Typhoon Gay (1989)

Infobox Hurricane
Name=Typhoon Gay
Type=typhoon
Year=1989
Basin=WPac
Image location=Typhoon Gay 08 nov 1989 0826Z.jpg


Formed=November 1, 1989
Dissipated=November 10, 1989
1-min winds=140
Pressure=898
Da

Fatalities=1,060 direct
Areas=Thailand, India
Hurricane season=1989 Pacific typhoon season
1989 North Indian Ocean cyclone Season

Typhoon Gay (1989 TY 32W) was the tropical cyclone which caused significant damage in province Chumphon of Thailand and eastern India in November 1989. It was the worst typhoon to affect the Malay peninsula in 35 years.Joint Typhoon Warning Center. [http://metocph.nmci.navy.mil/jtwc/atcr/1989atcr/pdf/chapter3.pdf Chapter 3: Summary of Western North Pacific Typhoons and North Indian Ocean Tropical Cyclones during 1989.] Retrieved on 2008-01-22.] The storm formed on November 1 in the southern Gulf of Thailand, and dissipated over the Western Ghats mountains of India on November 10. The storm was not only unique in being the only tropical cyclone to hit Thailand with full typhoon wind speed (120 mph at landfall), but its origin in the Gulf, its small size, [United States Navy. [http://www.nrlmry.navy.mil/~chu/chap1/se104.htm Section 4. IMPACT OF FORECAST ACCURACY, DIFFICULTY AND VARIABILITY.] Retrieved on 2008-01-22.] its high intensity, and the fact the storm was active in two different tropical cyclone basins also made it an unusual tropical storm.

Meteorological history

On November 1, the beginnings of the storm showed on satellite images of the southern Gulf of Thailand. A concentrated convection area with an upper level anticyclone was found and ships reported a relatively high surface pressure of 1008 hPa. The disturbance of the monsoon trough continued to consolidate, thus at 21:00 UTC a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert was issued. Warm waters of the gulf combined with geographical circumstances in the gulf helped to spin up the cyclone. Satellite images showed the intensification, while the surface pressure at the Thai and Malay coast increased due to the subsidence of the air uplifted by the storm. On November 2 18:00 UTC the intensification increased, thus the storm reached typhoon wind speeds at around November 3 0:00 UTC.

Gay continued to intensify, reaching wind speeds of convert|100|kn|km/h shortly before it made landfall on November 4 06:00 UTC. During the pass over the narrow Kra Isthmus the storm lost slightly in intensity, which it quickly gained back in the Andaman Sea.

Moving north-northwest across the Bay of Bengal at a speed of about convert|10|kn|km/h, it slowly intensified back to convert|100|kn|km/h, but then restrictions in the upper level outflow stopped it from gaining anymore speed until November 7. On November 8 06:00 UTC the winds reached convert|130|kn|km/h and at 18:00 UTC it became a Category 5 cyclone. Gay made landfall over a low populated area of India about convert|220|km|mi north of Madras. There was initial concern that Gay might succeed in crossing India and reach the Arabian Sea, but the cyclone went more northerly than expected. Due to its midget size, the typhoon's energy dissipated quickly, and thus it ended over the Western Ghats mountains of western India.

Impact

The Unocal oil drilling ship "Seacrest", moored in the gulf, became the first victim of the storm, where 91 perished and six survived. [Oil Rig Disasters. [http://home.versatel.nl/the_sims/rig/seacrest.htm Seacrest Drillship sinking.] Retrieved on 2008-01-22.] Major damage was caused to the coral reefs offshore Thailand. [Loke Ming Chou. [http://www.aims.gov.au/pages/research/coral-bleaching/scr1998/scr-06.html 6. Status of southeast Asian coral reefs.] Retrieved on 2008-01-22.] The eye of the typhoon passed nearby and its associated strong waves capsized the ship. During the landfall in Thailand, Gay claimed at least 458 lives, also more than 600 seamen were reported missing. Two hundred fishing vessels were lost. Because it made landfall in a rural area with a low population, it only claimed 39 lives in India but still destroyed or damaged 20,000 homes.

Lack of retirement

Despite how deadly Gay was, the name wasn't retired because most of the fatalities were while the typhoon was in the North Indian Ocean Basin.

Records

Gay was the most devastating storm to affect the Malay Peninsula since Tropical Storm Harriet in 1962. No other storm caused this kind of impact here since then.

ee also

*Tropical cyclone
*List of tropical cyclones

References

External links

* [http://metocph.nmci.navy.mil/jtwc/atcr/1989atcr/pdf/wnp/32w.pdf 1989 Annual Tropical Cyclone Report on Typhoon Gay] (PDF document)
* [http://weather.unisys.com/hurricane/w_pacific/1989/index.html UNISYS 1989 tracks]