Super Typhoon Chanchu - Cat. 4

[HURAKAN]

http://traffic.td.gov.hk/SwitchCenter.do

Some rain begins to accumulate in the steets of Hong Kong. Nothing major, just a few showers seemed to have passed by.

[Jim Cantore]

Looks like Hong Kong has dodged another one

[CHRISTY]

CI# /Pressure/ Vmax
5.0 / 956.6mb/ 90.0kt

[CHRISTY]

[Coredesat]

17/0233 UTC 20.9N 115.7E T5.0/5.0 CHANCHU

[Coredesat]

17/0833 UTC 22.0N 116.5E T4.5/5.0 CHANCHU

[HurricaneHunter914]

landfall should happen later today.

[Yarrah]

I just watched a video that said the Chinese government has evacuated more then 10.000 people. Good to know they acknowledge the possible destruction and loss of lives this storm could bring.

[HURAKAN]

LANDFALL OCCURRING AS WE SPEAK!

[stormtruth]

I just watched a video that said the Chinese government has evacuated more then 10.000 people. Good to know they acknowledge the possible destruction and loss of lives this storm could bring.

It's a few more than 10,000 people evacuated. It's actually 600,000 evacuated

new story

[wxmann_91]

The Chinese population is huge. 600,000 is nothing. Thankfully, I think Aslkahuna allueded to this in another forum - the upper levels are still fairly dry as the result of the lingering effects of the Dry Monsoon, so that may lessen the flood potential.

[Yarrah]

Chanchu is already causing damage. Some things I saw on the news a few minutes ago:

- Landslides have been reported in the province of Fujian, but there are no reports of injuries or casualties
- An oil tanker has run aground near the coast of Taiwan because of the high waves caused by Chanchu. The thirteen people aboard were rescued by helicopter.

[stormtruth]

The Chinese population is huge. 600,000 is nothing. Thankfully, I think Aslkahuna allueded to this in another forum - the upper levels are still fairly dry as the result of the lingering effects of the Dry Monsoon, so that may lessen the flood potential.

It's not as big as the Rita evacuation from Houston that killed 50-75 people but moving 600,000 people around is not "nothing"

[terstorm1012]

The Chinese population is huge. 600,000 is nothing. Thankfully, I think Aslkahuna allueded to this in another forum - the upper levels are still fairly dry as the result of the lingering effects of the Dry Monsoon, so that may lessen the flood potential.

It's not as big as the Rita evacuation from Houston that killed 50-75 people but moving 600,000 people around is not "nothing"

i think he meant 600,000 moving around in China is nothing. There's more than 1.3 billion of them and they move very large amounts of people around on a fairly regular basis, for a variety of reasons.

[jasons2k]

Did anyone else see the news article where Chanchu was described as the most intense cyclone ever recorded in May in the Yellow Sea?

....all the records that were smashed in 2005.....dual cat 5's in Australia...and now this??

And the Australian storms seem like it was yesterday...and now the season has already started on the other side of the equator...something is up - and not just SSTs.

[jasons2k]

Funny thing, just after I posted my message I stepped into the elevator, and on the screen there was a news flash "April 2006 is warmest April on record for U.S."

[stormtruth]

Funny thing, just after I posted my message I stepped into the elevator, and on the screen there was a news flash "April 2006 is warmest April on record for U.S."

Yup, although I don't know how funny it is.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/Weather/wireStory?id=1969842

[cycloneye]

Bulletin issued at 04:45 HKT 18/May/2006
TROPICAL CYCLONE BULLETIN

HERE IS THE LATEST TROPICAL CYCLONE BULLETIN ISSUED BY THE
HONG KONG OBSERVATORY.

ALL SIGNALS WERE CANCELLED AT 4:40 A.M.

TYPHOON CHANCHU HAS LANDED TO THE EAST OF SHANTOU AND
CONTINUES TO MOVE AWAY FROM HONG KONG.



Made landfall very far north of Hong Kong.

[Matt-hurricanewatcher]

WTPN31 PGTW 172100
MSGID/GENADMIN/NAVPACMETOCCEN PEARL HARBOR HI/JTWC//
SUBJ/TROPICAL CYCLONE WARNING//
RMKS/
1. TYPHOON 02W (CHANCHU) WARNING NR 037
01 ACTIVE TROPICAL CYCLONE IN NORTHWESTPAC
MAX SUSTAINED WINDS BASED ON ONE-MINUTE AVERAGE
---
WARNING POSITION:
171800Z --- NEAR 23.4N 117.0E
MOVEMENT PAST SIX HOURS - 020 DEGREES AT 10 KTS
POSITION ACCURATE TO WITHIN 060 NM
POSITION BASED ON CENTER LOCATED BY SATELLITE
PRESENT WIND DISTRIBUTION:
MAX SUSTAINED WINDS - 075 KT, GUSTS 090 KT
BECOMING EXTRATROPICAL
RADIUS OF 064 KT WINDS - 030 NM NORTHEAST QUADRANT
OVER WATER
035 NM SOUTHEAST QUADRANT
020 NM SOUTHWEST QUADRANT
005 NM NORTHWEST QUADRANT
OVER WATER
RADIUS OF 050 KT WINDS - 050 NM NORTHEAST QUADRANT
OVER WATER
050 NM SOUTHEAST QUADRANT
040 NM SOUTHWEST QUADRANT
OVER WATER
030 NM NORTHWEST QUADRANT
OVER WATER
RADIUS OF 034 KT WINDS - 140 NM NORTHEAST QUADRANT
OVER WATER
140 NM SOUTHEAST QUADRANT
120 NM SOUTHWEST QUADRANT
OVER WATER
100 NM NORTHWEST QUADRANT
OVER WATER
REPEAT POSIT: 23.4N 117.0E
---
FORECASTS:
12 HRS, VALID AT:
180600Z --- 26.3N 118.7E
MAX SUSTAINED WINDS - 045 KT, GUSTS 055 KT
EXTRATROPICAL
VECTOR TO 24 HR POSIT: 030 DEG/ 17 KTS
---
24 HRS, VALID AT:
181800Z --- 29.2N 120.8E
MAX SUSTAINED WINDS - 030 KT, GUSTS 040 KT
EXTRATROPICAL
---
REMARKS:
172100Z POSITION NEAR 24.1N 117.4E.
TYPHOON (TY) 02W (CHANCHU), LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 170 NM EAST-
NORTHEAST OF HONG KONG, HAS TRACKED NORTH-NORTHEASTWARD AT 10 KNOTS
OVER THE PAST 06 HOURS. ANIMATED SATELLITE IMAGERY AND A 171432Z
AMSU-B PASS INDICATE THAT TY 02W HAS STARTED TO MAKE LANDFALL AND
CONTINUES TO TRANSITION TO AN EXTRATROPICAL CYCLONE. MAXIMUM SIGNIF-
ICANT WAVE HEIGHT AT 171800Z IS 17 FEET. NEXT WARNINGS AT 180300Z,
180900Z AND 181500Z.//

NNNN

[CHRISTY]

Chanchu at here best!