Tropical Storm Faxai (2007)
Encyclopedia
Severe Tropical Storm Faxai (international designation: 0720, JTWC
designation: 20W, PAGASA
name: Juaning) was a short-lived tropical storm that had minor effects on land. The twentieth named storm of the 2007 Pacific typhoon season
, Faxai originated from a tropical depression over the open waters of the western Pacific Ocean
in late October. The storm quickly strengthened, becoming a severe tropical storm on October 26 as it rapidly traveled towards the northeast. The storm became extratropical
the following day as it brushed Japan. The remnants dissipated on October 28.
Although Faxai never made landfall, outer bands
associated with the storm produced torrential rains, amounting to 458 mm (18 in) on Miyakejima
. A Japan Airlines
flight to Narita Airport encountered severe turbulence
during the afternoon of October 27. One person sustained serious injures, and five others received minor injuries; the plane was damaged during the event. One person was killed near Tokyo
as the storm passed by, and three others were injured. Damages from the storm amounted to ¥150 million (US$1.5 million).
that persisted about 805 kilometers (500 mi) west of Guam
on October 24. Satellite imagery indicated broad cyclonic turning in the lower levels of the atmosphere, and a trough
was located near the surface. Convection
consolidated around the center of the low-level circulation, and the upper-level environment—low wind shear
and good divergence—favored development. The following day, the Japan Meteorological Agency
(JMA) classified the system as a tropical depression. Shortly after, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center
(JTWC) issued a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert
as convection deepened around a partially exposed low
. The storm traveled northwest under the influences of a subtropical
ridge
to the north. At 0000 UTC on October 26, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
(PAGASA) designated the system as a tropical depression and gave it the local name Juaning. Around the same time, the JMA upgraded the depression to a tropical storm and gave it the name Faxai.
The JTWC issued advisories on Faxai, designating it as 20W; however, they classified it as a tropical depression. Several hours later, the storm began to undergo an extratropical transition
, with convection persisting mainly in the northwestern portion of the storm and cold, dry air entering into the southwestern portion. At 1200 UTC, PAGASA issued their final advisory on Tropical Storm Juaning as it moved out of their area of responsibility. The JTWC reported that Tropical Depression 20W (Faxai) had become extratropical around this time as it merged with a baroclinic zone. A cold front
developed along the southern portion of Faxai, a feature of extratropical cyclones. Around that time, the JMA upgraded Faxai to a severe tropical storm with winds of 95 km/h (60 mph 10-minute sustained).
The JTWC subsequently upgraded the depression to a tropical storm based on the development of a well-defined central dense overcast. A shortwave trough
located over the Korean peninsula
provided a favorable upper-level environment for Faxai to intensify. Early the next day, Faxai began accelerating rapidly towards the northeast in the mid-latitude westerlies
. An anticyclone
located over Japan created a strong pressure gradient
between it and the tropical storm, causing the wind field of Faxai to expand significantly to the northeast. As the JTWC issued their final advisory, they assessed the storm to have reached its peak intensity, with winds of 75 km/h (45 mph one-minute sustained). The JMA also assessed Faxai to have reached its peak intensity at that time, with winds of 100 km/h (65 mph 10-minute sustained) and a minimum pressure of 975 hPa
(mbar
); however, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA) reported that Faxai had attained hurricane-force winds by this time, peaking at 130 km/h (80 mph). The storm continued towards the northeast at a rapid pace and became extratropical off the eastern coast of Honshu
around 1200 UTC on October 27. The extratropical remnants persisted for more than a day before dissipating over open waters late on October 28. NOAA, on the other hand, continued to monitor the remnants of Faxai, with the system reaching the Aleutian Islands on October 29. The following day, the storm rapidly intensified
, with the central pressure dropping to 957 hPa (mbar) by 1800 UTC. On October 31, the system tracked into Alaska and weakened.
The Japan Meteorological Agency
uses 10-minute sustained winds
, while the Joint Typhoon Warning Center
uses one-minute sustained winds. The conversion factor between the two is 1.14. JMA's peak intensity for Faxai was 100 km/h (65 mph) 10-minute sustained, or 120 km/h (75 mph) one-minute sustained. The JTWC's peak intensity for Faxai was 75 km/h (45 mph) one-minute sustained, or 65 km/h (40 mph) 10-minute sustained.
canceled day flights between Tokyo
and the Izu Islands
. Tokai Kisen, which operates ferries between Tokyo, the Izu Islands, and Shizuoka Prefecture
, canceled some services due to the storm. Areas around Tokyo were notified of the expected heavy rains, waves up to 6 m (19.6 ft), and high winds. Residents were advised to stay indoors during the storm, especially after sunset, and to avoid possible flying debris.
Although Faxai did not make landfall, the outer bands produced heavy rains, which caused minor damage along the eastern coast of Japan. The highest total rainfall was recorded on Miyakejima
at 458 mm (18 in) and in the Ōshima Subprefecture
of Tokyo, 192 mm (7.5 in) was recorded. The rainfall in Miyakejima nearly surpassed the record daily rainfall for October 27. Rainfall rates peaked at 95 mm/h (3.7 in/h) on Miyaketsubota, which triggered seven mudslides throughout the country. One woman was killed near Tokyo, and three people were injured. One home, two hectares of farmland, 2 km (1.2 mi) of roads, and one ship were damaged by the storm. At the height of the storm, 9,605 residences were without power throughout Japan. Damages from cyclone totaled ¥150 million (US$1.5 million).
At 5:31 pm Japan Standard Time
(0831 UTC) on October 27, a Japan Airlines
Boeing 767-300 heading to Narita International Airport
, encountered severe turbulence
from Faxai about 74 km (46 mi) southeast of Narita. The turbulence caused seven injuries on the flight, as well as some damage to the plane.
Joint Typhoon Warning Center
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center is a joint United States Navy – United States Air Force task force located at the Naval Maritime Forecast Center in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii...
designation: 20W, PAGASA
Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration is a Philippine national institution dedicated to provide flood and typhoon warnings, public weather forecasts and advisories, meteorological, astronomical, climatological, and other specialized information and...
name: Juaning) was a short-lived tropical storm that had minor effects on land. The twentieth named storm of the 2007 Pacific typhoon season
2007 Pacific typhoon season
The 2007 Pacific typhoon season was a below average season which featured 24 named storms and 14 typhoons, compared to the average of 27 and 17 respectively. had no official bounds; it ran year-round in 2007, but most tropical cyclones tend to form in the northwestern Pacific Ocean between May and...
, Faxai originated from a tropical depression over the open waters of the western Pacific Ocean
Pacific typhoon
A typhoon is a mature tropical cyclone that develops in the northwestern part of the Pacific Ocean between 180° and 100°E. This region is referred to as the northwest Pacific basin. For organizational purposes, the northern Pacific Ocean is divided into three regions: the eastern , central , and...
in late October. The storm quickly strengthened, becoming a severe tropical storm on October 26 as it rapidly traveled towards the northeast. The storm became extratropical
Extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are a group of cyclones defined as synoptic scale low pressure weather systems that occur in the middle latitudes of the Earth having neither tropical nor polar characteristics, and are connected with fronts and...
the following day as it brushed Japan. The remnants dissipated on October 28.
Although Faxai never made landfall, outer bands
Rainband
A rainband is a cloud and precipitation structure associated with an area of rainfall which is significantly elongated. Rainbands can be stratiform or convective, and are generated by differences in temperature. When noted on weather radar imagery, this precipitation elongation is referred to as...
associated with the storm produced torrential rains, amounting to 458 mm (18 in) on Miyakejima
Miyakejima
is an island in the Izu group, southeast of Honshū, Japan, administered by the Tokyo Metropolitan government, with an area of 55.50 km². The island, 180 km south of Tokyo, is located at 34.5N and 139.34E. As of January 1, 2006, the population of the island is 2884...
. A Japan Airlines
Japan Airlines
is an airline headquartered in Shinagawa, Tokyo, Japan. It is the flag carrier of Japan and its main hubs are Tokyo's Narita International Airport and Tokyo International Airport , as well as Nagoya's Chūbu Centrair International Airport and Osaka's Kansai International Airport...
flight to Narita Airport encountered severe turbulence
Turbulence
In fluid dynamics, turbulence or turbulent flow is a flow regime characterized by chaotic and stochastic property changes. This includes low momentum diffusion, high momentum convection, and rapid variation of pressure and velocity in space and time...
during the afternoon of October 27. One person sustained serious injures, and five others received minor injuries; the plane was damaged during the event. One person was killed near Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
as the storm passed by, and three others were injured. Damages from the storm amounted to ¥150 million (US$1.5 million).
Meteorological history
Tropical Storm Faxai began as an area of convectionConvection
Convection is the movement of molecules within fluids and rheids. It cannot take place in solids, since neither bulk current flows nor significant diffusion can take place in solids....
that persisted about 805 kilometers (500 mi) west of Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
on October 24. Satellite imagery indicated broad cyclonic turning in the lower levels of the atmosphere, and a trough
Trough (meteorology)
A trough is an elongated region of relatively low atmospheric pressure, often associated with fronts.Unlike fronts, there is not a universal symbol for a trough on a weather chart. The weather charts in some countries or regions mark troughs by a line. In the United States, a trough may be marked...
was located near the surface. Convection
Atmospheric convection
Atmospheric convection is the result of a parcel-environment instability, or temperature difference, layer in the atmosphere. Different lapse rates within dry and moist air lead to instability. Mixing of air during the day which expands the height of the planetary boundary layer leads to...
consolidated around the center of the low-level circulation, and the upper-level environment—low wind shear
Wind shear
Wind shear, sometimes referred to as windshear or wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere...
and good divergence—favored development. The following day, the Japan Meteorological Agency
Japan Meteorological Agency
The or JMA, is the Japanese government's weather service. Charged with gathering and reporting weather data and forecasts in Japan, it is a semi-autonomous part of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport...
(JMA) classified the system as a tropical depression. Shortly after, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center
Joint Typhoon Warning Center
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center is a joint United States Navy – United States Air Force task force located at the Naval Maritime Forecast Center in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii...
(JTWC) issued a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert
Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert
A Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert is a bulletin released by the U.S. Navy-operated Joint Typhoon Warning Center in Honolulu, Hawaii or the Naval Maritime Forecast Center in Norfolk, Virginia, warning of the possibility of a tropical cyclone forming from a tropical disturbance that has been...
as convection deepened around a partially exposed low
Low pressure area
A low-pressure area, or "low", is a region where the atmospheric pressure at sea level is below that of surrounding locations. Low-pressure systems form under areas of wind divergence which occur in upper levels of the troposphere. The formation process of a low-pressure area is known as...
. The storm traveled northwest under the influences of a subtropical
Subtropical cyclone
A subtropical cyclone is a weather system that has some characteristics of a tropical and an extratropical cyclone. As early as the 1950s, meteorologists were unclear whether they should be characterized as tropical or extratropical cyclones. They were officially recognized by the National...
ridge
Ridge (meteorology)
A ridge is an elongated region of relatively high atmospheric pressure, the opposite of a trough....
to the north. At 0000 UTC on October 26, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration is a Philippine national institution dedicated to provide flood and typhoon warnings, public weather forecasts and advisories, meteorological, astronomical, climatological, and other specialized information and...
(PAGASA) designated the system as a tropical depression and gave it the local name Juaning. Around the same time, the JMA upgraded the depression to a tropical storm and gave it the name Faxai.
The JTWC issued advisories on Faxai, designating it as 20W; however, they classified it as a tropical depression. Several hours later, the storm began to undergo an extratropical transition
Extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are a group of cyclones defined as synoptic scale low pressure weather systems that occur in the middle latitudes of the Earth having neither tropical nor polar characteristics, and are connected with fronts and...
, with convection persisting mainly in the northwestern portion of the storm and cold, dry air entering into the southwestern portion. At 1200 UTC, PAGASA issued their final advisory on Tropical Storm Juaning as it moved out of their area of responsibility. The JTWC reported that Tropical Depression 20W (Faxai) had become extratropical around this time as it merged with a baroclinic zone. A cold front
Weather front
A weather front is a boundary separating two masses of air of different densities, and is the principal cause of meteorological phenomena. In surface weather analyses, fronts are depicted using various colored lines and symbols, depending on the type of front...
developed along the southern portion of Faxai, a feature of extratropical cyclones. Around that time, the JMA upgraded Faxai to a severe tropical storm with winds of 95 km/h (60 mph 10-minute sustained).
The JTWC subsequently upgraded the depression to a tropical storm based on the development of a well-defined central dense overcast. A shortwave trough
Trough (meteorology)
A trough is an elongated region of relatively low atmospheric pressure, often associated with fronts.Unlike fronts, there is not a universal symbol for a trough on a weather chart. The weather charts in some countries or regions mark troughs by a line. In the United States, a trough may be marked...
located over the Korean peninsula
Korean Peninsula
The Korean Peninsula is a peninsula in East Asia. It extends southwards for about 684 miles from continental Asia into the Pacific Ocean and is surrounded by the Sea of Japan to the south, and the Yellow Sea to the west, the Korea Strait connecting the first two bodies of water.Until the end of...
provided a favorable upper-level environment for Faxai to intensify. Early the next day, Faxai began accelerating rapidly towards the northeast in the mid-latitude westerlies
Westerlies
The Westerlies, anti-trades, or Prevailing Westerlies, are the prevailing winds in the middle latitudes between 30 and 60 degrees latitude, blowing from the high pressure area in the horse latitudes towards the poles. These prevailing winds blow from the west to the east, and steer extratropical...
. An anticyclone
Anticyclone
An anticyclone is a weather phenomenon defined by the United States' National Weather Service's glossary as "[a] large-scale circulation of winds around a central region of high atmospheric pressure, clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere, counterclockwise in the Southern Hemisphere"...
located over Japan created a strong pressure gradient
Pressure gradient
In atmospheric sciences , the pressure gradient is a physical quantity that describes in which direction and at what rate the pressure changes the most rapidly around a particular location. The pressure gradient is a dimensional quantity expressed in units of pressure per unit length...
between it and the tropical storm, causing the wind field of Faxai to expand significantly to the northeast. As the JTWC issued their final advisory, they assessed the storm to have reached its peak intensity, with winds of 75 km/h (45 mph one-minute sustained). The JMA also assessed Faxai to have reached its peak intensity at that time, with winds of 100 km/h (65 mph 10-minute sustained) and a minimum pressure of 975 hPa
Pascal (unit)
The pascal is the SI derived unit of pressure, internal pressure, stress, Young's modulus and tensile strength, named after the French mathematician, physicist, inventor, writer, and philosopher Blaise Pascal. It is a measure of force per unit area, defined as one newton per square metre...
(mbar
Bar (unit)
The bar is a unit of pressure equal to 100 kilopascals, and roughly equal to the atmospheric pressure on Earth at sea level. Other units derived from the bar are the megabar , kilobar , decibar , centibar , and millibar...
); however, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration , pronounced , like "noah", is a scientific agency within the United States Department of Commerce focused on the conditions of the oceans and the atmosphere...
(NOAA) reported that Faxai had attained hurricane-force winds by this time, peaking at 130 km/h (80 mph). The storm continued towards the northeast at a rapid pace and became extratropical off the eastern coast of Honshu
Honshu
is the largest island of Japan. The nation's main island, it is south of Hokkaido across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyushu across the Kanmon Strait...
around 1200 UTC on October 27. The extratropical remnants persisted for more than a day before dissipating over open waters late on October 28. NOAA, on the other hand, continued to monitor the remnants of Faxai, with the system reaching the Aleutian Islands on October 29. The following day, the storm rapidly intensified
Rapid deepening
Rapid deepening, also known as rapid intensification, is a meteorological condition that occurs when the minimum sea-level atmospheric pressure of a tropical cyclone decreases drastically in a short period of time. The National Weather Service describes rapid deepening as a decrease of...
, with the central pressure dropping to 957 hPa (mbar) by 1800 UTC. On October 31, the system tracked into Alaska and weakened.
The Japan Meteorological Agency
Japan Meteorological Agency
The or JMA, is the Japanese government's weather service. Charged with gathering and reporting weather data and forecasts in Japan, it is a semi-autonomous part of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport...
uses 10-minute sustained winds
Maximum sustained wind
The maximum sustained winds associated with a tropical cyclone are a common indicator of the intensity of the storm. Within a mature tropical cyclone, they are found within the eyewall at a distance defined as the radius of maximum wind, or RMW. Unlike gusts, the value of these winds are...
, while the Joint Typhoon Warning Center
Joint Typhoon Warning Center
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center is a joint United States Navy – United States Air Force task force located at the Naval Maritime Forecast Center in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii...
uses one-minute sustained winds. The conversion factor between the two is 1.14. JMA's peak intensity for Faxai was 100 km/h (65 mph) 10-minute sustained, or 120 km/h (75 mph) one-minute sustained. The JTWC's peak intensity for Faxai was 75 km/h (45 mph) one-minute sustained, or 65 km/h (40 mph) 10-minute sustained.
Preparations and impact
As Faxai approached Japan, All Nippon AirwaysAll Nippon Airways
, also known as or ANA, is one of the largest airlines in Japan. It is headquartered at the Shiodome City Center in the Shiodome area in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. It operates services to 49 destinations in Japan and 35 international routes and employed over 14,000 employees as of May 2009...
canceled day flights between Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
and the Izu Islands
Izu Islands
The are a group of volcanic islands stretching south and east from the Izu Peninsula of Honshū, Japan. Administratively, they form two towns and six villages; all part of Tokyo. The largest is Izu Ōshima, usually called simply Ōshima....
. Tokai Kisen, which operates ferries between Tokyo, the Izu Islands, and Shizuoka Prefecture
Shizuoka Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region on Honshu island. The capital is the city of Shizuoka.- History :Shizuoka prefecture was formed from the former Tōtōmi, Suruga and Izu provinces.The area was the home of the first Tokugawa Shogun...
, canceled some services due to the storm. Areas around Tokyo were notified of the expected heavy rains, waves up to 6 m (19.6 ft), and high winds. Residents were advised to stay indoors during the storm, especially after sunset, and to avoid possible flying debris.
Although Faxai did not make landfall, the outer bands produced heavy rains, which caused minor damage along the eastern coast of Japan. The highest total rainfall was recorded on Miyakejima
Miyakejima
is an island in the Izu group, southeast of Honshū, Japan, administered by the Tokyo Metropolitan government, with an area of 55.50 km². The island, 180 km south of Tokyo, is located at 34.5N and 139.34E. As of January 1, 2006, the population of the island is 2884...
at 458 mm (18 in) and in the Ōshima Subprefecture
Oshima Subprefecture (Tokyo)
is a subprefecture of Tokyo, Japan. The organization belong to Tokyo Metropolitan Government Bureau Of General Affairs.It includes the following towns and villages on the Izu Islands:*Ōshima *Toshima...
of Tokyo, 192 mm (7.5 in) was recorded. The rainfall in Miyakejima nearly surpassed the record daily rainfall for October 27. Rainfall rates peaked at 95 mm/h (3.7 in/h) on Miyaketsubota, which triggered seven mudslides throughout the country. One woman was killed near Tokyo, and three people were injured. One home, two hectares of farmland, 2 km (1.2 mi) of roads, and one ship were damaged by the storm. At the height of the storm, 9,605 residences were without power throughout Japan. Damages from cyclone totaled ¥150 million (US$1.5 million).
At 5:31 pm Japan Standard Time
Japan Standard Time
Japan Standard Time or JST is the standard timezone of Japan, and is 9 hours ahead of UTC. For example, when it is midnight in UTC, it is 09:00 in Japan Standard Time. There is no daylight saving time, though its introduction has been debated several times. Japan Standard Time is the same as...
(0831 UTC) on October 27, a Japan Airlines
Japan Airlines
is an airline headquartered in Shinagawa, Tokyo, Japan. It is the flag carrier of Japan and its main hubs are Tokyo's Narita International Airport and Tokyo International Airport , as well as Nagoya's Chūbu Centrair International Airport and Osaka's Kansai International Airport...
Boeing 767-300 heading to Narita International Airport
Narita International Airport
is an international airport serving the Greater Tokyo Area of Japan. It is located east of Tokyo Station and east-southeast of Narita Station in the city of Narita, and the adjacent town of Shibayama....
, encountered severe turbulence
Turbulence
In fluid dynamics, turbulence or turbulent flow is a flow regime characterized by chaotic and stochastic property changes. This includes low momentum diffusion, high momentum convection, and rapid variation of pressure and velocity in space and time...
from Faxai about 74 km (46 mi) southeast of Narita. The turbulence caused seven injuries on the flight, as well as some damage to the plane.
See also
- 2007 Pacific typhoon season2007 Pacific typhoon seasonThe 2007 Pacific typhoon season was a below average season which featured 24 named storms and 14 typhoons, compared to the average of 27 and 17 respectively. had no official bounds; it ran year-round in 2007, but most tropical cyclones tend to form in the northwestern Pacific Ocean between May and...
- Timeline of the 2007 Pacific typhoon seasonTimeline of the 2007 Pacific typhoon seasonThe 2007 Pacific typhoon season had no official bounds; it ran year-round in 2007, but most tropical cyclones tend to form in the northwestern Pacific Ocean between May and November...