Typhoon Melor
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Typhoon Melor, known in the
Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
as Typhoon Nona, was a powerful
tropical cyclone A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system with a low-pressure area, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depending on its locat ...
that struck the Philippines in mid-December 2015. The twenty-seventh named storm and the eighteenth
typhoon A typhoon is a tropical cyclone that develops between 180° and 100°E in the Northern Hemisphere and which produces sustained hurricane-force winds of at least . This region is referred to as the Northwestern Pacific Basin, accounting for a ...
of the annual typhoon season, Melor killed 51 people and caused
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7.04 billion (US$148.3 million) in damage. The typhoon began developing on December 7 as a low-pressure area of Chuuk. Soon, it intensified into a tropical depression on December 10, and then into a tropical storm south of Yap, and was named Melor. The
Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (, abbreviated as PAGASA , which means "hope" as in the Tagalog word ''pag-asa'') is the National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHS) agency of the P ...
(PAG-ASA) initially decided to name Melor as "Nonoy", but due to political reasons, it was named "Nona" instead. On December 13, Tropical Storm Melor (Nona) became a typhoon, and made its first landfall on Northern Samar. The typhoon made several landfalls in Sorsogon, Burias Island, Romblon, and
Oriental Mindoro Oriental Mindoro (), officially the Province of Oriental Mindoro (), is a province in the Philippines located on the island of Mindoro under Mimaropa region in Luzon, about southwest of Manila. The province is bordered by the Verde Island P ...
, before weakening into a tropical storm. It turned southward on entering the
South China Sea The South China Sea is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean. It is bounded in the north by South China, in the west by the Indochinese Peninsula, in the east by the islands of Taiwan island, Taiwan and northwestern Philippines (mainly Luz ...
before weakening into a tropical depression and dissipating in the
Sulu Sea The Sulu Sea (; Tausug: ''Dagat sin Sūg''; ; ) is a body of water in the southwestern area of the Philippines, separated from the South China Sea in the northwest by Palawan and from the Celebes Sea in the southeast by the Sulu Archipela ...
.


Meteorological history

During December 10, the Japan Meteorological Agency started to monitor a tropical depression, that had developed about to the south of Guam. The system was located within a favorable environment for further development, with low vertical wind shear and sea surface temperatures of between . Moreover, the JMA started to issue tropical cyclone warnings to the system on the same day, expecting a tropical storm within 24 hours. Based on a developing low-level circulation center (LLCC) obscured by the mid-level deep convection in an area of strong westward upper-level diffluence and moderate easterly vertical
wind shear Wind shear (; also written windshear), sometimes referred to as wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and/or direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere. Atmospheric wind shear is normally described as either vertical ...
, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) issued a
Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert A Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert (TCFA) is a bulletin released by the U.S. Navy-operated Joint Typhoon Warning Center in Honolulu, Hawaii or the Fleet Weather Center in Norfolk, Virginia, warning of the possibility of a tropical cyclone formi ...
(TCFA) to the system early on December 11. The JMA, however, upgraded the tropical depression to a tropical storm immediately after issuing that TCFA and named it ''Melor'', when the storm was only about south of Yap. In the afternoon, the JTWC upgraded it to a tropical depression and designated it as ''28W'', just six hours before the center upgraded Melor to a tropical storm that was tracking west-northwestward along the southern periphery of a deep-layered
subtropical ridge The horse latitudes are the latitudes about 30 degrees north and south of the Equator. They are characterized by sunny skies, calm winds, and very little precipitation. They are also known as subtropical ridges or highs. It is a high-pressur ...
. The
PAGASA The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (, abbreviated as PAGASA , which means "hope" as in the Tagalog language, Tagalog word ''pag-asa'') is the National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHS ...
was about to name the tropical storm as ''Nonoy'', yet it was named ''Nona'' after entering the Philippine Area of Responsibility on December 12, owing to political reasons. When Melor was forming an
eye An eye is a sensory organ that allows an organism to perceive visual information. It detects light and converts it into electro-chemical impulses in neurons (neurones). It is part of an organism's visual system. In higher organisms, the ey ...
in the afternoon, the JMA upgraded it to a severe tropical storm. Due to low vertical wind shear, warm
sea surface temperature Sea surface temperature (or ocean surface temperature) is the ocean temperature, temperature of ocean water close to the surface. The exact meaning of ''surface'' varies in the literature and in practice. It is usually between and below the sea ...
s above 28°C and robust poleward outflow enhanced by a very powerful Aleutian low, Melor intensified into a typhoon early on December 13, as tightly curved spiral banding was observed wrapping into a tiny but clear eye. The JTWC upgraded Melor to a SSHWS Category 4-equivalent typhoon at noon. Although the eye appeared to be cloud-filled temporarily, the eyewall consolidated further. Melor made
landfall Landfall is the event of a storm moving over land after being over water. More broadly, and in relation to human travel, it refers to 'the first land that is reached or seen at the end of a journey across the sea or through the air, or the fact ...
over Batag Island of Laoang, Northern Samar of the Philippines at 11:00 PST (03:00 UTC) on December 14. The JMA reported a peak intensity of ten-minute maximum sustained winds at 175 km/h (110 mph) and a central pressure of . The typhoon formed a well-defined eye and then maintained it for several hours while crossing the northern coast of
Samar Samar ( ) is the third-largest and seventh-most populous island in the Philippines, with a total population of 1,909,537 as of the 2020 census. It is located in the eastern Visayas, which are in the central Philippines. The island is divided in ...
. Later, it made its second landfall over Bulusan, Sorsogon at 16:00 PST (08:00 UTC) and third landfall over Burias Island at 21:45 PST (13:45 UTC), resulting in a cloud-filled eye again. Shortly after Melor made its fourth landfall over Banton Island, Romblon at 05:30 PST on December 15 (21:30 UTC on December 14), the typhoon significantly intensified again with a distinct 25-km (15-mile) eye and a compact core. Right before making its fifth landfall on Pinamalayan,
Oriental Mindoro Oriental Mindoro (), officially the Province of Oriental Mindoro (), is a province in the Philippines located on the island of Mindoro under Mimaropa region in Luzon, about southwest of Manila. The province is bordered by the Verde Island P ...
at 10:30 PST (02:30 UTC), the JTWC indicated that Melor had reached peak intensity with one-minute maximum sustained winds at 230 km/h (145 mph), just shy of the super typhoon status. Shortly after the typhoon made its final landfall, its eye rapidly became cloud-filled. Inflow along the southwestern quadrant was forced over the mountainous central terrain of
Mindoro Mindoro is the seventh largest and eighth-most populous island in the Philippines. With a total land area of 10,571 km2 ( 4,082 sq.mi ), it has a population of 1,408,454, as of the 2020 census. It is located off the southwestern coast of ...
, and strong poleward outflow was also weakening owing to the decreasing linkage to mid-latitude flow. Emerging into the
South China Sea The South China Sea is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean. It is bounded in the north by South China, in the west by the Indochinese Peninsula, in the east by the islands of Taiwan island, Taiwan and northwestern Philippines (mainly Luz ...
and moving northwestward in the afternoon, Melor started to encounter strong vertical wind shear as well as strong northeasterly low-level flow associated with a developing cold surge. Melor was downgraded to a severe tropical storm by the JMA and a tropical storm by the JTWC early on December 16 when the upper-level environment was deteriorating and causing the system to disintegrate, leading to the steering influence shifting to the low-level flow. Thus, the quickly weakening storm made a U-turn and moved southward. The JMA downgraded Melor to a tropical storm at noon, although the system's convection had been sheared away from the low-level circulation center. Several of meteorological agencies downgraded Melor to a tropical depression early on December 17, including the JMA and JTWC, who issued final warnings on the system; however, satellite imageries depicted an open trough instead of a discernable LLCC. The system completely dissipated in the
Sulu Sea The Sulu Sea (; Tausug: ''Dagat sin Sūg''; ; ) is a body of water in the southwestern area of the Philippines, separated from the South China Sea in the northwest by Palawan and from the Celebes Sea in the southeast by the Sulu Archipela ...
before noon.


Preparations


Bicol and Eastern Visayas

In preparation for the typhoon, 700,000 residents in several provinces were evacuated. On Albay, work on all government and private offices was suspended, except for disaster response. Classes were also suspended on most of Bicol and parts of Eastern Visayas. A no-sail zone was implemented in areas where the typhoon was expected to pass. Many flights to areas in Bicol and Eastern Luzon were cancelled on December 14, following the approaching typhoon. On December 13, storm signal no. 3 was raised on
Catanduanes Catanduanes (; ), officially the Province of Catanduanes (), is an island province located in the Bicol Region of Luzon in the Philippines. It is the 12th-largest island in the Philippines, and lies to the east of Camarines Sur, across the M ...
, Sorsogon,
Albay Albay (IPA: ), officially the Province of Albay (; ; Baybayin, ᜎᜎᜏᜒᜄᜈ᜔ ᜈᜅ᜔ ᜀᜎ᜔ᜊᜌ᜔), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Bicol Region of the Philippines, mostly on the southeastern part of the isla ...
, Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, and
Samar Samar ( ) is the third-largest and seventh-most populous island in the Philippines, with a total population of 1,909,537 as of the 2020 census. It is located in the eastern Visayas, which are in the central Philippines. The island is divided in ...
.


Southern Luzon and MIMAROPA

As the typhoon neared Northern Samar on December 14, PAGASA raised storm signal no. 2 on southern
Quezon Quezon, officially the Province of Quezon () and historically known as Tayabas, is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Calabarzon Regions of the Philippines, region on Luzon. Lucena, a highly urbanized ci ...
and signal no. 1 on
Batangas Batangas, officially the Province of Batangas ( ), is a first class province of the Philippines located in the southwestern part of Luzon in the Calabarzon region. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 2,908,494 people, making ...
,
Cavite Cavite, officially the Province of Cavite (; Chavacano: ''Provincia de Cavite''), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province of the Philippines located in the Calabarzon region. On the southern shores of Manila Bay and southwest of Manila, i ...
, Rizal, Laguna, and the rest of Quezon (including Polillo Island). Ferry services between Batangas City, Mindoro, and Caticlan were suspended when storm signal no. 1 was raised on
Aklan Aklan, officially the Province of Aklan, is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Western Visayas region of the Philippines. Its capital and largest town is Kalibo. The province is situated in the northwest portion of Panay, Panay Islan ...
.


Metro Manila

The
Metropolitan Manila Development Authority The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA; ) is a government agency of the Philippines responsible for constituting the regional government of Metro Manila, comprising the capital city of Manila, the cities of Quezon City, Caloocan, ...
(MMDA) placed a yellow alert on
Metro Manila Metropolitan Manila ( ), commonly shortened to Metro Manila and formally the National Capital Region (NCR; ), is the capital region and largest List of metropolitan areas in the Philippines, metropolitan area of the Philippines. Located ...
as Typhoon Nona approached Mindoro. Storm signal no. 1 was raised on Metro Manila when the typhoon neared Northern Samar. On December 16, preschool classes were suspended on the whole region, while classes on all levels were suspended on
Muntinlupa Muntinlupa (), officially the City of Muntinlupa (), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Metro Manila, National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population o ...
, Pateros,
Taguig Taguig (), officially the City of Taguig (), is the List of cities in the Philippines, fifth-most populous city in the Philippines situated on the eastern shores of Metro Manila, the national capital region. It is a center for culture, finance ...
, San Juan,
Pasay Pasay, officially the City of Pasay (; ), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Metro Manila, National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 Philippine census, 2020 census, it has a ...
,
Quezon City Quezon City (, ; ), also known as the City of Quezon and Q.C. (read and pronounced in Filipino language, Filipino as Kyusi), is the richest and List of cities in the Philippines, most populous city in the Philippines. According to the 2020 c ...
,
Malabon Malabon, officially the City of Malabon (), is a highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 380,522 people. Located just north of the city of Manila, Malabon is ...
, and Valenzuela.


Highest Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal


Impact

On December 14, Typhoon Nona (Melor) first made its first landfall on Batag Island on Northern Samar. On the same day, it made its second landfall in Sorsogon. Typhoon Nona caused most devastation in Mindoro and Romblon.
Oriental Mindoro Oriental Mindoro (), officially the Province of Oriental Mindoro (), is a province in the Philippines located on the island of Mindoro under Mimaropa region in Luzon, about southwest of Manila. The province is bordered by the Verde Island P ...
was placed under a state of calamity due to the devastation caused by the typhoon. Pinamalayan in Oriental Mindoro was worst hit, with 15,000 homes destroyed, 24,000 families (108,000 people) in evacuation centers. 51 people were killed during the typhoon, and damages amounted to
The Philippine peso sign (₱) is the currency symbol used for the Philippine peso, the official currency of the Philippines. The symbol resembles a Latin script, Latin letter P with two horizontal strokes. It differs from the currency symbol u ...
7.04 billion (US$148.3 million). In Metro Manila, floods affected traffic and commuters. Water levels of reservoirs rose, especially at Angat Dam. More than 168,000 houses were damaged or destroyed. Several roads were also closed due to the typhoon. More than 200,000 people stayed on evacuation centers due to the effects of the typhoon. A state of calamity was declared on the whole country under Presidential Decree (P.D.) 1186 to speed up rescue, recovery, relief and rehabilitation operations following the devastation by the typhoon. Several areas in Central Luzon, mostly in
Nueva Ecija Nueva Ecija, officially the Province of Nueva Ecija ( ; ; ; ), is a landlocked province in the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. Its capital is the city of Palayan, while Cabanatuan, its former capital, is the largest Local gove ...
,
Bulacan Bulacan, officially the Province of Bulacan (; ; ; ), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Central Luzon Regions of the Philippines, region. Its capital is the city of Malolos. Bulacan was established on ...
,
Pampanga Pampanga, officially the Province of Pampanga (; ; ), is a province in Central Luzon in the Philippines. Lying on the northern shore of Manila Bay, Pampanga is bordered by Tarlac to the north, Nueva Ecija to the northeast, Bulacan to the east, ...
,
Tarlac Tarlac, officially the Province of Tarlac (; ; ; ; ), is a landlocked Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Central Luzon Regions of the Philippines, region. It had a population of 1,503,456 people according to ...
, Isabela, and
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, were flooded by rain caused by Typhoon Nona. Calumpit was heavily flooded, with floods 4 feet deep and 427 families evacuated. Dams were also filled by water, almost reaching their spilling levels.


Naming issues

Before Typhoon Melor entered the
Philippine Area of Responsibility The Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) is an area in the Northwestern Pacific where PAGASA, the Philippines' national meteorological agency, monitors weather occurrences. Significant weather disturbances, specifically typhoons that enter o ...
(PAR), the
Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (, abbreviated as PAGASA , which means "hope" as in the Tagalog word ''pag-asa'') is the National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHS) agency of the P ...
(PAGASA) at first decided that the typhoon would be named "Nonoy". However, owing to its similarity to President
Benigno Aquino III Benigno Simeon Aquino III (; born Benigno Simeon Cojuangco Aquino III; February 8, 1960 – June 24, 2021), also known as Noynoy Aquino and colloquially as PNoy, was a Filipino politician who served as the 15th president of the Philippines ...
's nickname, "Noynoy", PAGASA renamed the typhoon "Nona", despite that name's usage during 2011.


Retirement

Due to the severe damage caused by the typhoon, the name ''Melor'' was retired at the Fourth Joint Session of the ESCAP/WMO Typhoon Committee and WMO/ESCAP Panel on Tropical Cyclones during 2016. In February 2017, they chose the name '' Cempaka'' to replace Melor. PAGASA announced that they had retired ''Nona'' from the rotating lists of tropical cyclone names in the Philippines. On January 20, 2016, the name ''Nimfa'' was chosen to supplant both ''Nona'' and ''Nonoy'' for the 2019 season.


See also

* Weather of 2015 *
Tropical cyclones in 2015 During 2015, tropical cyclones formed in seven major bodies of water, commonly known as tropical cyclone basins. Tropical cyclones will be assigned names by various weather agencies if they attain maximum sustained winds of . During the year, on ...
* Typhoon Chanchu (2006) * Typhoon Durian (2006) * Typhoon Hagupit (2014) *
Typhoon Koppu Typhoon Koppu, known in the Philippines as Super Typhoon Lando, was a powerful and devastating tropical cyclone that struck Luzon in mid-October 2015. It was the twenty-fourth named storm and the fifteenth typhoon of the 2015 Pacific typhoon seas ...
(2015) *
Typhoon Nock-ten Typhoon Nock-ten, known in the Philippines as Super Typhoon Nina, was the strongest Christmas Day tropical cyclone worldwide in terms of 1-minute sustained winds. Forming as a tropical depression southeast of Yap and strengthening into the twen ...
(2016) * Typhoon Kammuri (2019) * Typhoon Phanfone (2019) * Typhoon Vongfong (2020) * Typhoon Molave (2020) * Typhoon Goni (2020)


References


External links


JMA General Information
of Typhoon Melor (1527) from Digital Typhoon JMA Best Track Data
of Typhoon Melor (1527)
JTWC Best Track Data
of Typhoon 28W (Melor)-->
28W.MELOR
from the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory {{2015 Pacific typhoon season buttons Melor Melor Melor Melor Retired Pacific typhoons Retired Philippine typhoon names