Typhoon Tembin

Post Landfall 1 | Summary
Posting Date: August 27, 2012, 12:00:00 PM

Typhoon Tembin Headed for a Second Pass Near Taiwan Current Conditions As of August 27 at 1200 UTC, Tembin is located at 21.4 N, 119.1 E, about 140 km (87 miles) southwest of Hengchun, Taiwan, with a minimum central pressure of 960 mb, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA). After completing a loop, Typhoon Tembin is now moving east-northeast and is poised to traverse extreme Southern Taiwan in the next 12 hours. On this track, many of the same areas that were affected during its first passage over the country last week will again be impacted, although landfall on the western portion of Taiwan will place the higher populated west coast, including Kaohsiung, under more direct impact. Tembin is also located further south than during its previous landfall, which will limit the strong winds to extreme Southern Taiwan, while heavy rainfall will extend further north. The JMA is forecasting little change in intensity prior to landfall, with maximum 10-minute sustained wind speeds near the center of up to 75 knots. The largest threat from Tembin will likely be heavy rain and flooding, especially given the recent rainfall from the storm’s first landfall. Forecast and Intensity After tracking across Taiwan, Tembin is forecast to turn to the northeast and then north, along the western periphery of the subtropical ridge. As the storm moves northward, weakening is forecast due to cooler sea surface temperatures and increasing wind shear. Reported Damage and Expected Damage Extremely heavy rainfall from Tembin drenched Taiwan last week, resulting in severe damage to banana, watermelon, and papaya crops, and serious erosion to farmland. The worst agricultural losses occurred in Taitung County. Heavy rains brought by Tembin also caused localized power outages and road closures in parts of eastern and southern Taiwan. With Tembin’s forecasted path skirting the east coast of Taiwan, additional rainfall is expected on that island over the next few days, which may exacerbate existing flooding and erosion problems. Low-to-mid-rise buildings in Taiwan are typically built of reinforced concrete, or reinforced concrete frames with brick infill walls. Wind damage from Tembin is thus anticipated to mostly affect roofs, awnings, and signage. However, buildings in rural and mountainous regions in Southern Taiwan are generally of poorer construction quality and thus are less wind-resistant. AIR continues to monitor the situation and will provide updates if warranted by events.

Post Landfall 1 | Downloads
Posting Date: August 27, 2012, 12:00:00 PM