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Climate-Watch, November 2000

National Climatic Data Center - (last update Nov 29, 2000)


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Heavy Training Thunderstorms over Hawaii


IR Satellite Loop November 2nd, 2000 - 1130Z-1400Z
Red Areas Indicate Strongest Thunderstorms and Heavy Rains

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Hawaiian Thunderstorms- Rain, Rain, and More Record Breaking Rain !

The above infrared satellite movie loop as of the early morning hours of November 2nd, 2000 showed parts of the Hawaiian Islands getting pounded by heavy thunderstorms. The rains were the heaviest and most persistent across the eastern half (windward side) of the "Big Island" of Hawaii. Hilo, Hawaii on the east coast of Hawaii reported 27.24 inches of rain at the Hilo Airport in a 24-hour period from approximately 1 PM HST on November 1st, 2000 until 1PM HST November 2nd, 2000. This broke the previous 24 hour rainfall record of 22.30 inches set on February 19th and 20th in 1979. The station also reported a calendar day total of 16.17 inches on November 2nd, 2000 which is a new wettest November day record. The previous calendar day record was 15.41 inches on November 18th, 1990. The all time calendar day record is 16.87 inches set on February 20th, 1979. Deep tropical moisture was pulled northward over parts of the Hawaiian Islands fueling strong convection and flooding rains. The rainfall from the thunderstorms flooded numerous homes, forcing dozens of families to evacuate. In addition, several landslides were reported on Hawaii Belt Highway, and schools and most businesses were closed.

Kapapala Ranch on the island of Hawaii reported 27.49 inches of rain for a 24 hour period ending at 2AM HST on November 3rd, 2000. Additional preliminary Rainfall Data are available.
Rainfall reports for:
November 2
November 3

The Hawaiian state 24 hour rainfall record is 38.00 inches at Kilauea Plantation on the island of Kauai and occurred on Jan 24-25, 1956. The NCDC Heavy Precipitation WWW page has these and other state records.

25th anniversary of the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald

The sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald and the loss of her 29-member crew during a violent fall storm on November 10, 1975, just northwest of Whitefish Point in southeast Lake Superior, was at the time the worst maritime disaster on the Great Lakes in nine years. Of the more than 1000 ships that have found their graves under the icy waters of the Great Lakes, the Fitzgerald is still the largest ever to go down. Just like the Titanic, the demise of this seemingly invincible vessel has attracted widespread attention and inspired songwriters and authors to tell her story. To learn about the Fitzgerald and advances in marine forecasting and communications over the past 25 years, see the special report prepared by the NWS Marquette-Michigan.

Weather Log November 1-10th, 2000

Elsewhere around the globe, media sources report that western Europe is still soggy in early November after last months strong storms which dumped over 150 mm (5.9 in) across parts of England and Wales and caused the worst flooding in more than 50 years in some areas. Western Europe was again hit with more rain and flooding this weekend (4th-5th). Stormy weather is expected to last the first part of the week. Three people have died in the latest storm-related incidents in Britain as a massive weather system sweeps across Europe swelling floodwaters. See the media report for more information. Use the NCDC CLIMVIS system to select data for the area.

Heavy rains and thunderstorms associated with the slow passage of a cold front and upper-level low pressure system through Texas state was responsible for flooding that claimed six lives in the November 2nd through 6th, 2000 period. See the media report for more information.

Smoke Plumes from Fires across the Southeast in early November 2000
larger image 		The enhanced NOAA satellite image to the left shows some of the fires/smoke plumes associated with the forest fires across the southeastern U.S. Parts of the southeastern states from Tennessee eastward across the Carolinas into Georgia and Virginia. Many of these areas picked up some light rain over the weekend ( 4th & 5th) but additional rains are needed. Additional satellite images are available at the NCDC Historical Significant Event Imagery Quick Search WWW page.

As the death toll from Taiwan's typhoon rose to 58 on Friday (3rd) , rescue workers searched for 23 crew members who disappeared when the storm sank a cargo ship in the Pacific Ocean. With winds of up to 145 kph (90 mph), Typhoon Xangsane produced the worst flooding in Taiwan in 30 years, killing people as it traveled up the east side of the island on Wednesday (1st) and Thursday (2nd). Officials have estimated that the storm did U.S.$2.03 billion in damage to valuable farmland and crops in Taiwan. The storm, "Xangsane" means "elephant" in the Thai language.

Various media sources reported that Typhoon Bebinca left 24 dead and 4 missing after hitting the island of Luzon on Friday (3rd). Government offices, schools and financial markets reportedly closed as floodwaters inundated Manila. All flights from the capital were reportedly cancelled, and blackouts occurred to huge sections of the city. The National Disaster Coordinating Council reported that more than 10,000 individuals were forced to leave their homes as a result of the increasing water levels. The storm also triggered landslides in the Manila suburb of Antipolo, and deaths reportedly occurred in the Cagayan and Nueva Vizcaya provinces northeast of Manila.

Weather forecasters warned Taiwan residents to prepare for torrential rains that could trigger landslides, just days after the worst typhoon in five years battered the island killing at least 62 people. The Central Weather Bureau said on Sunday (5th) it was not clear whether the new storm, Bebinca, which killed at least 24 in the Philippines and was moving through the South China Sea, would directly hit Taiwan or head for Hong Kong.

Use the NCDC CLIMVIS system to select data for the area.

Weather Log November 11-20th, 2000

Authorities on Monday (13th) declared a state of alert in the coastal state of Vargas after heavy rains and flooding left one person dead, four missing and 2,000 homeless. Rangel said last weekend's rains destroyed much of the infrastructure reconstructed after last year's floods, which wiped out entire towns in Vargas. See the media report for more information.

A rare November snowfall blanketed parts of the western and central Carolinas and northeast Georgia on November 19th, 2000. Snowfall ranged from just a trace in parts of the eastern Piedmont areas of the Carolinas to several inches elsewhere in the mountains and western Piedmont. The storm dumped 2.5 inches of snow at the Greenville-Spartanburg AP, SC making it the snowiest November on record. The old record was 1.9 inches in November of 1968. In Charlotte, NC at the airport 2.5 inches of snow fell. This tied the previous record November snowfall of 2.5 inches set in November 1968. See the complete NWS-GSP report for more information.

Record lake effect snows blanketed Buffalo, NY causing disruptions. Lake effect snows are triggered by cold air aloft passing over the warmer Great Lakes waters, causing instability and heavy snow bands. The snows are often accompanied by lightning and thunder, which was the case in this event. The snow in the Buffalo area, according to the National Weather Service, was the station's third-highest snowfall over a 24-hour period with 24.9 inches. The monthly total as of 7 AM LST on the 27th was 43.70 inches, which is also a new monthly November record. See the complete media report for more information. A listing of 24 hour snowfall amounts is available, along with the NWS-Buffalo final summary of the event.

Snow was also heavy in the other states in the lee of the Great Lakes. For example, the total snowfall at Grand Rapids, MI on November 20th was 11.5 inches. This broke the old daily record of 4.4 inches set in 1981. This is also a new record for the most snow on a November day. The old daily November snowfall record was 10.4 inches set on November 3rd, 1991.

Weather Log November 21-30th, 2000

At least 151 people have been killed by torrential rains, floods, and landslides ravaging Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia over the past week, officials said on Monday (27th). Massive landslides and flooding triggered by days of rain have killed at least 86 people on Indonesia's Sumatra island, West Sumatra provincial official Amri Zakaria told Reuters. See the media report for more information.

Cyclone 03B crossed India's southeast coast early on Wednesday (29th). Indian weather official S.K. Subramanian predicted gale-force winds of 150-170 km (94-106 miles) per hour and a storm surge or tidal wave of more than 1.5 meters. See the media report for more information.

For U.S. National Drought information:
Climate Prediction Center Drought Information
National Drought Mitigation Center
Latest national drought monitor map (showing classes of drought severity).

Other global highlights for the month can be found at NOAA/OGP Special Global Summary for November 2000.

Note: Hazard event satellite images available courtesy of NOAA OSEI Satellite Images WWW site.

Top of Page Selected U.S. City and State Extremes

The Selected U.S. City and State Extremes provides a list of new records that were set across the U.S. during November 2000.

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For further information, contact:

Tom Ross
NOAA/National Climatic Data Center
151 Patton Avenue
Asheville, NC 28801-5001
phone:828-271-4499
fax: 828-271-4328
email: tom.ross@noaa.gov
Specific requests for climatic data should be addressed to: ncdc.info@noaa.gov

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NOAA bullet NCDC / Climate Research / Climate-2000 / November / Climate-Watch / Search / Help

http://lwf.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/extremes/2000/november/extremes1100.html
Created by Tom.Ross@noaa.gov, Neal.Lott@noaa.gov, Sam.McCown@noaa.gov
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Last Updated Friday, 24-Jun-2005 08:39:47 EDT
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