Typhoon Season 2013

[Watercooler]

Well we had the Cat 10 last year followed by Black Rain a few weeks ago during which I got flooded due to drains not being able to cope with the volume. I was luckier than some in the village. Only permanemt damage was a thrown away rug

Storms are beautiful here compared to UK but not a direct hit as seems likely for Taiwan and I'm sure that's not what the poster of that comment was suggesting for a minute

Cat 10? You mean a T10? T10 signals hurricane-strength wind in HK, although it does not necessarily indicate how strong that hurricane wind is going (i.e. how fast the recorded wind speed is).

If you want to talk about hurricane categories, it ranges from 1 (relatively weak hurricane) to 5 (the strongest-equivalent to a super typhoon). However, that system normally applies to the Atlantic and Eastern Pacific. In the Western pacific you have super typhoon as the strongest possible tropical cyclone. In fact, the Western Pacific has produced the strongest storms on record, with Typhoon Tip in 1979 being the most intense tropical cyclone ever recorded with a pressure of 870 mb (the lowest ever) with 10 minute wind speed of 260 km (160 mph) and 1 minute windspeed of 305 km (190 mph):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Typhoon_Tip

[ByeByeEngland]

T10/Cat 10 - Whatever.

Though spectacular nowhere near the famous 87 Uk Hurricane. Now that WAS scary and dangerous.

[Watercooler]

T10/Cat 10 - Whatever.

Though spectacular nowhere near the famous 87 Uk Hurricane. Now that WAS scary and dangerous.

Whatever?

You don't know much about typhoons in HK do you?

[INXS]

Here you can really get a feel for the size of this storm. Note the huge and well defined eye. It is really a showpiece.

[Elegiaque]

Poor trails in Taiwan are going to get all messed up! I wonder how many will be ruined this week. I think the storm is beautiful, too.
I think if you grow up in a country/place where nature generates these powerful storms, you develop a certain awe for nature and it's power. You are reminded at how weak and insubstantial we are compared with earth and that earth can conquer us. It's amazing to see how earth can gather all these particles and build up these amazing walls of clouds. I think it's beautiful.

[INXS]

You have to look at it from a scientific/love of nature point of view. It doesn't matter if you hope it hits HK directly, are scared of it, love it, pray it causes less damage.....it is without emotion, love, hate, mercy or pity! It's massive and powerful and completely out of our control...

...The other thing for me, WC and a few others...it is the fact that we mere mortals have at our disposal millions of pounds of scientific equipment that we can access from our laptops, everything from anemometer readings to satellite images...it's like being a kid let loose in the lab!

[Dreadnought]

She is pretty freaking attractive, I have to agree. But she is massive and is going to swallow the little nation of Taiwan whole.

[bibbju]

I'm in Taiwan at the moment and all is calm so far...slightly disappointed ;-)

[ByeByeEngland]

Whatever?

You don't know much about typhoons in HK do you?

You're right but my point is simply that I know I was bang in the middle of the 87UK storm and was here for the T10 and I know which one of the two was more dangerous and caused more devastation and loss of life.

[Trance Omega]

That is because you get a warning of a T10 and prepare, the storm of 87 (not a hurricane) was famous for getting no warnings what so ever. Remember Michael Fish?