Another Tropical Storm Eyes Japan, China and North Korea
This satellite image of Tropical Storm Malou is courtesy of the Joint Typhoon Warning Center.
Parts of Japan, China and North Korea will again become the target of a tropical system in the upcoming days. The danger this time is at the hands of Tropical Storm Malou.
The AccuWeather.com Hurricane Center reports Malou is currently a minimal tropical storm churning northwestward through the northern Philippine Sea.
Malou will continue on that heading into tonight EDT, tracking across Japan's Ryukyu Islands in the process.
Bands of torrential rain and gusty winds will increase today across the Ryukyu Islands as Malou approaches. Tropical storm-force winds will begin howling this afternoon, mainly over the island of Okinawa. That island is home to the United States Kadena Air Force Base.
The gusty winds and torrential rain will persist into this evening as Malou passes by. The winds will be of minimal tropical storm force, but they will still be capable of causing some tree damage and power outages. Any loose lawn items would easily be blown around.
Malou will enter the East China Sea on Saturday, but heavy rain will continue to drench the Ryukyu Islands occasionally. Some additional rain could fall on Sunday as moisture wraps into the center of Malou.
The upcoming soaking across the Ryukyu Islands threatens to trigger flooding, especially since the islands where just inundated by Typhoon Kompasu on Tuesday.
After leaving the Ryukyu Islands, Malou will press northwestward through the East China Sea this weekend. The tropical storm should then reach the Yellow Sea early next week.
During this time, Malou will strengthen into a stronger tropical storm. It is also possible that Malou will reach minimal typhoon status.
The AccuWeather.com Hurricane Center is concerned that Malou will curve northeastward towards the border of China and North Korea, where landfall may occur by the middle of next week.
Strong winds high in the atmosphere, also known as wind shear, should increase across Malou just prior to landfall. That should keep Malou from being a powerful typhoon when it moves inland and could even lead to some weakening.
The negative aspect of the wind shear is that it should act to push Malou's torrential rain onshore well ahead of the storm's actual landfall. The rain could spread over northeastern China and North Korea as early as Tuesday.
Residents of this flood-wary region should prepare for more widespread flooding problems to ensue.
It should be noted that anyone living or visiting areas along the Yellow Sea should closely monitor the progress of Malou. It cannot be totally ruled out that the storm shifts its track at some point into next week.
Related to the Story:
Follow us on Twitter Breaking Weather
More Weather News
-
AccuWeather NewsBreak: A Bit of Snow, an Alaskan Volcano and a Purple Squirrel
Feb 8, 2012; 11:22 AM ET
Top news stories from Feb. 8.
-
.jpg)
More Rain Heading for Florida
Feb 8, 2012; 9:45 AM ET
A storm brewing in Mexico will send a dose of rain across much of the Sunshine State this weekend.
-
Purple Squirrel Found in Pennsylvania
Feb 8, 2012; 9:43 AM ET
A purple squirrel has been found in Jersey Shore, Pa.
-
More Snow for Italy, Balkans
Feb 8, 2012; 9:41 AM ET
Another foot of snow could smother hilly areas of central Italy and much of the Balkan Peninsula between Friday and Sunday.
-
Watching for Snow This Weekend in the Northeast
Feb 8, 2012; 9:40 AM ET
The scenarios for the Northeast this weekend range from colder weather with flurries to a couple of inches of snow to an all-out snowstorm for some areas.
-
Anniversary of Infamous, Immobilizing Snow in NYC
Feb 8, 2012; 9:38 AM ET
An infamous snowstorm, which is known as the Mayor Lindsay Snowstorm, struck on Feb. 8-10, 1969, shutting down travel in New York City and killing at least 40 people.
-
Late-Week Cold Press
Feb 8, 2012; 9:35 AM ET
A press of cold air will drive southward late this week from the Upper Midwest to the interior mid-Atlantic and New England this weekend.
-
Little Snow, but Slippery Spots for the Mid-Atlantic
Feb 8, 2012; 9:15 AM ET
As temperatures fall this evening, some roads may get slippery in the I-95 corridor.
-
Europe's Cold Will Last for Weeks
Feb 8, 2012; 9:03 AM ET
A harsh cold wave that has killed more than 300 people in Europe over the past two weeks still has a long way to go before it runs its course.
-
Drought Takes Toll on Texas Cattle Farmers
Feb 8, 2012; 8:55 AM ET
With clear, blue skies abounding and the chance of precipitation seeming more like a dream than a reality, Texas farmers continue to face the worst drought in the Lone Star State's history.
Daily U.S. Extremes
past 24 hours
| Extreme | Location | |
|---|---|---|
| High | 83° | Fort Myers, FL |
| Low | -17° | Crane Lake, MN |
| Precip | 2.76" | Opa Locka, FL |
WeatherWhys®
This was one of the more famous storms to catch a major population completely offguard. Early forecasts indicated that a small amount of snow would be followed by rain. However, the rapid formation of a coastal low pressure system kept the Northeast in a cold flow of air, and the entire storm was snow. From the New York City area to New England, snowfall was 2 feet or more, and high winds created 10- to 20-foot drifts. John Lindsay, then the Mayor of New York, was blamed for the extremely slow cleanup after the storm, and his name was attached to the sorry state of affairs.
This Day In Weather History
Maine (1983)
Snowtstorm, worst of season. 12-18 in. in the western mountains . . . a foot common statewide up to 24 in. in the mountains of Vermont, between Bristol and Waitsfield. 16 in. in other mountain areas, 12-14 in. in valleys, 14 in. at Albany, NY and 10 in. at Plattsburg, NY
Blue Canyon, CA (1985)
Set a new 24-hour snowfall record for that site in Feb. - 42 in., (7&8th). Storm total 50 in.
Rough Weather
Comments
Comments left here should adhere to the AccuWeather.com Community Guidelines. Profanity, personal attacks, and spam will not be tolerated.