Four Storms Forming In The West Pacific Headed To The Philippines

It is unusal and mysterious to see four separate storm systems churning their way through the West Pacific simultaneously and threaten to bring more misery to the storm-weary Philippines.

It is the first time that four named storms have existed at the same time in November since records began in 1951, Japan’s Meteorological Agency confirmed to CNN last 6 November. It’s also the first time in seven years that it has happened in any month.

Satellite images from the Joint Typhoon Warning Center show the four storms spanning the vast West Pacific basin, from Vietnam to Guam.

They are Typhoon Yinxing, Typhoon Toraji, Tropical Storm Usagi and Tropical Storm Man-Yi.

The Philippines is struck by multiple storms annually, but the relentless pace of successive typhoons in the last month has complicated recovery efforts and thousands of people remain in evacuation shelters.

Typhoon Yinxing hit the northeastern Philippines on 8 November, with winds equivalent to a Category 4 Atlantic hurricane. There were no casualties reported but the storm brought torrential rain, storm surges and landslides.

After moving through the Philippines and into the West Philippine Sea, Yinxing drifted west toward the Hainan Province of China before veering south to Vietnam, where it is currently unleashing heavy rains on the country.

The next day Typhoon Toraji slammed into the eastern coast of Luzon’s Aurora Province with winds the equivalent of a Category 1 Atlantic hurricane, prompting the evacuation of thousands more people.

Southeast Asia is already one of the most climate vulnerable regions of the world, experts warn, making it more susceptible to extreme weather like heatwaves, storm surges and floods.

Ocean temperatures have been historically warm this year, and hotter oceans provide a huge source of energy for storms to strengthen and grow.