Warm sea waters and a unique geographical location create favorable conditions for the formation of many tropical storms that head towards the Philippines.
On September 25, Super Typhoon Noru made landfall on the Polillo Islands of the Philippines with sustained winds of 195 km/h and gusts of up to 240 km/h. According to the National Center for Meteorology and Hydrology, the storm entered the South China Sea early this morning, with intensity decreasing to Category 13.
Satellite image of Super Typhoon Haiyan heading towards the Philippines on November 6, 2013. (Photo: NOAA).
Most people living in the Philippines have experienced at least one tropical storm. According to the Asian Disaster Reduction Center (ADRC), the country is subjected to an average of 20 storms each year, many of which are super typhoons with devastating effects. How do storms form and strengthen? Why do they frequently make landfall in the Philippines?
Storms form over warm waters, gaining energy as warm air absorbs moisture and rises. As this air ascends, it cools, leading to cloud formation. This is referred to as a high-pressure area.
Meanwhile, there is significantly less air near the water’s surface, creating a low-pressure area. To fill the void caused by the low pressure, cooler surrounding air rushes in, creating a swirling cycle. As more warm, moisture-laden air rises and cool air sinks, winds begin to accelerate. When the wind reaches a sufficient intensity, it combines with rainfall to create a tropical cyclone.
The spiral shape seen in satellite images of storms is due to the Coriolis Effect: the spiral movement of winds is driven by the Earth’s rotation. Depending on certain conditions, tropical cyclones can accumulate increasing amounts of wind energy and rainfall, ultimately becoming storms or super typhoons.
The Philippines is located on the Pacific Ring of Fire and close to the equator, where warm air and ocean temperatures frequently exceed 28°C. This enhances the evaporation rate of water, allowing for faster accumulation of rainfall. This, combined with climate change, increases the frequency of storm occurrences.
Additionally, due to its position on the vast open waters of the eastern Pacific, there are very few “barriers” to absorb the energy of storms before they make landfall.
The deadliest storm in Philippine history was Typhoon Haiphong in 1881, which claimed the lives of approximately 20,000 people. Meanwhile, the strongest super typhoon was Haiyan, which made landfall in 2013 with record winds of 315 km/h, resulting in the deaths of 6,300 Filipinos. This is one of the strongest tropical storms ever recorded.
