WPAC: FANAPI - Tropical Depression (1011/12W/Inday)

[ResidentOfTaiwan]

Helo!
This is a great forum. I found this thread very informative. Thank you!

There is a forum in Taiwan for expats with a thread discussing Fanapi. You can find it here:
http://www.forumosa.com/taiwan/viewtopi ... 7#p1203047

I'm sorry if this looks like I'm a spammer. Actually, the mods at that forum are pretty tight and you have to wait for days to be approved before you can post, so honestly, this isn't spam. I just saw that someone in this thread was wishing for Taiwan people to talk to, and this is the hookup. You people here are much more informed than the posters on the Taiwna forum, so thanks again.
I posted a link to this thread in the Typhoon thread on the Taiwan expat forum. Maybe some people who live in disater-prone areas will come here and chat with you. Thanks for the info! I'm bookmarking this site

Adam

[Infdidoll]

Adam,

Thanks for checking in with us. Just wanted to let you know you guys have friends here. My husband is actually currently out on a Navy ship nearby and I'm sure they are preparing to come offer assistance if needed. He said they are all loaded up on disaster relief supplies for occasions such as this. I remember all too well how bad Morakot was for you guys and I know you can NEVER predict what can happen in a storm's aftermath. You guys might come out without a scratch or you might have severe flooding. I hope it's the former.

Please feel free to join the conversation here! We're thinking about you over here in Okinawa and praying you're all safe. I'll come check out the forum you mentioned.

[ResidentOfTaiwan]

Thanks Infidoll!
Is this website for meteorologists? You people are wicked smart about typhoons!

[RobWESTPACWX]

Thanks Adam, will be sure to stop by this forum, thank you very much for sharing this, I just started on this forum as well recently as well. Its great and yes there are a lot of very informative people here.

[Infdidoll]

No, everyone isn't a meteorologist...I think that's what makes this forum special. Everyone is welcome into the conversation, meteorologists, amateur meteorologists, weather enthusiasts, aspiring meteorologists and even those just up late and Googling everything about typhoons because they've never been hit by one before and are scared to death. Most people are pretty friendly here and patient with those just learning all the terminology and how things work. I've only been on here about a year. Some of the veteran meteorologists have provided priceless education here about their experiences.

[ResidentOfTaiwan]

That's wonderful, Infidoll! I'm hooked already.
During Typhoons us Taiwan expats like to gather on the internet and talk about the conditions outside our homes and in Taiwan. I hope we never see another Morakot, but following the progress of a typhoon fascinates me.

[Chacor]

Ishigaki-Maezato reported 27 m/s (52 kt, 60 mph) at 2000 local (an hour ago).

[Chacor]

I'm really not sure what the Taiwan Central Weather Bureau are doing by putting Fanapi's pressure at 950 hPa when recon earlier today clearly found pressures in the high 930s to 940s, and JMA has it at 940.

[TaiwanGuest]

Hi everyone. I'm a member at Forumosa.com and, due to another poster's post about this site, decided to check you guys out and maybe offer some perspective.

I'm down south in Kaohsiung, on the opposite side of the island, facing China. So far, we only have that heavy before-the-storm feeling and a gust up of wind every now and then, but the air here has been pregnant with this storm for almost a week already. Apparently, it is expected that the storm will cross the island and hang out in the strait for a while--and then I'll be facing the back side of this enormous storm. I'll try to keep you posted.

BTW, you photos of the storm here are beautiful! Kind of an ironic beauty, maybe, for something so potentially destructive.

[RobWESTPACWX]

Taiwan Guest,

Thanks for your post here, you don't realize how much observations from people right on the ground are greatly appreciated. By far the best tool when forecasting a storm.

Good thing think you are the Strait side, still there may be a little re-strenthging as you seem well aware of. I know its getting late but keep us informed if possible!

[RobWESTPACWX]

CHACOR,

I understand why they may only think its at 950mb, they may be using a different scale for measuring pressure than JTWC. Also the closest ob I can find out of MiyakiJIMA is showing 988mb. If you see anything else lower let me know (likely there is but not by much)

930mb just seems exceptionally low. Not disagreeing with them, just my personally opinion.

[RobWESTPACWX]

Eye wall is evident on Taiwan Radar now...


Japan radar as well... (jaw dropping)

[Chacor]

CHACOR,

I understand why they may only think its at 950mb, they may be using a different scale for measuring pressure than JTWC. Also the closest ob I can find out of MiyakiJIMA is showing 988mb. If you see anything else lower let me know (likely there is but not by much)

930mb just seems exceptionally low. Not disagreeing with them, just my personally opinion.

JTWC (which doesn't include pressures with their warnings) uses the Atkinson-Holliday WPR. Recon is what found the 935 mbar (extrap)/940 mbar (VDM) earlier today. I don't see how anyone can disagree with an actual recon observation.

[ResidentOfTaiwan]

Taiwan Guest,

Thanks for your post here, you don't realize how much observations from people right on the ground are greatly appreciated. By far the best tool when forecasting a storm.

Good thing think you are the Strait side, still there may be a little re-strenthging as you seem well aware of. I know its getting late but keep us informed if possible!

Thank YOU! I think you'll enjoy checking the Forumosa.com throughout the night, too, if you're awake. Typhoons tend to wake you up with howling winds and make you run to your computer to check for comfort and finding out how close the eye is to where you live, at least that's what I usually do. We get a lot of typhoons here, so most of us have a keen interest and enjoy talking about them.
I heard it's expected to affect Taipei closer to tomorrow afternoon. I'll be around to update you. Thanks so much!

[Chacor]

Both Ishigakijima Airport and Ishigaki-Maezato reporting 30-31 m/s (near typhoon-force) sustained winds.

[Chacor]

The wind field of Fanapi is very big. JTWC's forecast 34-knot [tropical storm-force] wind radius covers pretty much the whole of Taiwan. JMA's 30-knot wind field is similarly large (330 km diameter).

[Chacor]

Impressive Dvorak enhancement IR:

[RobWESTPACWX]

Charcor,

Awesome! This is why I love this sight, I didn't even think about the recon, usually they are not flown in to the storms. Thanks!

So in that case I will be one to say ( I retract my past statement)

[Chacor]

Indeed, there hasn't been sustained WPac recon for a few decades now (nearly two decades, I think).

However, there are occasional multi-national studies that use recon. There was TPARC in 2008 (when recon flew into Super Typhoon Jangmi and found 905 mbar), and this year there's ITOP. Look in the past few pages (page 6 I think) for info.

[RobWESTPACWX]

Either way I'm grateful, I'm sure JT and JMA and the other agencies are as well..