Major cyclones in the Pacific

[Thomas Loades]

Right now, American Samoa looks to be in the firing line of supercyclone Olaf (cat. 4/5) and cyclone Nancy (cat. 3):
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/20050...02/s1303947.htm
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/20050...02/s1304526.htm
There was some mention of the cyclones merging, though I don't know if that's meteorologically feasible — at least in the sense that it would be some kind of super-supercyclone. (I'm also pretty sure this came up with Bonnie and Charlie or Ivan and Jeanne last year, but I can't remember what we had to say about it. :roll: )
[Broken External Image]:http://www.osei.noaa.gov/Events/Tropical/S_Pacific/2005/TRColafnancy045_G12L.jpg

 

[Jeff Snyder]

Well, if there's any good news, it looks like Olaf is to those islands as Ivan was to Jamaica -- a very close miss. Despite headings towards them, Olaf has jogged abruptly eastward for a while, and wion't like pass directly over them... Interesting... For those who are looking for track forecasts, etc., head on over to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center at http://www.npmoc.navy.mil/jtwc.html

 

[David Wolfson]

It's the Sudsy-Soapy Scale of Cyclone Intensity:

Cat 0: washcloths become airborne
Cat 1: wet bathtowels become airborne
Cat 2: clotheslines become airborne
Cat 3: clothes closets become airborne
Cat 4: clothes washers become airborne
Cat 5: washeterias become airborne

 

[Jeff Wear]

Originally posted by Chris Rozoff

NARRATIVE SYNOPTIC DISCUSSION FOR AMERICAN SAMOA AND
THE INDEPENDENT STATE OF SAMOA...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PAGO PAGO AS
ISSUED BY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
1000 PM SST TUE FEB 15 2005

SHORT TERM
TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY...
EXTREMELY POWERFUL TROPICAL CYCLONE OLAF IS CURRENTLY 94 MILES NORTH OF TUTUILA AND MOVING TOWARDS THE EAST-SOUTHEAST. ON ITS CURRENT TRACK...OLAF WILL PASS NEARBY NORTH OF TUTUILA BUT PASS MUCH NEARER OR OVER THE MANUA ISLAND GROUP. AS THE WINDS NEAR THE CENTER OF OLAF ARE ESTIMATED TO BE NEAR 150 MPH...WIDESPREAD DAMAGE WILL OCCUR WHEREVER THE EYEWALL IS EXPERIENCED. IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT WINDS THIS STRONG WILL HEAVILY DAMAGE OR DESTROY WELL-BUILT WOODEN STRUCTURES AND WILL CAUSE MEDIUM SIZED OBJECTS...SUCH AS WASHING MACHINES...TO BECOME AIRBORNE.

{Discussion Continues}

Are washing machine particularly more dangerous than your typical washing machine sized debris, or is there a washing machine plant in the area of these islands in question.

Chris[/b][/b][/quote]

Maybe they said that to scare off the TAP2 guy???!!!!! :lol:

 

[Thomas Loades]

Originally posted by National Weather Service - Honolulu@ HI

IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT WINDS THIS STRONG WILL HEAVILY DAMAGE OR DESTROY WELL-BUILT WOODEN STRUCTURES AND WILL CAUSE MEDIUM SIZED OBJECTS...SUCH AS WASHING MACHINES...TO BECOME AIRBORNE.

Ironically, one scene in the very brief news coverage on the event I've just seen included a refrigerator deposited onto a road. Forecasts aren't always dead-on.

 

[David Wolfson]

As I told Chris, I'm seriously honored by the award (but not, alas, yet humbled)!