Category: Posts EN

Severe Weather, Tornadoes, Targeted Iowa on Thursday

Written by Meteo Expert Josef Lukas

Supercell thunderstorms erupted across Iowa Thursday afternoon triggering multiple tornado sightings.

One of the strongest thunderstorm cells produced a tornado that ripped through the city of Marshalltown, Iowa.

A second severe thunderstorm produced two tornadoes simultaneously near the town of Altoona, which sits just a few miles northeast of the state capital, Des Moines.

This dangerous storm continued southeast and left behind a trail of damaged and destroyed buildings.

The map below indicates all of the tornado reports that the National Weather Service received from Iowa on Thursday. The several clusters of reports on the map are likely reports from the same tornado producing thunderstorm.

It will likely take several days to confirm the number of tornadoes across Iowa on Thursday, but Ubimet meteorologists estimate that at least 3 or 4 tornadoes will be confirmed.

Tropical Storm Ampil Aims for Shanghai, China This Weekend!

Written by Team Morecast

 

Broadly organized Tropical Storm Ampil is moving slowly northeast over the western Pacific. Although conditions overall are not favorable for rapid intensification, Ampil is expected to strengthen slowly as it turns northwest. Later this weekend Ampil could be a typhoon threatening the region around Shanghai, China.

 

 

Ampil is currently being disrupted by larger upper level systems nearby. This disruption will gradually lessen over the next few days. Meanwhile, sea surface temperatures are warm enough to support intensification. However, the layer of warm water is shallow. The winds and waves generated by the storm are tending to mix cooler water to the surface, limiting the energy available for the cyclone to feed on. As the storm speeds up, this cooling effect could diminish.

Model guidance suggests Ampil will turn north and then northwest from Friday into Saturday, passing very close to or over the Japanese island of Okinawa. By Sunday morning Ampil is expected to be a minimal typhoon approaching the Chinese mainland. Most models indicate a landfall south of the Shanghai metro, but we can’t rule out a direct strike at this time. Wherever landfall occurs, expect flooding rainfall and gusty winds!

Funnel Cloud Passes Over NYC On Tuesday

Written by Meteo Expert Josef Lukas

A line of gusty thunderstorms crossed the Northeast on Tuesday and brought heavy rain, strong winds, and a funnel cloud siting in NYC.

Video and photographic content of the funnel cloud started popping up on social media around 3pm ET. Based on social media content and radar data, the funnel cloud likely formed over the New York harbor and then tracked eastward into Brooklyn.

There is no indication that the funnel cloud ever touched the ground over NYC, consequently, no tornado was observed.

The most damaging storms were concentrated across New England. Numerous reports of downed trees and power lines were observed across New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and parts of Connecticut.

In addition to the wind, heavy rain and flash flooding were also observed in some areas of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. New York City’s Central Park picked up over 2 inches (50 mm) of rain in 3 hours, while 3-4 inches (75-100 mm) of rain fell along the central New Jersey coast.

The thunderstorms developed along and ahead of a cold front that pushed through the region. A drier and more seasonable air mass will encompass the Northeast for the rest of the week.

Damaging Winds To Threaten Parts of Southeast AU Tuesday

Written by Meteo Expert Josef Lukas

A quick moving cold front will bring a period of strong to potentially damaging winds to parts of SA, VIC, TAS and NSW on Tuesday. The highest winds are expected along the coast and across the mountainous terrain.

Windy Weather Setup

A vigorous wintertime disturbance and cold front will move from the Bight across southeast AU on Tuesday. At the same time, high pressure will be positioned near Brisbane. The counter-clockwise flow around the high pressure combined with the approaching cold front from the Bight will generate an 8-14 hour period of high winds.

Winds will increase out of the north and northwest early Tuesday. Once the cold front passes, winds will shift to the west in many locations.

A band of gusty showers and isolated thunderstorms will accompany the cold frontal passage. Localised wind gusts higher than whats depicted on the map below are possible in the strongest showers or thunderstorms.

Damaging wind gusts of 80 kph or greater are possible from coastal SA into coastal southern VIC and across most of TAS. Additionally, the Alpine region will also see the potential for damaging winds, particularly at elevations above 1,000 meters.

Winds will remain gusty across portions of SA, VIC, and TAS on Wednesday as the unsettled weather pattern continues.