On February 16, a low-pressure area formed to the south of Marshall Islands. It moved westward, passing just south of the Federated States of Micronesia. On February 18, the system became a tropical depression, and the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) initiated advisories on the system, with the Joint Typhoon Warning Center giving the storm the identifier 02W. On February 20, Tropical Depression 02W strengthened into a tropical storm and received the name Wutip from the JMA.
Typhoon warnings were issued in large parts of Micronesia, including Yap State.
On February 23, the storm was packing 1-minute sustained winds of 193 km/h (120 mph), making it a Category typhoon, while also generating wave heights up to 12.5 m (41 ft), with wind gusts reaching 240 km/h (150 mph). Later that day, Wutip reached its initial peak intensity, with 10-minute sustained winds of 185 km/h (115 mph), 1-minute sustained winds of 250 km/h (155 mph), and a minimum central pressure of 925 millibars (27.3 inHg), making the storm a high-end Category 4-equivalent super typhoon as it passed to the southwest of Guam. This also allowed Wutip to surpass Typhoon Higos from 2015 as the strongest February typhoon on record.
On February 24, Typhoon Wutip finished its eyewall replacement cycle and quickly re-intensified, resuming a trend of rapid intensification. Early on February 25, at 06:00 UTC, Wutip peaked as a Category 5-equivalent super typhoon, with 10-minute sustained winds of 195 km/h (120 mph), 1-minute sustained winds of 260 km/h (160 mph), making Wutip the most powerful February typhoon recorded.
On February 27, 2019, at 9:00 UTC, the National Weather Service of Tiyan, Guam noted that Typhoon Wutip was located near 16.3°N and 139.4°E, about 410 miles west-northwest of Guam, and about 430 miles west-northwest of Saipan. Wutip's 1-minute sustained winds had also decreased to 145 km/h (90 mph). Wutip made a turn to the west-northwest while rapidly weakening, due to the wrong conditions. On February 28, Wutip weakened into a tropical depression. On the same day, Wutip was given the name Betty by the PAGASA, as the storm entered that agency's area of responsibility in the Philippine Sea. On March 1, Wutip made a clockwise loop to the west, before dissipating on the next day.
Damages in Guam and Micronesia were at $3.3 million.
On Guam, Civil defense officials warned that the island was expected to experience tropical storm force winds between 64–72 km/h (40–45 mph) and rainfall totals of up to 6 inches (15.24 centimeters), and they advised the residents of Guam residents to stay indoors until the storm had passed. Wutip caused power outages across the island when it passed through the area on February 23.
Back on Federated States of Micronesia, it passed over Chuuk, Pohnpei, and Yap states in the Federated States of Micronesia from February 19–22 as a Category 2 typhoon with sustained wind speeds of more than 160 km/h (100 mph). Wutip left at least 165 people homeless and leaving approximately 160 houses damaged or destroyed in both Chuuk and Yap.
2019 Atlantic hurricane season
The 2019 Atlantic hurricane season was the fourth consecutive season of above-average and damaging seasons dating back to 2016. This hurricane season has 20 tropical cyclones and 18 named storms in total in which tropical cyclones were formed in the Northern Hemisphere at the Atlantic basin. The season officially began on June 1, 2019, and ended on November 30, 2019.
Subtropical Storm Andrea formed on May 20, making 2019 the fifth consecutive season in which storms formed before the official start of the hurricane season; this breaks the record of four consecutive years set in 1951-1954. Barry became the first hurricane of the season in early July. Hurricane Dorian became a first major hurricane of the season in late August, and later became a Category 5 hurricane on September 1, making 2019 the fourth consecutive season to feature at least one Category 5 hurricane (Matthew in 2016; Irma and Maria in 2017; Michael in 2018). Tropical Storm Imelda formed on September 17 and caused catastrophic flooding over Southeast Texas, making Imelda one of the wettest tropical cyclones in U.S. history. Hurricane Lorenzo became a second Category 5 hurricane of the season on September 29, making 2019 one of the Atlantic hurricane seasons to feature more than one Category 5 hurricane; and also, this made Lorenzo the easternmost Category 5 hurricane on record, surpassing Hurricane Hugo in 1989. The season ended with Tropical Storm Sebastian on November 25.
For a record fifth consecutive year, activity began before the official start of the season when Subtropical Storm Andrea formed on May 20. No storms formed in the month of June, but activity resumed in July when Hurricane Barry formed. Tropical Depression Three formed soon afterwards. After the dissipation of Three less than 24 hours later, the activity again suppressed. However, nearly a month later, on August 21, Tropical Storm Chantal formed, making the 2019 hurricane season the second latest starting season of the 21st century. Early on August 24, Chantal dissipated. Later that day, Dorian formed. On August 26, a tropical depression formed off the coast of North Carolina Carolina.
Des Coleman
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