2013 Imaginary Lands of Nicholas Typhoon Season

The 2013 Imaginary Lands of Nicholas Typhoon Season was a below average event of an annual cycle of tropical cyclone formation for the year of 2013. The season includes all tropical cyclones that make landfall and/or affects regions of the Imaginary Lands of Nicholas. The season has no definite start date, and may run year-round. However, most tropical cyclones are formed in May to November, with July to September being the most active in the season.

The 2013 season is a relatively quiet one, with only 5 cyclones forming, 3 became a tropical storm, and 1 became a typhoon. There were no super typhoons this year. As a result, damages and casualties are much less compared to an average year, or the previous year (which was a fairly active one). On average, based on the past ten seasons from 2002 to 2012, 9.4 cyclones form each year, with 7.3 of them transforming to a tropical storm, 3.5 becoming typhoons, and 1.1 becoming a super typhoon.

In addition to NMBILN issuing forecasts and maintaining storm statuses for each storm, the NMBILN has also partnered with the Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) to provide tropical strength data for each cyclone. The peak strength rated by HKO is listed throughout the article.

Season Forecast
Both the University of Watersauga and the National Meteorology Bureau of the Imaginary Lands of Nicholas (NMBILN) forecasts a below-normal activity for this tropical storm season. The University of McCallister calls for a near or above normal activity for the season.

Tropical Storm Pik Ning

 * Highest tropical cyclone warning signal issued: 

Tropical Storm Pik Ning (Traditional Chinese: 熱帶風暴碧寧) was a tropical storm affecting Nicholas City and parts of Long Region in mid-June 2013. It was the first tropical cyclone of the year.

Tropical Depression Two

 * Highest tropical cyclone warning signal issued: 

Tropical Depression Two (Traditional Chinese: 熱帶低氣壓二號) was a short-lived tropical depression that affected mainly offshore areas of the kingdom.

On 19 June 2013, an active area of thundershowers formed in the midst of the Pacific Ocean, and becoming more organized. This cluster gains a circulation as thunderstorms strengthened, and the NMBILN assigns it a probability of MEDIUM of becoming a tropical cyclone that day.

Early on in the morning of 20 June, the maximum sustained wind speed reaches over 41 km/h at its centre, and thus the NMBILN upgrades the storm to a tropical depression, numbering it Two. As the system approaches near coastal cities, the NMBILN issues Signal No. 1 to Nicholas City late in that day at 16:30.

The system fails to gain more moisture as it runs into a cooler pockets of water. The convection activity substantially decreases, though it is still able to maintain its basic structure as a tropical depression. The system continues to move slowly to the northwest towards the Free State of Torbury Peninsula. Parts of its outer rain bands reached onshore in the afternoon hours of that day, bringing pockets of heavy showers to the Nicholas City region. The NMBILN cancels all tropical cyclone signals at 14:00 on the 21st of June.

Tropical Depression Two continues to lose its strength and finally dissipated offshore early on 23 June 2013. Its remnants moved onshore towards Qeshqer Shehiri, bringing heavy rain that equates to half an average month total of rainfall to the area.

Typhoon Poplar

 * Highest tropical cyclone warning signal issued: / 

Typhoon Poplar (Traditional Chinese: 颱風白楊) was a typhoon that formed in the afternoon of 17 July 2013.

A tropical wave off the shores of Lovia has given rise to the formation of a tropical depression on 17 July 2013. The cluster of tropical energy strengthened rapidly, and quickly gaining structure and strengthening. In the afternoon hours, the NMBILN has detected a maximum sustained wind speed of 41 km/h, and thus naming it the third tropical depression of the year.

The depression became a tropical storm and received the name "Poplar" (白楊) when its maximum sustained wind speed reached over 63 km/h.

The storm quickly intensifies, and by noon of 21 July, it has strengthened into a severe tropical storm, with its maximum sustained wind speed at 91 km/h.

By 23 July, it is a full-fledge typhoon with a maximum sustained wind speed of 133 km/h. It is forecasted to move to the west of Nicholas City or along the southern shores of Long Region.

Poplar is expected to retain its strength as a typhoon or to strengthen to the minimal criterion of a severe typhoon (maximum sustained wind speed 150 km/h and over), before edging close to Nicholas City Wednesday evening.

Poplar made landfall early Thursday morning on the southwestern shores of Long Region, briefly retaining its strength as a typhoon, before weakening throughout the day and formally dissipated Friday morning. The remnants of Poplar fuelled the upper-level low to the north, which is bringing unstable weather to the southwestern coast of the kingdom for two weeks to follow.

Severe Tropical Storm Kenzo

 * Highest and current tropical cyclone warning signal issued: 

Severe Tropical Storm Kenzo（Traditional Chinese: 強烈熱帶風暴賢三）is an active tropical storm, forecasted to affect Nicholas City around 22 - 25 August.

At 14:00, 19 August 2013, the NMBILN issued a special weather statement, stating an area of unstable active cluster of thunderstorms has a MEDIUM chance of becoming a tropical cyclone in the next 24 - 36 hours. In the statement, the NMBILN says the area of active weather has been assigned an invest number of 90N, and states that "seems like a tropical cyclone is forming."

The invest rapidly strengthened on the 20th, becoming a depression in the evening hours, and received a number designation of 005. It was about 1,100 km W of Nicholas City, and has a trajectory that the depression will pass by 400 km away from Nicholas City.

In the early mornings of 21 August, the depression further intensified, with its sustained maximum wind speed reaching over 64 km/h. The NMBILN thus announced to promote it as a tropical storm, and naming it in Japanese, "Kenzo" (賢三). Throughout the 21st, Kenzo has been moving at a very slow pace (generally less than 5 km/h) towards the general direction of NNW. Around noon hours, it had moved into the 800 km radius of Nicholas City, and the NMBILN says, as Kenzo will affect Nicholas City's weather beginning on the morning of the 22nd, the NMBILN will consider issuing Signal No. 1 Standby later on the 21st night or early on 22nd morning.

The NMBILN has announced that Signal No. 1 Standby has been issued at 00:15, 22 August 2013. At that time, Kenzo is located 690 km WSW of Nicholas City.

Due to the combining effects of an inland low pressure and the tropical storm, weather patterns have became highly unstable Thursday (22 August) morning. Thundershowers and strong winds have begun to affect the territory. The NMBILN says there is currently no need to elevate the signal, however, an Amber Rainstorm Warning and Monsoon Warning (Wind Warning) has been issued for Nicholas City at 10:00 of 22 August.

At 12:40, 22 August 2013, The NMBILN had announced that it will issue Signal No. 3 Strong Winds within the next half an hour due to the rapidly strengthening winds observed in the city over the past few hours. As of 13:00, the NMBILN observatory has recorded a 10-minute sustained wind of 47 km/h at the observatory headquarters, gusting to 65 km/h. The NMBILN, in the end, issued Signal No. 3 Strong Winds at 12:55.

Kenzo continued to move very slow, skirting anywhere from 400 to 500 km from Nicholas City throughout the 23rd. In the afternoon hours of 23rd, Kenzo strengthened into a severe tropical storm with a 10-minute sustained wind speed exceeding 88 km/h. The outer circulation rainbands also arrived in Nicholas City in the afternoon hours. In the observatory headquarters, heavy rain of as much as 80 mm/hr caused flash flooding. A Black Rainstorm Warning was issued momentarily at 14:00, which was downgraded to a red rainstorm warning at 18:00.

The NMBILN announces that Kenzo will continue to move slowly, but will edge closer to Nicholas City, before making a landfall west of Nicholas City some time in the evening hours of the 24th. Signal No. 3, after being in force for 2 days, was replaced by Signal No. 1 at 15:00 on the 24th as the storm makes landfall. Due to the strong tidal waves brought by the landfall, the Amber and Red Storm Surge Warning Signals were in place throughout different parts of the day respectively. The storm later dissipated inland throughout the day on the 25th, though its remnant bands of rainfall continued to affect Nicholas City. Signal No. 1 was also cancelled at 01:15 on the 25th.

Tropical Depression Five

 * Highest and current tropical cyclone warning signal issued:

Tropical Depressive Five (Traditional Chinese: 熱帶低氣壓五號) is a tropical depression formed on 15 October 2013 from a tropical wave.

The NMBILN has noticed a tropical wave forming on Saturday, 13 October, and issued a special weather statement that a tropical cyclone is "seemingly forming". The agency has designated it as a "tropical depression" at 23:00 UTC of 16 October 2013, and numbered it 005.

The cyclone retained its strength as a tropical depression and passed by within 300 km of Nicholas City towards the end of the week. It brought moderate and strong winds to the city, and around 150 mm of rain during the weekend. It briefly triggered an Amber Rainstorm Warning, and a Signal No. 1 Standby throughout the weekend. These warnings were lifted Monday morning as the system makes landfall some 250 km west of the city. Sporadic heavy showers and gusty winds continued to affect the city from the remnants of the system until at least mid-week.

Season effects
This table lists all the storms that developed in the Imaginary Lands of Nicholas basin, in the northern hemisphere, between 150°E and 120°W during the 2013 season. It includes their intensity, duration, name, areas affected, landfall location (in bold), deaths, and damages. All damage figures are in 2013 USD. Damages and deaths from a storm include when the storm was a precursor wave, or an extratropical low.


 * — denotes data not available, perhaps data is still enumerating.

External link

 * Official Document compiled by the National Meteorology Bureau  (Traditional Chinese)