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Mon May 19, 2008
Ten Spider Enterprises Reaches Half Million Visitor Mark
Today marks a milestone for the Ten Spider Enterprises family of websites. While it did take some time to get there, I am proud to announce that we have today served our 500,000th visitor. Achieving this milestone did not come without considerable effort and a certain amount of sacrifice. While ours is certainly not the most popular site on the web (nor do we have any illusion about becoming such), we do boast a small but loyal following, as is evidenced by frequent searches on our name and a regular assortment of website hits from a multitude of nations worldwide.
In response to our growing popularity, I undertook an initiative late last year which involved splitting the website from its existing two domains (the main site and the Ten Spider Business Center) into a total of five. Ten Spider Pets & Companion Animals
(Ten Spider Pets), Ten Spider Technology & Science (Ten Spider Tech) and Ten Spider Weather & Meteorology
(Ten Spider Weather) are now separate sites, part of what I consider the Ten Spider Enterprises family of websites. I anticipate that the increased focus brought about through use of unique domains will better establish each site as an individual entity and enhance the ability of each to generate additional traffic. While the sites are still bound by a common menu system at the top and bottom of each page permitting easy access to all Ten Spider theme sets, this may change in the future.
I wish to thank everyone who has visited our websites for their interest. I offer each of you the opportunity to provide feedback so that we can continue improving the sites. At the same time, I encourage you to tell friends and acquaintances about us. If you are reading this post as a webmaster and consider our content to be relevant to your visitors, please feel free to link to us. We have for the past five years been dedicated to providing a manually-edited, safe source of information to our visitors with the goal of encouraging business and personal development. That goal will not change.
Looking back over the past five years, it is hard to believe that our sites began with but a single page and have now grown to encompass nearly 450 pages and thousands of links covering a wide variety of topics. I am optimistic that, with your help, the second half million visitors will arrive much more quickly than did the first.
Technorati Tags: Ten Spider Enterprises, website visitors
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Sat May 10, 2008
Two Major Tropical Cyclones Kick Off the 2008 Season
The World has yet to absorb the full impact of the devastation wrought by Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Nargis, a tropical cyclone in the North Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal which struck the Southeast Asian nation of Myanmar (Burma) on 2 May 2008, devastating the Irrawaddy River delta, referred to as the Mouths of the Irrawaddy. The military junta that rules the country has not issued an update to the official death toll since Tuesday, 6 May 2008, when it stood at 22,980 with 42,000 people missing and an estimated one million homeless. It is widely anticipated that the death toll will easily cross 100,000; a Myanmar official has stated that the number of persons killed in one province alone may reach as high as 80,000. With relief supplies only trickling into the country and the rice planting season about to get underway, it is feared that a second disaster waits in the wings, as starvation and outbreaks of diseases could wreak havoc on the remaining populace.
Very Severe Cyclonic Storm NARGIS, Visible Image at 0957 UTC 2 May 2008,
eye coming ashore over the Mouths of the Irrawaddy, Myanmar.
Central pressure 937 mb (hPa). Photo courtesy Naval Research Lab (NRL)
In the wake of Nargis, a second major tropical cyclone has been spawned in the Western North Pacific Ocean. Super Typhoon Rammasun, identified as Butchoy within the Philippines, briefly threatened that country in its formative stages, but turned northward to spare the island nation which is all too frequently visited by typhoons. While Nargis was a low-end Saffir-Simpson Category 4 storm at landfall (stronger than Hurricane Katrina when it struck New Orleans), Super Typhoon Rammasun has reached the upper limit of Category 4. While the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale is not generally utilized outside of the United States and is arguably not a superior method for estimating the damage potential of a tropical cyclone, there is no denying that Super Typhoon Rammasun is a significant storm, with 1-minute sustained wind speed estimated at 135 knots (155 mph or 250 km/hr) by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center of the U.S. Navy and 10-minute sustained wind speed estimated at 105 knots (121 mph or 194 km/hr) by the Japan Meteorological Agency. The primary difference between Rammasun and Nargis is that Rammasun is not expected to pose any significant threat to land throughout its lifespan.
Super Typhoon RAMMASUN (BUTCHOY), Infrared Image at 1530 UTC 10 May 2008,
in the Philippine Sea east of Luzon, Philippines. Central pressure 922 mb (hPa).
Photo courtesy Fleet Numerical Meteorology and Oceanography Center (FNMOC)
It is unusual to see two such potent storms generated so early in the Northern Hemisphere tropical cyclone season, since the ocean heat content (measured by sea surface temperature or SST) is not yet near the maximum expected late in the summer when the season ordinarily peaks. What, then, can be expected for the Atlantic hurricane season, which officially begins on 1 June? The Tropical Meteorology Project of the Colorado State University, in its Extended Range Forecast of Atlantic Seasonal Hurricane Activity and U.S. Landfall Strike Probability for 2008, predicts a season above the climatological norm, with 15 named storms, eight hurricanes and four intense hurricanes (Saffir-Simpson Category 3 or higher). The forecast also anticipates a higher than average probability that an intense hurricane will make landfall on both the U.S. East Coast and in the Gulf of Mexico. The National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center of NOAA will issue its 2008 Atlantic hurricane season forecast later this month.
So, ladies and gentlemen, it tentatively looks like we had better batten down the hatches in anticipation of an active Atlantic hurricane season, with the outlook for the entire Northern Hemisphere not faring much better. Of course, for storm chasers and those who enjoy following the progress of tropical systems, this is exciting news. As usual, Ten Spider Weather & Meteorology will be tracking each storm in near real time via our Tropical Cyclone, Typhoon & Hurricane Tracking Center. We urge you to stop by, and please don't hesitate to spread the word through blogs, forums and hyperlinks to our site. We urgently need you to get the word out about our tracking center; doing so may save someone's life, property or pets.
A parting comment: For those who will find themselves in the path of a tropical cyclone this season, be it called tropical storm, hurricane, typhoon or cyclonic storm, when the word comes to evacuate, remember Myanmar. The ferocity of a tropical cyclone and the power of storm surge should never be underestimated nor minimized. If your property is of value to you and you lose your life and perhaps the lives of your loved ones protecting it, what have you accomplished? Plan ahead, be vigilant and, should an evacuation order be issued, heed it!
Finally, let's be thankful that, for the moment, the Indian Ocean is quiet.
Technorati Tags: Cyclonic Storm Nargis, Nargis, Typhoon Rammasun, Typhoon Butchoy, 2008 tropical cyclone, tropical cyclone
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Fri Feb 01, 2008
Ten Spider Weather Observes Clear Skies
I am pleased to announce that Ten Spider Weather & Meteorology has been split from the Ten Spider Enterprises website to acquire independent status. This separation, completed on 24 January 2008, will allow for greater focus and name recognition. Ten Spider Weather will remain an integral part of the Ten Spider Enterprises family of websites.
Among its credits, Ten Spider Weather has been granted links from the National Hurricane Center for its coverage of tropical cyclones worldwide and from NWS Lightning Safety for its extensive list of lightning and lightning safety resources.
Ten Spider Weather & Meteorology provides a comprehensive and up-to-date collection of educational and everyday resources encompassing the world of weather and how it affects our lives. It is fourth in a series of website spinoffs derived from the main Ten Spider Enterprises site.
Technorati Tags: weather, meteorology, weather information, weather resources, Ten Spider
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Wed Jan 30, 2008
Ten Spider Tech Breaks Orbit
I am pleased to announce that Ten Spider Technology & Science has been split from the Ten Spider Enterprises website to acquire independent status. This separation, completed on 8 January 2008, will allow for greater focus and name recognition. Ten Spider Tech will remain an integral part of the Ten Spider Enterprises family of websites.
Ten Spider Technology & Science provides a comprehensive and up-to-date collection of science and emerging technology information and resources to aid in personal, entrepreneurial and business endeavors. It is third in a series of websites to be spun off from the main Ten Spider Enterprises site.
Technorati Tags: tech, technology, science, technology information, technology resources, Ten Spider
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Sun Jan 20, 2008
Ten Spider Pets Is Now a Breed Apart
I am pleased to announce that Ten Spider Pets & Companion Animals has been split from the Ten Spider Enterprises website into its own independent site. This separation, completed on 30 December 2007, will allow for greater focus and name recognition. Ten Spider Pets will remain an integral part of the Ten Spider Enterprises family of websites.
Ten Spider Pets & Companion Animals is dedicated to fostering pet adoption and providing pet friendly information and resources for pet and animal lovers everywhere.
Technorati Tags: pets, companion animals, pet adoption, pet information, pet resources, Ten Spider
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Thu Jul 12, 2007
Super Typhoon Man-yi Updates
Since the passing of Super Cyclonic Storm Gonu in the Arabian Sea in June 2007, I have had no time to post to the blog. While I apologize for my silence, I have been very busy reformatting and expanding the Tropical Cyclone, Typhoon & Hurricane Tracking Center to provide improved storm coverage. Since the Center rather than the blog serves as the primary source for tropical cyclone information on this site, the blog has noticeably suffered.
Now we have Super Typhoon Man-yi, which was also designated as Typhoon Bebeng when it entered the Philippine area of responsibility. This storm has just been upgraded to super typhoon status in JTWC Warning 022 issued at 2100 UTC and is about to wallop Okinawa in the Western North Pacific with a potentially devastating blow. Man-yi is the first super typhoon of the 2007 season. I have included a link to the Okinawa Weather Radar (on which the eye is already clearly visible), and will add a link to the Japan radar loop as Man-yi approaches southern Japan. These links will remain in place following the storm's passage.
Super Typhoon MAN-YI, Infrared Image at 1856 UTC 12 July 2007, as it approaches
Okinawa (obscured by the cloud shield). Taiwan and the coast of China are to the left
with the northern Philippines at the lower left.
Photo courtesy Fleet Numerical Meteorology and Oceanography Center (FNMOC)
For those of you not familiar with our Tropical Cyclone, Typhoon & Hurricane Tracking Center, it comprises near real-time satellite photos and tropical cyclone tracking plots, real-time weather radar images or loops where available, and links to other tropical cyclone resources worldwide. I have recently included the synoptic surface analysis for the tropical North Atlantic as well as regional satellite coverage for the Western Pacific Ocean. I will be adding regional satellite for the Indian Ocean very soon.
I have also begun creation of a tropical cyclone archive for storms we have covered. The archive will be built slowly as time permits. I invite anyone who has taken photos during a tropical cyclone or its aftermath, or who has a storm story to tell, to contribute to the archive.
Keeping up with the constant stream of new data when tropical cyclones are active can be challenging, especially when these storms are occurring on the opposite side of the World, as is frequently the case. Over the last two nights I have retired late and have awakened at 2 AM and 3:30 AM, respectively, averaging about four hours sleep per night. This is necessary in order to provide visitors in the danger zone with the most current information available collected at one central location. Despite the fact that I am "dog tired," I relish the task because I know there are those of you out there who benefit from my efforts.
I recently created a lens on Squidoo (my first) to publicize the Tropical Cyclone, Typhoon & Hurricane Tracking Center. If you visit the Center and like what you see, please go to our Squidoo lens and cast your vote to help boost our popularity.
Anyway, I have to get back to updating the storm. I wish you all the best and hope that those in the path of Man-yi are able to "weather" the storm OK.
Technorati Tags: Typhoon Man-yi, Man-yi 2007, Typhoon 0704, Typhoon 04W, JTWC, typhoon
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Thu Jun 07, 2007
Gonu a Goner
See Tropical Storm, Typhoon & Hurricane Tracking for the latest satellite images and tracking plots for tropical cyclones worldwide.
The remnants of what was once Super Cyclonic Storm Gonu are unceremoniously drifting onshore over southeastern Iran today, bringing heavy rain, blustery conditions and some flooding to the Makran Coast.
This once mighty storm is now all but dead, spinning itself out slowly over land. Both the JTWC and RSMC New Delhi have ceased issuing warnings on the storm. JTWC continues to monitor its progress, with latest estimates (at 1200 UTC 7 June 2007) showing central pressure of 1000 millibars (hPa) and maximum 1-minute sustained wind speed of 30 knots (56 km/hr).
At its height, Super Cyclonic Storm Gonu was upgraded by RSMC New Delhi at 1700 UTC on 4 June 2007 (based on 1500 UTC data) to the maximum classification a North Indian Ocean tropical cyclone can achieve. Gonu maintained central pressure of 920 hPa and maximum sustained 10-minute surface wind speed of 130 knots (241 km/hr) with gusts to 160 knots (296 km/hr) for six hours.
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) at 1200 UTC on 4 June 2007 in Warning 010 indicated central pressure of Tropical Cyclone 02A (Gonu) at 898 millibars (hPa) and estimated maximum sustained 1-minute wind speed at 140 knots (259 km/hr) with gusts to 170 knots (315 km/hr), making it a Saffir-Simpson Category 5 storm (the highest rating on the Saffir-Simpson scale). This storm strength was maintained for six hours.
Super Cyclonic Storm GONU, Infrared Image at 1800 UTC 4 June 2007,
on its approach toward Oman. The Arabian Peninsula is to the left in the photo.
Photo courtesy Naval Research Lab (NRL)
Thousands of residents were evacuated in the North of Oman followed by many hundreds on the Makran Coast of Iran as Gonu, downgraded to a very severe cyclonic storm, brushed the northeastern Oman coastline and churned into the Gulf of Oman. There, over cooler water and under the influence of increased upper-level wind shear, it slowly lost intensity but continued to produce high winds and torrential rains.
Widespread flooding has been experienced in the North of Oman, with wadis (dry stream beds) overflowing their banks. The streets of Muscat, the capital city lying on the north coast, were turned into rivers with cars stacked atop one another like cordwood. At least 12 people are confirmed dead in Oman, with the death toll expected to rise, but early warning and evacuations by civil defense authorities have probably spared many lives. Saeed al-Nahdy of the Associated Press called Gonu, "the strongest cyclone to threaten the Arabian Peninsula since record-keeping started in 1945." (Source: 6 June 2007 AP article) Oil and gas exports from the region have been halted for at least two days as a result of the storm, creating a concern that supply disruptions could inflate prices.
While storms such as Gonu are widely looked upon solely as being destructive, an essential benefit to Oman is their ability to recharge fresh water aquifers from which residents of the country obtain much of their drinking water.
Technorati Tags: Cyclonic Storm Gonu, Gonu, Tropical Cyclone 02A, RSMC New Delhi, JTWC, tropical cyclone
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Wed Jun 06, 2007
Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Gonu Nears Central Gulf of Oman
See Tropical Storm, Typhoon & Hurricane Tracking for the latest satellite images and tracking plots for Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Gonu.
I have seen no news reports relating to the situation in Ra's al-Hadd, Oman (a small coastal town at the conjunction of the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea, discussed in yesterday's post), following its close brush with Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Gonu. I have learned that this fishing community is the primary nesting site for green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) in Oman. Their nesting season coincides with the summer monsoon season in Oman, which peaks in July. We can only hope that their nesting cycle and nesting sites haven't been severely disrupted by Gonu.
Also as discussed yesterday, the track of Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Gonu did, in fact, take a jog to the north, but not at the time during which I felt I had observed such a course change. According to the latest JTWC ATCF track (Warning 018 issued at 1500 UTC 6 June 2007), this change in direction did not occur until the storm was north of the midpoint between Ra's al-Hadd and Muscat. This was a significant deviation from the JTWC forecast trajectory in effect at the time. While RSMC New Delhi was forecasting Gonu to move northward at the time, they claim that the center of the storm actually moved inland over the North of Oman -- an observation not supported by JTWC and which I myself strongly dispute based upon my own observations of the visible satellite imagery.
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center has indicated that at 1200 UTC on 6 June 2007 (Warning 018) central pressure of Tropical Cyclone 02A (Gonu) was 972 millibars (hPa) with estimated maximum sustained 1-minute wind speed of 70 knots (130 km/hr) with gusts to 85 knots (157 km/hr), making it a Saffir-Simpson Category 1 storm. RSMC New Delhi at 1200 UTC (Advisory 34) still classifies Gonu as a very severe cyclonic storm with central pressure of 970 hPa, maximum sustained surface wind speed of 90 knots (167 km/hr) and wind gusts of up to 100 knots (185 km/hr).
JTWC expects Gonu to resume a more northwesterly track, continue to diminish in intensity and make landfall on the southern Iran coastline near the port city of Ra's al-Kuh within the next 24 to 36 hours.
Technorati Tags: Cyclonic Storm Gonu, Gonu, Tropical Cyclone 02A, RSMC New Delhi, JTWC, tropical cyclone
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Tue Jun 05, 2007
Gonu Lashes Al Hadd, Oman, With Muscat in the Crosshairs
Ra's al-Hadd, Oman, a small coastal town at the conjunction of the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea, is currently experiencing nearly the full force of Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Gonu as the storm appeared headed directly for that location. Situated very close to the easternmost point of the Arabian Peninsula with an elevation of only five (5) meters, this town could very well be devastated by Gonu, which is supporting wind gusts of 90 knots (RSMC New Delhi estimate) to 110 knots (JTWC estimate) (167 to 204 km/hr) and wave heights of up to 32 feet or 10 meters (JTWC), which I am guessing would translate into a storm surge of about 18 to 20 feet (about six meters). Hopefully, the residents have evacuated down the coast to the larger city of Al Ashkharah, which has a slightly higher elevation and a modern breakwater but, more importantly, will be experiencing offshore winds, which should greatly reduce or eliminate the threat of storm surge.
(NOTE: I have never lived in nor visited this region, and obtain my information from internet sources felt to be reliable. If anyone native to the region wishes to provide first-hand accounts of storm aftermath or photos, I will be glad to publish them in this blog.)
On a brighter note, Gonu has been significantly downgraded from its former super cyclonic storm status. Furthermore, the Al Hajar mountain range will cause Gonu to rapidly lose intensity due to friction. The mountains represent a double-edged sword, however, for the lifting that will occur as northerly to northeasterly winds strike Al Hajar will result in torrential rains and flash flooding over a fairly wide area.
Very Severe Cyclonic Storm GONU, Infrared Image at 2300 UTC 5 June 2007,
just north of Ra's al-Hadd, possibly beginning a turn toward the north.
Photo courtesy Naval Research Lab (NRL)
The India Meteorological Department (RSMC New Delhi) Quasi-Lagrangian Model (QLM) has for the last two days forecast Gonu to come ashore just south of Ra's al-Hadd. The storm seemed headed directly for Ra's al-Hadd, but beginning with the 2200Z (UTC) 5 June 2007 infrared satellite image appears to be turning to a more northwesterly heading and remaining off the coast. This was perfectly in line with JTWC's projections right up until the most recent Warning 015, issued at 2100Z 5 June, at which time they significantly altered the Gonu ATCF track to pass directly over both Ra's al-Hadd and Muscat. In light of this significant alteration in forecast trajectory, it will be interesting to see whether the apparent northward turn continues.
Presently, Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Gonu has 80 kt (148 km/hr) maximum 10-minute sustained winds as estimated by RSMC New Delhi and 90 kt (167 km/hr) maximum 1-minute sustained winds as estimated by JTWC. Central pressure has risen at least 50 hPa from yesterday's estimated lows.
At its worst, Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Gonu was upgraded by RSMC New Delhi at 1700 UTC on 4 June 2007 to Super Cyclonic Storm Gonu (based on 1500 UTC data) and maintained central pressure of 920 hPa and maximum sustained 10-minute wind speed at 130 knots (241 km/hr) with gusts to 160 knots (296 km/hr) for six hours.
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) at 1200 UTC on 4 June 2007 in Warning 010 indicated central pressure of Tropical Cyclone 02A (Gonu) at 898 millibars (hPa) and estimated maximum sustained 1-minute wind speed at 140 knots (259 km/hr) with gusts to 170 knots (315 km/hr), making it a Saffir-Simpson Category 5 storm (the highest rating on the Saffir-Simpson scale). This storm strength was maintained for six hours.
Check our Tropical Storm, Typhoon & Hurricane Tracking Center frequently for updates on Gonu.
Technorati Tags: Cyclonic Storm Gonu, Tropical Cyclone 02A, RSMC New Delhi, JTWC, tropical cyclone
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Mon Jun 04, 2007
Gonu Has Become a Super Cyclonic Storm
RSMC New Delhi at 1700 UTC on 4 June 2007 upgraded Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Gonu to Super Cyclonic Storm Gonu based on 1500 UTC data. This is the highest classification a tropical cyclone in the North Indian Ocean can achieve. RSMC New Delhi estimates central pressure at 920 hPa and maximum sustained 10-minute wind speed at 130 knots (241 km/hr) with gusts to 160 knots (296 km/hr).
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) at 1200 UTC on 4 June 2007 in Warning 010 indicated central pressure of Tropical Cyclone 02A (Gonu) at 898 millibars (hPa) and estimated maximum sustained 1-minute wind speed at 140 knots (259 km/hr) with gusts to 170 knots (315 km/hr), making it a Saffir-Simpson Category 5 storm (the highest rating on the Saffir-Simpson scale). If Gonu were in the Western North Pacific Ocean, it would be classified by JTWC as a super typhoon.
Super Cyclonic Storm GONU, Infrared Image at 1800 UTC 4 June 2007.
The Arabian Peninsula is to the left in the photo. Photo courtesy Naval Research Lab (NRL)
Super Cyclonic Storm Gonu is presently moving toward the west-northwest at about 10 knots (19 km/hr). It is expected to reach the Oman coast on 6 June.
Check our Tropical Storm, Typhoon & Hurricane Tracking Center frequently for updates on Gonu. If you are within this dangerous storm's expected path, begin emergency preparations immediately and stay tuned to your local civil defence, government or emergency broadcasts for latest critical information and advice.
Technorati Tags: Cyclonic Storm Gonu, Tropical Cyclone 02A, RSMC New Delhi, JTWC, tropical cyclone
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