Cyclone Chapala Is Second Strongest Cyclone Recorded in Arabian Sea

Posted on October 30, 2015

Cyclone Chapala currently has maximum estimated sustained winds of 150 mph. It is the second strongest known storm in the Arabian Sea. The strongest was Cyclone Gonu, the only Cat 5 cyclone recorded in the Arabian Sea. It reached maximum sustained winds of 165 mph winds in 2007.

Cyclone Chapala is currently headed for the coast of Yemen or southern Oman. A landfall here will bring record rainfall to a very parched desert region of the world. Dr. Jeff Masters reports that the HWRF model is calling for two feet of rainfall in a desert region located near the Yemen/Oman border. AccuWeather reports that the cyclone is forecast to strengthen to a Category 5. It has a minimum pressure of 922 mb.

A Weather Channel article on Chapala says there is no record of a hurricane-strength (75 mph) landall in Yemen dating back to 1945. Hurricane specialist Michael Lowry says in a tweet that it could be only the third hurricane strength landfall on record for the Arabian Peninsula. Lowry also says some dust from the desert is being drawn into Chapala, which could help weaken the core ahead of landfall.

The current forecast path for Chapala can be found in the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC). The JTWC is a U.S. Navy website. Most of Yemen's southern coast is in the forecast cone.

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