Super Hurricanes?

[Thunder44]

Why does the West Pacific call their typhoons "Super" when they get really strong like Diamnu, but we don't called our Hurricanes in the Atlantic that? We just know them as major hurricanes. Anybody, who can answer please.

[Anonymous]

[HurricaneGirl]

All I know is that a "super typhoon" is a typhoon with winds that blow faster than 150 miles per hour.

[Anonymous]

We use major hurricane. But, if something is 165 mph like Isabel. hell, I'd say Superhurricane.

[SupertyphoonTip]

Adding the word "Super" to the "typhoon" gives an indication of its strength level. In the Atlantic and East Pacific, we don't need to add this because we have five categories of strength on the Staffir-Simpson Scale. However, these are normally not used with typhoons.

[Rainband]

They are two different regions with two different sets of rules. The WP has much warmer water and a lot of open water to travel over. Thats why these "super Typhoons" are much more likely in that region than here.

[vbhoutex]

Another thing to note here is that winds as reported in typhoons are based on 10 minute averages, not 1 minute averages like they are in the Atlantic basin. Basically that means the typhoons reported as having maybe a 130 mph wind are overall about 20% "stronger" than our storms in that the winds are blowing at an average of that speed for 10 minutes, not just one minute. As said above the waters they travel over are warmer and there is about twice as much of it to travel over giving the systems a better chance to be stronger. As far as the name super added to the word typhoon, versus major in the Atlantic, more than anything that is a choice of different agencies.

[Thunder44]

Adding the word "Super" to the "typhoon" gives an indication of its strength level. In the Atlantic and East Pacific, we don't need to add this because we have five categories of strength on the Staffir-Simpson Scale. However, these are normally not used with typhoons.

They don't use the Saffir-Simpson scale. Interesting.

[HURAKAN]

In the Indian Ocean, and Southern Pacific they have Severe Tropical Cyclones and Intense Tropical Cyclones.

[senorpepr]

Actually... in several military publications, they identify category 5 hurricanes in the ATL and EPAC as super hurricanes.

Actually, very few of the civilian gov't sites, (JMA, etc.) in the WPAC use the term super typhoon because they base their wind speeds from a 10-minute average. The JTWC normally spearheads the effort of calling cyclones of this calibur a super typhoon, since they do use 1-minute averages.

See the JTWC is a joint USAF-USN center, and based from what I said earlier about the "super-" prefix stemming from the military... that would further back that claim.

In short, Isabel and Mitch were super hurricanes. The NHC choose not to call them that.

[wxman57]

I've never heard Atlantic storms refered to as "Super Hurricanes", but there is a "Great Hurricane" classification that isn't used any more (since the Saffir-Simpson scale). I don't remember the exact threshold for an Atlantic hurricane becoming a "Great Hurricane", but I think it roughly coincides with Cat 3 of the Saffir-Simpson. Anyone else remember the Great Hurricane threshold?

[elw]

I've never heard Atlantic storms refered to as "Super Hurricanes", but there is a "Great Hurricane" classification that isn't used any more (since the Saffir-Simpson scale). I don't remember the exact threshold for an Atlantic hurricane becoming a "Great Hurricane", but I think it roughly coincides with Cat 3 of the Saffir-Simpson. Anyone else remember the Great Hurricane threshold?

Any hurricane with minimum pressure at or below 950mb.

[Aslkahuna]

was coined by JTWC many years ago to denote a storm with double the minimal intensity for a Typhoon. The term came about long before Saffir-Simpson.

Steve

[Aslkahuna]

Forecast Agencies in WPAC not only use 10 minute average winds but they also use a 10 minute wind of 100 km/hr as threshold for a Typhoon. A 10 minute 100 km/hr wind corresponds to roughly 65 kt one minute wind.

Steve

[senorpepr]

Ahhh... interesting stuff there Steve. Thanks!

[The Cape Cod Storm]

Hmmmm......Interesting. I mean this whole conversation..

[bevgo]

Great question and very interesting answers. Thanks guys!

[Windspeed]

Another thing to note here is that winds as reported in typhoons are based on 10 minute averages, not 1 minute averages like they are in the Atlantic basin. Basically that means the typhoons reported as having maybe a 130 mph wind are overall about 20% "stronger" than our storms in that the winds are blowing at an average of that speed for 10 minutes, not just one minute. As said above the waters they travel over are warmer and there is about twice as much of it to travel over giving the systems a better chance to be stronger. As far as the name super added to the word typhoon, versus major in the Atlantic, more than anything that is a choice of different agencies.

The JTWC that covers tropical systems in the Western Pacific uses 1 minute windspeed averages just like the NHC. The following being an example from their most recent report:

WTPN31 PGTW 171500
MSGID/GENADMIN/NAVPACMETOCCEN PEARL HARBOR HI/JTWC//
SUBJ/TROPICAL CYCLONE WARNING//
RMKS/
1. SUPER TYPHOON 09W (DIANMU) WARNING NR 019
01 ACTIVE TROPICAL CYCLONE IN NORTHWESTPAC
MAX SUSTAINED WINDS BASED ON ONE-MINUTE AVERAGE
---
WARNING POSITION:
171200Z1 --- NEAR 17.9N7 132.8E4
MOVEMENT PAST SIX HOURS - 295 DEGREES AT 09 KTS
POSITION ACCURATE TO WITHIN 040 NM
POSITION BASED ON EYE FIXED BY SATELLITE
PRESENT WIND DISTRIBUTION:
MAX SUSTAINED WINDS - 130 KT, GUSTS 160 KT

[hurricanemike]

1) JTWC in Hawaii uses a 1-min Avg, which is in line with the US Policy. They do not use the 10-min avg as the Regional Hub in Japan does or anybody else for that matter.

2) JTWC came up with the "Super Typhoon" title and nobody else reconizes it b/c the critria is based on 1-min avg.

[senorpepr]

If the storm continues to grow and winds increase to 130 knots sustained (not including gusts) or greater, it is classified as a super hurricane or super typhoon.