Tropical Storm/Typhoon affecting the Olympics?

[alan1961]

Whats the odds on a Tropical Storm/Typhoon affecting the Olympics at some point?..got to be a above average chance in the next 16 days i would of thought

[Chacor]

Already did. STS Kammuri disrupted equestrian preparations in Hong Kong, which is holding the equestrian events.

[alan1961]

Already did. STS Kammuri disrupted equestrian preparations in Hong Kong, which is holding the equestrian events.

Well yes i suppose you can include that but the official opening ceremony was today (whichever time zone we are in ) which is day1 so shall we count from now chacor

[Mecklenburg]

nah... Beijing is not very typhoon-prone... it's so far north.. and much too inland

[Chacor]

nah... Beijing is not very typhoon-prone... it's so far north.. and much too inland

Do you even KNOW what you are talking about? Beijing gets whacked by the latter stages/transition stages of tropical storms a few times every season. Also, the football matches are being played all over the country including Shanghai, while Equestrian is held in Hong Kong. Both Shanghai and Hong Kong get a number of typhoons a year.

[CrazyC83]

Have the Olympics ever been impacted by a full-strength tropical cyclone? I wonder what contingency plans would be in place for coastal cities.

[Chacor]

Have the Olympics ever been impacted by a full-strength tropical cyclone?

The Games aren't normally given to really coastal cities though. The last few Games, at least going back to 1976, that faced the possibility of cyclones were Beijing, Atlanta, and Seoul. The others — Athens, Sydney, Barcelona, Los Angeles, Moscow, Montreal — had no such threat at all.

[alan1961]

As some events like Chacor pointed out are being played out in Shanghai and Hong Kong we would have to include them as potential targets for a storm even though the main Olympic venue is Beijing.

[CrazyC83]

The Olympic cities since 1896 and their potential:

No threat - Antwerp 1920, Berlin 1936, Helsinki 1952, Melbourne 1956, Munich 1972, Moscow 1980

Minimal threat (freak event, usually remnants) - Athens 1896/2004, Paris 1900/1924, St. Louis 1904, London 1908/1948/2012, Stockholm 1912, Amsterdam 1928, Rome 1960, Barcelona 1992

Low threat (may get tropical storm conditions) - Los Angeles 1932/1984, Montreal 1976, Sydney 2000, Beijing 2008

Moderate threat (may get hurricane conditions, but rare) - Mexico City 1968, Seoul 1988, Atlanta 1996

Significant threat (hurricane conditions on a regular basis) - Tokyo 1964

Highest threat (major hurricane conditions on a regular basis) - (none)

[CrazyC83]

As some events like Chacor pointed out are being played out in Shanghai and Hong Kong we would have to include them as potential targets for a storm even though the main Olympic venue is Beijing.

That's very true. Beijing is at about 40°N (its geographic position on the Chinese mainland would be similar to, say, central/western Pennsylvania on the US mainland) and would need a strong typhoon to punch right into the Yellow Sea to impact it at significant levels. While tropical storm conditions (based on 1-min winds) are quite possible there, typhoon conditions aren't likely. Qinhuangdao (a soccer venue) is right on the Yellow Sea on the northeast side and the threat there is only slightly greater.

The strongest I can see hitting Shanghai (based on the 1985-2005 map) was a Category 2. Qingdao (sailing venue) has had tropical storms in that period but no typhoons, however at least a Category 1 is certainly possible there. Hong Kong is definitely at considerable risk for even severe typhoons.

[zaqxsw75050]

Hong Kong pretty much get Tropical Storm condition at least once every year, just like not long ago.

[alan1961]

Well just when i thought the olympics were going to be storm free along comes typhoon Nuri, according to NRL it was due to swing away from Taiwan and head back out to sea but the track as changed to the chinese mainland and if that track holds maybe Beijing may get some affects from a storm afterall..or maybe Shanghai

[Chacor]

It won't reach either city before the Closing Ceremony.

[alan1961]

is the closing ceremony next saturday?

[Chacor]

Sunday 24 /12z.

[masaji79]

I think the only time the Olympics has been disrupted by a Typhoon or Hurricane was in 1964 during the Tokyo games. Typhoon Wilda caused some disruptions in some events, if I remember correctly. Memory can be hazy sometimes.