According to catastrophe risk modeling firm AIR Worldwide, tropical cyclone Choi-Wan, currently raging in the Pacific Ocean, is a Category 5 storm, or “super typhoon,” with wind speeds reaching 200 mph, 320 km/hr.
The storm has passed the Northern Marianas Islands and is moving at about sixteen km/hr (10 mph) toward the west-northwest. Its most recent position was about 470 kilometers (290 miles) north of Saipan, the largest of the Northern Marianas. AIR indicated that “Choi-Wan is expected to maintain its strength for another day before beginning to weaken and to track more to the north and then to the northeast, eventually passing about 485 kilometers (300 miles) to the south and east of Japan.”
According to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center’s 11:00 am Public Advisory, Super Typhoon Choi-Wan has maximum sustained winds of 258 km/hr (160 mph) with gusts to 315 km/hrph (195 mph).
“The storm developed rapidly from a tropical depression on Saturday, September 12th, to a tropical storm on Sunday—to a Category 5 Super Typhoon yesterday, just two days later,” stated Dr. Peter Sousounis, principal scientist at AIR Worldwide. “Choi-Wan developed somewhat farther to the east than has been typical this season, but that more eastern origin is consistent with the developing El Niño conditions in the Pacific basin.”
AIR explained that the term “super typhoon” is used for tropical cyclones in the Western Pacific” that reach maximum sustained 1-minute surface winds of at least 240 km/hr [150 mph], which is the equivalent of a strong Category 4 or Category 5 hurricane in the Atlantic basin.”
Choi-Wan is the 14th named storm of the northwest Pacific tropical cyclone season according to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) and is the strongest tropical cyclone to have developed this year in any basin.
Dr. Sousounis added: “Choi-Wan—in Cantonese, a type of cloud—shows an impressive system with deep convective banding that wraps into a center with a well-defined eye. Its radius of typhoon-force winds (119 km/hr (74 mph) extends outward for 120 kilometers (75 miles) and its winds are generating waves with heights of 12 meters (40 feet). Choi-Wan’s full structure, as seen by satellite, spreads across more than 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles) of ocean.”
AIR is monitoring Choi-Wan’s development and will provide additional information if warranted.
AIR also caught up with Koppu, the 15th named storm of the Pacific season. It made landfall on the southern coast of China on Wednesday, just south of Hong Kong with heavy rains and winds as high as 138 km/hr ((86 mph), along with “storm surge flooding.”.
“The remnants of Koppu will continue to batter Hong Kong today and bring moderate to heavy showers and thunderstorms to south China, Laos, and Vietnam, along with strong winds and dangerous surf throughout the region,” continued Dr. Sousounis.
Source: AIR Worldwide – www.air-worldwide.com
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