On November 14, NASA released satellite images capturing an unusual event with the simultaneous occurrence of four storms: Toraji, Yinxing, Usagi, and Manyi in November.
According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, for the first time since record-keeping began in 1951, four tropical storms appeared in the Pacific during November. These storms are active in the Western Pacific and significantly impact the Philippines, causing severe weather conditions such as strong winds and heavy rainfall. This is considered an unusual and historic event.
Four storms appeared in the Pacific on November 11. (Image: NASA Earth Observatory/Wanmei Liang).
Although storms form in this area every month, even during the cold season, it has never been the case that four storms appeared simultaneously in November, according to Gene Huang, a weather forecaster from the Central Weather Bureau of Taiwan. The peak typhoon season in the Philippines typically spans from July to October, with the country experiencing an average of 20 tropical storms each year. Huang noted that even during summer, the occurrence of four storms at once is unusual, and the overall weather conditions this year differ from the norm.
Scientists have observed that high-pressure areas causing tropical storms are located further north and extending beyond the usual range for this time of year. They stated that while it has not yet been conclusively determined that global warming is the direct cause of the increased storm activity in November, it could be a contributing factor. Sea surface temperatures have steadily risen, reaching record highs last year.
The recently released satellite images by NASA were captured by the Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR) at 8:55 AM local time on November 11. The images show storms Yinxing, Toraji, Usagi, and Manyi either moving towards the Philippines or already affecting the country and its surrounding areas.
Approximately 40 minutes before the images were taken, Typhoon Toraji made landfall on the northeastern side of Luzon Island, Philippines. The storm caused flooding and power outages in Aurora province. Landslides due to heavy rain buried many roads in the Cordillera mountain range. The Japan Meteorological Agency reported that the storm reached peak intensity the night before, with sustained winds of 130 km/h.
To the west, Yinxing made landfall in the Philippines on November 7, four days prior to the DSCOVR satellite capturing images. As the storm approached northern Luzon, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) reported it had wind speeds of up to 240 km/h, reaching super typhoon status. The storm weakened before making landfall in Vietnam and dissipated on November 12.
At the time the images were taken, Usagi was classified as a tropical storm but quickly intensified into a super typhoon. By November 13, Usagi had wind speeds of around 240 km/h. The storm then made landfall in northeastern Philippines, causing flooding that submerged many rural villages, leading to power outages, and forced thousands to evacuate.
To the east, at the time the satellite captured the images, Manyi was a tropical storm with winds of 85 km/h. By this morning, Typhoon Manyi had intensified into a super typhoon with peak winds exceeding 200 km/h, expected to enter the South China Sea on November 17-18, becoming the ninth storm in the area for the year 2024.
The Philippines has faced the majority of the storm activity in the Pacific this year. Previous storms, such as Trami and Kong-rey, have caused deadly flooding and landslides on Luzon Island at the end of October. The Western Pacific typhoon season spans the entire year, but most storms form between May and October. Typically, November sees three named storms, including one that becomes a super typhoon, based on the average from 1991 to 2000.
