Wednesday 31 October 2012

SA National Severe Weather Warnings: 31 October 2012 16h00 SAST




Current warning: Kwazulu Natal Province
Updated: 31/10/2012 15:36:35
Validity: 2012-10-31 to 2012-11-01
Type: Warning. Take action
Subject: Very rough seas
Detail: WARNINGS: --------- 1. Very rough seas with waves (4 to 6m) are expected.


Current warning: Western Cape Province
Updated: 31/10/2012 15:36:35
Validity: 2012-10-31 to 2012-11-01
Type: Warning. Take action
Subject: Gale force and veld fire
Detail: Warning: 1. Gale force south easterly winds(35kt) are expected along the coast between Cape Point and Cape Agulhas. 2. A very high veld fire danger rating is expected over the Cape Winelands.


Current warning: All other Provinces
Updated: 31/10/2012 15:36:35
Validity: 2012-10-31 to 2012-11-01
No warnings nor advisories in effect
Subject: No Alerts
Detail: No Alerts

- SAWS

SA Weather Satellite Image: 31 October 2012 17h00 SAST


Image: Eumetsat (Click on image for larger view.)

South Africans thought to be on missing plane

Nielen Bottomley, News24

Cape Town – Search and rescue teams have teamed up to find a light aircraft that was last heard from over Mozambique's northwest.

The small Baron 58 was carrying 2 people, thought to be South Africans, when it took off from Lilongwe airport en route to Lanseria airport, north of Johannesburg, on Sunday.

The plane started experiencing engine difficulties in Mozambique, and the pilot rerouted to Beira where he never arrived.

Santjie White, chief of the Aeronautical Rescue Centre in Johannesburg told News24 that six planes, a team of the Mountain Club of South Africa, and the voluntary communication group Hamnet were dispatched to Mozambique to help in the search.

White said the aircraft never entered South African airspace.

The plane did not send out a distress signal and no sign of it has been found.

After searching for the plane in vain on Sunday, Mozambique handed management of the search operation over to South Africa on Monday, where a joint search operation was adopted.

- News24

Strong winds hamper Durban port operations


The strong winds have affected operations at Durban's container handling terminal. Authorities had to enforce an hour long partial closure at the terminal earlier today due to the gusts.

Transnet Port Terminal's Mbali Mathenjwa says it has since been re-opened, however.

Mathenjwa says they're closely monitoring the wind speed and direction to determine whether another closure will be necessary.

She says if the winds reach an unsafe level again, port officials will have to stop operations because of the danger of working with cranes.

However, Mathenjwa's stressed that if another closure is enforced, it would be for a maximum of two hours.

Meanwhile, the SA Weather Service has warned of very rough seas along KZN's coastline, with waves in excess of five metres.

(Photo: Hannah Keal)

- East Coast Radio News

Meisie vermis ná sy in drein beland

Johannesburg – Daar is steeds geen teken van ‘n meisie wat in ‘n stormwaterdrein in Ivory Park, noord-oos van die stad, geval het nie.

Eyewitness News (EWN) berig die tienjarige kind het in die drein geval toe sy Dinsdagmiddag ná skool terug huis toe gestap het.

‘n Reddingspan wat sewe duikers en drie reddingshonde insluit, het Woensdagoggend hul soektog voortgesit.

'n Man wat gepoog het om die meisie te red het volgens die nuusdiens gesê hy het hulpeloos gevoel. 

"Ek het nie gedink nie, ek het net gegaan. Daar is 'n bruggie oor die drein – so ek het daarheen gegaan en die kind probeer gryp, maar ek kon net haar rugsak bykom," het hy volgens EWN gesê.

Lees meer hier

- NUUS24

Wave crashing over the pier in Richards Bay. (31 October 2012)



Published on Oct 31, 2012 by SAWDOS1

Video by Mike Maree (Richard's Bay)

SAWDOS:  Eish that Toyota will never be the same again....saltwater??

Plane en route to SA missing in Mozambique

Maputo - The hunt was on Wednesday for a small aircraft that was last heard of over Mozambique's remote northwest, with fears growing about the fate of its occupants.

The craft - reported to be a small Baron 55 with five people on board- was last heard of travelling in Mozambique's vast province of Tete en route to Lanseria airport, north of Johannesburg, the Mozambique Civil Aviation Agency said.

The plane did not send out a distress signal and no sign of its wreckage has been found.

- AFP/News24

Man killed, 19 hurt by falling tree

Bloemfontein -

A man was killed and another 19 injured when a tree fell on their truck in Bloemfontein on Tuesday afternoon, Free State paramedics said.

A 10-ton truck was travelling on Eeufees Road with 20 passengers at about 5pm when a tree by the roadside collapsed and fell onto the truck, said Netcare 911 spokesman Chris Botha.

Emergency workers arrived at the accident to find that a man had died from injuries suffered in the accident.

Another man was critically injured, eight were seriously injured and 10 people had minor injuries.

The injured were taken to various local hospitals.

- Sapa/IOL

Storm lashes South Coast, Durban

The Durban Weather office says the storm that hit the South Coast and Durban in the early hours of this morning is making its way towards the North Coast.

It's expected to strike areas around Richards Bay at around mid-morning today.

South westerly gale-force winds, with speeds of between 60 and 80km/h, were recorded over parts of the province last night and in the early hours of this morning.

Forecasters say 25-millimetres of rain fell in Durban overnight. They expect the same downpour in areas in the north this morning.

There is a warning of rough sea conditions in Durban, with waves in excess of five metres.

Traffic officials meanwhile say trees have fallen onto roads in the Gillitts and Tongaat areas.

Meanwhile, two school pupils died after being struck by lightning in Ndwedwe, north of Durban, on Monday night.

- East Coast Radio News

SA National Severe Weather Warnings: 31 October 2012 04h00 SAST



Current warning: Kwazulu Natal Province
Updated: 31/10/2012 05:24:11
Validity: 2012-10-31 to 2012-10-31
Type: Warning. Take action
Subject: Gale force winds and very rough seas
Detail: WARNINGS: --------- 1. Gale force south-westerly winds are expected along the coast. 2. Very rough seas with waves (4 to 6m) are expected.


Current warning: Western Cape Province
Updated: 31/10/2012 05:24:11
Validity: 2012-10-31 to 2012-10-31
Type: Warning. Take action
Subject: Gale force and veld fire
Detail: Warning: 1. Gale force south easterly winds(35kt) are expected along the coast between Cape Point and Cape Agulhas. 2. A very high veld fire danger rating is expected over the Cape Winelands. Advisory: 1.Very rough seas with wave heights (4 to 6m) are expected to develop south of Cape Point during Thursday persisting through Friday moderating Saturday.


Current warning: All other Provinces
Updated: 31/10/2012 05:24:11
Validity: 2012-10-31 to 2012-10-31
No warnings nor advisories in effect
Subject: No Alerts
Detail: No Alerts

- SAWS

SA Weather Satellite Image: 31 October 2012 06h15 SAST


Image: SAT24 (Click on image for larger view.)

GFS Medium Range Forecasts of Vertical Velocity and Precipitation: South Africa


Image: U.S. National Center for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) Click on image for larger view.

Cyclone Nilam Lurks off South Indian Coast


A satellite image of cyclone Nilam taken on Oct. 30.

As the east coast of the United States grapples with Hurricane Sandy, Cyclone Nilam is swirling about 500 kilometers, or 310 miles, off the east coast of southern India.

The cyclone, which is expected to make landfall Wednesday afternoon or evening between the district of Nagapattinam in Tamil Nadu and Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh, could carry winds of up to 100 kilometers per hour, meteorologists said. Schools and colleges are closed in Chennai, and officials warned local fisherman to stay on the land.

“No one should venture out in the sea,” said S.R. Ramanan, director of the Area Cyclone Warning Center in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. The meteorological department said the seas off of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Pondicherry will be rough.

Over the last 24 hours, the northern coastal districts of Tamil Nadu, including Chennai, Kancheepuram and Cuddalore, received up to 15 centimeters (5.9 inches) of rain in some areas.

While the storm is nowhere near the size of Hurricane Sandy, winds are expected to barrel up to 100 kilometers per hour while the cyclone travels toward the northwest, but their speed will decelerate when the cyclone hits land, experts said. Weather conditions are expected to be calmer by Thursday.

According to the Indian meteorological department, a deep depression, a condition that precedes cyclonic winds, was noticed around the Bay of Bengal on Tuesday at 5:30 a.m. Indian Standard Time. In about three hours, the speed of wind exceeded 34 knots, about 63 kilometers per hour, the benchmark at which the storm can be classified as a cyclone.

Mr. Ramanan said that huts in low-lying areas could be damaged, and temporary outages of power and communication services could occur.

- New York Times

SEA RESCUE – SOUTHERN CAPE – Tuesday, 30th October, 2012. Yacht assisted


At 10h00 (Tuesday, 30th October) NSRI Knysna volunteer sea rescue duty crew were activated following a request for assistance from the 20 meter Catamaran yacht LINSCHOTEN, sailing from Richard's Bay to Cape Town, reporting to be taking water, with motor and generator flooded, and foundering, adrift at sea, 11 nautical miles South of the Knysna Heads, with 5 crew onboard, 2 females and 3 males.

Graeme Harding, NSRI Knysna station commander, said: "Our NSRI Knysna volunteer sea rescue duty crew launched our sea rescue craft COLORPRESS RESCUER and responded in choppy rough seas with 4 to 5 meter swells, and rendezvoused with the yacht and immediately, on finding her to be listing and in peril, sea rescue crew were put aboard to begin pumping the yacht free of water while we established a tow-line.
"Realizing that the towing effort would not make it through Knysna Heads in the adverse sea conditions we began towing the yacht towards Mossel Bay and alerted NSRI Mossel Bay to launch later in the day and once closer to Mossel Bay the NSRI Mossel Bay boat could take over the tow from us.

"All crew onboard were safe."

At 15h00 NSRI Mossel Bay volunteer sea rescue duty crew launched the sea rescue craft VODACOM RESCUER and rendezvoused with the casualty yacht and NSRI Knysna 20 nautical miles North East of Mossel Bay and took over the towline.
NSRI Knysna returned to base arriving safely in Knysna at 18h30.

Dawie Zwiegelaar, NSRI Mossel Bay station commander, said: "On arrival on-scene we took over the tow from NSRI Knysna, releasing them to return to Knysna.
"The tow is slow progress in strong winds and big sea swells and we expect to have them safely in Mossel Bay by around 23h00 tonight.

"Everyone onboard is safe."

No details of the crew on the casualty yacht are available at this stage and an update will be posted tomorrow.


-ENDS-


Released by:


Craig Lambinon
Sea Rescue Communications

Weerlig slaan twee kinders dood

Durban – Twee leerders is dood ná hulle in Ndwedwe, noord van Durban in KwaZulu-Natal, deur weerlig doodgeslaan is, het 'n amptenaar Dinsdag gesê.

Vernon Mchunu, woordvoerder vir die departement van samewerkende regering, het gesê die leerders was van dieselfde familie.

Die weerlig het 'n Graad 12- en 'n Graad 4-leerder Maandagaand gedurende 'n donderstorm doodgeslaan.

"Ons is hartseer om van die insident uit te vind. Moeder Natuur het weer 'n donker skadu oor ons gegooi," het Nomusa Dube, LUR vir samewerkende regering, gesê.

Dube het haar medelye met die familie betuig.

- NUUS24

SEA RESCUE – EAST LONDON – Tuesday, 30th October, 2012. Yacht monitored


Geoff McGregor, NSRI station commander, said:

At 20h30 (Monday, 29th October) NSRI East London were alerted by Karen Schroeder, in Munich, Germany, that her partner, John Gartiez, 64, of Alaska, USA, had encountered heavy sea conditions and storms, while on an around the world solo sail, sailing a leg between Durban and East London on his 40 foot yacht ARTIC TURN, and she requested NSRI to be alerted to his position in case an emergency developed.

The Transnet National Ports Authority, MRCC (Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre) and Telkom Maritime Radio Services were also alerted.

Then during the night communications were lost with the sailor and as a precaution from first light NSRI arranged for Air Traffic Control to request commercial flight flying in the vicinity of his last known position, off the Transkei Coast in the vicinity of Port St Johns, to keep a lookout for the yacht.

During the morning, (Tuesday, 30th October), communication with the sailor was restored, with regular updates of his position, and although experiencing a lack of sleep, heavy seas and an approaching storm the sailor was pressing on regardless and did not call an emergency.

Based on the conditions and the approaching storm NSRI East London volunteer sea rescue duty crew volunteered to launch the NSRI East London deep-sea rescue craft LOTTO RESCUER to rendezvous with the yacht that was heading towards East London and our thinking was that at worst we could offer to put some fresh crew onto his yacht to give him a break and help him sail through the storm.

We rendezvoused with the yacht 60 nautical miles North East of East London, in 30 knot gusting winds and 6.5 meter swells, and we found a very experienced sailor fully enjoying the thrill of sailing his yacht in the adverse conditions and he gracefully refused any help although welcoming the distraction.

As a precautionary measure we escorted the yacht towards East London and by 18h00, about 20 nautical miles from our base, we departed to return to base, leaving the sailor to continue on his voyage, and we will monitor his progress and expect him to be in the Port of East London at about 23h00 tonight."

-ENDS-


Released by:


Craig Lambinon
Sea Rescue Communications

Raw: Camera Shows Moment of NYC Crane Collapse



Published on Oct 30, 2012 by AssociatedPress

New York city officials say a strong wind gust fed by the storm was likely a major factor in the collapse of a construction crane boom at a 74-story luxury skyscraper. The moment of the collapse was caught on video. (Oct. 30)

Sandy: Damage estimated at up to $20bn


Businesses on the US East Coast have continued to be disrupted by storm Sandy, with total damage estimated at between $10bn and $20bn (£6bn-£12bn).

Sandy has flooded subway and road tunnels in much of Lower Manhattan.

Beyond New York City, public transport has been halted in several eastern US cities, and thousands of flights have been grounded.

And US stock markets have had to close again on Tuesday, the longest period since 9/11.

It is also the first time the weather has shut them for two consecutive days since 1888. The estimate of damage comes from disaster risk modelling firm Eqecat.

Both the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and the Nasdaq exchanges plan to reopen on Wednesday. NYSE said that its famed trading floor - based close to the major flooding in Lower Manhattan - remained undamaged.

Wednesday is a key trading day because it is the last day of the month, when traders price their portfolios.
Transport disruption

Sandy threatens an 800-mile (1,290-km) swathe of the US, from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes in the Mid-West and killed 66 people in the Caribbean last week before pounding the East Coast of the US.

The storm has closed thousands businesses and severely affected the infrastructure of the nation.

The closure of public transport along the US East Coast means millions of people are unable to get to work.

Air traffic to and from the region has also been severely disrupted and nearly 14,000 flights were cancelled, potentially hurting airlines that were already struggling in the weak economy.

Amtrak has suspended passenger train services across the north-east.

The UN headquarters in New York is also to stay closed, while public transport was suspended in Washington DC, New York, Baltimore, Philadelphia and Boston.
Rebuilding benefits

Paul Ashworth, an economist at Capital Economics, said that depending on how long flooding lasts, the hurricane could maybe shave one tenth of US output during the quarter.

"But you have to remember that the hurricane generates extra activity too, in terms of the clean-up and rebuilding," he told the BBC.

"In theory, it could even be a positive for the economy."

Peter Morici, an economist and professor at the University of Maryland, estimated that some $15bn to $20bn will likely be spent on rebuilding after the storm, which could create as much as $36bn in an "economy with high unemployment and underused construction resources".

"When government authorities facilitate quick and effective rebuilding, the process of economic renewal can leave communities better off than before in many tangible ways."

Power outage

Roan Kirby, a farmer in Hope, New Jersey, told the BBC he has had to shut his farm down during the storm.

"I see no mention of the impact on farmers," he said.

"It is easy to forget livestock, stored crops and buildings that are at great risk. If trucks cannot get through to pick up milk at the farms and if the processing plants are affected, milk supply will surely be affected. Milk will have to be disposed of on the farm if it cannot be collected, which will mean a huge loss of income."

In New York, the US financial capital, an explosion at a sub-station caused power outages and darkened most of downtown Manhattan as well as Westchester County and affected more than 650,000 customers, power company Consolidated Edison said.

"This is the largest storm-related outage in our history," said John Miksad, Con Ed's senior vice president for electric operations.

Six million homes are currently without power.

"It will be days before we can know the full extent of the damage left behind by Hurricane Sandy in New York City and the rest of the state," Rob Lillpopp, a spokesperson for the Business Council of New York State, told the BBC.

"We are just a year removed from Hurricane Irene, and what we learned from that devastating storm is that small and large businesses can and will pull together to recover."

In Europe, shares in Swiss Re rose 1.3% and Munich Re shares were also higher. The two companies are reinsurers - they insure insurers, who will have to pay out a large amount to businesses and individuals affected by Sandy.

- BBC

Storm Sandy: Transport chaos as floods recede

A large section of Atlantic City's famous boardwalk was destroyed when Sandy slammed into the New Jersey shore

At least 40 people have been killed, millions are without power and transport across the north-eastern US has been severely disrupted as storm Sandy heads north for Canada.

In New York City, 18 people have been killed and the public transport system remains closed until further notice.

More than 18,000 flights were cancelled, the flight-tracking website FlightAware estimates.

Earlier, Sandy killed nearly 70 people as it hit the Caribbean.

Sandy brought a record storm surge of almost 14ft (4.2m) to central Manhattan, well above the previous record of 10 feet (3m) during Hurricane Donna in 1960, the National Weather Service said.

The storm was causing heavy snowfalls over the Appalachian mountains on Tuesday afternoon. It was expected to turn towards western New York state during the evening before moving into Canada on Wednesday, the forecaster said.

Flooding


At least eight million homes and businesses are without power because of the storm, says the US Department of Energy.

The New York Stock Exchange says it will re-open on Wednesday after two days' closure, as will the Nasdaq exchange. The last time the stock exchange shut down for two days was in 1888.

New York's subway system sustained the worst damage in its 108-year history, said Joseph Lhota, head of the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA).

Subway tunnels were flooded and electrical equipment will have to be cleaned before the network can re-open.

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said there was "no timeline" for when the subway would restart, but he hoped buses could begin running again on Wednesday.

All New York's major airports have been closed as their runways are flooded, but John F Kennedy airport and Newark in New Jersey are due to reopen at 0700 (1100 GMT) on Wednesday, with a reduced service.

It is likely to be two or three days before power is restored to most of the city, Mr Bloomberg said.

The Path commuter train service, which links New Jersey and New York City, is likely to remain suspended for seven to 10 days, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie told a news conference.

The tidal surge from the storm left fields of debris 7ft (2.25m) high and carried small railway goods cars onto elevated sections of the New Jersey Turnpike, he said.

President Barack Obama suspended campaigning for a third day ahead of next week's presidential election so that he could supervise the clean-up.

His Republican challenger Mitt Romney resumed low-key campaigning on Tuesday, converting a rally into a storm relief event in the swing state of Ohio.

Governor Christie, a Republican and staunch supporter of Mr Romney, went out of his way to praise the Democratic president for his handling of the storm.

"I spoke to the president three times yesterday," Mr Christie told CNN. "He's been incredibly supportive and helpful to our state and not once did he bring up the election... If he's not bringing it up, I'm certainly not going to bring it up."

The cost of clearing up after the storm is likely to run to $30-40bn (£18-24bn), says the BBC's business correspondent Mark Gregory - far less than than the $100bn cost of clearing up after Hurricane Katrina in 2005.


In other developments:

  • US federal agencies in Washington DC will re-open on Wednesday.
  • Fire destroyed about 50 homes in the New York City borough of Queens
  • More than 200 patients were evacuated from New York University's Tisch Hospital after power went out and a backup generator failed
  • Three nuclear reactors have been closed due to electrical supply and cooling system problems; a fourth was put on alert because of rising water.

President Obama has also declared emergencies in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

- BBC

Swirls along an Ice Highway



Sea water off the east coast of Greenland looked a bit like marbled paper in October 2012. The shifting swirls of white were sea ice, as observed by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite on October 17, 2012. In fact, this ice moved discernibly between October 16 and October 17. Thin, free-drifting ice moves very easily with winds and currents.
Each year, Arctic sea ice grows through the winter, reaching its maximum extent around March. It then melts through the summer, reaching its minimum in September. By October, Arctic waters start freezing again. However, the ice in the image above is more likely a remnant of old ice that migrated down to the coast of Greenland. Sea water is unlikely to start freezing this far south in October.
Along Greenland’s east coast, the Fram Strait serves as an expressway for sea ice moving out of the Arctic Ocean. The movement of ice through the strait used to be offset by the growth of ice in the Beaufort Gyre. Until the late 1990s, ice would persist in the gyre for years, growing thicker and more resistant to melt. Since the start of the twenty-first century, however, ice has been less likely to survive its trip through the southern part of the Beaufort Gyre. As a result, less Arctic sea ice has been able to pile up and form multi-year ice.
With less thick ice there is less Arctic sea ice volume, something the researchers at the Polar Science Center at the University of Washington have modeled from 1979 to 2012. Their results appear in the graph above. The model indicates that ice volume peaks in March through May of each year and reaches its lowest levels from August through October. But while the seasonal timing of the peaks and valleys has remained consistent since 1979, the total sea ice volume has declined.
The thick blue line is the 1979–2000 average, and the lighter blue bands surrounding it are one and two standard deviations from the median. The lines below the blue line are the calculated sea ice volumes for the years since 2000. All of them fall below the median, and almost all of them fall below two standard deviations.
The drop in sea ice volume is consistent with other observed changes in Arctic sea ice. In terms of sea ice extent, the National Snow and Ice Data Center and NASA reported that Arctic sea ice set a record low in September 2012.
  1. References

  2. State of the Cryosphere. (2012, October 24) Sea Ice. National Snow and Ice Data Center. Accessed October 25, 2012.
  3. Polar Science Center. Arctic Sea Ice Volume Anomaly, version 2. University of Washington. Accessed October 25, 2012.
NASA image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, LANCE MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC. Graph by Jesse Allen based on modeled ice volume data from the Polar Science Center, University of Washington. Caption by Michon Scott with information from Ted Scambos, National Snow and Ice Data Center.
Instrument: 
Aqua - MODIS - NASA

Sandy after Landfall


Hurricane Sandy made landfall along the southern New Jersey coast on the evening of October 29, 2012. As the storm came ashore, it continued to pack strong wings—roughly 85 miles (140 kilometers) per hour. Tide gauges recorded storm-surge heights of 12.4 feet (3.8 meters) at Kings Point, New York.
The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) on the Suomi NPP satellite acquired this image of the storm around 3:35 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time (7:35 Universal Time) on October 30. This image is from the “day-night band” on VIIRS, which detects light wavelengths from green to near-infrared. The full Moon, which exacerbated the height of the storm water surge, lit the tops of the clouds.
Sandy’s clouds stretched from the Atlantic Ocean to Chicago. Clusters of lights gave away the locations of some cities throughout the region; but along the East Coast, clouds obscured the lights, many of which were blacked out due to the storm. On October 30, CNN reported that several million customers in multiple states were without electricity.
  1. References

  2. National Hurricane Center. (2012, October 30) Hurricane Sandy Advisory Archive. Accessed October 30, 2012.
  3. CNN. (2012, October 30) Superstorm Sandy updates. Accessed October 30, 2012.
NASA Earth Observatory image by Jesse Allen, using VIIRS Day-Night Band data from the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (Suomi NPP). Suomi NPP is the result of a partnership between NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the Department of Defense. Caption by Michon Scott.
Instrument: 
Suomi NPP - VIIRS - NASA

Typhoon Son-tinh


Son-tinh strengthened into a typhoon on October 26, 2012, and subsequently weakened back into a tropical storm on October 29, Unisys Weather reported. On October 28, Son-tinh made landfall in Vietnam. By October 29, the storm had caused deadly landslides and floods in the Philippines, and downed power lines, destroyed crops, and damaged thousands of homes in Vietnam.
The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite captured this natural-color image of Son-tinh on October 28, 2012. When MODIS took this picture, the center of the storm was just off the coast of Vietnam, west of Hainan.
On October 29, Agence France-Presse reported that the storm was responsible for two deaths in Vietnam, and 27 deaths and nine missing persons in the Philippines.
  1. References

  2. Agence France-Presse. (2012, October 29) Two dead as Typhoon Son-Tinh hits Vietnam. Accessed October 29, 2012.
  3. Unisys Weather. (2012, October 29) Son-tinh Tracking Information. Accessed October 29, 2012.
NASA image courtesy LANCE MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC. Caption by Michon Scott.
Instrument: 
Aqua - MODIS - NASA

Tuesday 30 October 2012

SA National Severe Weather Warnings: 31 October 2012 16h00 SAST



Current warning: Eastern Cape Province
Updated: 30/10/2012 16:52:26
Validity: 2012-10-30 to 2012-10-31
Type: Warning. Take action
Subject: Gale Force winds
Detail: Warning: -------- 1. Gale force south-westerly winds can be expected between East London and Port Edward. 2. VERY ROUGH SEAS WITH WAVES (4 TO 6M) ARE EXPECTED BETWEEEN EAST LONDON AND PORT EDWARD.


Current warning: Gauteng
Updated: 30/10/2012 16:52:26
Validity: 2012-10-30 to 2012-10-30
Type: Watch. Be prepared
Subject: Severe thunderstorms
Detail: Watch: ------ 1. Severe thunderstorms are possible.


Current warning: Kwazulu Natal Province
Updated: 30/10/2012 16:52:26
Validity: 2012-10-30 to 2012-10-31
Type: Warning. Take action
Subject: Gale force winds and Severe thunderstorms
Detail: Warning: -------- 1. Gale force south-westerly winds can be expected between Port Edward and Maputo. 2. VERY ROUGH SEAS WITH WAVES (4 TO 6M) ARE EXPECTED BETWEEEN PORT EDWARD AND MAPUTO. Watch: ------ 2. Severe thunderstorms are possible


Current warning: Limpopo Province
Updated: 30/10/2012 16:52:26
Validity: 2012-10-30 to 2012-10-30
Type: Watch. Be prepared
Subject: Severe thunderstorms
Detail: Watch: ------ 1. Severe thunderstorms are possible in the south.


Current warning: Mpumalanga Province
Updated: 30/10/2012 16:52:26
Validity: 2012-10-30 to 2012-10-30
Type: Watch. Be prepared
Subject: Severe thunderstorms
Detail: Watch: ------- 1. Severe thunderstorms are possible.


Current warning: North West Province
Updated: 30/10/2012 16:52:26
Validity: 2012-10-30 to 2012-10-30
Type: Watch. Be prepared
Subject: Severe thunderstorms
Detail: Watch: ------- 1. Severe thunderstorms are possible in the east.


Current warning: Western Cape Province
Updated: 30/10/2012 16:52:26
Validity: 2012-10-31 to 2012-10-31
Type: Watch. Be prepared
Subject: Gale force
Detail: 1.GALE FORCE SOUTH EASTERLY WINDS(35KT) ARE EXPECTED BETWEEN CAPE POINT AND CAPE AGULHAS OVERNIGHT WEDNESDAY INTO THURSDAY.


Current warning: All other Provinces
Updated: 30/10/2012 16:52:26
Validity: 2012-10-30 to 2012-10-31
No warnings nor advisories in effect
Subject: No Alerts
Detail: No Alerts

- SAWS

SA Weather Satellite Image: 30 October 2012 16h45 SAST


Image: SAT24 (Click on image for larger view.)

Photos: Real Time Weather Observation: South Africa (30 October 2012)



Shane Bailey report: @SAWDOS1 dark cloud in the distance East of Atlasville. Couple of drops in Atlasville now dry. Storms brewing to East.



Stanley report: @SAWDOS1 looking north from hendrik potgieter...tons of lighting and thunder.


Fraser McHenry report: @SAWDOS1 clouds off Ballito...



Shane Bailey report: @SAWDOS1 some nasty looking clouds now to the NW of Atlasville. Clouds also moving in from SW side. Moving easterly.



Shane Bailey report: @SAWDOS1 picture East of Atlasville 30mins later. Clouds moving quickly. Thunder above Atlasville & couple of raindrops.



Tejal Somaru report: @SAWDOS1. Johannesburg hail



Obakeng Seeletse report: @SAWDOS1 hailstorms in Midrand



Shane Bailey writes: @SAWDOS1 This must be the storm over Midrand passing over Northern Atlasville. Dry currently. Clouds moving SWdirection.



Dre' report: @SAWDOS1 hail, wind and mayhem in Midrand



gerdavorster report: @SAWDOS1 clouds in Spartan, Kempton Park looks like a heavy storm on the way.



Anine Swart report: @SAWDOS1 hail in Midrand



Eugene Stolk report: @SAWDOS1 clouds rolling in over wits education campus from the west (14:27) wind picking up.



Lauren F report: Massive amount of hail in Lonehill



Shane Bailey report: @SAWDOS1 Storm moving over NE of Atlasville in distance. Looks like it will miss us. Moving to Bronkhorstspruit???



Nassir Ali report: Not impressed with this hailstorm in Midrand at the moment.
Juuust made it into the garage.



Joy Evans report: How's this for size..... 3 minute hail storm.



Simone Gorven report: Small hailstones in Boksburg



Shane Bailey report: @SAWDOS1 Rain cloud has passed over #Atlasville. Hail small.
Rain stopped 15:11:33



Tanja report: #Ballito it's raining again!



Lynn Zachariades report: @SAWDOS1 Huge hail storm in Waterkloof Ridge, #pretoria. Wish you could hear it! 15:25pm



Lynn Zachariades report: @Jacanews @sawdos1 More amazing clouds



Lynn Zachariades report: @Jacanews @sawdos1 More amazing clouds



Anzelle writes: @SAWDOS1 Little bit of hail in Pretoria East - quick and over



Craig Powell report: @SAWDOS1 Small amount of small hail in Erasmusrand PTA, largest was ~1cm, average is pictured here.



DM photograpic report: @SAWDOS1. Rainbow over centurion


Lynn Zachariades report: @SAWDOS1 Rainbow over Castella #Waterkloof Ridge



Adla da Silva report: @SAWDOS1 dark clouds, rain and a beautiful rainbow


Bruce report: @SAWDOS1 A carpet of hail on Dainfern golf course.



Carin report: @SAWDOS1 lots of clouds M2 N leaving Jhb CBD.



Fred Calitz report: @SAWDOS1 Polokwane 17h11: wind starting to pick up now, bringing the smell of rain.



Flying Dutchman report: @SAWDOS1 clouds building up with faint rainbow in Glenwood Durban



Charlene Giovanelli report: @SAWDOS1 storm clouds moving towards Ballito



Dullstroom Weather report: @SAWDOS1 Dullstroom 18h00: Went eerie quiet, thought we in for big one but nought. Pass by N & S. Mayby later. View SE.



Dullstroom Weather report: @SAWDOS1 Dullstroom 30/10 18h15: Sunset! This photo has not been changed in any way.