Wet, windy Nor'easter slams Northeast; season's first Category 5 storm is Ului
An extremely wet and windy Nor'easter whipped through the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern U.S. over the weekend, dropping rains in excess of six inches over some regions, and driving high winds gusting near hurricane force. On Saturday afternoon, JFK Airport in New York City recorded sustained winds of 45 mph, gusting to hurricane force--75 mph. Soils already saturated from run-off due to all the melting snow from the heavy winter snows have been unable to absorb the heavy rains. As a result, there is widespread minor to moderate river flooding, and many power poles have toppled due to the high winds and wet soil. Over half a million people were without power in the region over the weekend. The Nor'easter will continue to bring strong winds and moderate rain to the region today, then gradually weaken and move away from the Northeast on Tuesday.
Figure 1. Estimated precipitation from the weekend Nor'easter over the Northeast. Rainfall amounts in excess of six inches (pink colors) occurred in New York and Connecticut.
Ului: first Category 5 storm of the year
The first Category 5 tropical cyclone of the year has arrived. Over the weekend, Tropical Cyclone Uliu intensified into a lower-end Category 5 storm with 160 mph winds in the open waters of the South Pacific, east of Australia. Ului has weakened slightly into a still-powerful Category 4 storm with 150 mph, but is projected to significantly decay as the week progresses, due to high wind shear. Some of the models foresee that Ului will be a long-range threat to the Queensland coast of Australia by the end of the week, but the storm should be in a much weakened state by then, and may also turn out to sea without hitting land. Australia has had a remarkably easy hurricane season so far--no tropical cyclones entered Australian waters during the month of February, the first time that has happened since 1944. That would be equivalent to the U.S. having no tropical storms near our coast in the hurricane-prone month of August.
Figure 1. Tropical Cyclone Ului at peak strength at 22:22 UTC Saturday, March 13. At the time, Ului was a Category 5 storm with 160 mph winds and a minimum pressure of 918 mb. Image credit: NRL Monterey.
Tropical Cyclone Tomas
Meanwhile, Category 3 Tropical Cyclone Tomas is causing trouble in the Fiji Islands, where the cyclone's 125-mph sustained winds are being felt in the less populated eastern islands. Tomas has already claimed one life, ripped off roofs, and caused extensive power outages in the Fiji Islands, according to news reports. However, the cyclone is missing the two largest and most populated islands.
I'll have a new post on Tuesday.
Jeff Masters
Reader Comments
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That's funny.....I thought maybe westerly winds would inhibit the upper tropospheric easterlies during El Nino or something. Who knows lol. Oh well. Night :)
Oh it might happen, like the SPC said maybe some scattered light convection, but definitely nothing severe.
This morning, 4.4 earthquake.
Feeling much better now.
Great to here your doing ok. My sister lives in south z-hills and she had 8.31in. something right.
And we all know you will still do a great job.
AOI
AOI
AOI
AOI
Humor in Comments
Good morning.
Sun's out and no sign of rain here in ECFL this a.m., and then I looked at this map. Huh?!
Hehe... is a bit too dry Chick... for rain.
Tropical Cyclone Warning
Severe Tropical Cyclone Ului, CAT 4
11:00 PM EST March 16 2010
=====================================
At 12:00 PM UTC, Tropical Cyclone Ului, Category 4 (938 hPa) located at 13.5S 157.8E has 10 minute sustained winds of 100 knots with gusts of 140 knots. The severe cyclone is reported as stationary.
Dvorak Intensity: T5.5/5.5/W0.5/24hrs
Hurricane Force Winds
=====================
45 NM from the center
Storm Force Winds
==================
90 NM from the center
Gale Force Winds
================
160 NM from the center
Forecast and Intensity
=======================
12 HRS: 13.7S 157.7E - 100 knots (CAT 4)
24 HRS: 14.8S 158.1E - 100 knots (CAT 4)
48 HRS: 16.7S 158.8E - 100 knots (CAT 4)
72 HRS: 19.3S 156.7E - 100 knots (CAT 4)
Additional Information
==========================
Eye pattern with LG surround and DG centre and banding feature of 0.5, giving DT of 5.5. MET and PT both suggest 5.0. Final T based on DT as it appears clear.
Expect upper steering winds associated with the system to become more northerly during the next 24 hours as an upper trough erodes the mid level ridge to the south. From Thursday onwards a new mid-level ridge will develop south of the system and steering winds should become more NE'ly and turn the Tropical Cyclone on a more westerly course.
A lot of those colder cloud tops are likely cirrus and such. The lower layers are dry as a bone.
Iron enrichment stimulates toxic diatom production in high-nitrate, low-chlorophyll areas
Charles G. Trick* (Departments of Biology, and Microbiology and Immunology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A5B7, Canada), Brian D. Bill (Romberg Tiburon Center for Environmental Studies, San Francisco State University, Tiburon, CA 94920, and Marine Biotoxin Program, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, Seattle, WA 98112, U.S.A.), William P. Cochlan (Romberg Tiburon Center for Environmental Studies, San Francisco State University, Tiburon, CA 94920, U.S.A.), Mark L. Wells (School of Marine Science, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469, U.S.A.), Vera L. Trainer (Marine Biotoxin Program, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, Seattle, WA 98112, U.S.A.) and Lisa D. Pickell (School of Marine Science, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469, U.S.A.)
Edited by Penny W. Chisholm, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, and approved February 1, 2010 (received for review September 23, 2009)
1.
Abstract
Oceanic high-nitrate, low-chlorophyll environments have been highlighted for potential large-scale iron fertilizations to help mitigate global climate change. Controversy surrounds these initiatives, both in the degree of carbon removal and magnitude of ecosystem impacts. Previous open ocean enrichment experiments have shown that iron additions stimulate growth of the toxigenic diatom genus Pseudonitzschia. Most Pseudonitzschia species in coastal waters produce the neurotoxin domoic acid (DA), with their blooms causing detrimental marine ecosystem impacts, but oceanic Pseudonitzschia species are considered nontoxic. Here we demonstrate that the sparse oceanic Pseudonitzschia community at the high-nitrate, low-chlorophyll Ocean Station PAPA (50° N, 145° W) produces approximately 200 pg DA L−1 in response to iron addition, that DA alters phytoplankton community structure to benefit Pseudonitzschia, and that oceanic cell isolates are toxic. Given the negative effects of DA in coastal food webs, these findings raise serious concern over the net benefit and sustainability of large-scale iron fertilizations.
*Ccorrespondence e-mail: trick@uwo.ca.
Link to abstract: http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2010/02/24/0910579107.abstract
Link to complete, open-access paper: http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2010/02/24/0910579107.full.pdf+html
Water - at least 1 gallon daily per person for 3 to 7 days
Food - at least enough for 3 to 7 days
non-perishable packaged or canned food / juices
foods for infants or the elderly
snack foods
non-electric can opener
cooking tools / fuel paper plates / plastic utensils
Blankets / Pillows, etc.
Clothing - seasonal / rain gear/ sturdy shoes
First Aid Kit / Medicines / Prescription Drugs
Special Items - for babies and the elderly
Toiletries / Hygiene items / Moisture wipes
Flashlight / Batteries
Radio - Battery operated and NOAA weather radio
Telephones - Fully charged cell phone with extra battery and a traditional (not cordless) telephone set
Cash (with some small bills) and Credit Cards - Banks and ATMs may not be available for extended periods
Keys
Toys, Books and Games
Important documents - in a waterproof container or watertight resealable plastic bag
insurance, medical records, bank account numbers, Social Security card, etc.
Tools - keep a set with you during the storm
Vehicle fuel tanks filled
Pet care items
proper identification / immunization records / medications
ample supply of food and water
a carrier or cage
muzzle and leash
Disaster Supplies
So to remove something from the air, we poison the water. Yeah, thats a good tradeoff. /sarcasm
In this Saturday, March 13, 2010, photo the remains of a house, which destroyed by a torrent that was unleased after a dam in a reservoir ruptured Thursday evening, seen in the southern Kazakh village of Kyzyl-Agash. The government said in a statement Tuesday that the casualties included nine men, 17 women and 11 children.
Quite interesting indeed...
Glad to see the regulars still here =)
What I was pointing out is that the phytoplankton mentioned (diatoms) are also being touted as a reservoir of CO2. But as a byproduct, they also secrete a toxin into the environment. So while we are cleaning the air of excess CO2, and reducing the dead zones caused by high nitrates, we are also adding a toxin to the waters.
Do I know my evacuation zone?
If I have to evacuate, where will I go? (public shelters can be a last minute choice... but you should have another plan as your first option)
Do I have a pet? Is it a cat or a dog, or, is it some other more 'exotic' pet (bird, fish, snake, ferret, etc?) Do you have a plan for them?
Is your car ready? Does it run well enough for you to rely on it? Do you have the basics in the car? (Paper map in case the GPS batteries run low, flashlight, can of fix-a-flat, first aid kit, jumper cables, working jack, rain gear, etc.)
Do you rent? Do you know what your evacuation zone is? Is your landlord going to board up the windows and take other protective actions, or are they going to collect an insurance check after the storm? If the later, you have to have a better plan.
Are you on medications? If so, talk with your doctor about hurricane season, and don't let your supply of maintenance drugs run too low.
Do you have elderly family members? What's their plan? How about kids? What's the plan for them?
Are your important papers somewhere you can get to? Are they organized and up-to-date? Now's a good time to write your homeowners and auto insurance info on a small card and tuck it into your pocket in case you need it and don't have access to your home.
Any others?
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