Typhoon Bart (1999)
Encyclopedia
Super Typhoon Bart (JTWC
designation: 24W) was a powerful and destructive typhoon of the 1999 Pacific typhoon season
. It was the only super typhoon
of the year. It was the costliest storm of the year, causing $5 billion dollars in damage. Tropical Depression 24W developed on September 17, to the east of Taiwan. The storm drifted to the northwest, becoming Tropical Storm Bart on September 19 and reaching typhoon strength the next day. Bart intensified further as it turned to the northeast under the influence of upper-level winds. Typhoon Bart reached its peak on September 22 with 260 km/h (160 mph) winds when it passed 75 km (47 mi) to the west of Okinawa, becoming the only Super Typhoon during 1999. Bart began to weaken slowly as it continued north towards Kyūshū, Japan, which it struck on September 23 with 185 km/h (115 mph) winds. After crossing Kyūshū and westernmost Honshū the storm accelerated to the northeast in the Sea of Japan, becoming extratropical shortly before it reached northern Hokkaidō. As Typhoon Bart formed in PAGASA's area of responsibility, it was named Oniang by PAGASA before moving to the north.
Typhoon Bart claimed at least two lives on Okinawa and brought over 710 mm (28 inches) of rain to the island. Kadena Air Base was badly damaged by the typhoon with over $5 million of damage on the base. Heavy flooding and landslides led to total of a 30 deaths and over 1,000 injuries in Japan. Over 800,000 homes lost power and 80,000 damaged in the aftermath of the storm. The worst damage was in Kumamoto Prefecture on Kyūshū, where 16 people died and over 45,000 homes were damaged. Bart affected the whole of Japan, with some minor damages occurring in Hokkaidō shortly after the storm became extratropical.
A film named The Perfect Storm took place in Japan and is all about Typhoon Bart striking the Japanese coast and its severe and damaging aftermath.
and JMA
both initiated tropical depression warnings on the developing low. The depression initially remained quasi-stationary in weak steering currents while located about 400 mi (643.7 km) east-northeast of northern Luzon
. The development of this system was hindered somewhat due to northwest wind shear
. This kept the center
exposed from the deep convection. Around 1200 UTC on 18 September there were signs that the shear was beginning to lessen a bit, and by 1800 UTC a tropical upper tropospheric trough
(TUTT) was far enough west to lead to more favorable conditions for strengthening and JTWC upgraded the depression to Tropical Storm Bart early the next day.
A Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission (TRMM) pass indicated deep convection extending northwest through southwest around the vortex with two developing low-level cloud bands to the north. Bart intensified further as it turned to the northeast under the influence of upper-level winds. By the morning hours of September 20, Bart had developed better defined banding features
and a well-defined eye
, the cyclone reached typhoon status. Due to the weakening of a subtropical ridge
to the north, the typhoon's motion nearly stalled. Passing southwest of Okinawa, Bart became an intense typhoon on September 21.
Typhoon Bart reached its peak on September 22 with 260 km/h (160 mph) winds when it passed 75 km (47 mi) to the west of the island, becoming the only Super Typhoon during 1999. Bart began to weaken slowly as it continued north towards Kyūshū, Japan. It made landfall there with 115 mph winds. After crossing Kyūshū and westernmost Honshū the storm accelerated to the northeast in the Sea of Japan, becoming an extratropical cyclone
shortly before it reached northern Hokkaidō.
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: 24W) was a powerful and destructive typhoon of the 1999 Pacific typhoon season
1999 Pacific typhoon season
The 1999 Pacific typhoon season has no official bounds; it ran year-round in 1999, but most tropical cyclones tend to form in the northwestern Pacific Ocean between May and November...
. It was the only super typhoon
Tropical cyclone
A tropical cyclone is a storm system characterized by a large low-pressure center and numerous thunderstorms that produce strong winds and heavy rain. Tropical cyclones strengthen when water evaporated from the ocean is released as the saturated air rises, resulting in condensation of water vapor...
of the year. It was the costliest storm of the year, causing $5 billion dollars in damage. Tropical Depression 24W developed on September 17, to the east of Taiwan. The storm drifted to the northwest, becoming Tropical Storm Bart on September 19 and reaching typhoon strength the next day. Bart intensified further as it turned to the northeast under the influence of upper-level winds. Typhoon Bart reached its peak on September 22 with 260 km/h (160 mph) winds when it passed 75 km (47 mi) to the west of Okinawa, becoming the only Super Typhoon during 1999. Bart began to weaken slowly as it continued north towards Kyūshū, Japan, which it struck on September 23 with 185 km/h (115 mph) winds. After crossing Kyūshū and westernmost Honshū the storm accelerated to the northeast in the Sea of Japan, becoming extratropical shortly before it reached northern Hokkaidō. As Typhoon Bart formed in PAGASA's area of responsibility, it was named Oniang by PAGASA before moving to the north.
Typhoon Bart claimed at least two lives on Okinawa and brought over 710 mm (28 inches) of rain to the island. Kadena Air Base was badly damaged by the typhoon with over $5 million of damage on the base. Heavy flooding and landslides led to total of a 30 deaths and over 1,000 injuries in Japan. Over 800,000 homes lost power and 80,000 damaged in the aftermath of the storm. The worst damage was in Kumamoto Prefecture on Kyūshū, where 16 people died and over 45,000 homes were damaged. Bart affected the whole of Japan, with some minor damages occurring in Hokkaidō shortly after the storm became extratropical.
A film named The Perfect Storm took place in Japan and is all about Typhoon Bart striking the Japanese coast and its severe and damaging aftermath.
Meteorological history
Tropical Depression 24-W developed midday on 17 September, to the east of Taiwan. JTWCJoint 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...
and JMA
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...
both initiated tropical depression warnings on the developing low. The depression initially remained quasi-stationary in weak steering currents while located about 400 mi (643.7 km) east-northeast of northern Luzon
Luzon
Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...
. The development of this system was hindered somewhat due to northwest wind shear
Wind shear
Wind shear, sometimes referred to as windshear or wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere...
. This kept the center
Atmospheric circulation
Atmospheric circulation is the large-scale movement of air, and the means by which thermal energy is distributed on the surface of the Earth....
exposed from the deep convection. Around 1200 UTC on 18 September there were signs that the shear was beginning to lessen a bit, and by 1800 UTC a tropical upper tropospheric trough
Tropical Upper Tropospheric Trough
A tropical upper tropospheric trough , also known as the mid-oceanic trough, is a trough situated in upper-level tropics. Its formation is usually caused by the intrusion of energy and wind from the mid-latitudes into the tropics. It can also develop from the inverted trough adjacent to an upper...
(TUTT) was far enough west to lead to more favorable conditions for strengthening and JTWC upgraded the depression to Tropical Storm Bart early the next day.
A Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission (TRMM) pass indicated deep convection extending northwest through southwest around the vortex with two developing low-level cloud bands to the north. Bart intensified further as it turned to the northeast under the influence of upper-level winds. By the morning hours of September 20, Bart had developed better defined banding features
Rainband
A rainband is a cloud and precipitation structure associated with an area of rainfall which is significantly elongated. Rainbands can be stratiform or convective, and are generated by differences in temperature. When noted on weather radar imagery, this precipitation elongation is referred to as...
and a well-defined eye
Eye (cyclone)
The eye is a region of mostly calm weather found at the center of strong tropical cyclones. The eye of a storm is a roughly circular area and typically 30–65 km in diameter. It is surrounded by the eyewall, a ring of towering thunderstorms where the second most severe weather of a cyclone...
, the cyclone reached typhoon status. Due to the weakening of a subtropical ridge
Ridge (meteorology)
A ridge is an elongated region of relatively high atmospheric pressure, the opposite of a trough....
to the north, the typhoon's motion nearly stalled. Passing southwest of Okinawa, Bart became an intense typhoon on September 21.
Typhoon Bart reached its peak on September 22 with 260 km/h (160 mph) winds when it passed 75 km (47 mi) to the west of the island, becoming the only Super Typhoon during 1999. Bart began to weaken slowly as it continued north towards Kyūshū, Japan. It made landfall there with 115 mph winds. After crossing Kyūshū and westernmost Honshū the storm accelerated to the northeast in the Sea of Japan, becoming an extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are a group of cyclones defined as synoptic scale low pressure weather systems that occur in the middle latitudes of the Earth having neither tropical nor polar characteristics, and are connected with fronts and...
shortly before it reached northern Hokkaidō.
Impact
In Japan, Bart claimed at least two lives on Okinawa and brought over 710 mm (28 inches) of rain to the island. Kadena Air Base was badly damaged by the typhoon with over $5 million of damage on the base. Heavy flooding and landslides led to total of a 30 deaths and over 1,000 injuries in Japan. Over 800,000 homes lost power and 80,000 damaged in the aftermath of the storm. The worst damage was in Kumamoto Prefecture on Kyūshū, where 16 people died and over 45,000 homes were damaged. Bart affected the whole of Japan, with some minor damages occurring in Hokkaidō shortly after the storm became extratropical. A large crane in Hiroshima collapsed killing 3 and injuring 4 people in the Mitsubishi plant there and the Itsukushima Shrine was also damaged. This made Typhoon Bart the costliest storm of the season, with total damages of $3.5 billion and further $5 million of damage to the Japanese economy.See also
- Other storms of the same nameTyphoon BartThe name Bart has been used for two tropical cyclones in the western North Pacific, and once in the South Pacific.North Pacific:* Typhoon Bart , had no impact on land...
- 1999 Pacific typhoon season1999 Pacific typhoon seasonThe 1999 Pacific typhoon season has no official bounds; it ran year-round in 1999, but most tropical cyclones tend to form in the northwestern Pacific Ocean between May and November...