Typhoon Mirinae Already Raining on the Philippines

October 30, 2009

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The MODIS instrument on NASA's Aqua satellite captured an image of Typhoon Mirinae on October 30 at 1 p.m. local Asia/Manila Time approaching the Philippines (left), part of which are already under a part of Mirinae's clouds.
Credit: NASA MODIS Rapid Response

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This microwave image of Mirinae on October 30 shows its center just east of making a landfall. Cold areas (yellow-green) indicate precipitation or ice in the cloud tops. The purple area (around the eye) has the coldest cloud temperatures.
Credit: NASA JPL, Ed Olsen

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This infrared image from AIRS shows the extent of Mirinae's high clouds (purple and blue) on October 30 are colder than -63F.
Credit: NASA JPL, Ed Olsen

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When Tropical Storm Ketsana moved over the Philippines in late September it produced very heavy rain causing deadly mudslides and flooding in Manila. This graphic shows the track of Tropical Storm Ketsana in black and the predicted path of Typhoon Mirinae in white.
Credit: NASA/SSAI, Hal PierceTyphoon Mirinae Already Raining on the Philippines

Infrared imagery from NASA's Aqua satellite revealed that Typhoon Mirinae's cold thunderstorm clouds were already over sections of the central and northern Philippines on October 30 at 4:53 p.m. (Asia/Manila) local time.

Microwave satellite imagery from NASA's Aqua satellite showed that Mirinae's center was close to making a landfall as the storm continued its approach from the east. The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument provided infrared data on Mirinae's cloud top temperatures, and showed some strong convection and strong thunderstorms with moderate to heavy rainfall over eastern sections of the northern Philippines. The microwave image was created combining AIRS and Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit (AMSU) data. AMSU is another instrument that flies on NASA's Aqua satellite.

The microwave image revealed cold areas in the storm that indicate ice in cloudtops, and heavy precipitation. Around the eye are the coldest cloud temperatures, as cold as -63F. Microwave data suggests cloud heights to the 200 millibar level, near the tropopause.

Mirinae is also known as "Santi" in the Philippines. Warnings are in effect there are Mirinae (or Santi) is already raining in areas on Friday. Public storm warning signal 3 is in effect in the following districts of Luzon: Quezon, Polillo island, Bulacan, Bataan, Rizal, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Oriental Mindoro, Lubang Island, Marinduque, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Metro Manila; Public storm warning signal 2 is in effect in the following districts of Luzon: Aurora, Quirino, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, Pampanga, Zambales, Occidental Mindoro, Albay, Burias Island; and Public storm warning signal 1 is in effect in the following districts of Luzon: Isabela, Ifugao, Nueva Vizcaya, Benguet, La Union, Pangasinan, Sorsogon, Masbate, Romblon, Calamian Group. In Visayas, the signal is raised in Northern Samar and Northern Panay.

On October 30 at 5 p.m. local (Asia/Manila) time, or 5 a.m. EDT, Typhoon Mirinae still had maximum sustained winds near 85 knots (97 mph or 157 kph). Typhoon-force winds extend for 30 to 40 miles from the center, while tropical storm-force winds extend as far as 140 miles from the center. Mirinae was centered 205 miles east of Manila, near 14.9 North and 124.6 East.

The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite, managed by NASA and JAXA, flew over Mirinae on October 29 and analyzed the rainfall within the storm. The rainfall analysis from the TRMM Microwave Imager and Precipitation Radar instruments showed heavy rainfall of over 30 millimeters (1.18 inches) per hour falling near the typhoon's center. Typhoon Mirinae has been predicted by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center to pass over the Philippines south of where tropical storm Ketsana traveled in late September. Mirinae is currently predicted to pass within about 44 nautical miles (~81.5 km) to the north of Manila on 31 October 2009. When tropical storm Ketsana moved over the Philippines in late September it produced very heavy rain causing deadly mudslides and flooding in Manila.

Mirinae has weakened as it interacts with the land of the Philippines. The storm will pass over the Philippines and re-emerge into the South China Sea over the weekend.

Text credit: Rob Gutro, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/hurricanes/archives/2009/h2009_Mirinae.html

Typhoon Mirinae is Already Scaring Philippine Residents Before Halloween

October 29, 2009

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NASA and JAXA's TRMM satellite captured the rainfall in Typhoon Mirinae on October 29 at 1018 UTC. Mirinae had moderate rainfall (yellow-green) around its center. Rainfall was between .78 to 1.57 inches per hour. Credit: NASA /SSAI, Hal PierceTyphoon Mirinae is Already Scaring Philippine Residents Before Halloween

Another typhoon in the northern Philippines really is something to be scared about, and Mirinae is expected to make landfall there in the mid-morning hours on Halloween, October 31. Mirinae will be the fourth major storm to hit the Philippines in one month bringing more rain to an already flood-weary region.

NASA's Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite is already hard at work analyzing rainfall, to provide meteorologists with an idea of what can be expected when the storm hits.

NASA and the Japanese Space Agency's TRMM satellite flew over Typhoon Mirinae on October 29 at 1018 UTC and measured its rainfall from space. Mirinae had moderate rainfall between .78 to 1.57 inches per hour around its center. TRMM images are made at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. and take some ingenuity to create. A typical TRMM rainfall image combines the infrared and visible channels overlaid with a precipitation analysis from the TRMM Microwave Imager and PR instruments.

The government of the Philippines isn't waiting for the storm to arrive. It is already sending evacuating people and sending in relief supplies.

On October 29 at 11 a.m. EDT (11 p.m. Asia/Manila Time), Mirinae had maximum sustained winds near 90 knots (104 mph or 167 km/hour). Mirinae's center was about 480 nautical miles east of Manila, near 15.6 North and 128.7 East. It was still moving west near 12 knots (14 mph) and kicking up dangerous waves as high as 31 feet high.

The environment that Typhoon Mirinie is in is enabling the storm to maintain intensity. Mirinae is in an area of light-to-moderate vertical wind shear. Strong wind shear (winds blowing at different levels of the atmosphere) can tear a storm apart, but that's not the case in the Philippine Sea where Mirinae is currently located. In addition, the sea surface temperatures remain warm there, in excess of 28 degrees Celsius (82 Fahrenheit). In order for a typhoon or hurricane to maintain intensity, it needs sea surface temperatures as warm as 80F.

Current forecasts expect Mirinae's center to make landfall sometime around 8 a.m. Asia/Manila time on October 31, and after 12 hours, the storm is expected to move into the South China Sea.

Text credit: Rob Gutro, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/hurricanes/archives/2009/h2009_Mirinae.html

4th typhoon leaves 20 dead in Philippines

AP – Filipinos use umbrellas to protect them from the sun as they flock at Manila's north cemetery, Philippines, …

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By JIM GOMEZ, Associated Press Writer – 2 hrs 5 mins ago

MANILA, Philippines – A tropical storm roared toward Vietnam on Sunday after battering the Philippine capital and surrounding provinces, leaving 20 people dead in a region still soggy from three recent storms.

Typhoon Mirinae weakened Sunday as it headed over the South China Sea. It was expected to strike Vietnam's central coast around noon Monday.

Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung ordered residents to begin evacuating high-risk areas of five coastal provinces and ordered Vietnamese fishermen in the South China Sea to seek shelter immediately.

The two countries are still recovering from Typhoon Ketsana, which brought the Philippine capital, Manila, its worst flooding in 40 years and went on to kill more than 160 people in Vietnam in late September.

Ketsana and two later storms killed more than 900 in the Philippines. Some 87,000 people who fled the storms were still living in temporary shelters when Mirinae struck.

The latest typhoon left 20 dead, mostly from drowning, in six provinces. Four people were missing, disaster response officials said.

The storm did not keep the largely Roman Catholic country from paying respects to the dead on All Saints Day on Sunday. Huge crowds jammed cemeteries, with some people visiting still-flooded ones by boat.

In Rizal province, just east of Manila, villagers carrying flowers and candles paddled canoes into a rural cemetery that resembled a lake.

Joel Librilla thrust his hands into the waist-high waters to feel the letters on submerged tombstones in a search for his mother's grave.

"We don't know where to light our candles," Librilla told the Associated Press Television News. "But my mother should know that this is for her."

Forecasters said they were watching a low pressure area 379 miles (610 kilometers) off the country's eastern coast over the Pacific, but it was too early to tell if it will develop into yet another storm.

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Associated Press writers Oliver Teves and Hrvoje Hranjski in Manila and Ben Stocking in Hanoi, Vietnam, contributed to this report.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091101/ap_on_re_as/as_asia_storm

4th typhoon in month lashes Philippines; 7 killed

AP – A woman carries her baby as they walk over toppled houses due to strong winds and waves bought by Typhoon …

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By OLIVER TEVES, Associated Press Writer – 1 hr 52 mins ago

MANILA, Philippines – The fourth typhoon to whip the Philippines in a month lashed the capital and nearby provinces Saturday, leaving fresh floods and new misery before blowing out of the country. At least seven people were killed and several were missing.

Typhoon Mirinae, with winds of 93 miles (150 kilometers) per hour and gusts of up to 115 mph (185 kph), slammed into Quezon province northeast of Manila around midnight Friday. It quickly swept westward out to sea south of the capital and weakened into a tropical stormSaturday afternoon.

"It is moving away toward the South China Sea," said chief government forecaster Nathaniel Cruz. "That part of our lives with (Mirinae) is over."

Mirinae appeared to be heading next toward Vietnam.

Philippine authorities evacuated more than 115,000 people in nine provinces east and south of Manila in the storm's path on main Luzon island, the National Disaster Coordinating Council reported.

Back-to-back storms in late September and early October killed more than 900 people, and a third storm then threatened the northern Philippines before veering toward Japan.

Initial reports Saturday from Mirinae indicated more flooding but relatively few deaths.

Police said six people, including a 12-year-old girl, drowned in a flash flood in Laguna province's Pagsanjantownship, south of Manila. Four others were missing in floodwaters in other towns, regional police chief Perfecto Palad said.

A man drowned after being swept away by strong currents as he tried to cross a creek in Rizal province's Pililla township while carrying his 1-year-old child, who remains missing. A man and his son who were in a car on a bridge that collapsed in nearby Batangas province were also missing, said regional disaster officer Fred Bragas.

One river in Laguna overflowed, flooding most of lakeside Santa Cruz town and sending residents clambering onto roofs, said Mayor Ariel Magcalas.

"We cannot move, this is no joke," Magcalas said. "The water is high. We need help," he said in a public address via Radio DZBB.

The muddy floodwater receded as rains eased, but was still chest-high in some communities.

In Manila, residents hunkered down in their homes overnight as rains beat down on dark, deserted streets. Mirinae passed south of the sprawling city of 12 million.

Mirinae tracked the same route as Tropical Storm Ketsana, which in late September dumped the heaviest rains in 40 years in and around Manila. A week later, Typhoon Parma triggered massive landslides in Luzon's mountain region.

Nearly 95,000 people who fled during those two earlier storms were still housed in temporary shelters when Mirinae struck, the national disaster agency said.

Flights at Manila's international airport were canceled and about 8,000 ferry passengers were stranded as the coast guard grounded all vessels.

Manila electric power distributor Meralco said the high winds had forced outages in many areas around the capital, but electricity was restored in most areas by Saturday afternoon.

In Rizal province's Taytay township, about 400 shanties — home to about 2,000 people who had been forced to flee their lakeside homes during Ketsana — were destroyed by strong winds, Mayor Joric Gacula said.

In the coastal town of Ternate in Cavite province, where the typhoon exited, a tornado destroyed 25 houses and injured one resident, Bragas said.

Ahead of the typhoon, millions of Filipinos had boarded buses heading to home provinces for this weekend'sAll Saints Day, when people visit cemeteries to pay respects to dead relatives in this devoutly Roman Catholic nation.

Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro expressed fear that floods and traffic congestion may trap visitors at graveyards, where people traditionally spend a day or even a night, but few heeded his call to scrap this year's commemorations.

In some provinces, floodwaters from Ketsana and Parma raged through cemeteries, breaking up tombs and sweeping away caskets and bodies.

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Associated Press writer Hrvoje Hranjski contributed to this report.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091031/ap_on_re_as/as_asia_storm

4th typhoon in month lashes sodden Philippines

AFP – Stranded passengers are seen at a bus station in Manila on October 30. Typhoon Mirinae smashed into the …

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By OLIVER TEVES, Associated Press Writer – 1 hr 20 mins ago

MANILA, Philippines – A powerful typhoon crashed into the Philippine capital Saturday with pounding rain and strong winds, causing amassive power outage, downing trees and bringing fresh floods to areas still partially submerged from a recent deadly storm.

More than 100,000 people sought shelter in five province east and south of Manila in the path of Typhoon Mirinae on the main Luzon Island. One river in Laguna province south of Manila overflowed, flooding most of lakeside Santa Cruz town and sending residents clambering onto roofs to escape rising waters, said Mayor Ariel Magcalas.

"We cannot move, this is no joke," Magcalas said. "The water is high. We need help," he said in a public address via Radio DZBB.

Rescue teams were dispatched to the flooded communities but were having difficulty moving in light trucks, said regional disaster officer Fred Bragas.

"As of now, our efforts are concentrated on rescue and evacuation," he said.

There were no immediate reports of casualties.

In Manila, residents hunkered down in their homes overnight as rains beat down on dark, deserted streets. Mirinae passed south of the sprawling city of 12 million with winds of 93 miles (150 kilometers) per hour and gusts of up to 115 mph (185 kph).

The fourth typhoon to lash in the Philippines in a month, Mirinae was tracking the same route as Tropical Storm Ketsana on Sept. 26 when it dumped the heaviest rains in 40 years in and around Manila — a month's worth in just 12 hours — leaving hundreds dead and thousands stranded in cars, on rooftops and in trees.

Strong winds toppled trees and power poles, slowing traffic on some highways, radio stations reported. Manila electric power distributor Meralco said the winds had forced outages in many areas around the capital and nearby areas.

Commuter train service was disrupted, flights at Manila international airport were canceled and about 8,000 ferry passengers were stranded as the coast guard grounded all vessels.

Unlike Ketsana, the latest typhoon was quick — moving fast at 15 mph (24 kph). It was projected to veer away from the Philippines in the direction of Vietnam by later Saturday.

At least 10,000 villagers left their homes near rivers and close to the Mayon volcano in Albay province, said Jukes Nunez, a provincial disaster official.

Mayon, in the eastern Philippines, is the country's most active volcano and authorities fear that rains might unleash rivers of mud and loose volcanic rock.

In Arenda village, where knee-deep waters still lingered a month after Ketsana hit, Hilaria Abiam was getting ready to leave at a moment's notice from her house along the shore of Laguna Lake, southeast of Manila.

"If the floodwater threatens to rise again, then I will surely evacuate because I am really frightened," she said.

Another resident, Loida Vicente, prepared a boat at her home.

"I have a lot of children and if the water rises suddenly, then we will use that to evacuate," she said.

The government's disaster agency told people to prepare 72-hour survival kits, including food items like rice plus a radio set, flashlights and batteries, clothing and first aid supplies.

Ahead of the typhoon, millions of Filipinos boarded buses heading to home provinces for this weekend's All Saints Day, when people visit cemeteries to pay respects to dead relatives in this devoutly Roman Catholic nation.

Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro expressed fear that floods and traffic congestion may trap visitors at graveyards, where people traditionally spend a day or even a night, but few heeded his call to scrap their commemorations.

The northern Philippines is still struggling to recover from back-to-back storms that killed 929.

In some provinces, floodwaters raged through cemeteries, breaking up tombs and sweeping away caskets and bodies.

About 122,000 people remain in government-run evacuation centers, and many communities in Manila suburbs are still under water, with residents moving around on makeshift rafts and foot bridges.

_____

Associated Press writers Hrvoje Hranjski and Teresa Cerojano contributed to this report.

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Typhoon destroys bridge, cuts power in Philippines

AFP – Stranded passengers are seen at a bus station in Manila on October 30. Typhoon Mirinae smashed into the …

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15 mins ago

MANILA (AFP) – Typhoon Mirinae smashed into the Philippinesovernight, washing away a bridge, causing power outages and dumping fresh rain on areas still flooded after recent killer storms, officials said Saturday.

There have been no reports of fatalities but one man is missing after his hut was washed away by floodwaters, said civil defence spokesman Ernesto Torres.

One person was rescued after a bridge in Batangas City just south ofManila was destroyed by a swollen river, taking at least one car with it, local officials said. It was not yet clear if anyone was missing from the incident.

Electricity supplies were also interrupted in parts of Manila and in surrounding areas as the storm toppled power lines and trees, rendering some roads impassable, Torres said.

All international and local flights to and from Manila were cancelled, said airport general manager Alfonso Cusi. He said he hoped flights would resume once the storm had passed.

Mirinae weakened after hitting the eastern province of Quezon at midnight as it crossed the main Philippine island of Luzon, moving west towards the South China Sea.

The typhoon, packing gusts of 160 kilometres (99 miles per hour), was charted at about 8:00 am (0000 GMT) above the province of Batangas, moving southwest at 24 kilometres per hour.

The highest level of a three-step storm alert remains hoisted over Manila and its surrounding provinces.

Philippine civil defence officials had prepared extensively for Mirinae after storms Ketsana and Parma hit the country in recent weeks, leading to more than 1,100 deaths, including fatalities from disease outbreaks.

Floods from the earlier storms still have not yet receded in some areas and were worsened by Mirinae, officials said.

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