A storm has just formed in the South Pacific, named storm Jasper. Major meteorological centers believe that this is a storm with the ability to develop and have a very complicated path, possibly becoming a super storm in the next few days.
On the afternoon of December 5, the Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) confirmed that a low pressure area in the South Pacific had developed into a storm. It was named storm Jasper, the first storm of the 2023 – 2024 storm season in Australia. On the evening of December 5, storm Jasper had winds of 85 km/h.
According to current forecasts, storm Jasper will strengthen very quickly, in the next few days it will make landfall in Australia and can be extremely destructive. Specifically, it could become a super storm on Friday (December 8), with winds up to 250 km/h.
Storm Jasper has formed and is forecast to strengthen very quickly. Photo: Ventusky.
According to meteorologist Laura Boekel, when El Nino is happening, the South Pacific will have fewer storms and the hurricane season will also start later. Furthermore, although hurricane season in Australia starts from November to the end of April, storms hardly form in November.
“It is very rare to see a storm develop this early in the hurricane season during El Nino. Storm Jasper will set a record as the first storm in waters near Queensland (Australia) in December during an El Nino year,” Ms. Boekel said.
And even if Storm Jasper does not make landfall, with its current path, it will still cause very heavy rain and strong winds in Queensland as well as high tides. Therefore, people here have been advised to stock up on food and water for at least 3 days, have first aid kits, medicine, and raincoats to be ready to evacuate if necessary.
Currently, forecast models give quite different information, saying that storm Jasper could make landfall anywhere in the East and Southeast of Australia.
Warning about Typhoon Jasper from the US Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC). Photo: JTWC.
However, Ms. Boekel said, BOM is still not sure how Jasper will go. “We are not sure if this storm will make landfall in Queensland, and if so, when, where, and with what intensity,” she said. Therefore, people need to follow the news regularly to be updated with new warnings.”
In addition, there is currently a low pressure in the South Pacific, called 90W, moving towards Asia, but meteorological agencies cannot predict much.