Super Typhoon Kong-rey Blowing Toward Japan

Tropical cyclone Kong-rey, upgraded to a super typhoon and then back down to a typhoon, is heading for the Japanese islands, which are still reeling from the impact of Typhoon Trami on Sept. 30.

Super Typhoon Kong-rey was rated as a super typhoon by the Central Pacific Hurricane Center around 11 p.m. on Oct. 1.

A super typhoon is the equivalent of a category 5 hurricane, with winds above 157 mph, according to Accuweather.

The storm was downgraded to a standard typhoon—a Category 4 storm—by noon on Oct. 2.

It is headed for the Ryukyu islands, where Trami, with its 100 mph winds and heavy rain, left wreckage the locals are still removing.

Because Typhoon Trami saturated the soil over the weekend, the stability of many structures might be compromised. The high winds brought by Kong-rey might do much more damage than if Trami had not just hit. Flooding is more likely as well.

MODIS image of Super Typhoon Kong-rey on Oct. 2, 2018 while Kong-rey was at Category 5 strength with 160 mph winds. NASA Worldview

A Wet Weekend

Kong-rey is expected to make landfall on the Ryukyu islands Thursday, Oct. 4, and pass on by the next day. Southern Japan will likely be spared the worst of the storm, with eastern Kyushu and southwestern Honshu bearing the brunt.

Forecasters expect the storm to head northward after that, sweeping over Hokkaido Prefecture before heading toward South Korea. Accuweather forecasts that the storm will bypass Taiwan.

South Korea can expect Kong-rey to bring between 4 and 12 inches of rain and winds reaching 81 mph when it hits the shore on the afternoon or evening of Oct. 6.

Satellite views of Super Typhoon Kong-rey (L) and Hurricane Walaka when both were Category 5 storms. NOAA satellite

A Pair of Highly Destructive Storms

While Super Typhoon Kong-rey threatens Japan, another Category 5 storm is getting ready to wreak havoc halfway across the Pacific to the east.

The Central Pacific Hurricane Center elevated Hurricane Walaka to a Category 5 storm with 160 mph winds at 8 p.m. Eastern time on Oct. 1.

VIIRS image of Hurricane Walaka taken on Oct. 2, 2018, while Walaka was at Category 5 strength with 160 mph winds. NASA Worldview

Walaka was also downgraded to a Category 4 by noon on Oct. 2, Weather.com reported.

Dueling Category 5 storms in the Pacific are rare enough to be noteworthy. This marks the first occasion in 13 years that meteorologists have identified two Category 5 storms sharing an ocean.

Weather Underground offered up a list, compiled by Dr. Phil Klotzbach of Colorado State and Jasper Deng of Wikipedia, of Category 5 storms cohabiting the same ocean.

The list contains only six sets of storms—but the last one is truly extraordinary.

• July 17, 2005: Hurricane Emily in the Atlantic, Super Typhoon Haitang in the Northwest Pacific.
• Oct. 17-19, 1997: Super Typhoons Ivan and Joan in the Northwest Pacific
• Jan. 5-6, 1998: Tropical Cyclones Ron and Susan in the South Pacific
• Nov. 27, 1990: Super Typhoons Owen and Page in the Northwest Pacific
• Aug. 18, 1965: Super Typhoons Lucy and Mary in the Northwest Pacific
• Sept. 11, 1961, three Category 5s simultaneously: Hurricane Carla in the Atlantic, Super Typhoons Pamela and Nancy in the Northwest Pacific

From NTD.tv