west pacific Tropical Storm Kong-Rey

[Somerset Squall]

Tropical Storm Kong-Rey has formed just east of the Philippines overnight, with winds of 35kts according to JMA. Some shear is affecting the system, as evidenced by the almost entirely exposed LLCC on the northeast edge of an area of deep convection. Shear may ease a little over the next few days, allowing slow strengthening. Ridging to the east will steer Kong-Rey northwards parallel to the coast of Luzon and east of Taiwan over the next day or two followed by a track northeast as Kong-Rey reaches the northwest periphery of the ridge. As this turn occurs, shear will rise further, causing weakening as the system begins to approach Japan.

 

[Somerset Squall]

Moderate shear has prevented Kong-Rey from strengthening, and winds remain at 35kts. Convection remains sheared to the southwest of the exposed LLCC. Shear is still expected to ease over the next day or two, allowing strengthening to a strong tropical storm intensity. The track forecast remains the same- once Kong-Rey moves to the east of Taiwan it will swing northeast towards Japan. At this stage, cooling along track sea temps and increased shear will initiate weakening and extratropical transition. Kong-Rey is likely to have nearly completed this transition at landfall in Southern Japan.

[Coast]

 

 

The northwestern Pacific has generated its fourteenth tropical cyclone and NASA's Aqua satellite flew over the eastern side of the storm early on Aug. 26.

 

Tropical Storm Kong-Rey formed from low pressure System 91W. It is located east of the northeast Philippines and bringing the region gusty winds, rains and rough seas today, Aug 26. Aqua passed over Tropical Storm Kong-Rey on Aug. 26 at 0432 UTC/12:32 a.m. EDT as it was strengthening from a tropical depression into a tropical storm. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer or MODIS instrument aboard Aqua captured a visible image of Kong-Rey that showed a rounded circulation. Although MODIS did not capture any data over the Philippines, Kong-Rey is far enough east of the island nation that most of the storm was in its sights.

A tropical cyclone is made up of hundreds of thunderstorms and the MODIS imagery showed strong thunderstorms around the center of circulation that were casting shadows on the lower surrounding thunderstorms.

 

Satellite imagery also revealed banding of thunderstorms was beginning to occur. On Aug. 25 at 1500 UTC/11 a.m. EDT Kong-Rey's maximum sustained winds were near 35 knots/40 mph/55 kph. The storm was centered near 17.7 north and 123.9 east, about 241 nautical miles northeastward of Manila, Philippines, has tracked northwestward at 12 knots/13.8 mph/22.2 kph. Tropical Storm Kong-Rey was bringing rainfall to eastern Luzon. The forecast along the eastern seaboard of Central and Southern Luzon for Aug. 26 calls for cloudy skies with scattered to widespread rain showers and thunderstorms. According to PAGASA, the Phillippine Atmospheric and Astronomical Services Administration, winds in that area area expected to be sustained between 32 and 39 mph/52 and 63 kph/28 to 34 knots/ and seas are expected to be very rough as Kong-Rey continues moving past the northern Philippines. Kong-Rey is forecast to move northwest and move past Luzon and pass to the east of Taiwan on its northern journey.

 

 

 

http://phys.org/news/2013-08-nasa-tropical-storm-kong-rey-northwestern.html#jCp

 

[Somerset Squall]

Kong-Rey has strengthened today, and winds are now at 50kts. Convection is exploding directly over the LLCC, which is now competely covered by the convection. Kong-Rey continues north, and will be passing Taiwan to the east over the next couple days. Further strengthening is expected as shear continues to ease, at least temporarily. Kong-Rey is therefore forecast to become a minimal typhoon prior to the exttratropical transition still expected to occur as the system heads northeast towards Japan.

Kong-Rey is currently bringing very heavy rains to eastern Luzon. The same may occur for Taiwan, despite the strongest winds remaining offshore.

Edited August 27, 2013 by Somerset Squall

[Coast]

 

NASA satellite imagery on Aug. 27 showed that wind shear was having an effect on the thunderstorms in Tropical Storm Kong-Rey's northern quadrant.

 

NASA's Aqua satellite passed over Tropical Storm Kong-Rey on Aug. 27 at 0515 UTC/1:15 a.m. EDT and the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer took a visible image of the storm. The imagery showed that the northern quadrant of the storm had the weakest area of thunderstorm development as a result of northeasterly wind shear, while the southern and western quadrants had strong thunderstorms. Wind shear is expected to relax somewhat, allowing Kong-Rey to intensify over the next day before it begins weakening.

 

At 1500 UTC/11 a.m. EDT on Aug. 27, Kong-Rey's maximum sustained winds were near 50 knots/57 mph/92.6 kph and the Joint Typhoon Warning Center is predicting a slow intensification. Kong-Rey was centered near 20.5 north and 123.6 east, about 324 nautical miles south-southeast of Taipei, Taiwan. Kong-Rey is moving to the north at 8 knots/9.2 mph/14.8 kph. Kong-Rey is expected to pass east of Taiwan and then a mid-latitude trough (elongated area of low pressure) moving in from the northwest is expected to push the storm in a northeasterly direction and weaken it in the next couple of days

 

 

http://phys.org/news/2013-08-nasa-tropical-storm-kong-rey.html#jCp

[Coast]

 

Tropical Storm Floods Western Cities in Taiwan

 

Tropical Storm Kong-Rey battered Taiwan on Thursday, dumping more than 500 millimeters (19 inches) of rain on the heavily populated west coast and causing widespread flooding. Kong-Rey skirted the island's east coast before heading north toward Japan. It is expected to fizzle out over the western Pacific without causing additional damage.

 

Particularly hard hit in Taiwan were the large west coast cities of Chiayi, Tainan and Kaohsiung, where flooding in some areas reached second-story levels. In Tainan, officials evacuated 29 residents from a nursing home and cancelled some train services.

 

There were no immediate reports of casualties from the storm. Kong-Rey is the second major storm to hit Taiwan this month. Last week, a severe tropical storm dumped up to a meter (39 inches) of rain on the southern part of the island. High winds caused the cancellation of scores of international flights and in conjunction with the rain led to the disruption of high speed rail service between the capital of Taipei and Kaohsiung.

 

 

 

http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/tropical-storm-kong-rey-batters-taiwan-20102747

[Somerset Squall]

Kong-Rey peaked at 55kts, and has now weakened to 40kts under increasing shear. The storm has moved very close to Taiwan, bringing flooding here. Kong-Rey will soon turn northeastwards towards Japan and begin extratropical transition.

Edited August 29, 2013 by Somerset Squall

[Coast]

[Somerset Squall]

Kong-Rey has been declared extratropical as it moves into western Japan. The extratropical remnant will traverse Japan then move out into the open waters of the North Pacific. Tropical regeneration is not expected.