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Tropical Cyclone Alert - Typhoon Nakri Strengthens Into Incredibley Powerful Storm - 29th May 2008 1645z

Typhoon Nakri in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of the Philippines. The typhoon has intensified into an incredibley powerful 105 knots system and is expected to strengthen further. Image courtesy of NRL Monterey.

Typhoon Nakri has undergone explosive intensification and could become one of the north west Pacific's most powerful storms in years. Japanese Meteorological Agency currently estimates typhoon Nakri has sustained 10 minute average winds of 105 knots and it is expected to strengthen to 115 knots. Earlier forecasts suggested winds of 120 knots gusting to 170 knots could be reached.

Current forecasts suggest Nakri, which means a kind of flower in Khmer, poses no immediate threat to land

This satellite picture from April this year shows the Irrawaddy Delta region before Cyclone Nargis struck. Image courtesy of Nasa.

The image above shows the Irrawaddy Delta region in the immediate aftermath of Cyclone Nargis. Huges areas of coastline have been submerged by the 12 foot storm surge. Image courtesy of Nasa.

The BBC is reporting that the first US aid flight has landed in the main city of Yangon over a week after cyclone Nargis devastated swathes of southern Burma. The official death toll stand at almost 30,000 whilst aid agencies fear more than 100,000 could have perished and millions more are at risk.

There were reports on Sunday that a Red Cross boat carry aid sank in the Irrawaddy Delta after hitting a submerged tree. So far the Burmese government have refused entry to foreign aid workers severally hampering aid efforts

Nargis made landfall over the mouth of the Irrawwady River almost ten days ago with winds over 120 mph and a 12 feet storm surge. The majority of deaths are likely attributed to coastal flooding as the storm hit. Cyclone Nargis’ track, parallel to the shore, helped spread the storm surge and flooding waves over a greater length of coastline.

Dramatic satellite pictures show hundreds of kilometres of coastline underwater from the Irrawaddy Delta to the city of the Moulmein. Questions are being raised as to whether adequate warnings were given to coastal residents and it is reported that the official website of the Burmese meteorological department was offline prior to cyclone Nargis’ landfall.

The Bay of Bengal spawns the world’s deadliest tropical cyclone due to a combination of high population density, poor infrastructure and the dangers of colossal storm surges. Cyclone Nargis is now the world’s deadliest tropical cyclone since 1991 when massive cyclone killed 138,000 people in Bangladesh.

Geoff Mackley is in Thailand attempting to cross into Burma to cover the disaster.

Please check back for more updates….

For more information please visit the following websites:

http://www.alertnet.org/

www.geoffmackley.com

Typhoon Alert: North West Pacific - Updated 12th May 1100z

Satellite image shows typhoon Rammasun at its peak on the 10th May 2008. Image courtesy of NRL Monterey.

Typhoon Rammasun becomes the first super typhoon of 2008. It's currently weakening as it passes to the south of Japan.

Typhoon Rammasun is now weakening to the south of Japan after becoming the season's first super typhoon. According to JTWC, Rammasun had sustained 1 minute winds of 135kts at its peak just shy of being a category 5 equivalent storm.

So far the typhoon has not affected land and is expected to weaken into a tropical storm soon before moving off into the north Pacific.

*1st May 2008*

Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Nargis Charging Towards Burma

Very Severe cylonic storm Nargis in the Bay of Bengal at 0400z 1st May 2008. Image courtesy of NRL Monterey

The latest JTWC warning 15 forecasts Nargis make landfall over the west coast of Burma in about 36 hours. Image courtesy of JTWC