Storm waves during Typhoon Cobra (Halsey's typhoon) in December, 1944

Abstract

A coupled process based tide-wave-surge model has been used to simulate Typhoon Cobra inDecember 14-19, 1944, also best known as the Typhoons of 1944 or Halseys Typhoon. Thetyphoon information given to admiral Halsey about the location and direction was inaccurateand the third fleet operating 480 Km east of Luzon in the Philippine Sea, sailed into the centerof the typhoon very serious damages were wrecked due to strong winds of 87 kt, lowestobserved pressure of 907 h Pa and very high seas. This typhoon plays an important role inHermann Wouks novel the Caine Mutiny and also led to the establishment of Joint TyphoonWarning Center in Hawaii. The model constructed with fine mesh finite element model coveringthe whole South China Sea with the Java Sea and adjacent marginal seas and inclusion of thePhilippine Sea. Approximate mesh sizes in the region of interest were formulated as a few tensof meters and the bathymetry of the tidal flat area was described, thus enabling a detailedrepresentation of component in tidal characteristics in the modelled tidal regime. Typhoon andmeteorological forcing inputs for the period 13-20, December 1944 are prepared via blending ofECMWF-20C as background meteorological conditions and Holland type vortex typhoon fields.The water elevation determined from the estimation of the Japanese NAOTIDE (NationalAstronomical Observatory) database was imposed at the tin and direction was inaccurateand the third fleet operating 480 Km east of Luzon in the Philippine Sea, sailed into the centerof the typhoon very serious damages were wrecked due to strong winds of 87 kt, lowestobserved pressure of 907 h Pa and very high seas. This typhoon plays an important role inHermann Wouks novel the Caine Mutiny and also led to the establishment of Joint TyphoonWarning Center in Hawaii. The model constructed with fine mesh finite element model coveringthe whole South China Sea with the Java Sea and adjacent marginal seas and inclusion of thePhilippine Sea. Approximate mesh sizes in the region of interest were formulated as a few tensof meters and the bathymetry of the tidal flat area was described, thus enabling a detailedrepresentation of component in tidal characteristics in the modelled tidal regime. Typhoon andmeteorological forcing inputs for the period 13-20, December 1944 are prepared via blending ofECMWF-20C as background meteorological conditions and Holland type vortex typhoon fields.The water elevation determined from the estimation of the Japanese NAOTIDE (NationalAstronomical Observatory) database was imposed at the ti