Japan braces for Typhoon Melor

How much will you remember of the system formerly known as Tropical Storm Grace? That's right, she is no more. Her remnants have been absorbed by a frontal system, so what we saw as Grace for the blink of an eye, is nothing but a memory, if even that. Most people don't remember insignificant storms. If I say Andrew, you know which storm I am talking about. If I say Katrina, you know. What about Tropical Storm Marco??? Anyone remember that one? Didn't think so. Have no fear, the now stirred tropics are showing minimal signs of life, with an invest area off to the east of the Lesser Antilles...... a little more typical of what we might expect to see at this stage of the game.

In the western Pacific, we still have Tropical Storm Parma, basically stationary over parts of the Philippines (just what they don't need), and we have Super Typhoon Melor Melor, which has lost some intensity, but is still a force to be reckoned with. Typhoon Melor has its sites set on Japan, specifically between Osaka and Tokyo. After breezing by Okinawa, Melor is expected to reach Japanese soil by early Thursday (their time), as a typhoon, though hopefully not as strong.
Closer to home, the country's midsection is facing a threat of some severe weather. A low racing across Minnesota and Wisconsin has a tail of thunderstorms dragging down into Texas, seriously a line of storms stretch from northern Minnesota, over the Kentucky, then down into the base of the Texas panhandle. It looks like two rounds are possible, with damaging winds being the greatest threat and a potential for severe hail. Tornadoes are not likely

A NON-ZERO TORNADO THREAT WILL...HOWEVER ...EXIST FROM NRN LA AND CNTRL/SRN AR INTO ADJACENT PARTS OF TN AND MS WITH ANY SUSTAINED STORMS/POSSIBLE SUPERCELLS THAT INTERACT WITH RESIDUAL WARM FRONTAL SEGMENTS ON SW FRINGE OF ERODING COOL DOME.

Have a safe day!!
~Dewdrop

Tropical Storm Grace makes an entrance on stage right

We have a strong tropical storm in the Atlantic Basin!!! What?! That's right... Tropical Storm Grace. Packing winds of 70mph, itty bitty Tropical Storm Grace is expected to remain harmless, but she is expected to turn toward Europe and cause some waves in Portugal and Spain.... and possibly head toward Ireland? Interesting. Fortunately, she is not expected to get to be more than a tropical storm.

Analysis of Grace


Now, in the western Pacific, we have a totally different tale, amidst, earthquake and tsunami recovery... deadly flooding after a drenching tropical storm, Typhoon Parma barely missed Manila. With already 300 deaths in that area, the near miss, was a prayer answered. Instead of additional and compounded loss of life, only 16 succumbed to the grips of Typhoon Parma, now just a spinning tropical storm, held in position by SUPER TYPHOON MELOR... (really a beauty, as far as storms go...)

Sunday morning Melor was a super typhoon spinning about 240 miles west-northwest of Saipan, packing sustained 167-mph winds and 200-mph gusts at its center — equal to a Category 5 hurricane in the Atlantic
~source

...which is actually on track for skimming by Tokyo, but fortunately just as the equivalent of a category 1 hurricane. Let's pray they are right about the intensity forecast...

Have a super day!
~Dewdrop

Philippine Islands brace for Super Typhoon Parma

Generally, I don't talk about the western Pacific in my tropical discussion, but unfortunately, the western Pacific tropics have become big news, as now Super Typhoon Parma (equivalent of our category 4 with 140mph), is bearing down on the already flood-ravaged Philippines. Typhoon Parma sets sites on the Philippines, spawning President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to declare the entire nation under a "state of calamity" as anticipation builds. Residents of the Philippians are still in early stages of recovery after Tropical Storm Ketsana ravaged the islands with flood waters and mudslides, which stole the lives of 293 people, just last weekend! Parma is expected to strike the main northern Philippine island of Luzon on Saturday as the equivalent of a strong category 3, at least. With 3 million people already impacted by last week's tropical storm, they are undoubtedly distressed over the coming storm. As far as evacuations are concerned, in such a depressed area, you run into problems getting people to leave behind everything they own.

"There is some resistance because they don't want to leave their homes behind for fear of looting," Melchito Castro, the disaster response chief in one threatened district, the Cagayan Valley, told The Associated Press. "If they can't be persuaded, we will be forced to get all the children and minors."
~source

Fortunately, it looks like Typhoon Melor, which was hot on the heels of Parma, is expected to turn to the north and track toward Japan. Prayers are in order for the people in the path of these storms, that emergency management makes wise decisions, and lives are spared. God be with them.

~Dew