far from Cape Verde. Hurricane David levelled Dominica and dropped 10-20 inches of rain on eastern Puerto Rico, Frederic dropped another 10 inches on Puerto Rico and sank a boat off St Maarten, but neither one caused any recorded damage to Cape Verde.

[peekay4]

@hamster3null

No one is talking about damage. If you read again what was written above: "although most usually don't get to full-strength until later, many develop quickly enough to affect daily life in Cape Verde".

LeadSled's original description: "I wonder what the tropical revolving thing was, that got me stuck there in the late 1970's. No aircraft in or out for about four/five days".

If you look at Frederic, for example, you can see that it started as a Tropical Depression within 200nm south of Cape Verde, close enough to cancel flights.

Also there are probably a dozen Cape Verde type cyclones in the 1970s. E.g., what became the 1979 Hurricane Gloria for example started as another Tropical Depression literally right on top of Cape Verde.

If LeadSled remembers some dates, we can look up the cyclone in the NOAA database.

[172driver]

I have heard tales of brave crews overflying monsters like these and looking down into the eye, with little thought of engine failure drift down altitudes nor of depressurisation descents.

There are crews who fly into these monsters, through the wall and across the eye. Repeatedly. Called the Hurricane Hunters (http://www.hurricanehunters.com/). I had the pleasure of being on one of these flights some years ago. The word 'impressive' doesn't really begin to describe it.....

[Flying Binghi]

What happened to my previous post :confused:

Re Cape Verde hurricanes: A quick Trove search shows the place got wiped out in 1851. Interestingly, the same year as the largest recorded bush fire in Australia's history.

29 May 1851 - THE CAPE DE VERDE ISLANDS. (http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/38446591?)

Of interest back in 1927...
"...Weeks before a severe hurricane reaches the United States it is often felt at Cape
Verde,... "

16 Jul 1927 - Wireless Pictures. Surprising Help in Storm Pred... (http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/130603833?)










.

[torquemada60]

The Hurricane Hunters regularly fly into these monsters to gather information.
Details here: Hurricane Hunters Association (http://www.hurricanehunters.com/index.html)

On you tube there are some amazing videos of the Hercules C-130 breaking the eye walls. Balls of steel.
https://youtu.be/JWpYtO-2Ts4

[FullWings]

Interesting article on hurricanes and extreme weather events here (ars technica) ("http://arstechnica.com/science/2015/08/worst-case-scenario-how-bad-could-a-tropical-cyclone-be/“)...

[hamster3null]

@hamster3null

No one is talking about damage. If you read again what was written above: "although most usually don't get to full-strength until later, many develop quickly enough to affect daily life in Cape Verde".

LeadSled's original description: "I wonder what the tropical revolving thing was, that got me stuck there in the late 1970's. No aircraft in or out for about four/five days".

If you look at Frederic, for example, you can see that it started as a Tropical Depression within 200nm south of Cape Verde, close enough to cancel flights.


Frederic was first recorded as a tropical depression centered at 11.0 N 25.5 W, with 25 kt wind and 250 nm away from the nearest major airport. (http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/atlantic/atl1979-prelim/frederic/prelim06.gif) Would that be really sufficient to cancel flights? That's a much lower bar than I'd have expected. If that is the case, Cape Verde would see multiple airport closures every year.

As for the damage, he mentions a fishing boat being smashed to firewood...

[peekay4]

Every storm is different, but yes depending on the storm a Tropical Depression 250 miles away can cancel flights or close airports.

Cape Verde is especially vulnerable because of the naturally strong & persistent winds there, even when there are no tropical cyclones nearby.

Remember too that a Tropical Depression is already organized. Even before a Tropical Depression begins, there may already be a tropical disturbance causing thunderstorms in an area hundreds of miles across. Even at this unorganized stage the thunderstorms may cause heavy flooding, spawn tornadoes, etc.

So just because a tropical disturbance doesn't look "close" on the map, it doesn't mean one can be complacent.

Once the disturbance organizes into a tropical cyclone, the affected area could be massive. Sandy was 1,800 km across. Tip generated gale-force winds for over 2,200 km!

Back to Cape Verde, they've already had to permanently close a couple of their island airports due to strong winds. E.g. on Brava they built a new airport in 1992 but had to abandon it just 12 years later in 2004 due to persistent strong winds. They also had to close an airport on Fogo due to the winds there.

The winds there are great for generating electricity and for wind-surfing; but not so ideal for flying.

[Flying Binghi]

via peekay4:

...we can look up the cyclone in the NOAA database.

Does NOAA have all the world cyclones/hurricanes or just US related. i.e., what starts at Cape Verde may not make US landfall thus not rating a mention.










.

[peekay4]

The NOAA HRC is responsible for tracking tropical cyclones in the North Atlantic and Eastern Pacific basins, regardless if they made / will make US landfall or not.

So the full database will have all tropical cyclones forming in the Atlantic, north of the equator, including those which did not develop into full named hurricanes.