Typhoon Sepat may affect Hong Kong
Typhoon Sepat now rated (on CIMSS site) as Category 5 on Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale - strongest level there is. Few Cat 5 storms have even hit US, say: even Andrew was borderline 4 or 5, Katrina Cat 3 as it hit New Orleans, tho its main damage was thro floods rather than winds.
Still seems bound for s Taiwan, then on to se China, but wouldn't need much of a turn to west to blast us w some powerful winds and rain (tho direct hit still looks improbable).
Wind speeds of storms can fluctuate: Katrina reached Category 5 over the sea.
Seems to me, though, that these monster storms retain energy, even if max sustained winds drop; energy spreading into more general winds, and rainfall.
If this were bound for the US, would see it in news - maybe even as headline story, and as it approached shore, lines of vehicles heading away from coast.
But hey, it's a typhoon and in Asia, so not such a big deal...
(As I recall, a few years ago the SCM Post carried front page story w satellite photo re hurricane bound for US; at the time, a storm named York was moving towards us. The hurricane caused little trouble; York became only typhoon to directly hit HK in recent years. [somewhere around Category 1 - way short of Sepat]) [img width=420]http://www.hkoutdoors.com/components/com_joomlaboard/uploaded/images/sepatwinds16aug07.GIF[/img]
Sepat indeed moved as main forecastts predicted; now over se China, and tropical storm.
Maybe interesting to see this plot of estimated max sustained winds.
Shows fast strengthening, as above; then some moderating (still v strong!!) as "eyewall replacement" - with double eye for some time.
Winds picked up again; and then tailed off - surely as Sepat hit Taiwan then mainland China.
Just read of it leading to tornado over se China, 11 people dead (toll to rise as more info comes in?) [img width=580]http://www.hkoutdoors.com/components/com_joomlaboard/uploaded/images/sepatwindspeeds.GIF[/img]
Peculiar looking weather on Cheung Chau today.
Mist-cum-fog - don't think it's mainly smog, albeit had smog just as Sepat was nearing s China coast, bringing light northerlies to us. Looks like rain may imminent; yet not raining, and fresh sw winds blowing much of the time.
This as Sepat has faded to become low pressure area over se China; leading to us having southwest monsoon.
Checking real time weather info fo Cheung Chau: mostly there's been maintenance today, tho showing humidity over 90% just now. At Waglan Island, humidity mostly over 90% today.
Now, HK Obs radar shows thin line of rain/thunder storms just appearing to north of us, moving south. So maybe after such humidity and near fog, will get some rain, perhaps thunder, later in the day. [img width=420]http://www.hkoutdoors.com/components/com_joomlaboard/uploaded/images/PICT1108.JPG[/img]
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Just come across this on CIMSS site, showing how wind speed of Sepat has v quickly increased (and kept increasing; tho could fall away again somewhat); get fall in chart as winds build.
Now to over 200 km/hr.
From:
UW-CIMSS Automated Satellite-Based
Advanced Dvorak Technique (ADT)
Version 7.2
Tropical Cyclone Intensity Estimation Algorithm [img width=420]http://www.hkoutdoors.com/components/com_joomlaboard/uploaded/images/09WP.gif[/img]