Super Typhoon Maysak a Rare Early-Season Category 5; At Least 5 Killed in Micronesia

Jon Erdman
Published: March 31,2015



 
Super Typhoon Maysak has rapidly intensified since Monday and is the equivalent of a Category 5 hurricane, according to the Wednesday afternoon advisory issued by the National Weather Service in Guam (Guam is 14 hours ahead of U.S. Eastern daylight time).
Maysak now packs estimated maximum sustained winds of 160 mph, becoming only the third super typhoon in reliable records dating to the 1940s with estimated winds that strong prior to April 1, according to Weather Underground's Dr. Jeff Masters.
Maysak is also only the fifth super typhoon of record prior to April 1, according to senior digital meteorologist, Nick Wiltgen. A western Pacific tropical cyclone is named a "super typhoon" when maximum sustained winds reach 150 mph. The last such pre-April super typhoon was Super Typhoon Mitag in March 2002.
Prior to becoming a super typhoon, Maysak caused significant damage and killed at least five people in the Chuuk state of Micronesia, according to The Associated Press. The small atoll of Ulithi appears to have taken a direct hit from the eyewall of Maysak.

Infrared Satellite: Maysak

The eye of Maysak was moving westward to the north of Yap Island (population ~ 11,000) as of early Wednesday morning, local time. This should keep the most violent winds from Maysak just to north of Yap. That said, typhoon-force winds up to 75 mph are possible in the Yap Islands as Maysak makes its closest approach Wednesday morning. Coastal inundation of 4-6 feet is possible along windward shorelines of the Yap Islands. Rainfall flooding is also likely in poor-drainage and low-lying areas.
Typhoon warnings have been posted by the National Weather Service in Guam for Yap island in Yap state.
(INTERACTIVE: Current Satellite Loop of Maysak)

Forecast path and peak sustained winds of Maysak over the next five days. Circles denote uncertainty in the position of the center at each forecast point.

Fortunately, Maysak's center has remained sufficiently far south of Guam to limit impacts to perhaps some lingering outer rainbands and high surf on east, southeast or southwest-facing beaches.
(FORECAST: Guam)
It remains too early to tell if and how heavily Maysak may eventually impact the northern Philippines.
The concern is after an initial slight rightward (northward) bend in the track, upper-level high pressure would resettle in, steering Maysak toward the Philippines. If this occurs, the threat to the northern or central Philippines would be this weekend. All interests in the Philippines should monitor closely the progress of Maysak.
(FORECAST: Manila | Tacloban)
Typhoon Maysak first impacted Chuuk State, a group of Micronesian islands about 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) southeast of Guam. Winds gusted as high as 71 mph Chuuk International Airport on Weno Island in the Chuuk State of Micronesian on Sunday, local time. (Chuuk is 14 hours ahead of eastern daylight time.)
Guampdn.com reported about 95 percent of tin houses were destroyed in Chuuk state. Communications were down in the islands Saturday, but were restored Sunday. Kane Faylim, airport manager for the Chuuk state government told the Associated Press airport employees had clear rocks deposited by large waves from the runway of Chuuk's airstrip Tuesday, which has now been reopened.
Maysak became the third typhoon of 2015, a record active early start to the year in the western Pacific, according to Weather Underground's director of meteorology, Dr. Jeff Masters.
Western Pacific Ocean tropical cyclones, called typhoons, can occur any time of the year, but typically hit a relative minimum in February and early March.
The name Maysak is Cambodian for a kind of tree.
Earlier in March, Tropical Cyclone Pam made a direct hit on the southern islands of Vanuatu in the south Pacific.
(PAM: Before/After Imagery | How You Can Help | Four Tropical Cyclones At Once)

MORE: Cyclone Pam's Devastation (Mar. 2015)