The Fujiwhara Effect

I can no longer call myself an amateur meteorologist, because I now know about the Fujiwhara Effect.

Only real meteorologists know about that one. So I'm pleased and proud to announce my promotion.

The Fujiwhara Effect is pretty interesting. It's the pull that one typhoon has on another. If they are within a certain distance of each other (less than 1000km, I believe) then they will begin to rotate around each other. If one is much larger, then its movement will be less. So it was with Typhoons Melor and Parma. Melor at that stage was a Super Typhoon, at around Category 5. Parma was bordering Tropical Storm status. As a result, Parma was sucked eastwards again, and made yet another crossing of Northern Luzon in the Philippines.

Here is the satellite picture showing the Fujiwhara Effect taking place.