Typhoon Morakot

Landfall | Summary
Posting Date: August 7, 2009, 10:20:00 AM

Typhoon Morakot did not intensify overnight as expected and currently, according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC), it is a Category 1 tropical cyclone. Morakat’s interaction with Taiwan’s Central Mountain Range slowed its movement. As of 15:00 UTC the JTWC places Morakot about 130 kilometers (80 miles) south-southeast of Taipei. It continues to approach Taiwan, pounding the island with heavy rains and winds. Precipitation on the southern side of the typhoon has been heavy, likely because of interaction with the remnants of Tropical Storm Goni, which at present is near Vietnam. According to the JWTC, Typhoon Morakot has maximum sustained winds of 148 km per hour (90 mph) with gusts of 185 km per hour (115 mph). Morakot has slowed to a speed of 10 kilometers per hour (6.2 mph), down from 24 per hour (15 mph) yesterday, and is moving west-northwest. It is expected to make landfall early Saturday morning local time, after which it is expected to weaken through influence from the land. Thereafter, it is forecast to make a second landfall near Wenzhou, China, sometime Sunday afternoon. No fatalities or serious injuries have been reported from Taiwan, but all domestic flights, trains, and high speed rail services were halted Friday, and more than 200 international flights were canceled or delayed. More than 2,000 residents of mountainous regions were evacuated, where floodgates were also ordered to be closed and water pumps put on standby. As of noon on Friday, more than 190,000 people had experienced power disruptions. The Taiwan Stock Exchange, the island’s largest, did not open, and business and schools in 24 of Taiwan’s administrative regions were closed. Morakot—which means “emerald” in Thai—may, however, help relieve a current water shortage on Taiwan. With an overall diameter of more than 500 kilometers (310 miles), the typhoon is expected to bring as much as 1.2 meters of rainfall in some areas. Officials in China have begun to prepare for Morakot’s arrival, evacuating 20,000 people from Fujian province where the typhoon is expected to make landfall. Already waves as high as five and a half meters are hitting the coast and about 34,000 vessels have been recalled to port. Because of Morakot’s weakening and forecast deterioration, damage in Taiwan is expected to be light—except for possible damage from flooding, which depends on the actual severity of the rainfall. The AIR tropical cyclone team is closely monitoring Morakot and will provide additional information if warranted. The AIR team is also monitoring Hurricane Felicia in the mid-Pacific as it approaches Hawaii. As of 8:00 am PDT, Felicia was about 1280 miles east of Hilo, Hawaii, and is moving west-northwest at nearly 13 mph. This movement is expected to continue through Friday, followed by a gradual turn toward the west forecast for Saturday. Satellite images indicate that Felicia’s maximum sustained winds have decreased to near 100 mph with higher gusts, downgrading Felicia to a Category 2 hurricane. Its hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 40 miles from its center. Felicia is expected to gradually weaken as it turns toward the west into cooler waters, and strong wind shear is forecast to cause further deterioration after that. By the time Felicia reaches the Hawaiian Islands, the likelihood of damage from strong winds is small. The AIR tropical cyclone team will provide additional information if warranted.

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Posting Date: August 7, 2009, 10:20:00 AM