Tropical Storm Mekkhala (2008)

Pacific tropical storm in 2008

Tropical Storm Mekkhala

Tropical Storm Mekkhala approaching Vietnam on September 29

Meteorological history
Formed| September 27, 2008
Dissipated| September 30, 2008
Tropical storm
10-minute sustained (JMA)
Highest winds| 85 km/h (50 mph)
Lowest pressure| 990 hPa (mbar); 29.23 inHg
Tropical storm
1-minute sustained (SSHWS/JTWC)
Highest winds| 100 km/h (65 mph)
Lowest pressure| 982 hPa (mbar); 29.00 inHg
Overall effects
Fatalities| 16 direct
Damage| $6.6 million (2008 USD)
Areas affected| Vietnam, Laos, Thailand
IBTrACS

* * *

Part of the 2008 Pacific typhoon season

Tropical Storm Mekkhala was recognised as the 16th Tropical Storm of the 2008 Pacific typhoon season by the Japan Meteorological Agency who are the Regional Specialized Meteorological Centre for the North Western Pacific Ocean. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) have also recognised Mekkhala as the 20th tropical depression, and the 18th tropical storm of the 2008 Pacific typhoon season.

On September 25 the Joint Typhoon Warning Center identified a tropical disturbance in the Gulf of Tonkin. On September 27 the Japan Metrological Agency, reported that the disturbance had become a tropical depression whilst the JTWC issued a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert. During the next day the JTWC designated the depression as 20W. The JMA reported that the depression had intensified into Tropical Storm Mekkhala on September 29. Later that day the JTWC also upgraded the depression to Tropical Storm status. Early the next day the JMA reported that Mekkhala had intensified into a severe tropical storm. Later that day the JMA downgraded Mekkhala to a tropical storm and then both the JTWC and the JMA reported that Mekkhala had weakened into a tropical depression as they released their final advisories. Within their best track the JMA reported that Mekkhala had never reached severe tropical storm status.

## Meteorological history[edit]

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

Tropical cyclone

Subtropical cyclone

Extratropical cyclone, remnant low, tropical disturbance, or monsoon depression

A Tropical Disturbance formed to the south of China, within the Gulf of Tonkin on September 25, 2008.[1] Early the next day the Joint Typhoon Warning Center assessed the disturbances chances of becoming a "significant tropical cyclone" within 24 hours as "Fair".[2] However early on September 27 the JTWC reassessed the disturbances chances becoming a "significant tropical cyclone" as poor.[3] Later that day the Japan Meteorological Agency then designated it as a weak tropical depression.[4] Whilst early the next morning the JTWC upgraded the disturbances chances of becoming a "significant tropical cyclone" to good, and subsequently issued a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert.[5] Later that day the JMA started to issue full advisories on the tropical depression, as it was expected to become a tropical storm within the next 24 hours.[6] The JTWC then designated the depression as Tropical Depression 20W as they issued their first warning on the depression.[7] On September 29 the JMA upgraded the depression to a tropical storm and named the storm as Mekkhala.[8] Later that morning the JTWC designated Mekkhala as a tropical storm.[9]

Early the next day the JMA reported that Mekkhala had intensified into a severe tropical storm and reached its peak wind speeds of 50kts.[10] However within their next advisory the JMA downgraded Mekkhala to a tropical storm as Mekkhala had made landfall on northern Vietnam during the previous three hours.[11] During the morning of September 30, RSMC Tokyo downgraded Mekkhala to a tropical depression as they issued their final advisory.[12] The Joint Typhoon Warning Center also issued their final advisory that morning as Mekkhalla was expected to weaken below their warning level of 25 kts (30 mph, 50 km/h) and then dissipate later that day.[13] Mekkhala then dissipated over Land later that day.[14]

On November 17, 2008 the Japan Meteorological Agency released their Post Storm Analysis on Mekkhala. Within it they reassessed the peak wind speeds as 45 knots (50 mph, 80 km/h) which meant that Mekkhala was downgraded from a severe tropical storm to a tropical storm.[14]

## Preparations and impact[edit]

Vietnam was affected by Tropical Storm Mekkhala less than a week after Typhoon Hagupit had affected the country. Despite this Mekkhala still caused $6.6 million (2008 US$) worth of damage.[15] A total of 1,000 homes were washed away by the storm and an additional 10,000 were damaged. The storm was also responsible for Blackouts in Vietnam, as well as causing 16 deaths and 13 injuries.[15][16][17] Vietnam's National Steering Committee for Storm and Flood Control also reported that Mekkhala had forced the evacuation of thousands of people and had sunk 38 fishing trawlers.[15]

An estimated 3,050 hectares of crops were damaged in Thanh Hóa Province, leading to $1.2 million in losses. In Hà Tĩnh Province 500 homes and 4,000 hectares of crops were damaged and three people were killed. Damages in the province amounted to $1.8 million.[18]

## Naming[edit]

The name Mekkhala was one of the ten original names submitted to the ESCAP/WMO Typhoon Committee for use from January 1, 2000 by Thailand. It has been used once before worldwide within the 2002 Pacific typhoon season to name a tropical storm and refers to the Thai Angel of Thunder.[19][20]

## See also[edit]

* Tropical cyclones portal

* Other tropical cyclones named Mekkhala
* Typhoon Betty (1987)
* Typhoon Wutip (2013)
* Tropical Storm Talas (2017)
* Tropical Storm Sonca (2017)

## References[edit]

1. ^ "Tropical Storm 20W (Mekkhala) Best Track". Joint Typhoon Warning Center. Retrieved 2008-10-23.
2. ^ "Significant Tropical Weather Advisory for the Western & South Pacific Oceans 26-09-08". Joint Typhoon Warning Center. Retrieved 2008-10-23.[permanent dead link]
3. ^ "Significant Tropical Weather Advisory for the Western & South Pacific Oceans 27-10-08 06z". Joint Typhoon Warning Center. Retrieved 2008-10-23.
4. ^ "WWJP25 Advisory 27-09-08 18z". Japan Meteorological Agency. Retrieved 2008-10-23.[permanent dead link]
5. ^ "Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert 28-09-08". Joint Typhoon Warning Center. Archived from the original on September 28, 2008. Retrieved 2008-10-23.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
6. ^ "JMA Advisory 28-09-08 12z". Japan Meteorological Agency. Archived from the original on October 14, 2008. Retrieved 2008-10-23.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
7. ^ "JTWC Warning 28-09-08 21z". Joint Typhoon Warning Center. Retrieved 2008-10-23.[permanent dead link]
8. ^ "JMA Advisory 29-09-08 00z". Japan Meteorological Agency. Archived from the original on October 14, 2008. Retrieved 2008-10-23.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
9. ^ "JTWC Warning 29-09-08 09z". Joint Typhoon Warning Center. Retrieved 2008-10-23.[permanent dead link]
10. ^ "JMA Advisory 30-09-08 00z". Japan Meteorological Agency. Archived from the original on October 14, 2008. Retrieved 2008-10-23.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
11. ^ "JMA Advisory 30-09-08 03z". Japan Meteorological Agency. Archived from the original on October 14, 2008. Retrieved 2008-10-23.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
12. ^ "JMA Advisory 30-09-08 12z". Japan Meteorological Agency. Archived from the original on October 14, 2008. Retrieved 2008-10-23.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
13. ^ "JTWC Warning 30-09-08 09z". Joint Typhoon Warning Center. Retrieved 2008-10-23.[permanent dead link]
14. ^ a b "RSMC Tropical Cyclone Best Track: 0816 Mekkhala". Japan Meteorological Agency. Archived from the original on October 13, 2008. Retrieved 2008-10-23.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
15. ^ a b c "Typhoon Mekkhala leaves three dead in Vietnam". Relief-Web. Retrieved 2008-11-07.
16. ^ "Typhoon Mekkhala". Asian Disaster Relief Center. Archived from the original on 2012-12-19. Retrieved 2008-11-07.
17. ^ "Vietnam gets pounded by another deadly storm". NBC News. Associated Press. October 2, 2008. Retrieved March 19, 2009.
18. ^ Rob Gutro (October 2, 2008). "Hurricane Season 2008: Tropical Storm Mekkhala (Pacific Ocean)". NASA. Retrieved March 19, 2009.
19. ^ "Tropical Cyclone Names in 2000-2001". Hong Kong Observatory. 2000. Archived from the original on 2008-09-28. Retrieved 2008-09-26.
20. ^ "The meaning of tropical cyclone names". Hong Kong Observatory. 2008. Retrieved 2008-09-26.

## External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tropical Storm Mekkhala (2008).

* JMA General Information of Tropical Storm Mekkhala (0816) from Digital Typhoon
* JMA Best Track Data of Tropical Storm Mekkhala (0816) (in Japanese)
* JTWC Best Track Data of Tropical Storm 20W (Mekkhala)
* 20W.MEKKHALA from the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory

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