Hurricanes, Typhoons & Cyclones, oh my!

[Thorgalaeg]

Right. In the Southern Hemisphere, they're cyclones. In the Northern Hemisphere, east of the International Date Line, they're hurricanes; west of it, they're typhoons.

Which is unnecessary and problematic. How to call excepcional ones happening out of its typical zone? For instance Europe. We probably will have to face this nomenclature problem in the near future with GW and such.

 

[Lexicus]

Which is unnecessary and problematic. How to call excepcional ones happening out of its typical zone? For instance Europe. We probably will have to face this nomenclature problem in the near future with GW and such.

Just taking this opportunity to once again pitch the Lexicus System:

I just call them all hurricanes because thug life

Though I believe that even with global warming this type of storm hitting Europe is an extratropical cyclone, not a tropical cyclone, in which case I don't call it a hurricane.

​

 

[Naskra]

4 pm Wilmington NC, The nail parlor is still open. All others have thrown in the towel.

 

[Zkribbler]

South Carolina will not be moving its prison inmates.

 

[TheMeInTeam]

Which is unnecessary and problematic. How to call excepcional ones happening out of its typical zone? For instance Europe. We probably will have to face this nomenclature problem in the near future with GW and such.

From what I've heard, significant enough GW will disrupt the Gulf Stream, which puts Europe specifically in danger of actually being colder relative to other areas in the world. I don't think short term warming would be enough to compensate the difference, certainly not for hurricane strength retention as w/o Gulf Stream the northern waters would drain storm energy even faster.

Small consolation given the costs involved otherwise in such a scenario.

Anyway isn't tropical cyclone the generic term for these storms regardless of region? Doesn't roll off the tongue nicely, and people are probably going to misunderstand if you start abbreviating it with "TC" without sufficient context, albeit sometimes amusingly.

 

[Cutlass]

The US Coast Guard is also getting ready to rock n' roll. One thing I never thought of before, the Coast Guard has to account for and repair all of the navigational equipment on the coastline after the storm. Buoys, markers, signals. Do we still use any lighthouses?

There are lighthouses in use all up and down the coast. But most are now automated and many have been sold off.

 

[Arwon]

Which is unnecessary and problematic. How to call excepcional ones happening out of its typical zone? For instance Europe. We probably will have to face this nomenclature problem in the near future with GW and such.

When they move areas, they retain their original names but change their designation. Ioke was called both a Typhoon and a Hurricane as it moved across the Pacific. I don't think a cyclone has ever crossed the equator to become a typhoon, nor the reverse. Winds don't generally work like that.

The South Atlantic has only experienced one cyclone, Catarina in 2004. Its name is unofficial as nobody officially names them there, and the Portuguese article suggests it was called a cyclone there more than a hurricane.

I would suggest hurricanes hitting Europe would be very likely to be called Hurricanes per the current North Atlantic practice. Hurricane Vince didn't change names when it doubled back and hit Spain, Hurricane Ophelia likewise when it hit Ireland, and the Azores gets hit by hurricanes occasionally.

It's also pretty unlikely that a new hurricane generation zone will form around Europe, though I suppose the West African one could expand northwards towards Morocco and southern Iberia.

 

[Zkribbler]

 

[FriendlyFire]

At least the eye of the storm is expected to pass between Taiwan and Philippines
Then make landfall on China, Vietnam

Gyna needs stop with these global warming Hoax ! someone could get killed /s

Stay safe and if it makes you feel any better Australia is probably going to be also smashed by a Typhoon this year given the record Heat is creating ideal conditions. We have Taiwan relatives over currently they are sitting out the storm here in Sydney. I know it will be bad given the construction industry in Taiwan.

 

[Zkribbler]

At least the eye of the storm is expected to pass between Taiwan and Philippines

CNN just showed a graphic with the eye cutting across the north end of Luzon. If so, this will be a disaster. Millions of people live there. The terrain is very rough. Infrastructure is 3rd world. People are gonna die.

 

[Lexicus]

Florence is down to a Category 2, and looks like it will stay that way until making landfall and weakening fast.

 

[Zkribbler]

Florence is down to a Category 2, and looks like it will stay that way until making landfall and weakening fast.

Wind isn't the problem. All that time Florence spent as a Cat-4, it was building up a tidal surge and pulling up rainwater into the clouds. When it hits, that tidal surge will still be there; that rain is still going to fall.

 

[Lexicus]

The rain will be the big problem. But not having 140 mph winds can only be a good thing.

 

[Timsup2nothin]

The rain will be the big problem. But not having 140 mph winds can only be a good thing.

"There's fourteen feet of water in my living room, but at least the shingles didn't blow off my roof."

Number seventeen on the list of things I don't expect to hear from my friends in Carolina.

 

[Lexicus]

"There's fourteen feet of water in my living room, but at least the shingles didn't blow off my roof."

Number seventeen on the list of things I don't expect to hear from my friends in Carolina.

"The wind blew a car through my house" should be higher up on your list fortunately.

 

[Lexicus]

Anyway isn't tropical cyclone the generic term for these storms regardless of region?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extratropical_cyclone

 

[Lexicus]

 

[TheMeInTeam]

Wind isn't the problem. All that time Florence spent as a Cat-4, it was building up a tidal surge and pulling up rainwater into the clouds. When it hits, that tidal surge will still be there; that rain is still going to fall.

Wind is the prime cause of tidal surge. It's built up surge, but it's still good news to see weakening because you will get significantly less surge on landfall, usually several feet less. How is NC's continental shelf off the coast? East FL gets dangerous surge but much less than what New Orleans got owing to that alone. I don't think SC will see meaningful surge - it's going to be wind and rain there that are the big threats.

Also cat 2 vs 4 winds are a big difference for structures not immediately on the coast - high category winds are directly threatening and can destroy structures/kill people independently from flash flooding and surge.

A category 2 hitting NC/SC is still bad, but it's better than category 4. It will do less damage.

 

[Timsup2nothin]

Wind is the prime cause of tidal surge. It's built up surge, but it's still good news to see weakening because you will get significantly less surge on landfall, usually several feet less. How is NC's continental shelf off the coast? East FL gets dangerous surge but much less than what New Orleans got owing to that alone. I don't think SC will see meaningful surge - it's going to be wind and rain there that are the big threats.

Also cat 2 vs 4 winds are a big difference for structures not immediately on the coast - high category winds are directly threatening and can destroy structures/kill people independently from flash flooding and surge.

A category 2 hitting NC/SC is still bad, but it's better than category 4. It will do less damage.

"Higher number equals bad" is not a point anyone is likely to argue against. However, if this thing follows the currently estimated track which has the eye loitering just offshore for about 36 hours slinging rain without any reduction in power, it is going to be a gigantic mess. Probably a much bigger mess than a fierce of wind but small in size fast moving storm could ever cause.

Strange that I don't recall ever seeing one of these "hit and linger" rain monsters before last year, and now we are looking down the barrel of another one in a second year in a row. If this is the new normal the coasts might be in trouble.

 

[EgonSpengler]

Strange that I don't recall ever seeing one of these "hit and linger" rain monsters before last year, and now we are looking down the barrel of another one in a second year in a row. If this is the new normal the coasts might be in trouble.

I don't remember the details of Hurricane Harvey now, but Florence is being prevented from moving northeast by an unusual "high-pressure ridge" around New England. I don't know if the high-pressure ridge is related to climate change or just a fluke. I don't think Hurricane Sandy was one of these lingering "rain monsters", but it did create a huge stormsurge that happened to coincide with a high tide. I haven't looked at the schedule of tides in the Carolinas the next couple of days.