Beware, Tropical Cyclone Threatens Asia Until Next September, Skips The Last 30 Years

Illustration of a storm. (Wikimedia Commons/Graham Crumb/Imagicity.com)

JAKARTA - Asian countries in the Pacific region must be aware of tropical cyclones, which are expected to hit the western Pacific Ocean region.

Forecasters on Friday, June 4, said there were about 20 tropical cyclones expected to form in the western Pacific Ocean by September this year.

"Half of that amount is expected to hit land in east Asian countries, making for a busier season," forecasters said.

Tropical cyclones, also known as hurricanes and hurricanes, can bring winds of winds ranging from 63 kilometers per hour to 250 kilometers per hour, accompanied by rain and storms that can destroy coastal areas.

Such storms have wreaked havoc with more than $175 billion in damage across Asia in the past decade, the Em-Dat international disaster database shows.

"Five hurricanes are expected to make landfall in eastern China, Taiwan, southern China, Vietnam and the Philippines. Japan and Korea may experience only two hurricanes," said a forecaster at City University of Hong Kong.

That's more than the 30-year average for storms in the region, which typically reaches 13.5 hurricanes in the months from April to September, according to estimates.

"The number of tropical cyclones predicted to form between April 1 and September 3 is close to above normal," added the University's Guy Carpenter Asia-Pacific Climate Impact Center in its forecast.

Scientists also warn of the threat of global warming that could potentially make storms even more violent. Even if the total number is expected to be the same or decrease in the future.

Rising air temperatures and sea levels help trigger stronger storms, with the potential for faster wind speeds and heavier rain. With temperatures higher than the global average, the western Pacific Ocean experiences more storms than any other part of the world.

In mid-April, Surigae, the first super typhoon of the year to hit the Philippines, forced the evacuation of more than 100,000 people. Last month, the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecast an above-normal 2021 Atlantic hurricane season, which officially begins on June 1.

From a total of 13 to 20 tropical storms in 2021, it is estimated that between three and five major storms will bring sustained winds of at least 178 kilometers per hour. Another six to 10 storms will have winds of at least 119 kilometers per hour.