International Weather

Typhoon Pakhar Aims Rain, Wind towards Vietnam


                              Typhoon Pakhar showing an impressive cloud swirl on Friday, March 30, 2012. Southern Vietnam is to the left (west).(NRLMRY/MTSAT-2 image)
By , Senior Meteorologist
Mar 30, 2012; 7:54 AM ET
An unusual late-March tropical cyclone will send torrential rain and strong winds ashore in Vietnam over the weekend.
Tropical Storm Pakhar, which took shape over the southern South China Sea Thursday, could landfall in southern Vietnam by Saturday night or Sunday.
Excessive rain and flooding is possible over a wide area along and north of Pakhar's direct path. Damaging winds will be possible as well.
Friday, the center of Tropical Storm Pakhar was within about 300, or 480 km, east-southeast of Ho Chi Minh City, according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. At the time, highest sustained winds were 75 mph, or 120 km/h, with storm movement towards the west at about 3 mph.
A stretch of coast east of Ho Chi Minh City will be at greatest risk of a storm landfall, as shown by forecast tools available to AccuWeather.com
Flooding rainfall to at least 12 inches, or 30 cm, will be possible near the storm's track, but also northward along the coast to Nha Trang or even Qui Nhon.
Any widespread heavy falls of rain would be unusual, as March into April marks the latter part of the yearly dry season in southern Vietnam. For instance, normal monthly rainfall in March is less than 2 inches, or 50 mm. April is also normally a rather dry month along the coast, but can bring increasing rainfall inland.
The western North Pacific Ocean tropical basin is the most prolific in terms of number of named storms each year. However, March and April are within the seasonal lull in tropical cyclones.
On average, a named storm happens about once ever three years in March. April storm frequency is about two-fold that of March.
Meteorologist Eric Leister contributed to this story.




Heavy Rain and Flash Flooding in Fiji


                              Floodwaters rise on the main shopping street of Nandi, Fiji, Thursday, Jan. 26, 2012. (AP Photo/Pita Ligaiula)
By Eric Leister, Meteorologist
Mar 30, 2012; 9:20 AM ET
A tropical low pressure brought widespread flooding to parts of Fiji from Thursday night into Friday. The hardest hit areas were on the western side of the main island Viti Levu where the town of  Nandi has been cut off from other parts of the island.
Nandi, home to Fiji's International Airport, received over 11 inches of rain since Thursday, with rain still falling across the area on Friday night. The slow movement of the tropical low will result in a continuing threat for locally heavy rainfall through the weekend and possibly into early next week.
The heavy rainfall caused most flights to and from the International Airport to be canceled on Friday, while hundreds of people were forced from their homes and many stranded on rooftops.
The National Disaster Management Office says the water levels from this flooding event are higher than the flooding in January which was responsible for 11 deaths.
Other local communities have been cut off by raging flood waters as rivers overflowed their banks, forcing most schools to close on Friday.
No deaths have been reported thus far; however, life-threatening flooding will be possible through the weekend.






Pakhar Aims Rain, Wind towards Vietnam


                              Newly named Tropical Storm Pakhar already showed an impressive cloud swirl on Thursday, March 29, 2012. Southern Vietnam is to the left (west).(NRLMRY/MTSAT-2 image)
By , Senior Meteorologist
Mar 29, 2012; 7:54 AM ET
An unusual late-March tropical storm has potential to send torrential rain and strong winds ashore in Vietnam before the end of the week.
Tropical Storm Pakhar, which took shape over the southern South China Sea Thursday, could landfall in southern Vietnam by Sunday.
Excessive rain and flooding could spread over a wide area along and north of Pakhar's direct path. Damaging winds will be possible as well.
Thursday, the center of Tropical Storm Pakhar was within about 350 miles, or 570 km, east of Ho Chi Minh City, according to various official forecast agencies. At the time, highest sustained winds were reckoned to be at least 40 mph, or 65 km/h, with storm movement towards the west-northwest.
A stretch of coast east of Ho Chi Minh City will be at greatest risk of a storm landfall, as shown by forecast tools available to AccuWeather.com
Flooding rainfall to at least 12 inches, or 30 cm, will be possible near the storm's track, but also northward along the coast to Nha Trang or even Qui Nhon.
Any widespread heavy falls of rain would be unusual, as March into April marks the latter part of the yearly dry season in southern Vietnam. For instance, normal monthly rainfall in March is less than 2 inches, or 50 mm. April is also normally a rather dry month along the coast, but can bring increasing rainfall inland.
The western North Pacific Ocean tropical basin is the most prolific in terms of number of named storms each year. However, March and April are within the seasonal lull in tropical cyclones.
On average, a named storm happens about once ever three years in March. April storm frequency is about two-fold that of March.



AccuWeather.com - Ken Clark | Another Weekend Storm for California

Mar 22, 2012; 12:47 PM ET
An interesting last 24 hours for weather forecasters in the West. GOES-15, the western satellite that provides all sorts of data from satellite pictures to cloud and sounding data failed late yesterday and stopped transmitting. It took until later Thursday for the problem to be isolated but the satellite will not be back into commission any earlier than later Friday morning. This is important because it means the weather have a blind spot in satellite data and computer models will not have as much data in them until the satellite is back up and running. With another storm set to come inland across  California this weekend there is just a little less confidence than normal at this point on timing and precipitation amounts.
It's not a question as to whether it rain and snows, it a question now about when the important rain develops and moves away and how much precipitation there is. Today's models did a flip flop on the timing with the European now faster with rain moving in than the GFS. For days it has been the other way around. I am going to stick with the European as at least it has been consistent.
Rain moves into the Central Coast of California later Saturday night and spreads east and south late Saturday night and Sunday. Good rain and snow amounts are likely from about central California into southwest California. The heaviest precipitation may again be in parts of the southern third of the state. This will also be a pretty cold storm or at least become that way. The resorts in the south-central Sierra will get the most snow probably 15 to 25 inches above 7,000 feet with a foot down to 5,000 feet. Snow levels drop by late Sunday and Sunday night down to 3,500 feet. In southern California snow levels start out at around 6,000 feet or a little higher but drop to 5,000 feet late and  4,000 feet at night. Resorts in southern California pick up 1-2 feet with the highest amounts probably in the San Gabriel Range.
Rainfall amounts in central and southwest California will average 0.75 to 1.50 inches but with local amounts of 2-3 inches up favored topographical areas.
One thing this storm will not do is bring anywhere near the kind of precipitation to Arizona as the one did late last week into Monday. This is because instead of the storm plowing east it will lift northeast toward Utah. This could be a good precipitation producer for the Wasatch range but in northern Arizona snow and rain amounts are going to be far, far less than the last storm.
More details coming tomorrow.






AccuWeather.com - WeatherMatrix | Photo, Satellite Image Show Dust Storm -- At Sea

Mar 21, 2012; 9:25 AM ET
Gizmodo pointed out this NAVY photo this morning, showing a dust storm on an aircraft carrier at sea on March 19.
Dust storms routinely blow out to sea, especially in Africa and the Middle East. What's unusual here is that it's rare to see a "ground" photo of them on the ocean. What Gizmodo didn't show you was NASA's satellite photo of the event (also notice what appear to be "gravity waves" within the dust):
Gizmodo says "Nothing bad happened to the USS Carl Vinson, however. Just some serious visibility problems and probably a lot of clean up later."






Major Dust Storm Shrouds Iraq, Arabia


                              A dust storm shrouds a desert camp at Rawdatein, north of Kuwait City, on Saturday, March 17, 2012. (AP Photo/Gustavo Ferrari)
By , Senior Meteorologist
Mar 19, 2012; 1:40 PM ET
A major dust and sandstorm has swept over wide areas of the Mideast since late last week.
The choking, blinding airborne dust sent hundreds of people to hospital in Saudi Arabia, the Khaleej Times website, citing the AFP, said on Monday. Schools in parts of the kingdom were shut, the website also indicated.
The storm disrupted flights through Sanaa, Yemen. 
In Kuwait, 277 residents on the island of Failaka were evacuated by the coast guard of Kuwait, Al Watan Daily website said.
Drivers in the region were warned of very low visibility and strong winds. Weather data accessed by AccuWeather.com showed visibility down to one to two hundred yards at the height of the storm.
The dust and sandstorm was kicked up by a strong cold front beginning in Friday eastern Syria and northwestern Iraq. The strong winds and very low visibility spread quickly southeastward, enveloping Baghdad, Iraq, through Kuwait, on Saturday.
The rest of the Gulf region, spanning Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar and United Arab Emirates, was swept in clouds of thick dust and sand on Saturday night and Sunday.
Southern and western Arabia was caught up in the dusty shroud by Monday, some of the lowest visibilities being observed in Yemen.




Flooding Rain Pounds Australia


                              Photos.com/Johan Larson
By , Senior Meteorologist
Mar 19, 2012; 2:29 PM ET
Flash flooding has swept parts of northern Queensland after more than 20 inches of rain fell within two to four days.
Many roads were closed, including at least one major highway, the Australian ABC website said on Monday.
Rain continued falling heavily on Monday, and forecasters called for more heavy rain into Wednesday.
Extra swift-water rescue personnel were brought in, a regional rescue director said.
Heaviest rain, many spots having 250 to 500 mm (about 10 to 20 inches) since last Friday, pelted coastal Queensland from Cairns to Townsville and Mackay.
A 24-hour fall of 418 mm (16.5 inches) was registered at Black River north of Townsville, the ABC said. An automated rain gauge at another spot, Paluma, collected about 780 mm (almost 31 inches) of rain between Wednesday and Monday, the Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) website showed.
Meanwhile, another region, known as the Gulf Country, was also dealing with flooding sparked by the same tropical weather system.
The sparsely settled region bordering the Gulf of Carpentaria was washed by torrential rain unleashed by a tropical low between Saturday and Monday.
In Karumba, about 50 tourists were relocated from an inundated caravan park, the ABC said. Roads in the area were cut, as were five Gulf Country schools.




 Luck Not on Ireland's Side for Nice St. Patty's Day Weather
Photo of rain in Ireland by Brian Clayton/Flickr.
By , Senior Meteorologist
Mar 16, 2012; 10:44 AM ET
Anyone celebrating St. Patrick's Day in Ireland will have to add green umbrellas to their attire.
Numerous showers set to stream across Ireland on Saturday will prevent nice weather from complementing the nation's festive mood.
While the showers are not expected to unleash flooding downpours, any rain threatens to put a damper on outdoor activities scheduled for the holiday.
In addition to umbrellas, revelers should grab a jacket before heading out to celebrate.
Saturday's temperatures throughout Ireland will be held to the 40s (F, 4 to 9 degrees C), which is a bit cool for this time of year. Dublin, Ireland's capital, can anticipate a high of 46 degrees (F, 8 degrees C).
Dublin is once again hosting the highly-popular St. Patrick's Festival, which started today and runs until Monday.
The good news is that better weather awaits the second half of the festival.
Just one or two showers will linger into Sunday with dry weather and milder temperatures to follow for Monday.



 St. Patrick's Day Hurricane Threat for Australia
This satellite image from the Joint Typhoon Warning Center captured Tropical Cyclone Lua midday Friday (local time).

By , Senior Meteorologist
Mar 16, 2012; 10:02 AM ET 
St. Patrick Day's will be far from festive in North West Australia with hurricane-strength Tropical Cyclone Lua set to slam onshore.
Friday evening (local time, Friday morning EDT), Lua was churning off the coast of Australia with the strength of a Category 1 hurricane.
The warm waters of the Indian Ocean will help Lua's strength increase to that of a strong Category 2 hurricane with maximum sustained winds between 100 and 110 mph (160 and 175 kph) prior to the cyclone's St. Patrick's Day landfall.
The AccuWeather.com Hurricane Center has pinpointed Lua's landfall to midday Saturday (local time) near or just east of Port Hedland.
Destructive winds, flooding rain and inundating surf will accompany the cyclone onshore.
"Winds will diminish [Saturday night, local time] as Lua continues to move south across Western Australia. However, very heavy rainfall will continue along the path of the storm," stated AccuWeather.com Senior Meteorologist Tony Zartman.
"Rainfall amounts along Lua's path will reach 5 to 10 inches (12 to 25 cm) through the weekend, resulting in flash flooding," Zartman continued.
Even though Lua has yet to make landfall, it is already having an economical impact on Australia.
Bloomberg reports that the cyclone has forced companies to halt production at offshore oil fields that account for more than one-quarter of Australia's oil output.
Shipping of iron ore has been interrupted with the closure of Port Hedland in anticipation of Lua.
Lua is not the only adverse weather threatening Australia this St. Patrick's Day.
Zartman is concerned that an area of disturbed weather will unleash locally heavy rainfall across northern parts of the Northern Territory into northern Queensland through the weekend with the Cape York Peninsula especially at risk.
However, a twin of Tropical Cyclone Lua will not form from this disturbed weather. Tropical development, if any, will be slow due to the disturbed weather's proximity to land.


 Australia Cyclone Warning Hoisted as Lua Takes Aim

A strengthening Tropical Cyclone Lua is shown well off the North West of Australia on this Mar. 15, 2012, satellite shot. (BoM imagery)
Mar 15, 2012; 11:52 AM ET
Potentially destructive Tropical Cyclone Lua was poised Thursday for a late-week strike on the northwestern shores of Australia.
A Tropical Cyclone Warning was posted along the Pilbara coast by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BoM). A BoM Tropical Cyclone Watch was flying for a wide area inland and east of the warned area.
A late morning to midday, Saturday, local time, landfall on the Pilbara coast of Western Australia east of Port Hedland was forecast by the BoM.
Thursday, Lua effectively became a hurricane, its highest sustained winds estimated at 120 km/h (65 knots) by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC). The BoM classed Lua as a Category 2 cyclone on their own cyclone intensity scale.
The JTWC forecast Lua to strengthen to the equivalent of a Category 3 hurricane before landfall. Category 4 cyclone status ahead of landfall was projected by the BoM.
A storm of this strength would be capable of extensive damage. However, much of the Pilbara is sparsely settled, and the worst of the storm's potentially destructive winds and tidal flooding could easily miss the few towns in the area.
Flooding rain will spread southward along with Lua, likely reaching deep into the hinterland of vast Western Australia state.


Cyclone Watch for Australia North West
Mar 14, 2012; 9:51 AM ET
High wind threat from Tropical Cyclone Lua, a tropical storm gathering strength off Australia's North West at midweek, has prompted an official Tropical Cyclone Watch along a lengthy stretch of coast.
Lua could ultimately unleash destructive winds and flooding rain along the Pilbara Coast.
Wednesday, Australia's Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) posted the watch for the Western Australia coast between Mardie and Cape Leveque. The watch was for the threat of gales within 24 to 48 hours.
Wednesday evening, local time, the BoM located Lua about 490 miles northwest of Port Hedland, Western Australia. Having highest sustained winds near 100 km/h (50 knots), Lua was classed a "Category 2" cyclone on the BoM cyclone intensity scale.
Drifting somewhat erratically, Lua was forecast to hold well offshore through Thursday, according to the BoM. Later, a much-strengthened Cyclone Lua was expected to track south and east, potentially landing Friday as a dangerous storm along the Pilbara Coast, as the region is known.
Depending upon the path of Lua, offshore oil and gas production could be interrupted.
Onshore, impact will hang on the whereabouts of a landfall, as much of the Pilbara Coast is all but uninhabited. A strong landfalling cyclone would be capable of widespread wind damage, flooding rain and 
 tidal inundation.



Australia Facing Two Cyclone Threats
Two tropical weather systems are seen off northwestern Australia in this Mar. 13, 2012, image. Tropical Cyclone Lua is to the left. (Australia BoM image)
Mar 13, 2012; 10:41 AM ET
A pair of tropical weather systems lurking off Australia's north will pose a threat of adverse weather for a wide area of the country during the week.
An official Tropical Cyclone Warning has already been posted for a stretch of northern Australia, including the city of Darwin.
One of the two systems, a tropical low west of Darwin as of late Tuesday, local time, will make landfall from the Timor Sea as early as Wednesday, according to Australia's Bureau of Meteorology (BoM).
Already, localized torrential rain has pelted the coastal areas of Northern Territory and Western Australia, and the BoM warning calls for additional heavy rain, stream rises and possible flooding.
The BoM forecast the low to become at least a minimal tropical storm before landfall off the Joseph Bonaparte Gulf southwest of Darwin.
Farther west, Tropical Cyclone Lua was spinning off the far-northwest of Australia. Lua was drifting erratically and was not an immediate threat to land.
The BoM have forecast Lua to hover over open waters northwest of Port Hedland through at least Thursday, while strengthening significantly.
Likewise, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center have anticipated that Lua will hold at sea with slow, erratic movement through Wednesday, local time, before making a run at the coast near Port Hedland.
The likely path of Lua at sea could pass near some important oil and gas infrastructure.
Torrential rain and potentially damaging wind could spread ashore along with Lua during the latter half of the week.
 
Australia Facing Two Cyclone Threats


Afghanistan Snowslides Leave Scores Dead, Many Missing
March 8, 2012, photo shows relief helicopter at Rawanak, Shakay district, Afghanistan, following a deadly snow slide in Daspai. (AP Photo/Deb Riechman
Mar 12, 2012; 9:21 AM ET
A series of snowslides has swept through remote mountain villages of northeastern Afghanistan, leaving at 56 people dead, the Australian ABC website said on Sunday.
At least another 145 people were missing and "presumed dead" in the Shakay region of Badakhshan province, according to the United Nations.
The worst hit was Shirin Nazem, a village of more than 200 people, which was buried by a slide after days of snow followed by warming.
Fears are for further tragedies to come, owing to not only the heavy snow, but also to coming snowmelt and flooding. "Heavy snows will result not just in avalanches but also, in a few weeks' time, severe flooding in many parts of the country," humanitarian coordinator Michael Keating.
ABC called the winter, which has been marked by unusually heavy snowfall, "Afghanistan's harshest" in 15 years.
At least 50 people of Badakhshan also died in a March 4 avalanche, according to multiple reports.
 
Afghanistan Snowslides Leave Scores Dead, Many Missing


Record Heat Cooks Perth, Australia
Photos.com image
Mar 12, 2012; 9:21 AM ET
Perth's summer of 2011-2012 has landed in the record books, following a historical first eighth heat wave.
The heat wave was an apparent factor in a bushfire described as "fierce" and "threatening lives and homes," the Australian website said on Monday.
The record-breaking hot blast began Friday, culminating in Sunday's high of 41.4 degrees C (107 F). Monday's high of 40.6 C (105 C) extended March's second major heat wave to a fourth day, the Australian indicated.
A heat wave is defined by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) as three-straight days of 35 degrees C (95 F).
Only one other month of March, that of 1988, saw more than one heat wave beset western Australia's biggest city, according to the BoM.
The summer has been consistently hot, average temperature since Dec. 1 being 3.3 degrees C (6.0 F) above normal at the Perth Airport, the AccuWeather.com database showed.
The abnormal heat was nearly as severe as that of the preceding summer.
Perth's geographical location allows its summers to be moderated by the nearby Indian Ocean most of the time.
Still, blistering heat off deserts to the north and east normally wafts in at least a few times each summer.
But the present summer season has had persistent warmth together with its repeated hot outbreaks. 

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