Typhoon Melor

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This article is about the 2015 typhoon. For other storms of the same name, see List of storms named Melor.
Typhoon Melor (Nona)
Melor at peak intensity near Samar on December 14
Meteorological history
FormedDecember 10, 2015
DissipatedDecember 17, 2015
Very strong typhoon
10-minute sustained (JMA)
Highest winds175 km/h (110 mph)
Lowest pressure935 hPa (mbar); 27.61 inHg
Category 4-equivalent typhoon
1-minute sustained (SSHWS/JTWC)
Highest winds230 km/h (145 mph)
Lowest pressure929 hPa (mbar); 27.43 inHg
Overall effects
Fatalities51 total
Damage$148 million (2015 USD)
Areas affectedCaroline Islands, Philippines
IBTrACSEdit this at Wikidata
Part of the 2015 Pacific typhoon season

Typhoon Melor, known in the Philippines as Typhoon Nona, was a powerful tropical cyclone that struck the Philippines in mid-December 2015. The twenty-seventh named storm and the eighteenth typhoon of the annual typhoon season, Melor killed 51 people and caused ₱7.04 billion (US$148.3 million) in damage.

The typhoon began developing on December 7 as a low-pressure area 120 km (75 mi) of

Burias Island, Romblon, and Oriental Mindoro, before weakening into a tropical storm. It turned southward on entering the South China Sea before weakening into a tropical depression and dissipating in the Sulu Sea
.

Meteorological history

Map plotting the storm's track and intensity, according to the Saffir–Simpson scale
Map key
Saffir–Simpson scale
  Tropical depression (≤38 mph, ≤62 km/h)
  Tropical storm (39–73 mph, 63–118 km/h)
  Category 1 (74–95 mph, 119–153 km/h)
  Category 2 (96–110 mph, 154–177 km/h)
  Category 3 (111–129 mph, 178–208 km/h)
  Category 4 (130–156 mph, 209–251 km/h)
  Category 5 (≥157 mph, ≥252 km/h)
  Unknown
Storm type
triangle Extratropical cyclone, remnant low, tropical disturbance, or monsoon depression

During December 10, the Japan Meteorological Agency started to monitor a tropical depression, that had developed about 665 km (415 mi) to the south of Guam.[1][2] The system was located within a favorable environment for further development, with low vertical wind shear and sea surface temperatures of between 29–30 °C (84–86 °F).[2] Moreover, the JMA started to issue tropical cyclone warnings to the system on the same day, expecting a tropical storm within 24 hours.

subtropical ridge.[6]

The

Pinamalayan, Oriental Mindoro at 10:30 PST (02:30 UTC), the JTWC indicated that Melor had reached peak intensity with one-minute maximum sustained winds at 230 km/h (145 mph), just shy of the super typhoon status.[17][18]

Typhoon Melor near Mindoro on December 15

Shortly after the typhoon made its final landfall, its eye rapidly became cloud-filled. Inflow along the southwestern quadrant was forced over the mountainous central terrain of

cold surge.[20] Melor was downgraded to a severe tropical storm by the JMA and a tropical storm by the JTWC early on December 16 when the upper-level environment was deteriorating and causing the system to disintegrate, leading to the steering influence shifting to the low-level flow.[21][22] Thus, the quickly weakening storm made a U-turn and moved southward. The JMA downgraded Melor to a tropical storm at noon, although the system's convection had been sheared away from the low-level circulation center.[23][24] Several of meteorological agencies downgraded Melor to a tropical depression early on December 17, including the JMA and JTWC, who issued final warnings on the system;[25] however, satellite imageries depicted an open trough instead of a discernable LLCC.[26] The system completely dissipated in the Sulu Sea before noon.[27][28]

Preparations

Highest TCWS raised by PAGASA across the Philippines in relation to Typhoon Melor

Bicol and Eastern Visayas

In preparation for the typhoon, 700,000 residents in several provinces were evacuated.[29][30] On Albay, work on all government and private offices was suspended, except for disaster response. Classes were also suspended on most of Bicol and parts of Eastern Visayas.[31][32] A no-sail zone was implemented in areas where the typhoon was expected to pass. Many flights to areas in Bicol and Eastern Luzon were cancelled on December 14, following the approaching typhoon.[33][34] On December 13, storm signal no. 3 was raised on Catanduanes, Sorsogon, Albay, Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, and Samar.[35]

Southern Luzon and MIMAROPA

As the typhoon neared Northern Samar on December 14, PAGASA raised storm signal no. 2 on southern

Caticlan were suspended when storm signal no. 1 was raised on Aklan.[36]

Metro Manila

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority(MMDA) placed a yellow alert on Metro Manila as Typhoon Nona approached Mindoro.[37] Storm signal no. 1 was raised on Metro Manila when the typhoon neared Northern Samar.[38][39] On December 16, preschool classes were suspended on the whole region, while classes on all levels were suspended on Muntinlupa, Pateros, Taguig, San Juan, Pasay, Quezon City, Malabon, and Valenzuela.[40]

Highest Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal

TCWS# Luzon Visayas Mindanao
3 Catanduanes, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Albay, Sorsogon, Marinduque, Romblon, Southern Portion of Quezon, Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro, Northern Portion of Palawan, Masbate incl. Ticao and Burias Islands Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, Samar, Biliran None
2 Batangas, Laguna, Bataan, Southern Portion of Zambales, Rizal, rest of Quezon including Polillo Island Leyte None
1 Bulacan, Tarlac, Lubang Island, Rest of Zambales, Southern Portion of Aurora, Cavite, Central Portion of Palawan including Puerto Princesa City, Metro Manila Southern Leyte, Northern Portion of Cebu incl. Bantayan and Camotes Islands, Aklan, Capiz, Northern Portion of Negros Occidental, Northern Portion of Iloilo Dinagat Island, Siargao Island

Impact

On December 14, Typhoon Nona (Melor) first made its first landfall on Batag Island on Northern Samar. On the same day, it made its second landfall in Sorsogon.[41]

Typhoon Nona caused most devastation in Mindoro and Romblon.

Pinamalayan in Oriental Mindoro was worst hit, with 15,000 homes destroyed, 24,000 families (108,000 people) in evacuation centers.[43]

51 people were killed during the typhoon, and damages amounted to ₱7.04 billion (US$148.3 million).[44] In Metro Manila, floods affected traffic and commuters. Water levels of reservoirs rose, especially at Angat Dam. More than 168,000 houses were damaged or destroyed. Several roads were also closed due to the typhoon.[45] More than 200,000 people stayed on evacuation centers due to the effects of the typhoon.[46] A state of calamity was declared on the whole country under Presidential Decree (P.D.) 1186 to speed up rescue, recovery, relief and rehabilitation operations following the devastation by the typhoon.[47][48]

Several areas in Central Luzon, mostly in

Calumpit was heavily flooded, with floods 4 feet deep and 427 families evacuated.[51] Dams were also filled by water, almost reaching their spilling levels.[49]

Naming issues

Before Typhoon Melor entered the

Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) at first decided that the typhoon would be named "Nonoy". However, owing to its similarity to President Benigno Aquino III's nickname, "Noynoy", PAGASA renamed the typhoon "Nona", despite that name's usage during 2011.[7]

Retirement

See also: List of retired Pacific typhoon names

Due to the severe damage caused by the typhoon, the name Melor was retired at the Fourth Joint Session of the ESCAP/WMO Typhoon Committee and WMO/ESCAP Panel on Tropical Cyclones during 2016. In February 2017, they chose the name

Cempaka to replace Melor.[52] PAGASA announced that they had retired Nona from the rotating lists of tropical cyclone names in the Philippines. On January 20, 2016, the name Nimfa was chosen to supplant both Nona and Nonoy for the 2019 season.[53][54]

See also

References

  1. ^ Typhoon Melor (RSMC Tropical Cyclone Best Track). Japan Meteorological Agency. January 21, 2016. Archived from the original on January 23, 2016. Retrieved July 9, 2016.
  2. ^ a b "Significant Tropical Weather Advisory for the Western and South Pacific Oceans December 10, 2015 06z". United States Joint Typhoon Warning Center. December 10, 2015. Archived from the original on May 23, 2024. Retrieved December 18, 2015.
  3. ^ "RSMC Tropical Cyclone Advisory 101200". Japan Meteorological Agency. Archived from the original on May 23, 2024. Retrieved December 18, 2015.
  4. ^ "Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert". Joint Typhoon Warning Center. Archived from the original on May 23, 2024. Retrieved December 18, 2015.
  5. ^ "RSMC Tropical Cyclone Advisory 110600". Japan Meteorological Agency. Archived from the original on May 23, 2024. Retrieved December 18, 2015.
  6. ^ "Prognostic Reasoning for Tropical Storm 28W (Melor) Warning Nr 02". Joint Typhoon Warning Center. Archived from the original on May 23, 2024. Retrieved December 18, 2015.
  7. ^ a b "Tropical storm enters PAR, named 'Nona' instead of 'Nonoy'". Sun Star. Manila, Philippines. December 12, 2015. Archived from the original on September 26, 2018. Retrieved December 18, 2015.
  8. ^ "Prognostic Reasoning for Tropical Storm 28W (Melor) Warning Nr 06". Joint Typhoon Warning Center. Archived from the original on May 23, 2024. Retrieved December 18, 2015.
  9. ^ "RSMC Tropical Cyclone Advisory 121500". Japan Meteorological Agency. Archived from the original on May 23, 2024. Retrieved December 18, 2015.
  10. ^ "Prognostic Reasoning for Typhoon 28W (Melor) Warning Nr 07". Joint Typhoon Warning Center. Archived from the original on May 23, 2024. Retrieved December 18, 2015.
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  14. ^ "RSMC Tropical Cyclone Advisory 140000". Japan Meteorological Agency. Archived from the original on May 23, 2024. Retrieved December 18, 2015.
  15. ^ "Himawari-8 Animation Library". National Institute of Information and Communications Technology. Retrieved December 18, 2015. Target area animation 2015.12.14
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  22. ^ "Prognostic Reasoning for Typhoon 28W (Melor) Warning Nr 20". Joint Typhoon Warning Center. Archived from the original on May 23, 2024. Retrieved December 29, 2015.
  23. ^ "RSMC Tropical Cyclone Advisory 161200". Japan Meteorological Agency. Archived from the original on May 23, 2024. Retrieved December 29, 2015.
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  30. ^ Marasigan, Fernan; Garcia, Rhaydz B.; Vergara, Benjie L.; Cueto, Francis Earl A.; Hilario, Ritchie A. (December 14, 2015). "700000 flee 'Nona'". manilatimes.net. AFP and others. The Manila Times. Retrieved December 18, 2015.
  31. ^ "#WALANGPASOK : Nona suspends classes in Bicol, Eastern Visayas areas on Monday, Dec. 14". Interaksyon.com. News5. December 13, 2015. Archived from the original on June 11, 2016. Retrieved December 20, 2015.
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  36. ^ "Caticlan boat and RO-RO trip to Boracay, Mindoro, Batangas suspended due to typhoon Nona". Interaksyon.com. No. December 14, 2015. News5. Archived from the original on July 2, 2016. Retrieved December 22, 2015.
  37. ^ "MMDA on yellow alert over 'Nona'". Philstar.com. The Philippine Star. December 15, 2015. Retrieved December 20, 2015.
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  40. ^ "Class suspensions on Dec. 16 due to Nona". Inquirer.net. Philippine Daily Inquirer. December 15, 2015. Retrieved December 22, 2015.
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  42. ^ Virona, Madonna (December 16, 2015). "Oriental Mindoro under state of calamity". Inquirer.net. Inquirer Southern Luzon. Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved December 19, 2015.
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  54. ^ "Sitrep No.18 re Effects of TY NONA (MELOR)" (PDF). National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council. December 23, 2015. p. 63. Retrieved December 23, 2015.
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