south west pacific Severe Tropical Cyclone Pam

[Nouska]

A last minute wobble? may spare them from the direct intensity of the eye but impacts will still be devastating.

 

[knocker]

Category 5 Tropical Cyclone Pam Makes a Direct Hit on Vanuatu

 

The South Pacific island nation of Vanuatu is taking an extreme pounding from the 165 mph winds of Category 5 Tropical Cyclone Pam, one of the strongest tropical cyclones ever recorded in the waters east of Australia. According to microwave satellite images from the Navy Research Lab, the eye of Pam passed directly over several small islands north of the main Vanuatu island of Efate near 4:05 am EDT March 13, making Pam Earth's first landfalling Category 5 tropical cyclone since Super Typhoon Haiyan hit the Philippines in November 2013. Pam is continuing southwards, and its western eyewall passed over the eastern side of Efate Island near 8 am EDT. Efate is the most populated island in Vanuatu, with a population of 66,000, and is home to the capital city of Port Vila. With top sustained winds of 165 mph as of 8 am EDT Friday, as estimated by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC), eastern Efate likely experienced severe to extreme damage from Pam, even though the island was on the weaker (left front) side of the eyewall. Fortunately, Port Vila is on the southwest side of the island, and missed the eyewall. Observations from Port Vila remained online through Pam's closest approach, and a minimum pressure of 942 mb was recorded, with top winds of 31 mph, gusting to 59 mph. A Personal Weather Station in Port Vila had received 4.69" of rain from the storm as of 4 am EDT Friday, before going off-line. The official tropical cyclone warning center for the area, the Fiji Meteorological Service, estimated that Pam bottomed out with a central pressure of 899 mb at 8 am EDT Friday.

 

http://www.wunderground.com/blog/JeffMasters/comment.html?entrynum=2934

 

http://earth.nullschool.net/#current/wind/surface/level/orthographic=159.14,-9.23,819

Edited March 13, 2015 by knocker

[Chris W]

Yes, pretty much a direct hit on Port Vila itself too - within around 15-30km of the eye. Twitter reports are grim reading, 44 deaths feared at present and widespread damage and flooding. Hoping & praying for the best possible outcome.

Edited March 13, 2015 by Chris W

[Atmogenic]

Have you guys seen the latest picture of the three tropical cyclones NASA has posted 5 hours ago

 

[Chris W]

Reports from Vanuatu are sparse, with lines of communication down & the cyclone only just beginning to move away.

[stodge]

Evening all

 

A horrific storm and one can only hope the death toll on Vanuatu is not as great as some fear. The destruction of Port Vila mirrors what we've seen in parts of the Caribbean following a hurricane.

 

As for New Zealand, no suggestion of direct landfall with the storm veering SE away from the country. That said, Northland, the Bay of Plenty and East Cape are in for some very strong winds and heavy rain and it shouldn't be forgotten there's some quite low-lying coastal areas there so flooding is possible

[Chris W]

Here's a link to read regarding donations to post-cyclone recovery in Vanuatu, there have been major agricultural impacts:

https://www.facebook.com/events/804076756337342/

 

Nine News Australia also reported that half of Tuvalu's population was displaced by Pam.

 

Here she is approaching NZ, and already beginning to impact Northland.  Gisborne, East Cape and Bay of Plenty are in for a particularly rough time from what will remain a very intense extratropical cyclone (currently beginning transition, and was still sporting an clear eye at 27 degrees south this morning):

 

Edited March 15, 2015 by Chris W

[Somerset Squall]

Quite remarkable a cyclone with tropical characteristics in such close proximity to New Zealand, though perhaps not surprising given Pam's past extreme intensity and it's very fast movement over the last day.

The aftermath for Vanuatu certainly looks grim. My thoughts go out to all affected. I love watching tropical cyclones and marvel at their beauty, but it is so sad when they are as destructive as Pam was.

[Kentish Kiwi]

Any chance somebody could clear up to me whether Pam is still considered a tropical cyclone?

 

All the major news outlets in NZ are reporting it as 'tropical cyclone Pam'. Obviously these can be quite misleading and mostly they don't understand that there are certain characteristics needed to be classed as a tropical cyclone... NZ Herald even reported that Pam had 'been downgraded to a category 4 cyclone' which is a bit of a joke (pretty sure it's weaker than that now!).

 

To my knowledge only one true tropical cyclone has ever hit NZ having not already turned extra-tropical. But Pam does seem to have retained a lot of it's structure and there are still 20c 850 hPa temps at it's core?

Edited March 15, 2015 by Kentish Kiwi

[Chris W]

Pam was transitioning yesterday, so the media are not correct. However, as it has only done so very recently some confusion is understandable.

4-7m swells and 144kmh gusts reported from near Whangapararoa last night.

 

Edit - Pam has now been formally reclassified as an intense extratropical cyclone by Metservice:  http://blog.metservice.com/2015/03/cyclone-pam-latest-update-7am-monday-16th-march/ 

Edited March 15, 2015 by Chris W

[stodge]

The storm passed by the North Island without too much incident it seems. Some slight coastal damage and power outages but nothing too severe.

 

The next problem is or are the tiny Chatham Islands wit a population of 650. As far as I can tell, Pam is going to get pretty close to the islands and there are some obvious concerns.

[Chris W]

There were high rainfall totals in the East Cape, but mostly nobody lives there.  There were 100 evacuees around Gisborne and as mentioned the coast took a bit of stick, but otherwise not too bad.  Waves were up around 7-9m in places.

 

3m swells today along the Pegasus Bay coast including Christchurch - SW winds are fresh around the 40kmh mark here (max we got was 50kmh on the very fringes of the storm).  Yesterday was horizontal drizzle all day, but only 7mm of it!  Really struggled to rain here this year.  Photos included:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/67425032/Cyclone-Pam-remnants-touch-Christchurch

 

Chathams next, mean speeds 80kmh and gusting 110 - thinking of those guys now.

Edited March 17, 2015 by Chris W

[Jo Farrow]

This graphic was on the BBC News website and shows which islands Pam came closest to on her journey south 

https://forum.netweather.tv/gallery/image/21056-cyclone-pam/

[Chris W]

Not forgetting the Chathams Jo:

http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/first-dramatic-photos-cyclone-pam-smashes-into-chatham-islands-6257255

[Jo Farrow]

Not forgetting the Chathams Jo:

http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/first-dramatic-photos-cyclone-pam-smashes-into-chatham-islands-6257255

I had to look up where they were

[Chris W]

Due east of Christchurch, pretty much.  I know very little else about them!

 

She was 949hPa around the Chathams after merging with a Tasman Sea cold front and becoming very large.  Still 976hPa and giving us showers here on her very northwestern fringes - 3 days of southwesterlies and drizzle/showers.

 

I'll sign off on this one with a request to consider giving to Vanuatu's emergency response, and a Cyclone Pam wrap-up by NZ Metservice:

http://blog.metservice.com/2015/03/tc-pam-summary/