Tropical Storm Vamei was a Pacific tropical cyclone, the last storm of the 2001 Pacific typhoon season. On December 26 the storm developed into a tropical depression about 230 km (145 mi) east of Singapore in the South China Sea at 1.4° N, 156 km (97 mi) north of the equator. This was the first recorded occurrence of a tropical cyclone developing near the equator, which had previously been considered impossible because of a lack of Coriolis effect there. It strengthened quickly and made landfall the next day approximately 60 km (35 mi) northeast of Singapore, along extreme southeastern Peninsular Malaysia. The storm rapidly dissipated over Sumatra a day later, and the remnants eventually re-organized in the North Indian Ocean. Though officially designated as a tropical storm, the intensity of Vamei is disputed; some agencies classify it as a typhoon, based on sustained winds of 140 km/h (85 mph) and the appearance of an eye. The storm brought flooding and landslides to eastern Peninsular Malaysia, causing US$3.6 million in damage and five deaths.
Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_Storm_Vamei
_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:
1776:
American Revolutionary War: In the predawn hours, George Washington and his army crossed the Delaware River to launch a surprise attack against the Hessian forces at the Battle of Trenton. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Trenton
1871:
Thespis, the first comic opera by Gilbert and Sullivan, made its debut at the Gaiety Theatre, London, UK. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thespis_(opera)
1900:
A relief crew arrived at the lighthouse on the Flannan Isles of Scotland and discovered that the previous crew had disappeared without a trace. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flannan_Isles
1996:
The Federation of Korean Trade Unions called upon its 1.2 million members to walk off the job, beginning the largest organized strike in South Korea's history. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1996%E2%80%9397_strikes_in_South_Korea
2006:
The Hengchun earthquake struck off the southwest coast of Taiwan, on the anniversaries of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake that devastated coastal communities across Southeast and South Asia, and of the 2003 Bam earthquake that destroyed areas of southeastern Iran. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2003_Bam_earthquake
_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:
Boxing Day: The day after Christmas; the 26th of December. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Boxing_Day
___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:
There is survival and survival, the historian learns to his grief. The very worst impulses of humankind can survive generations, centuries, even millennia. And the best of our individual efforts can die with us at the end of a single lifetime. --Elizabeth Kostova https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Kostova