Typhoon Kompasu (2010)

Typhoon Kompasu (Glenda)

Typhoon (JMA scale)
Category 3 (Saffir–Simpson scale)
Typhoon Kompasu approaching the Korean Peninsula on September 1
Formed	August 28, 2010
Dissipated	September 4, 2010
(Extratropical after September 3, 2010)
Highest winds	10-minute sustained: 150 km/h (90 mph) 1-minute sustained: 195 km/h (120 mph)
Lowest pressure	960 hPa (mbar); 28.35 inHg
Fatalities	At least 29 total
Damage	$58.3 million (2010 USD)
Areas affected	People's Republic of China, Japan, South Korea and North Korea
Part of the 2010 Pacific typhoon season

Typhoon Kompasu, known in the Philippines as Typhoon Glenda, was the strong tropical cyclone that moved along Okinawa, Japan and west coast of the Korean Peninsula before striking the Seoul Metropolitan Area in early-September 2010. It was the first significant system to directly strike the Seoul Metropolitan since Typhoon Prapiroon in 2000 and the strongest typhoon to directly impact the area since Tropical Storm Janis in 1995.

The tropical disturbance that was to become Typhoon Kompasu was first analyzed by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center on August 25, as a tropical disturbance developing out of a surface trough of low pressure that was located near Chuuk State. Over the next couple of days, the disturbance moved towards the northwest as it moved under the steering influence of a deep subtropical ridge of high pressure. During August 28, the disturbance developed a low level circulation which rapidly consolidated throughout that day. This led to the Japan Meteorological Agency and the JTWC designating it as Tropical Depression 08W during that day before the JTWC reported that the depression had intensified into a tropical storm. During the next day the PAGASA reported that the Tropical Depression had moved into their area of responsibility and subsequently named it Tropical Storm Glenda. Later that day the JMA also reported that Glenda had intensified into tropical storm and named it as Kompasu.

Early on August 30, the JTWC reported that Kompasu had developed an eye feature and had intensified into a typhoon. However the JMA did not follow suit until 1800 UTC, that day after the JTWC had assessed the intensity of Kompasu at 165 km/h (100 mph). During the next day as Kompasu passed over Okinawa both the JTWC and the JMA reported that Kompasu had peaked with windspeeds of 185 km/h, (115 mph) and 150 km/h, (90 mph) respectively.

The Japan Meteorological Agency's Regional Specialized Meteorological Center in Tokyo, Japan uses the Typhoon Committees Tropical Cyclone Intensity Scale which is based on 10-minute sustained winds for its tropical cyclone tracking information, while the Joint Typhoon Warning Center uses 1-minute sustained winds. The conversion factor between the two is 1.14. The JMA's peak intensity for Kompasu was 150 km/h, (90 mph) 10-minute sustained, or 170 km/h, (105 mph) 1-minute sustained. The JTWC's peak intensity for Kompasu was 185 km/h, (115 mph) 1-minute sustained, or 165 km/h (100 mph) 10-minute sustained.