Tropical Storm Strami Late Oct 2024.
- Strami Overview.
- Characteristics and effects.
- Storm movement and path.
- System movement.
- 500mb charting and steering winds.
As part of our Asian weather studies we now turn to todays lesson on Tropical Storms. In Late October 2024 became the ideal study for the evolving Tropical Storm Strami and how this storm affects the weather and people living in Asia.
Tropical Storm Strami Overview.
Image above shows factors of the creation of a tropical storm and the path of TS Strami (Late Oct 2024).
A tropical storm begins when the ideal ingredients are in place for the system to unfold. They are the lesser cousin of the powerful Typhoon/Hurricane. These ingredients are shown in the Bottom Left Description in our main image. They are
- Warmed Waters in the Sea environment the larger the area of warm seas and the proximity to the equator are ample to provide the necessary parts for the Tropical storm to evolve.
- Instability With the Humid conditions to the south east of the Phillipinnes in this great watery expanse then with this warmed air parcel of moisture rising into a cooler upper level this rapidly cools the water droplets and outbreaks of Thunderstorms may eventuate and Torrential rain.
- Low Pressure remember in our Weather lesson on convection that when water molecules are heated the air pressure lowers. Ample watery expanses warmed at surface lend to this idea as also the proximity to the Sub Tropics. A low pressure center also links to the coriolis effect and in the Northern Sub Tropics this wind circulation for Low Pressure always circulates anticlockwise at surface. So finally Low Pressure in the Sub Tropics links also to winds increasing and wind direction.
- Non Inhibiting Winds in that without any influential air currents at 850, 700, 500 mb the system is allowed to evolve without to much air-current disturbance that allows the wraparound feature of clouds from the system center (Disorganised).
- Moisture as there is plenty of watery expanse to the South East of the Phillipinnes then this is ideal to produce enough heated water molecules to saturate the mid-high levels of the system. We know that TS Strami has high cloud droplets as in the Himwari image the imagery is bright white indicating High Cloud structures. The Higher the clouds with saturation then more rainfall results (Torrential Rains). There also correlates a connection from Heated Water Molecules (Parcel of Moisture) to the term Humidity as in our other weather lesson on Humidity. A form of Humidity Helps to build the Tropical Storm structure in the Sub Tropics.
TS Strami followed along these conditions to become the system it became to dump extremely large amounts of rainfall in the location of the North Phillipinnes in Late October of 2024 (Autumn).
In the left of the main image is the Himwari Satellite imagery of the system as of Oct 24th 2024 showing the main facets of the system evolution over a few days time.
In the above image to the right we see other influential factors at work in the TS Strami Idealogy. Due to the factors at play TS Strami south east of the Phillipinnes at the system start began the transition into a Disorganised Storm Engine. From this the system then accumulated large amounts of Moisture/Water Droplets in the systems storage mechanism = clouds. Then in combination as the system moved over the watery expanse slowly this effect became exponential. Changes in Maritime conditions as the system moved position would have included increased wave height, increased surface winds and gusts with probably the added mixture of highly localised downdrafts of winds from Thunderstorm outflow (Convection) (Downbursts). Lastly Torrential rain sheets would have obscured visibility. Possibly also may be storm surge especially on lowlands near land coasts affected also by High Tides and Lunar Tide times.
As TS Strami breached land the entire weather system brought Flooding, Mudslides and Civil emergencies to parts of the North Phillipinnes. The Public heeded mostly the early warning system given by authorities in the regions and people where relocated to evacuation centers across North Phillipinnes. Others scrambled to high ground to await rescue and became rescued. The Torrential Rains present from this Tropical Storm system affects Land and People by the fact that the system holds so much rain AND the slowness of the system movement that leads to High Sustained Rain rates over localised areas of land over a longer time span.
Other Strami effects.
Other Main defining characteristics of TS strami and effects included
- A slow moving system that moves over land.
- Accumulation of torrential rains at sea carried with the system.
- The narrowness of the North Phillipinnes Peninsula.
- Global Warming.
- The veering of the system over land.
Strami Movement.
What controls the path of the system as the system unfolds? 500mb steering winds.
Refer to the Himwari Satellite in the main image imagery and one may see that
1.To the far north of the Storm sits the Westerly Jet and STJ (From our former weather lessons and out of view).
2.To the north east of the storm at the West Sub Tropical Pacific maritime area sits the sub tropical High Band.
This then allows a large area to the south of the Calms of Cancer near the ITCZ in Asia to exist that contains an area of weaker mid level winds that then determine the path of systems that spring up from Near Palau. The 500mb winds are still prevailing to guide a storm on a pre-designated path. The Path is controlled by the ENSO phase, Strength of the ENSO phase, Positioning of Highs and Lows at 500mb within this area context and convergance zones with winds guided by attraction of Highs and Lows.
Finally the influenced path of the storm is from the positioning of the EAT and Strength phase. 500mb winds are known as the steering winds and have a large influence on where a storm may move in this region over time. Once again in simple laymans terms it may be convenient to listen to the radio announcements, or catch up via newspaper or news items online or on TV to stay updated on these systems. We from time to time also have site announcements about them in the Asia Winter update menu item.
Strami 500mb Charting.
A chart from the time of the systems arrival in Phillipinnes at 500mb Late Oct 2024.
As Winds at 500mb from the equator near PNG are located these winds have moved the storm (Strami) Nth West from Palau as the storm moves with the Trade winds, then becomes influenced by the East to West 500mb winds around the North of the Phillipinnes when the storm arrives there sometime in Late Oct as guided by the 500mb wind directions.
Influential also is the Bay of Bengal low that is ingesting 500mb winds from the east of the system.
In the positioning of the High Pressure area in number 2 (North east of storm) that rotates clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere Autumn, If you may imagine this spinning at the West Sub Tropical High Pressure band then TS Storm Strami hitches into a imaginary path called the 500mb steering winds at the sub tropical stage south west of this area at 500mb (Crucial). The winds direct east to west in this section south of the Central West Pacific High at the time TS Strami arrives in the Phillipinnes therefore influencing the path of the storm at around 18, 500 feet from sea level.
Finally as the 500mb map suggests as the Westerly Jet and STJ move north into the Winter stage this allows a corridor of east to west winds to the south of the tropic of cancer that predominates the last section of the Path of the storm Nth West of Philipinnes.
This then allows people and governments to prepare and respond accordingly before the systems arrive as shown by the Public response to TS Strami and the arrival in North Phillipinnes of the storm.
It is there fore important to know that these adverse weather systems rely on a system path corresponding dates and times and forecasts to try to accurately portray effects to home and people (civil) and also to air and maritime craft and personnell.
We used information and knowledge to chart the path of this system 7 days before the system arrived using available technology.