OMM
| Nota de la RAM. Hemos tratado de reproducir, lo más fielmente posible, esta nota de la OMM que puedes encontrar íntegramente al final del documento. Se han añadido varias figuras para realzar el texto.Ginebra, 17 de septiembre 2004 (OMM)Tres huracanes sucesivos han golpeado el Caribe y los Estados Unidos, matando a mucha gente y destruyendo propiedades, causando daños valorados en miles de millones de dólares de los E.E.U.U. La OMM está coordinando todos los centros meteorológicos especializados regionales (Regional Specialized Meteorological Centres, RSMCs) para estar en alerta y analizar los huracanes/tifones en cualquier parte del mundo.Imagen del Iván según el MODIS. Foto y créditos NASA.Intensidades de lluvia estimadas por el TMRR para el Iván. Foto y crédito NASA.El Iván se considera uno de los más feroces en décadas. En un punto, la velocidad del viento fue observada de tal forma que alcanzó la categoría 5 (vientos de más de 248 km/h). En los estados de las islas del Caribe, causó muchas muertes, matando a 37 personas en Granada, a 21 en Jamaica, 5 en Venezuela, 4 en la República Dominicana, 3 en Haití y a 1 en Trinidad y Tobago. Dondequiera que pasaba, el Iván rasgó casas, tiró árboles y destruyó los caminos. En Granada, el 90 por ciento de todos los edificios fueron dañados o destruidos. El valor total de los daños debe todavía ser evaluado.Imagen del Frances afectando el SE de EEUU. Foto del MODIS de la NASA.En la región pacífica del noroeste, 18 ciclones tropicales se han generados hasta finales de agosto de 2004: el promedio es 14.1. Cinco de ellos comenzaron en junio, que era el record en el registro desde 1951, cuando se registró la primera estadística oficial de tifones. Cinco de los 18 ciclones tropicales hicieron su llegada a Japón, cifra está considerada otra vez por encima de lo normal. Esto fue causado por la fase activa de la oscilación tropical inter estacional del Pacífico occidental tropical en Junio y Agosto. Más tifones afectaron a Japón porque el alta subtropical sobre el Pacífico cambió de posición desplazándose hacia el norte respecto a su posición normal. Su intensidad fue debida al hecho de que las temperaturas de la superficie del agua del mar eran más altas que lo normal y los tifones no se debilitaron mucho al moverse sobre el mar.La mejora de los pronósticos reduce muertes y dañosImagen del Jeanne antes de afectar la costa SE de EEUU. Foto y créditos NASALa OMM tiene 34 centros meteorológicos especializados regionales (RSMCs). Seis de ellos se especializan en ciclones tropicales, situados en la isla Reunión (Francia), Miami (lE.E.U.U.), Nadi (Fiji), Nueva Delhi (la India), Tokio (Japón) y Honolulu (E.E.U.U.), respectivamente. Los RSMC y los centros meteorológicos nacionales, regionales y del mundo forman una red y sistema de vigilancia global de perturbaciones tropicales. Proveen a la comunidad internacional y al público con avisos y boletines actualizados con la información meteorológica básica de la calidad en ciclones tropicales y su comportamiento para todas partes en el mundo - su movimiento y cambios de intensidad- y de los fenómenos asociados como oleajes, e inundaciones. Con la ayuda de la tecnología moderna, tales como los satélites, radares de tiempo y computadoras, todos los ciclones tropicales del globo están siendo supervisados durante todo su ciclo de vida, desde sus primeros momentos de formación hasta su disipación.Cada año, unos 80 ciclones tropicales se forman sobre los océanos tropicales cálidos. Cuando se desarrollan y alcanzan una intensidad con una velocidad del viento superficial que excede los 118 km/h, se les llaman huracanes en el hemisferio occidental, tifones en la región pacífica del noroccidental y nombres tropicales severos del ciclón o similares en otras regiones. Tales ciclones tropicales están entre los sistemas atmosféricos más devastadores de todos los peligros naturales. Causan la pérdida de vidas, infligen graves daños materiales, fuerzan la evacuación de poblaciones enteras, destruyen hogares e interrumpen actividades normales y el desarrollo social y económico.La vigilancia y seguimiento de los huracanes y los tifones, su pronóstico y avisos poseen una alta prioridad en la agenda de la OMM. Esta organización continuará promoviendo los avances necesarios para mejor los medios de vigilancia e investigación, ya que son la clave de nuestros avances en el pronóstico de los huracanes/tifones ", afirmó el Sr. M. Jarraud, secretario general de la OMM..WMO Centres on full alert to mitigate the impact of hurricanes/typhoonsGeneva 17 September 2004 (WMO) - Three successive hurricanes have hit the Caribbean and the United States, killing scores of people and destroying property worth billions of US dollars. WMO is coordinating all Regional Specialized Meteorological Centres (RSMCs) to be on full alert to monitor hurricanes/typhoons anywhere in the world.Early in May this year, WMO and its RSMC Miami had predicted a 90 per cent probability of an above-to-near normal Atlantic hurricane season. Some 12-15 tropical storms were predicted, of which 6-8 systems would become hurricanes and 2-4 would become major hurricanes in the Atlantic and Caribbean region during the hurricane season (1 June-30 November). This is a continuation of the increased hurricane activity that began in 1995.Hurricane Ivan made landfall in the United States on early Thursday morning (16 September 2004) on the shores of Alabama, after a deadly rampage across the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico. The storm weakened slightly to a Category 3 hurricane with strong winds of 210 km/h as it hit the coast and waves attaining a height of 15 m. Ivan has also lashed three other south-eastern states—Louisiana, Mississippi and Florida—with ferocious winds, giant waves and pounding surf, forcing more than 2 million people to evacuate to safer areas. As Ivan moved further inland, entire houses were ripped from their foundations. Thirteen people had been killed by Friday morning (17 September 2004). It is estimated that losses could reach US$4 to US$10 billion. During Ivan’s landfall, three more tropical storms or hurricanes have formed: Jeanne in the Caribbean, Javier along the western coast of Mexico and the United States and Karl in the Atlantic. It is believed that the active phase of the Atlantic multi-decadal signal is the primary contributing factor to this increased hurricane activity.Ivan is considered to be one of the fiercest in decades. At one point, its wind speed was observed to have reached Category 5 (more than 248 km/h). In the Caribbean island States, it caused heavy casualties, killing 37 people in Grenada, 21 in Jamaica, 5 in Venezuela, 4 in the Dominican Republic, 3 in Haiti and 1 in Tobago. Wherever it passed, Ivan tore down houses, felled trees and destroyed roads. In Grenada, as much as 90 per cent of all buildings were damaged or destroyed. The total value of damage is yet to be evaluated.This area has been hit four times in a little more than a month by Charley in mid-August, Frances in late August/early September, and Ivan and Jeanne in mid-September. It was the first time that Florida had been hit by three successive destructive hurricanes so close to each other since 1950: Charley and Frances killed 27 and 10 people respectively and the overall insured damage caused by Frances alone was estimated at US$5-US$ 15 billion.In the north-west Pacific region, 18 tropical cyclones had been generated by the end of August 2004: the average is 14.1. Five of them started in June, which was the record high since 1951, when the first official typhoon statistics were recorded. Five of the 18 tropical cyclones made landfall in Japan, which is again above normal. This was caused by the active phase of the tropical intraseasonal oscillation over the tropical western Pacific in June and August. More typhoons landed in Japan because the sub-tropical high over the Pacific shifted northward from its normal position. Their intensity was due to the fact that sea-surface temperature was higher than normal and the typhoons did not weaken much when moving over the sea.Improved forecasts reduce casualties and damageToday, 5-day hurricane forecasts are as good as the 3-day forecasts of 10 years ago. Warning for Florida was issued 2 ½ days in advance. Thanks to the scientific and technological progress, as well as of international cooperation through WMO, tropical storms monitoring could be detected from their very first stage of formation. For Hurricane Frances, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) coordinated forecasts, watches and warnings with other National Meteorological Services in Hurricane Frances’ path as early as 24 August. The information, forecasts and warnings were channeled to governments at the highest level, to emergency management officials, local decision makers and the press through more than 30 national/state video teleconferences, 21 state briefings and more than 100 press interviews.WMO has 34 Regional Specialized Meteorological Centres (RSMCs). Six of them are specialized in tropical cyclones, located in La Reunion (France), Miami (USA), Nadi (Fiji), New Delhi (India), Tokyo (Japan) and Honolulu (USA), respectively. The RSMC and the National, Regional and World Meteorological Centres form a tropical cyclone monitoring, forecasting and warning network. They provide the international community and the public with advisories and bulletins containing up-to-date, quality basic meteorological information on tropical cyclones and their behaviour everywhere in the world—their movement and changes in intensity—and the associated phenomena of storm surges and flash floods. With the aid of modern technology, such as satellites, weather radars and computers, all tropical cyclones around the globe are now being monitored throughout their lifetime, from their early stages of formation to their disappearance.Every year, some 80 tropical cyclones form over the warm tropical oceans. When they develop and attain an intensity with surface wind speed exceeding 118 km/h, they are called hurricanes in the western hemisphere, typhoons in the western North Pacific region and severe tropical cyclones or similar names in other regions. Such tropical cyclones are among the most devastating of all natural hazards. They cause loss of life, inflict injury, force the displacement of populations, destroy homes and property, disrupt normal activities and set back social and economic development.“Hurricane and typhoon monitoring, forecasting and warning are high on WMO’s agenda. WMO will continue to promote advances of monitoring facilities and research which are the key to our advances in hurricane/typhoon forecasting”, says Mr M. Jarraud, Secretary-General of WMO.The World Meteorological Organization is the United Nations System’sauthoritative voice on Weather, Climate and WaterFor more information please contact:- Ms. Carine Richard-Van Maele, Chief, Communications and Public Affairs, WMO. Tel: +41 (0) 22 730 8315,Fax: +41 (0) 22 730 8027. E-mail: [email protected]- Mr Yunjie Zheng, Press Officer, Communications and Public Affairs, WMO. Tel: +41 (0) 22 730 8168.Fax: +41 (0) 22 730 8027. E-mail: [email protected], Website: http://www.wmo.int | Esta entrada se publicó en
Noticias en 17 Nov 2004 por Francisco Martín León
