Tag Archives: Beihai

Tropical Storm Sanba Drops Heavy Rain on Southern China

Tropical Storm Sanba dropped heavy rain on parts of southern China on Thursday. At 5:00 p.m. EDT on Thursday the center of Tropical Storm Sanba was located at latitude 21.3°N and longitude 109.2°E which put it about 25 miles (40 km) southeast of Beihai China. Sanba was moving toward the north-northeast at 8 m.p.h. (13 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 45 m.p.h. (75 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 60 m.p.h. (95 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 1001 mb.

Tropical Storm Sanba dropped heavy rain on parts of Guangxi and Guangdong in southern China on Thursday. The center of Sanba’s circulation was still over the northeastern Gulf of Tonkin. Much of the northern half of Tropical Storm Sanba was over southern China. Part of the eastern side of Sanba’s circulation was over Hainan. Winds to tropical storm force extended out 60 miles (95 km) from the center of Tropical Storm Sanba.

An upper level trough over eastern Asia and an upper level ridge centered north of the Philippines were interacting to produce southwesterly winds that were blowing toward the top of Sanba’s circulation. Those winds were causing moderate vertical wind shear and they were also causing the distribution of thunderstorms to be asymmetrical. Thunderstorms were occurring in bands in the northern and eastern parts of Tropical Storm Sanba. Bands in the southern and western parts of Sanba’s circulation consisted primarily of showers and lower clouds.

Tropical Storm Sanba will be in an environment that is mostly unfavorable for intensification during the next 24 hours. Sanba will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 28°C. The upper level trough over eastern Asia and the upper level ridge north of the Philippines will continue to cause moderate vertical wind shear. Almost half of Sanba’s circulation will be over land and increased friction will slow the wind in those areas. Tropical Storm Sanba is likely to weaken during the next 24 hours even if the center of circulation does not move over southern China.

The movement of Tropical Storm Sanba during the next 24 hours will depend on how strong the vertical wind shear is. If the wind shear is moderate and the upper and lower parts of Sanba’s circulation remain connected, then southwesterly winds will steer Tropical Storm Sanba toward the north-northeast. If Sanba moves north-northeast it will move inland over southern China. If the vertical wind shear gets stronger, then the upper level winds will push the top part of Sanba’s circulation toward the north-northeast. If the wind shear rips the top off of Tropical Storm Sanba, then the lower part of the circulation could meander over the northeastern Gulf of Tonkin during the next 24 hours.

Tropical Storm Sanba will continue to drop heavy rain over southern China during the next 24 hours. Heavy rain will fall on parts of Guangxi and Guangdong. Prolonged heavy rain will cause floods in some locations.

Typhoon Haikui Nears Taiwan

Typhoon Haikui neared Taiwan on Saturday. At 5:00 p.m. EDT on Saturday the center of Typhoon Haikui was located at latitude 22.6°N and longitude 122.7°E which put it about 100 miles (160 km) east-southeast of Taitung, Taiwan. Haikui was moving toward the west at 13 m.p.h. (21 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 105 m.p.h. (165 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 125 m.p.h. (200 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 958 mb.

Typhoon Haikui intensified as it neared Taiwan on Saturday. A small circular eye was at the center of Haikui’s circulation. The eye was surrounded by a ring of thunderstorms and the strongest winds were occurring in that ring of storms. Bands of showers and thunderstorms were revolving around the core of Typhoon Haikui. Storms near the core generated upper level divergence that pumped mass away from the typhoon.

The Taiwan Central Weather Bureau’s radar images indicated that Typhoon Haikui was very symmetrical. Winds to typhoon force extended out 35 miles (55 km) from the center of Haikui’s circulation. Winds to tropical storm force extended out 115 miles (185 km) from the center of circulation. The Hurricane Intensity Index (HII) for Typhoon Haikui was 17.8. The Hurricane Size Index (HSI) was 9.7 and the Hurricane Wind Intensity Size Index (HWISI) was 27.5. Typhoon Haikui was similar in size and intensity to Hurricane Zeta when Zeta hit Louisiana in 2020.

Typhoon Haikui will move through an environment favorable for intensification during the next few hours. Haikui will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 30°C. It will move under the southern part of an upper level ridge centered north of Taiwan. The ridge will produce easterly winds that will blow toward the top of Haikui’s circulation. The winds in the lower levels of the atmosphere will also blow from the east. So, there will be little vertical wind shear. Typhoon Haikui is likely to continue to intensify during the next few hours until it makes landfall on Taiwan.

Typhoon Haikui will move around the southern part of a high pressure system over the Western North Pacific Ocean. The high pressure system will steer Haikui toward the west- northwest during the next 24 hours. On its anticipated track, the center of Typhoon Haikui will move landfall on the coast of southeast Taiwan near Taitung in nine hours.

Typhoon Haikui will bring strong winds and heavy rain to Taiwan. Haikui will be capable of causing regional serious damage. The heaviest rain will fall on the eastern sides of mountains where the wind will push air up the slopes. Heavy rain is likely to cause flash floods.

Elsewhere over the Western North Pacific Ocean, former Typhoon Saola weakened to a tropical storm along the coast of southern China and former Tropical Storm Kirogi weakened to a tropical depression south of Japan. At 5:00 p.m. EDT on Saturday the center of Tropical Storm Saola was located at latitude 21.6°N and longitude 109.5°E which put it about 35 miles (55 km) east-northeast of Beihai, China. Saola was moving toward the west-southwest at 7 m.p.h. (11 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 45 m.p.h. (75 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 60 m.p.h. (95 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 991 mb.

At 5:00 p.m. EDT on Saturday the center of Tropical Depression Kirogi was located at latitude 29.6°N and longitude 142.0°E which put it about 370 miles (595 km) south-southeast of Tokyo, Japan. Kirogi was moving toward the northwest at 22 m.p.h. (35 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 35 m.p.h. (55 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 45 m.p.h. (75 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 1000 mb.

Tropical Storm Mulan Brings Rain to Southern China

Tropical Storm Mulan brought rain to southern China on Wednesday. At 11:00 a.m. EDT on Wednesday the center of Tropical Storm Mulan was located at latitude 20.9°N and longitude 108.9°E which put it about 40 miles (60 km) southwest of Beihai, China. Mulan was moving toward the west-northwest at 16 m.p.h. (26 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 40 m.p.h. (65 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 50 m.p.h. (80 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 998 mb.

Rainbands on the northern side of Tropical Storm Mulan brought rain to parts of southern China on Wednesday. Rain fell over coastal parts of southern China from Hong Kong to the border with Vietnam. Tropical Storm Mulan also dropped locally heavy rain on Hainan Island. Rainbands in the northwestern part of Mulan’s circulation brought rain to northeastern Vietnam.

Tropical Storm Mulan will move across the Gulf of Tonkin during the next 12 hours toward northern Vietnam. Mulan will move south of a high pressure system over the Western North Pacific Ocean and eastern China. The high pressure system will steer Mulan toward the west-northwest during the next day or so. On its anticipated track the center of Tropical Storm Mulan will make landfall on the coast of northeastern Vietnam in about 12 hours.

Tropical Storm Mulan will move through an environment marginally favorable for intensification during the next few hours. Mulan will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 30˚C. It will move under the southern part of an upper level ridge centered over eastern Asia. The upper level ridge will produce easterly winds that will blow toward the top of Mulan’s circulation. Those winds will cause some vertical wind shear and the shear will inhibit intensification. Tropical Storm Mulan is likely to maintain its current intensity during the next 12 hours, but it could strengthen a little prior to landfall in northeastern Vietnam.