All eyes across Taiwan and eastern China are on Super Typhoon Usagi which currently packs winds of up to 155 mph. This mighty storm is the strongest globally in 2013 so far and is setting it’s sights on southern Taiwan but thankfully the core should pass to the south. However, the system will make a Chinese landfall sometime Sunday, the big question is where exactly will that centre come in.
Check out this breath taking visible satellite image from yesterday.
It’s said that this storm increased it’s winds from 75 to 160 mph within a 24 hour period! Helped greatly by the high heat content of water temps it’s crossing.
Source: AccuWeather Pro
Here’s the current visible satellite imagery showing Super Typhoon Usagi and another system which could become a powerful, even Super Typhoon next week.
Rainbow imagery
According to the JTWC track, this storm is poised to make a direct impact on Hong Kong which is home to some 15 million people and filled with tall, glass fronted skyscrapers and surrounded by a sprawling shanty town lining steep hillsides outwith the main centre. Over recent years, Hong Kong has been lucky. According to the ECMWF model the huge metropolis will be spared once again by taking the storm to the north.
Here is the JTWC’s track.
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The ECMWF model shows powerful Usagi slamming the Chinese coast but north of the JTWC’s track which takes it straight into Hong Kong.
By 168 hours, the model shows a none existent Usagi while the storm following, appears to significantly intensify. Perhaps to Super Typhoon status.
By 240 hrs, the model keeps the system very strong and notice it’s getting awfully close to southern Japan.
On a rather different note but wanted to add this nonetheless.
Down in the Antarctic we appear to have seen a record high sea ice extent reached which is in stark contrast to the arctic where sea ice is at the 6th lowest extent. Earth’s atmosphere finding balance? While the arctic may be 6th lowest, which can be explained by the warm AMO, the decrease in coverage is significantly less compared to last summer which was the lowest on ‘record’ and well up on the past several years. This could have a significant effect on intensity of arctic cold coming south into the mid-latitudes this upcoming winter I believe.
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