|
Typhoon Sudal, known in the Philippines as Typhoon Cosme, was the strongest typhoon to strike the island of Yap in the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) in about 50 years. Yap is one of the four administrative divisions of the FSM. The entire island, only in length, experienced typhoon force winds, and 90% of the structures were damaged or destroyed. Damage was most severe in southeastern Yap, where the eyewall struck and winds exceeded 185 km/h (115 mph), but the center of the typhoon passed south of the island. Typhoon Sudal originally formed on April 2, 2004 out of a persistent area of convection east of the FSM. It moved mostly westward for the first week of its duration, with brief northerly and southwesterly turns. Sudal attained tropical storm status on April 5, and it gradually intensified into a typhoon, which is a tropical cyclone with winds of at least 119 km/h (74 mph) and is the equivalent of a hurricane in the Atlantic Ocean. On April 9, it passed just south of Yap, and shortly thereafter its peak winds were estimated at 240 km/h (150 mph). Later, Sudal moved to the northwest and eventually to the northeast, becoming an extratropical cyclone on April 16 and dissipating two days later. In addition to the damage on Yap, the typhoon dropped heavy rainfall in Chuuk in the Federated States of Micronesia, where some minor crop damage occurred. Sudal also brushed the United States islands of Guam and Rota with high waves and light rainfall, and later moved very close to the uninhabited Japanese island of Iwo Jima. Overall damage was $14 million (2004 USD, $16.1 million 2010 USD), most of which was on Yap, although no fatalities or serious injuries were reported. Due to the heavy damage, the name was retired and replaced with Mirinae. The name "Sudal" was contributed by South Korea for the Pacific tropical cyclone list and is the Korean name for the otter.〔 ==Meteorological history== The origins of Typhoon Sudal were from a persistent area of convection, or thunderstorms, southeast of Pohnpei in the Federated States of Micronesia toward the end of March 2004. Initially, it was in an area of high wind shear, which is the change in wind direction with height and is unfavorable for tropical cyclogenesis. The unfavorable conditions gradually abated, which allowed convection to increase over a broad, developing circulation center. On April 2, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) classified the system as a weak tropical depression near Chuuk in the FSM. It was later classified with the international designation of 0401, meaning it was the first tropical cyclone of 2004.〔 〕 Slow development continued as the system moved slowly westward, and two days later it was classified as Tropical Depression 03W by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC); this was the third tropical cyclone tracked by the agency. Shortly thereafter, the JTWC upgraded the depression to tropical storm status, after convection increased over the circulation.〔 While steadily intensifying, the system turned toward the north. On April 5, the JMA named the system Sudal, after assessing its maximum sustained winds at 65 km/h (40 mph 10-min sustained).〔 Concurrently, the JTWC estimated winds of 100 km/h (65 km/h 1-min sustained).〔 After crossing over the island of Poluwat,〔 a building ridge to the north caused Sudal to turn west-southwestward. On April 6, an eye feature began forming, and the JTWC upgraded Sudal to typhoon strength about southeast of Guam, a small island under possession of the United States.〔 The JMA did not follow suit until late the following day,〔 by which time the eye had become more distinct.〔 Around that time, the typhoon turned toward the northwest, and initially it was thought that Sudal would pass safely north of Yap in the FSM.〔 Instead, it turned to the west-southwest toward the island as the ridge intensified. On April 8, the typhoon intensified rapidly; the JTWC reported winds of 215 km/h (135 mph 1-min sustained), or the equivalent of a Category 4 on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale. Weakening slightly as its forward motion slowed, Typhoon Sudal passed about south of Yap at 0000 UTC on April 9, which was its closest approach to the island.〔 Intensification continued throughout the day on April 9, with the appearance of concentric eyewalls on satellite imagery; such a feature is indicative of an intense tropical cyclone. Early on April 10, the JTWC estimated that Sudal attained peak winds of 240 km/h (150 mph 1-min sustained), making the cyclone a super typhoon.〔 At the same time, the JMA estimated peak winds of 165 km/h (105 mph 10-min sustained), as well as a barometric pressure of 940 mbar (27.76 inHg).〔 Also on that day, Sudal entered the area of warning responsibility of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), which provided the name "Cosme" for local advisories. For several days, the typhoon continued to the northwest, fluctuating in intensity but remaining powerful. On April 12, Sudal turned toward the north and northeast through a weakness in the ridge, and its eye increased to a diameter of about . The next day, the typhoon attained a secondary peak intensity of 230 km/h (145 mph 1-min sustained), although it gradually weakened subsequently due to a combination of increasing upper-level wind shear and cooler water temperatures.〔 Early on April 15, Sudal passed very near the uninhabited Japanese island of Iwo Jima as a rapidly weakening typhoon; at the time, its circulation center was exposed from the deepest convection.〔 Shortly thereafter, both the JTWC and JMA downgraded Sudal to tropical storm status.〔〔 Late on April 15, the JTWC assessed the storm as becoming extratropical, although the JMA maintained advisories until the following day. As an extratropical storm, Sudal continued northeastward until losing its identity early on April 18, well east of Japan and far south of the Aleutian Islands.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Typhoon Sudal」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|