Super Typhoon Noru zooms to Cat 5 status in Northwest Pacific
Super Typhoon Noru zooms to Cat 5 status in Northwest Pacific
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https://www.wunderground.com/cat6/tropical-storm-emily-making-landfall-near-tampa-bay
Earth’s first Category 5 storm of the year developed in spectacular fashion on Sunday. Super Typhoon Noru strengthened incredibly quickly over the weekend after having drifted southward over the Northwest Pacific—an unusual track for a rapid intensifier, as pointed out by Eric Blake (NHC). The southward motion brought Noru over very warm waters close to 30°C (86°F), and wind shear dropped below 10 knots over the weekend. A nearby subtropical jet stream helped to ventilate the typhoon and facilitate rapid strengthening.
Even though the atmosphere around Noru was not exceptionally moist, the system intensified at a near-record pace as measured by 1-minute top sustained winds. Noru zoomed from tropical storm status at 0Z Sunday (60 knots) to Category 5 strength at 18Z Sunday (140 knots). Fast-growing Hurricane Matthew accomplished the same feat in the Atlantic last year, but it took 36 hours rather than just 18 hours. The Atlantic’s fastest intensifier on record was Wilma in 2005, which went from tropical storm to Cat 5 status in 24 hours.
As of 12Z GMT (8 am EDT) Monday, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center pegged Noru’s winds at 145 mph, Category 4 strength. Noru remained a formidable typhoon, with an annular structure becoming more prominent over time (a single broad ring of intense thunderstorms around a fairly large 17-mile-wide eye).
Japan will need to watch Noru closely, although there’s plenty of time to do so. Noru will be heading northwest over the next several days, weakening as it passes over somewhat cooler water. It’s expected to stall late this week southeast of Japan, as steering currents slacken in the wake of an upper-level trough passage. Models have been all over the map on where Noru heads after that point—including model ensembles, such as the European. However, it appears a subsequent upper-level trough may pull Noru toward Japan. The 00Z European and 06Z GFS operational runs both show the potential for Noru to strike Japan as a very powerful typhoon about a week from now.
= new reply since forum marked as read
We too need waves and depressions for rain - we just don't want any stinking hurricanes 
The Atlantic will warm up - here comes August.
