1990 Azkali cyclone

The cyclone at it's peak intensity, approaching the Azkali coast at noon on the 11th of Agotzo.

The 1990 Azkali cyclone was a devestating off-season Volic Gulf cyclone that struck Azkali and Sunteria on 12 Agotzo 1990 (27 Snoiguia 3116). It remains the cyclone with the fastest recorded wind speed and lowest barometic pressure on record. It was the deadliest tropical cyclone in recorded history, and greatly exacerbated the at the time ongoing Azkali societal collapse, resulting in one of the most devestating humanitarian disasters in the history of the world. It caused approximately 400,000 deaths, and possibly as much as 750,000. These casualties were almost solely in Azkali, and caused damages there estimated at $440 billion dollars. The 1990 Azkali cyclone was the first cyclonic storm of the 1990 Volic cyclone season.

The 1990 Azkali cyclone caused apocalyptic flooding across Azkali and Sunteria, rendering it visible from space, breaking many local and national meteorological records. As it made landfall, it caused a 12.2 meter (40 foot) storm surge that completely destroyed all coastal communities in its wake.

Meteorological history

On the 24th of Uni, 1990 (Sunterian time), a tropical wave moved from northern Tyrosia northeast into the Volic Gulf. It was monitored by the Ari Island Volunteer Meteorological Center for several days, but was discontinued from being monitored as it failed to produce atmospheric convection. Over the coming days thereafter, however, the tropical wave slowly organized, and on the 3rd of Agotzo, the wave organized into Tropical Depression 1. Despite the wave's organizing, the AIVMC failed to further monitor the storm until the 10th of Agotzo.

Satellite view of the cyclone at 8:00 AM on the 9th of Agotzo (24th of Snoiguia) as a cyclone, just before it explosively intesified.

Over the next three days, the tropical depression moved northeast, entering into a zone with anomalously warm water temperatures and little wind shear. By the 6th of Agotzo, the depression had organized further, and began to be monitored by the (Sunterian Meteorological agency). The same day, the (SMA) categorized the depression as a Severe Tropical Storm - however, it was not given a name, being several months before the start of the cyclone season. At noon on the 7th of Agotzo, hurricane hunters reported the intensification of the cyclone from a Severe Tropical Storm to a Cyclone, with sustained winds of 95 miles per hour, with gusts of 110 miles per hour. A mid-level ridge to the north of the cyclone steered it west along an elongated arcing path, into waters with cooler water temperatures. The cyclone stalled and weakened slightly into a Severe Tropical Storm starting at around 10:00 PM on the 7th.

Around this time, Western Azkali and Kalilonde were already experiencing significant amounts of rainfall.

The next day, the cyclone started again west, into an environment with ocean temperatures exceptionally conductive to explosive intensification. By 4:00 AM on the 8th, it had re-intensified into a cyclone, but was prevented from strengthening that day due to significant wind shear in the cyclone's path. Wind shear gradually dissipated over the day, and by 11:00 PM on the 8th, the cyclone weakened slightly once more to a severe tropical storm, before explosively intensifying starting at 9:00 AM on the 9th of Agotzo. Hurricane hunters around this time reported the increase of the cyclone's 10 minute sustained wind speed from approximately 85 miles an hour to 200 miles an hour in six hours, an intensification of 115 miles an hour within 6 hours, or approximately an increase of 20 an hour. At the same time,

Impacts

Azkali

Southern Azkali

Township of Rekazki, an Azkalophone community in Kalilonde, Sunteria, completely destroyed. Photograph taken on 28th of August, 1990