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Tropical Storm Kammuri (2002)
Encyclopedia
Severe Tropical Storm Kammuri (international designation: 0212, JTWC
designation: 16W, designated Tropical Storm Lagalag by PAGASA
and sometimes known as just Tropical Storm Kammuri)
was the sixteenth tropical cyclone and twelfth named storm of the 2002 Pacific typhoon season
. Kammuri was a name contributed by Japan which means 'crown'. Lagalag was a Filipino name and an adjective meaning 'wandering', or 'roving'.
in late July and early August. The disturbance was first spotted early on August 2 as an area of convection which had persisted approximately 270 nautical miles (500 km) west of Luzon in the South China Sea
. The system was upgraded to Tropical Depression 16W six hours later as it tracked west-northwestward at 7 knots (13.7 km/h). The system turned northward early the next morning under the influence of a low to mid-level ridge over the East China Sea
. 16W accelerated to 13 knots (25.5 km/h) while turning back to the west at around midday as it became less influenced by the southwesterly monsoon flow. The system was consolidating, and by the evening of the 3rd, the cyclone was upgraded to a tropical storm and assigned the name Kammuri.
On August 4, Kammuri was moving westward at 4 knots (7.8 km/h). Soon afterwards, a surge in the southwest monsoon was pushing Kammuri on an east-northeast heading by this time and the cyclone started to lift out of the monsoon trough. Gradually turning to the north, the tropical cyclone approached the Chinese
coast. Kammuri reached a peak intensity of 60 mph (95 km/h) and a minimum central pressure of 987 mbar, and made landfall that day with the same intensity at 2200 UTC, just east of Shanwei
. The Hong Kong Observatory
(HKO) recorded a pressure of 990.1 mbar (hPa) around the time of landfall. The storm began to accelerate ahead of an approaching mid-latitude low-pressure system and was downgraded to a tropical depression on the 5th as it moved farther inland. The surface cyclone dissipated over the mountainous coastline of eastern China and its remnants linked up with a cold front
by the end of the day.
early on August 3, when the center of Tropical Storm Kammuri was 390 km away from the Observatory. That signal was the first signal issued by the HKO so far that year. The warning was later cancelled on August 5 since the storm had made landfall and was beginning to dissipate. Over 50 flights were either delayed or cancelled at a Guangzhou
airport because of the heavy rain. Shantou International Airport cancelled or delayed ten flights and was closed for over four hours on the 5th for the same reason. After Kammuri dissipated, an Amber Rainstorm Warning Signal
was issued early on the 6th due to the threat of damage from the heavy rainfall from the remnants of the cyclone.
, Shantou
, and Lufeng
in the eastern part of Guangdong Province, causing extensive damage. A great deal of crop land was flooded, and many bridges, tunnels and power lines were destroyed. Electricity supplies in some of the storm-hit areas were also cut off. Ten people were killed from flash floods caused by the cyclone in Meizhou
, Guangdong, which also left at least 15 people injured and another 23 or more missing. The damage hundreds of homes in Guangdong were inflicted with left approximately 1,500 people temporarily homeless. Also in the province, two dams broke and damaged around 412 villages. In Shantou, two people were electrocuted when they were repairing power facilities amid heavy rain. Torrential rains caused 28 deaths in Guangdong while four deaths were reported in Quanzhou
. In Hunan Province, the death toll reached 75 persons. Direct economic losses are estimated at 4.219 billion yuan ($539.69 million 2002 USD
, with December 16, 2006 exchange rates). The reported number of collapsed houses was 20,182.
In Fujian
province, Yongchun
measured 284.3 mm of rainfall, which was a daily record for the station. Hongwuyi, in Yongchun County, reported 315 mm during the same period- which was the highest daily amount in the history of that station as well. Taiwan
received 325 mm of rain at Tung Ho, in Taitung
county in 27 hours. A station in Cheng Kung, Taiwan, recorded a daily amount of 591 mm on August 5 (local time), the highest amount of rainfall ever recorded there. A drought that had been affecting Guangdong for most of the year was greatly reduced after all the heavy rain brought to the province.
The active southwesterly winds associated with the remnant of Kammuri brought heavy rain and thunderstorms to Hong Kong on August 6. More than 200 mm of rainfall was recorded over Kwai Chung
and Sha Tin
that day.
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: 16W, designated Tropical Storm Lagalag by 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...
and sometimes known as just Tropical Storm Kammuri)
was the sixteenth tropical cyclone and twelfth named storm of the 2002 Pacific typhoon season
2002 Pacific typhoon season
A Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert was issued on July 19 for a Tropical Disturbance that was located east of the international Date Line. The Next day the Disturbance crossed the international date line and was classified as a Tropical Depression by the JMA. The JMA then upgraded the depression to...
. Kammuri was a name contributed by Japan which means 'crown'. Lagalag was a Filipino name and an adjective meaning 'wandering', or 'roving'.
Meteorological history
The formative stage of Kammuri traces back to a large monsoon gyre east of LuzonLuzon
Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...
in late July and early August. The disturbance was first spotted early on August 2 as an area of convection which had persisted approximately 270 nautical miles (500 km) west of Luzon in the South China Sea
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around...
. The system was upgraded to Tropical Depression 16W six hours later as it tracked west-northwestward at 7 knots (13.7 km/h). The system turned northward early the next morning under the influence of a low to mid-level ridge over the East China Sea
East China Sea
The East China Sea is a marginal sea east of China. It is a part of the Pacific Ocean and covers an area of 1,249,000 km² or 750,000 square miles.-Geography:...
. 16W accelerated to 13 knots (25.5 km/h) while turning back to the west at around midday as it became less influenced by the southwesterly monsoon flow. The system was consolidating, and by the evening of the 3rd, the cyclone was upgraded to a tropical storm and assigned the name Kammuri.
On August 4, Kammuri was moving westward at 4 knots (7.8 km/h). Soon afterwards, a surge in the southwest monsoon was pushing Kammuri on an east-northeast heading by this time and the cyclone started to lift out of the monsoon trough. Gradually turning to the north, the tropical cyclone approached the Chinese
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
coast. Kammuri reached a peak intensity of 60 mph (95 km/h) and a minimum central pressure of 987 mbar, and made landfall that day with the same intensity at 2200 UTC, just east of Shanwei
Shanwei
Shanwei is a prefecture-level city in Guangdong province of Southern China, People's Republic of China. It borders Jieyang to the east, Meizhou and Heyuan to the north, Huizhou to the west, and looks out to the South China Sea to the south...
. The Hong Kong Observatory
Hong Kong Observatory
Hong Kong Observatory is a department of the Hong Kong government. The Observatory forecasts weather and issues warnings on weather-related hazards...
(HKO) recorded a pressure of 990.1 mbar (hPa) around the time of landfall. The storm began to accelerate ahead of an approaching mid-latitude low-pressure system and was downgraded to a tropical depression on the 5th as it moved farther inland. The surface cyclone dissipated over the mountainous coastline of eastern China and its remnants linked up with a cold front
Cold front
A cold front is defined as the leading edge of a cooler mass of air, replacing a warmer mass of air.-Development of cold front:The cooler and denser air wedges under the less-dense warmer air, lifting it...
by the end of the day.
Preparations
The HKO issued a Standby Signal No. 1 for Hong KongHong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
early on August 3, when the center of Tropical Storm Kammuri was 390 km away from the Observatory. That signal was the first signal issued by the HKO so far that year. The warning was later cancelled on August 5 since the storm had made landfall and was beginning to dissipate. Over 50 flights were either delayed or cancelled at a Guangzhou
Guangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
airport because of the heavy rain. Shantou International Airport cancelled or delayed ten flights and was closed for over four hours on the 5th for the same reason. After Kammuri dissipated, an Amber Rainstorm Warning Signal
Hong Kong rainstorm warning signals
The rainstorm warning signals are a set of signals used in Hong Kong to alert the public about the occurrence of heavy rain which is likely to bring about major disruptions such as traffic congestion and floods...
was issued early on the 6th due to the threat of damage from the heavy rainfall from the remnants of the cyclone.
Impact
A total of 107 deaths occurred as a result of Kammuri's passage, with most of the damage and casualties in southern China due to the rain-induced flooding caused by the combination of a cold front and the remnants of the tropical cyclone. Flood damage destroyed crops, bridges, tunnels and power lines. The storm, accompanied by torrential rains, ripped through the coastal cities of ShanweiShanwei
Shanwei is a prefecture-level city in Guangdong province of Southern China, People's Republic of China. It borders Jieyang to the east, Meizhou and Heyuan to the north, Huizhou to the west, and looks out to the South China Sea to the south...
, Shantou
Shantou
Shantou , historically known as Swatow or Suátao, is a prefecture-level city on the eastern coast of Guangdong province, People's Republic of China, with a total population of 5,391,028 as of 2010 and an administrative area of...
, and Lufeng
Lufeng
Lufeng City is a county-level city in the Shanwei municipal region, Guangdong, on the South China Sea coast, east of Hong Kong.Lufeng City is situated next to the county of Haifeng ; the area is sometimes conjointly referred to as Hailufeng.-Demography:It has a population of 1.7 million, the...
in the eastern part of Guangdong Province, causing extensive damage. A great deal of crop land was flooded, and many bridges, tunnels and power lines were destroyed. Electricity supplies in some of the storm-hit areas were also cut off. Ten people were killed from flash floods caused by the cyclone in Meizhou
Meizhou
-Administration:The municipal government, Intermediate Court and CPC and PSB bureaux are housed in the district of Jiangnan , on the right bank of Meijiang River.A second district of Meizhou is Jiangbei , on the left bank...
, Guangdong, which also left at least 15 people injured and another 23 or more missing. The damage hundreds of homes in Guangdong were inflicted with left approximately 1,500 people temporarily homeless. Also in the province, two dams broke and damaged around 412 villages. In Shantou, two people were electrocuted when they were repairing power facilities amid heavy rain. Torrential rains caused 28 deaths in Guangdong while four deaths were reported in Quanzhou
Quanzhou
Quanzhou is a prefecture-level city in Fujian province, People's Republic of China. It borders all other prefecture-level cities in Fujian but two and faces the Taiwan Strait...
. In Hunan Province, the death toll reached 75 persons. Direct economic losses are estimated at 4.219 billion yuan ($539.69 million 2002 USD
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
, with December 16, 2006 exchange rates). The reported number of collapsed houses was 20,182.
In Fujian
Fujian
' , formerly romanised as Fukien or Huguing or Foukien, is a province on the southeast coast of mainland China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, and Guangdong to the south. Taiwan lies to the east, across the Taiwan Strait...
province, Yongchun
Yongchun
Yongchun may refer to:* Yongchun County, county of Quanzhou City, Fujian Province, China* Wing Chun, or Yongchun in pinyin, Chinese martial art that specializes in close-range combat...
measured 284.3 mm of rainfall, which was a daily record for the station. Hongwuyi, in Yongchun County, reported 315 mm during the same period- which was the highest daily amount in the history of that station as well. Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
received 325 mm of rain at Tung Ho, in Taitung
Taitung County
Taitung County is a county in eastern Taiwan. The name means "Eastern Taiwan". Taitung County is also known as 後山 by many of the locals, meaning behind the mountains or the back mountains. Taitung is officially administered as a county of Taiwan, Republic of China.Taitung runs along the south east...
county in 27 hours. A station in Cheng Kung, Taiwan, recorded a daily amount of 591 mm on August 5 (local time), the highest amount of rainfall ever recorded there. A drought that had been affecting Guangdong for most of the year was greatly reduced after all the heavy rain brought to the province.
The active southwesterly winds associated with the remnant of Kammuri brought heavy rain and thunderstorms to Hong Kong on August 6. More than 200 mm of rainfall was recorded over Kwai Chung
Kwai Chung
Kwai Chung is a town in the New Territories of Hong Kong. Together with Tsing Yi Island, it is part of the Kwai Tsing District of Hong Kong. Kwai Chung is the site of the container port. It is also part of Tsuen Wan New Town. In 2000, it had a population of 287,000...
and Sha Tin
Sha Tin
Sha Tin, also spelled Shatin, is an area around the Shing Mun River in the New Territories of Hong Kong. Administratively, it is part of the Sha Tin District.-Geography:...
that day.