Samoa weather obs

[cycloneye]

http://weather.noaa.gov/weather/current/NSFA.html

Nothing serious so far there but that will change in the comming hours as Powerful Cyclone Olaf gets closer.

[cycloneye]

The winds are increasing there now and the pressure is falling rapidly.

http://weather.noaa.gov/weather/current/NSFA.html

[Scorpion]

Wow, I just noticed that he is spinning the complete opposite of normal hurricanes. Is this normal or some kind of anomoly?

[Rainband]

Wow, I just noticed that he is spinning the complete opposite of normal hurricanes. Is this normal or some kind of anomoly?

different hemisphere

[HurricaneBill]

I think Olaf will make landfall or closest approach around 1AM EST.

[cycloneye]

I think Olaf will make landfall or closest approach around 1AM EST.

Yes at the rate of speed between 5-10 knots Olaf is moving it looks reasonable that time.

[recmod]

Not having a great deal of exposure to tropical cyclones in hemispheres outside the atlantic, I'd like to toss out a question that maybe one of the more knowledgeable mets could answer. I know that the Western Northern Pacific is reknown for producing the world's most intense typhoons, but just how common is a category 5 storm in other basins? I am aware of Tropical Cyclone Tracy that hit Darwin, but aren't cat 5 storms quite rare ( I mean more rare than otherwise normal...no cat 5 situation is an everyday occurance!) in the region of the world where Olaf has formed?

Thanks for any input,
Lou

[MWatkins]

Wow, I just noticed that he is spinning the complete opposite of normal hurricanes. Is this normal or some kind of anomoly?

It's spinning the wrong way because it's in the southern hemisphere...all cyclones south of the equator rotate clockwise and high-pressure goes the other way.

I have always had a hard time processing images like this (southern-hemisphere tropical cyclones) subconsciously...my brain is just used to see these spinning the other way...it's hard to overcome that...

MW

[msbee]

MW
you haven't lived until you flush a toilet in the southern hemisphere and see the water spinning the wrong way

[Aslkahuna]

Based upon the normal number of Tropical Cyclones in the Southern Hemisphere on an annual basis (28), the number of storms of Cat 5 intensity should be 1-2/yr on average which is about what we see. In WPAC, it should be noted that out of the approximately 5 Supertyphoons that occur there per year only about 2 or 3 will reach Cat 5 intensity so Cat 5's are not common anywhere.

Steve

[cycloneye]

Based upon the normal number of Tropical Cyclones in the Southern Hemisphere on an annual basis (28), the number of storms of Cat 5 intensity should be 1-2/yr on average which is about what we see. In WPAC, it should be noted that out of the approximately 5 Supertyphoons that occur there per year only about 2 or 3 will reach Cat 5 intensity so Cat 5's are not common anywhere.

Steve

Thanks Steve for that information and it shows that even in the basins that are more active cat 5's are not too many in the tropics around the world.

[HurricaneBill]

Based upon the normal number of Tropical Cyclones in the Southern Hemisphere on an annual basis (28), the number of storms of Cat 5 intensity should be 1-2/yr on average which is about what we see. In WPAC, it should be noted that out of the approximately 5 Supertyphoons that occur there per year only about 2 or 3 will reach Cat 5 intensity so Cat 5's are not common anywhere.

Steve

I'd say out of all the basins, they are least common in the North Indian Ocean. The most recent there was the Super Cyclone of 1999.

Super Typhoon Gay from 1989 and the Cyclone of 1991 were also Category 5 cyclones.

[cycloneye]

Based upon the normal number of Tropical Cyclones in the Southern Hemisphere on an annual basis (28), the number of storms of Cat 5 intensity should be 1-2/yr on average which is about what we see. In WPAC, it should be noted that out of the approximately 5 Supertyphoons that occur there per year only about 2 or 3 will reach Cat 5 intensity so Cat 5's are not common anywhere.

Steve

I'd say out of all the basins, they are least common in the North Indian Ocean. The most recent there was the Super Cyclone of 1999.

Super Typhoon Gay from 1989 and the Cyclone of 1991 were also Category 5 cyclones.

Do you have data about if the Central Pacific Basin has seen cat 5's as it is the most less active basin?