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Tropical Storm Mekkhala (2008)
Encyclopedia
Tropical Storm Mekkhala (international designation: 0816, JTWC
designation: 20W) was recognised as the 16th Tropical Storm of the 2008 Pacific typhoon season by the Japan Meteorological Agency
who are the Regional Specialized Meteorological Centre
for the North Western Pacific Ocean
. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) have also recognised Mekkhala as the 20th tropical depression, and the 18th tropical storm of the 2008 Pacific typhoon season
.
On September 25 the Joint Typhoon Warning Center identified a tropical disturbance in the Gulf of Tonkin. On September 27 the Japan Metrological Agency, reported that the disturbance had become a tropical depression whilst the JTWC issued a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert. During the next day the JTWC designated the depression as 20W. The JMA reported that the depression had intensified into Tropical Storm Mekkhala on September 29. Later that day the JTWC also upgraded the depression to Tropical Storm status. Early the next day the JMA reported that Mekkhala had intensified in to a severe tropical storm. Later that day the JMA downgraded Mekkhala to a tropical storm and then both the JTWC and the JMA reported that Mekkhala had weakened in to a tropical depression as they released their final advisories. Within their best track the JMA reported that Mekkhala had never reached severe tropical storm status.
, within the Gulf of Tonkin
on September 25, 2008. Early the next day the Joint Typhoon Warning Center
assessed the disturbances chances of becoming a "significant tropical cyclone" within 24 hours as "Fair". However early on September 27 the JTWC reassessed the disturbances chances becoming a "significant tropical cyclone" as poor. Later that day the Japan Meteorological Agency
then designated it as a weak tropical depression. Whilst early the next morning the JTWC upgraded the disturbances chances of becoming a "significant tropical cyclone" to good, and subsequently issued a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert
. Later that day the JMA started to issue full advisories on the tropical depression, as it was expected to become a tropical storm within the next 24 hours. The JTWC then designated the depression as Tropical Depression 20W as they issued their first warning on the depression. On September 29 the JMA upgraded the depression to a tropical storm and named the storm as Mekkhala. Later that morning the JTWC designated Mekkhala as a tropical storm.
Early the next day the JMA reported that Mekkhala had intensified in to a severe tropical storm and reached its peak wind speeds of 50kts. However within their next advisory the JMA downgraded Mekkhala to a tropical storm as Mekkhala had made landfall on northern Vietnam
during the previous three hours. During the morning of September 30, RSMC Tokyo downgraded Mekkhala to a tropical depression as they issued their final advisory. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center also issued their final advisory that morning as Mekkhalla was expected to weaken below their warning level of 25 kts (30 mph, 50 km/h) and then dissipate later that day. Mekkhala then dissipated over Land later that day.
On November 17, 2008 the Japan Meteorological Agency
released their Post Storm Analisyss on Mekkhala. Within it they reassessed the peak wind speeds as 45 knots (50 mph, 80 km/h) which meant that Mekkhala was downgraded from a severe tropical storm to a tropical storm.
was affected by Tropical Storm Mekkhala less than a week after Typhoon Hagupit
had affected the country. Despite this Mekkhala still caused $6.6 million (2008 US$) worth of damage. A total of 1,000 homes were washed away by the storm and an additional 10,000 were damaged. The storm was also responsible for Blackouts in Vietnam, as well as causing 16 deaths and 13 injuries. Vietnam's National Steering Committee for Storm and Flood Control also reported that Mekkhala had forced the evacuation of thousands of people and had sunk 38 fishing trawlers.
An estimated 3,050 hectares of crops were damaged in Thanh Hoa Province, leading to $1.2 million in losses. In Ha Tinh Province 500 homes and 4,000 hectares of crops were damaged and three people were killed. Damages in the province amounted to $1.8 million.
. It has been used once before worldwide within the 2002 Pacific typhoon season to name a tropical storm and refers to the Thai
Angel of Thunder.
Joint Typhoon Warning Center
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center is a joint United States Navy – United States Air Force task force located at the Naval Maritime Forecast Center in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii...
designation: 20W) was recognised as the 16th Tropical Storm of the 2008 Pacific typhoon season by the Japan Meteorological Agency
Japan Meteorological Agency
The or JMA, is the Japanese government's weather service. Charged with gathering and reporting weather data and forecasts in Japan, it is a semi-autonomous part of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport...
who are the Regional Specialized Meteorological Centre
Regional Specialized Meteorological Centre
A Regional Specialized Meteorological Centre is responsible for the distribution of information, advisories, and warnings regarding the specific program they have a part of, agreed by consensus at the World Meteorological Organization as part of the World Weather Watch.-Tropical...
for the North Western Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) have also recognised Mekkhala as the 20th tropical depression, and the 18th tropical storm of the 2008 Pacific typhoon season
2008 Pacific typhoon season
The 2008 Pacific typhoon season has no official bounds; it runs year-round in 2008, but most tropical cyclones tend to form in the northwestern Pacific Ocean between May and November...
.
On September 25 the Joint Typhoon Warning Center identified a tropical disturbance in the Gulf of Tonkin. On September 27 the Japan Metrological Agency, reported that the disturbance had become a tropical depression whilst the JTWC issued a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert. During the next day the JTWC designated the depression as 20W. The JMA reported that the depression had intensified into Tropical Storm Mekkhala on September 29. Later that day the JTWC also upgraded the depression to Tropical Storm status. Early the next day the JMA reported that Mekkhala had intensified in to a severe tropical storm. Later that day the JMA downgraded Mekkhala to a tropical storm and then both the JTWC and the JMA reported that Mekkhala had weakened in to a tropical depression as they released their final advisories. Within their best track the JMA reported that Mekkhala had never reached severe tropical storm status.
Meteorological history
A Tropical Disturbance formed to the south of ChinaChina
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, within the Gulf of Tonkin
Gulf of Tonkin
The Gulf of Tonkin is an arm of the South China Sea, lying off the coast of northeastern Vietnam.-Etymology:The name Tonkin, written "東京" in Hán tự and Đông Kinh in romanised Vietnamese, means "Eastern Capital", and is the former toponym for Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam...
on September 25, 2008. Early the next day the Joint Typhoon Warning Center
Joint Typhoon Warning Center
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center is a joint United States Navy – United States Air Force task force located at the Naval Maritime Forecast Center in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii...
assessed the disturbances chances of becoming a "significant tropical cyclone" within 24 hours as "Fair". However early on September 27 the JTWC reassessed the disturbances chances becoming a "significant tropical cyclone" as poor. Later that day the Japan Meteorological Agency
Japan Meteorological Agency
The or JMA, is the Japanese government's weather service. Charged with gathering and reporting weather data and forecasts in Japan, it is a semi-autonomous part of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport...
then designated it as a weak tropical depression. Whilst early the next morning the JTWC upgraded the disturbances chances of becoming a "significant tropical cyclone" to good, and subsequently issued a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert
Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert
A Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert is a bulletin released by the U.S. Navy-operated Joint Typhoon Warning Center in Honolulu, Hawaii or the Naval Maritime Forecast Center in Norfolk, Virginia, warning of the possibility of a tropical cyclone forming from a tropical disturbance that has been...
. Later that day the JMA started to issue full advisories on the tropical depression, as it was expected to become a tropical storm within the next 24 hours. The JTWC then designated the depression as Tropical Depression 20W as they issued their first warning on the depression. On September 29 the JMA upgraded the depression to a tropical storm and named the storm as Mekkhala. Later that morning the JTWC designated Mekkhala as a tropical storm.
Early the next day the JMA reported that Mekkhala had intensified in to a severe tropical storm and reached its peak wind speeds of 50kts. However within their next advisory the JMA downgraded Mekkhala to a tropical storm as Mekkhala had made landfall on northern Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
during the previous three hours. During the morning of September 30, RSMC Tokyo downgraded Mekkhala to a tropical depression as they issued their final advisory. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center also issued their final advisory that morning as Mekkhalla was expected to weaken below their warning level of 25 kts (30 mph, 50 km/h) and then dissipate later that day. Mekkhala then dissipated over Land later that day.
On November 17, 2008 the Japan Meteorological Agency
Japan Meteorological Agency
The or JMA, is the Japanese government's weather service. Charged with gathering and reporting weather data and forecasts in Japan, it is a semi-autonomous part of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport...
released their Post Storm Analisyss on Mekkhala. Within it they reassessed the peak wind speeds as 45 knots (50 mph, 80 km/h) which meant that Mekkhala was downgraded from a severe tropical storm to a tropical storm.
Preparations and impact
VietnamVietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
was affected by Tropical Storm Mekkhala less than a week after Typhoon Hagupit
Typhoon Hagupit (2008)
Typhoon Hagupit is recognised as the 14th Tropical Storm, the 12th Severe Tropical Storm and the 10th Typhoon of the 2008 Pacific typhoon season by the Japan Meteorological Agency who are the Regional Specialized Meteorological Centre for the North Western Pacific...
had affected the country. Despite this Mekkhala still caused $6.6 million (2008 US$) worth of damage. A total of 1,000 homes were washed away by the storm and an additional 10,000 were damaged. The storm was also responsible for Blackouts in Vietnam, as well as causing 16 deaths and 13 injuries. Vietnam's National Steering Committee for Storm and Flood Control also reported that Mekkhala had forced the evacuation of thousands of people and had sunk 38 fishing trawlers.
An estimated 3,050 hectares of crops were damaged in Thanh Hoa Province, leading to $1.2 million in losses. In Ha Tinh Province 500 homes and 4,000 hectares of crops were damaged and three people were killed. Damages in the province amounted to $1.8 million.
Naming
The name Mekkhala was one of the ten original names submitted to the ESCAP/WMO Typhoon Committee for use from January 1, 2000 by ThailandThailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
. It has been used once before worldwide within the 2002 Pacific typhoon season to name a tropical storm and refers to the Thai
Culture of Thailand
The Culture of Thailand incorporates cultural beliefs and characteristics indigenous to the area known as modern day Thailand coupled with much influence from ancient India, China, Cambodia, along with the neighbouring pre-historic cultures of Southeast Asia...
Angel of Thunder.