Typhoon Gay (1989)
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| Category 5 tropical cyclone (SSHS) | ||
|---|---|---|
 Typhoon Gay at peak intensity shortly before its landfall in India |
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| Formed | November 1, 1989 | |
| Dissipated | November 10, 1989 | |
| Highest winds |
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| Lowest pressure | 898 mbar (hPa) | |
| Damage | Unknown | |
| Fatalities | 1,060 direct | |
| Areas affected |
Thailand, India | |
| Part of the 1989 Pacific typhoon season 1989 North Indian Cyclone Season |
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Typhoon Gay (1989 TY 32W) was the tropical cyclone which caused significant damage in province Chumphon of Thailand and eastern India in November of 1989. The storm formed on November 1 in the southern Gulf of Thailand, and dissipated over the Western Ghats mountains of India on November 10. The storm was unique in being the only tropical cyclone to hit Thailand with full typhoon wind speed, but its origin in the Gulf, its small size despite its high intensity, and the fact the storm was active in two different tropical cyclone basins also made it an unusual tropical storm.
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[edit] Storm history
On November 1, the beginnings of the storm showed on satellite images of the southern Gulf of Thailand. A concentrated convection area with an upper level anticyclone was found and ships reported a relatively high surface pressure of 1008 hPa. The disturbance of the monsoon trough continued to consolidate, thus at 21:00 UTC a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert was issued. Warm waters of the gulf combined with geographical circumstances in the gulf helped to spin up the cyclone. Satellite images showed the intensification, while the surface pressure at the Thai and Malay coast increased due to the subsidence of the air uplifted by the storm. On November 2 18:00 UTC the intensification increased, thus the storm reached typhoon wind speeds at around November 3 0:00 UTC.
Gay continued to intensify, reaching wind speeds of 100 kt (51 m/s) shortly before it made landfall on November 4 06:00 UTC. During the pass over the narrow Kra Isthmus the storm lost slightly in intensity, which it quickly gained back in the Andaman Sea.
Moving north-northwest across the Bay of Bengal at a speed of about 10 knots (19 km/h), it slowly intensified back to 100 kt, but then restrictions in the upper level outflow stopped it from gaining anymore speed until November 7. On November 8 06:00 UTC the winds reached 130 knots (67 m/s) and at 18:00 UTC it became a Category 5 cyclone. Luckily it made landfall over a rather low populated area of India about 220 km north of Madras. There was initial concern that Gay might succeed in crossing India and reaching the Arabian Sea, but it then took a more northerly course. Due to its comparably small size, the typhoon's energy dissipated quickly, and thus it ended over the Western Ghats mountains of western India.
[edit] Impact
The Unocal oil drilling ship Seacrest, moored in the gulf, became the first victim of the storm. Apparently the eye of the typhoon passed directly over it and strong waves capsized the ship. Ninety-one seamen died with only two survivors rescued.
During the landfall in Thailand Gay claimed at least 458 lives, also more than 600 fishermen were reported missing. Two hundred fishing vessels were lost.
Due to the fact that it made landfall in a rural area with a low population, it only claimed 39 lives in India but still destroyed or damaged 20,000 homes.
[edit] Lack of retirement
Despite how deadly Gay was, the name wasn't retired because most of the fatalities were while the typhoon was in the North Indian Ocean Basin.
[edit] Records
Gay was the most devastating storm to effect the Malay Peninsula since Tropical Storm Harriet in 1962.
