Typhoon Nuri (2008) - Meteorological History

Meteorological History

Early on August 16 a tropical disturbance developed in the northwestern Pacific Ocean to the northeast of Guam. It was initially forecast that it would not develop into a tropical cyclone by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center, but later that day the JTWC forecast for it to become a tropical cyclone within 24 hours and so issued a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert. On August 17 the disturbance became more organized and intensified into a tropical depression when it was located to the east of the Philippines. The JTWC designated it as 13W. Later that day both the JMA and PAGASA identified the tropical depression and started to issue full advisories on the depression with PAGASA assigning the name Karen to the depression.

The depression then rapidly intensified into a tropical storm with the JTWC upgrading it that day whilst the JMA and PAGASA did so the day after. When the JMA designated the depression as a tropical storm it was assigned the name Nuri and the international designation of 0810 by the RSMC in Tokyo. This rapid intensification continued with the JMA designating it as a severe tropical storm on August 18; then they, along with JTWC and PAGASA, upgraded it to a typhoon.

Late on August 19 Nuri made its first landfall on the coast of Cagayan Province in northern Luzon. Nuri then entered the Babuyan Channel early the next day and started to move northwestwards towards the southeastern coast of China. On August 21 PAGASA released its final advisory on Typhoon Karen (Nuri) as Nuri moved out of its area of responsibility and moved towards Hong Kong. The JMA then downgraded Nuri to a severe tropical storm with the JTWC also downgrading Nuri to a tropical storm later that day. The JMA did not downgrade Nuri to a tropical storm until the next morning when Nuri had made a rare direct hit on Hong Kong. The JTWC then issued its final advisory on Nuri and the JMA then downgraded Nuri to a weak tropical depression early the next day and issued its last full advisory on Nuri just as it was moving into the Chinese mainland.