How To Track A Typhoon

HOW TO TRACK A TYPHOON ?

The threat of tropical cyclones nowadays is far reaching. Year after year, our civilization is affected by these howlers ranging from hurricanes, typhoons, cyclones and storms which belong to the family of tropical cyclones. This wrath of nature kills hundreds or even thousands of people, damaging many livelihood and properties.

Now the question is: "How can we avoid them?" The answer to this is through awareness and understanding. Without this knowledge, the loss of lives will continue to be a risk factor in the evolution of civilization.

Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically

Latitude When looking at a map, latitude lines run horizontally. Latitude lines are also known as parallels since they are parallel and are an equal distant from each other. Each degree of latitude is approximately 69 miles (111 km) apart; there is a variation due to the fact that the earth is not a perfect sphere but an oblate ellipsoid (slightly egg-shaped).

To remember latitude, imagine them as the horizontal rungs of a ladder ("ladder-tude"). Degrees latitude are numbered from 0° to 90° north and south. Zero degrees is the equator, the imaginary line which divides our planet into the northern and southern hemispheres. 90° north is the North Pole and 90° south is the South Pole

Longitude The vertical longitude lines are also known as meridians. They converge at the poles and are widest at the equator (about 69 miles or 111 km apart). Zero degrees longitude is located at Greenwich, England (0°). The degrees continue 180° east and 180° west where they meet and form the International Date Line in the Pacific Ocean. Greenwich, the site of the British Royal Greenwich Observatory, was established as the site of the Prime Meridian by an international conference in 1884.

How Latitude and Longitude Work Together To precisely locate points on the earth's surface, degrees longitude and latitude have been divided into minutes (') and seconds ("). There are 60 minutes in each degree. Each minute is divided into 60 seconds. Seconds can be further divided into tenths, hundredths, or even thousandths. For example, the U.S. Capitol is located at 38°53'23"N , 77°00'27"W (38 degrees, 53 minutes, and 23 seconds north of the equator and 77 degrees, no minutes and 27 seconds west of the meridian passing through Greenwich, England).

The Compass

The four cardinal directions correspond to the following degrees of a compass: North (N): 0° = 360° East (E): 90° South (S): 180° West (W): 270°

An ordinal, or intercardinal, or intermediate, direction is one of the four intermediate compass directions located halfway between the cardinal directions. Northeast (NE), 45°, halfway between north and east, is the opposite of southwest. Southeast (SE), 135°, halfway between south and east, is the opposite of northwest. Southwest (SW), 225°, halfway between south and west, is the opposite of northeast. Northwest (NW), 315°, halfway between north and west, is the opposite of southeast.

• We welcome you to our special section: A Guide on How to Track Tropical Cyclones. This simple tool will help you know and understand where a tropical storm or a typhoon is going to strike. Below is a step-bystep procedure on how to do it:

Exercise

• Plot the coordinates by finding out the exact square where Rosing is located. For this exercise, you need the first set of latitude and longitude - 14.4 north and 125.9 east. Now, look along the borders of your tracking chart the coordinate numbers 14 north and 125 east. You must converge 14 and 125 in one point, which will be 14.0 and 125.0.

125*

14*

125*

14*

• Having located the coordinates, your next task is to pinpoint the precise location. Calculate 14.4 and 125.9 by dividing the coordinate box into 10 equal parts.

Let’s continue the tracking of Typhoon Rosing

Start plotting the present storm. For example: Super Typhoon Rosing (Angela) of November 02, 1995.

D-300 kms. T/I-15.78 hrs

D-210kms. T/I-11 hrs D-300 kms. T/I-15.78 hrs

D-140kms. T/I-9.3 hrs hrs D-210kms. T/I-11 hrs D-300 kms. T/I-15.78hrs

D-30 kms. T/I-1.76hrs

D-140 kms. T/I-9.3 hrs hrs D-210kms. T/I-11 hrs

D-300 kms. T/I-15.78 hrs

• Here is a sample of a finished tracking chart of Rosing taken from the example data information in Step 2.

• Make sure to make a tabular form or your own storm logs on your computer or on a piece of paper for you to jot down the present data info and of course the future data.

• After plotting the exact position of the storm, you must also plot the forecast positions as well as the past positions of the storm - for you to know where and when the storm will strike. Don't forget to add the date, wind speed and the line connecting the points.

• Upon knowing where the storm is, you can now share the information to anybody in your community. Who knows, you can be a hero someday by saving lives. Now, in order to master the plotting of these tropical cyclones you need to repeat from Step 1 again.

• Always remember, "practice makes perfect!" • Good luck!