Category 4 Funso kills 12 in Mozambique; deadly Alabama tornado rated an EF-3
Earth's first major tropical cyclone of 2012 is Tropical Cyclone Funso, a Category 4 storm with 135 mph winds located in the Mozambique Channel between Madagascar and Mozambique. Conditions for intensification have been favorable over the past few days, with light wind shear of 5 - 10 knots, water temperatures of 29°C, and a pocket of high oceanic heat content with warm waters extending to great depth located under the center of the storm. Funso is expected to intensify further and have sustained winds of 145 mph by Wednesday. Fortunately, the center of the storm is expected to remain offshore as the storm moves slowly southwards. The outer spiral bands of Funso have dumped torrential rains on Mozambique the past several days, triggering floods that have killed at least twelve people. The floods have swept across the main north-south highway in the country, cutting off the capital of Maputo from the north and center of the country. Flooding from Funso was made worse by the saturated soils left by Tropical Depression Dando, whose rains caused flooding that killed ten people in the country last week.
Figure 1. Image of Tropical Cyclone Funso taken by the MODIS instrument on NASA's Terra satellite on January 23, 2012. At the time, Funso was a Category 3 storm with 115 mph winds. Image credit: NASA/GSFC.
Yesterday's deadly Clay, Alabama tornado rated an EF-3
A damage survey by the NWS confirmed that the tornado that hit Clay, Alabama yesterday, killing two and injuring over 100, was a strong EF-3 tornado with 150 mph winds. A second EF-3 tornado with 140 mph winds touched down yesterday near Koffman, Alabama, and tore off the roof of a house and a barn. These are the only two EF-3 tornadoes of the year so far. There have been no EF-4 or EF-5 tornadoes yet. NOAA's Storm Prediction Center has placed portions of Southern Texas in their "Slight Risk" region for severe weather today, and portions of East Texas and Western Louisiana in the "Slight RIsk" region for Wednesday, and a few isolated tornadoes are possible in Texas and Louisiana over the next two days.
Jeff Masters
Reader Comments
Page: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 — Blog Index
Ah phooey.
The region had it quite easy the last 2-3 years but unfortunately it looks like this has come to an end
I don't remember 2003 being a particularly bad season for the USA, aside from Isabel.
I was mainly responding to the 2005 part.
Not that interesting to track S hemisphere storms, i mean, its just really never interested me, just like watching ATL and EPAC. I mean i'm willing to watch the tropics other than those two basins, but only if it's and unordinary storm.
Just getting ancy and bored around here, think im gonna dig a tunnel to China for the remainder of the offseason... back probably in April or May Everyone. Been fun to check in after a month of silence, but think i'll hibernate some more.
"just like watching ATL and EPAC."
I mean, i just like to watch ATL and EPAC, and sometimes WPAC, to be more specific.
I think it's time for you to calm down.
Agreed. KoritheMan is a very good blogger.
he would have to think for awhile, lol
sorry but the ignore list is important when it comes to him because I have seen comments left that arent children appropriate..which is one of the community standards guide.
He really is, definitely one of the best on here.
And you don't violate them either?
Local met on local news mentioned it shouldn't be as bad as the Jan. 9th event, and that is possible, but shouldn't have been mentioned....all parameters point to heavy rain event and is barreling towards SE TX.
I can't help it because I'm popular. :/
SEL3
URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 13
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
1005 PM CST TUE JAN 24 2012
THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF
SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS
EFFECTIVE THIS TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY MORNING FROM 1005 PM
UNTIL 500 AM CST.
TORNADOES...HAIL TO 2 INCHES IN DIAMETER...THUNDERSTORM WIND
GUSTS TO 70 MPH...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE
AREAS.
THE TORNADO WATCH AREA IS APPROXIMATELY ALONG AND 85 STATUTE
MILES EAST AND WEST OF A LINE FROM 25 MILES NORTHWEST OF AUSTIN
TEXAS TO 35 MILES WEST SOUTHWEST OF LAREDO TEXAS. FOR A COMPLETE
DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE THE ASSOCIATED WATCH OUTLINE UPDATE
(WOUS64 KWNS WOU3).
REMEMBER...A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR
TORNADOES AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH
AREA. PERSONS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR
THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS
AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
DISCUSSION...ASCENT IN ADVANCE OF A MIDLEVEL LOW OVER FAR W TX WILL
SPREAD EWD OVERNIGHT FROM THE RIO GRANDE TO S CENTRAL TX. A
MOIST/UNSTABLE AIR MASS IS ALREADY IN PLACE ACROSS S TX...AND THE
CAP WILL WEAKEN SUFFICIENTLY TO SUPPORT THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT
FROM THE LAREDO AREA NEWD. MEANWHILE...LOW-LEVEL SHEAR IS
RELATIVELY STRONG ALONG THE CORRIDOR OF A 40 KT LLJ /EFFECTIVE SRH
AOA 300 M2 PER S2/...WITH DEEP-LAYER SHEAR IN THE RANGE FAVORABLE
FOR SUPERCELLS. A TORNADO OR TWO WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THE INITIAL
/MORE DISCRETE/ STORMS EXPECTED TO FORM IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS
NEAR THE RIO GRANDE...ALONG WITH LARGE HAIL. THE DAMAGING WIND RISK
WILL INCREASE SOME LATER TONIGHT AS STORMS EVOLVE INTO A LARGER
LINEAR MCS AND MOVE EWD.
AVIATION...TORNADOES AND A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL
SURFACE AND ALOFT TO 2 INCHES. EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE
WIND GUSTS TO 60 KNOTS. A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO
500. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 23030.
No, we were never guaranteed to win a war against China. The only method that would grant us a hollow victory would be total war and nuking the place. That isn't winning a war. That's just not losing.
Also, the whole idea is just plain ludicrous. China going to war with us (or vice versa) is like you declaring war on your kidneys. If China wanted to hurt the US, war is by far the worse choice in it's arsenal. All they'd have to do is trade embargo the US.
It's economical suicide no matter how you look at it. And that is just the start of the negative repercussions.
It's pointless to talk about who can kick who's butt, without a measured study of all the consequences. However, I don't think we've quite learned that lesson yet judging by all the hawks who are just itching for a war.
SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX
1138 PM CST TUE JAN 24 2012
TXC137-250545-
/O.CON.KEWX.TO.W.0001.000000T0000Z-120125T0545Z/
EDWARDS TX-
1138 PM CST TUE JAN 24 2012
...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1145 PM CST FOR CENTRAL
EDWARDS COUNTY...
AT 1133 PM CST...NWS METEOROLOGISTS CONTINUED TO DETECT A TORNADO.
THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED OVER NORTH CENTRAL EDWARDS COUNTY...OR 14
MILES NORTHWEST OF ROCKSPRINGS...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
IF YOU ARE IN A MOBILE HOME OR VEHICLE...GET OUT AND GO TO A STURDY
SHELTER. IF NO SHELTER IS AVAILABLE...LIE FLAT IN THE NEAREST DITCH
OR OTHER LOW SPOT AND COVER YOUR HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS.
A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 500 AM CST WEDNESDAY MORNING
FOR SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS.
&&
LAT...LON 3007 10037 3012 10048 3019 10042 3011 10026
TIME...MOT...LOC 0538Z 215DEG 35KT 3018 10036
$$
Viewing: 101 - 151
Page: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 — Blog Index