Saturday, September 15, 2018

Supertyphoon Mangkhut Downgraded To Severe Typhoon

At least 13 people dead in the northern Philippines.
The South China Morning Post is reporting "Hong Kong braces for waves up to 14m high".
That can't be right can it?  45-46 foot waves?
The storm is now forecast to miss Hong Kong and track further west toward Hainan island.

Here's the U.S. military's most recent warning and track forecast:
https://pzal.ndbc.noaa.gov/collab/jtwc/products/wp2618.gif
2100 hours, Sept 15
 
WTPN31 PGTW 152100
MSGID/GENADMIN/JOINT TYPHOON WRNCEN PEARL HARBOR HI//
SUBJ/TROPICAL CYCLONE WARNING//
RMKS/
1. TYPHOON 26W (MANGKHUT) WARNING NR 036    
   01 ACTIVE TROPICAL CYCLONE IN NORTHWESTPAC
   MAX SUSTAINED WINDS BASED ON ONE-MINUTE AVERAGE
   WIND RADII VALID OVER OPEN WATER ONLY
    ---
   WARNING POSITION:
   151800Z --- NEAR 19.8N 116.9E
     MOVEMENT PAST SIX HOURS - 295 DEGREES AT 14 KTS
     POSITION ACCURATE TO WITHIN 030 NM
     POSITION BASED ON CENTER LOCATED BY SATELLITE
   PRESENT WIND DISTRIBUTION:
   MAX SUSTAINED WINDS - 090 KT, GUSTS 110 KT

 ...MUCH MORE

And here's the South China Morning Post's front page.
They're reporting that Hong Kong Has run out of tape for the windows.

And why this is a bad thing? Hong Kong has more skyscrapers than any other city in the world. 
That's a lot of glass:

http://www.globalphotos.org/hongkong/20051018/IMG_2463.jpg

And Andy Yeung via DesignBoom:

https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/andy-yeung-drone-photography-hong-kong-designboom-04.jpg