For the first time since records began in 1951, four tropical storms, including two super typhoons, were simultaneously tracked in the Western Pacific in November, impacting the Philippines with severe weather conditions like high winds and heavy rains.
In an unusual and historic event, four storms were active simultaneously in the Western Pacific Ocean in November 2024. According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, this marked the first time since record-keeping began in 1951 that so many storms coexisted in the Pacific during November.
Satellite Surveillance of Simultaneous Storms
On November 11, at 8:55 a.m. Philippine Standard Time (12:55 a.m. UTC), NASA’s EPIC (Earth Polychromatic Imaging Camera) aboard the DSCOVR (Deep Space Climate Observatory) satellite captured an image of the storms. Named Yinxing, Toraji, Usagi, and Man-Yi, these systems were either moving toward the Philippines or had already impacted the islands and surrounding regions.
Devastation by Typhoon Toraji
About 40 minutes before the image was acquired, Typhoon Toraji (locally known as Nika) made landfall on the northeastern side of the Philippines’ main island of Luzon. The storm unleashed flooding and brought power outages to Aurora Province. Landslides induced by the rain buried roads in the Cordillera mountain range. The Japan Metrological Agency reported that the storm reached peak intensity the night before, with sustained winds of 130 kilometers (80 miles) per hour.
Super Typhoon Yinxing’s Impact
To the west, Typhoon Yinxing (locally known as Marce) hit the Philippines on November 7, four days prior to this image. On the day it made landfall on northern Luzon, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) reported that the storm had sustained winds of 240 kilometers (150 miles) per hour, making it a super typhoon, equivalent to a Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale. The storm then weakened before hitting Vietnam and dissipating on November 12.
Escalating Threats From Typhoon Usagi
Typhoon Usagi (locally known as Ofel) is forecast to become the fifteenth tropical cyclone to affect the Philippines archipelago this year, closely following the path of Toraji. On the day of the image, Usagi was a tropical storm that later rapidly intensified to become a super typhoon. By 6:00 p.m. Universal Time on November 13, Usagi had winds around 240 kilometers (150 miles) per hour, equivalent to a Category 4 hurricane. It was forecast to hit the islands later that same day.
Tracking Tropical Storm Man-Yi
To the east, Man-Yi was a tropical storm with sustained winds of 85 kilometers (50 miles) per hour at the time of this image. The JTWC forecast that the storm is likely to intensify into a typhoon and make landfall on the Philippines on November 17.
The Broader Impact of Pacific Typhoons
The Philippines has borne the brunt of typhoon activity in the Pacific this year. Past storms include Tropical Storm Trami and Typhoon Kong-Rey, which brought deadly flooding and landslides to Luzon in late October.
Typhoon season in the West Pacific stretches across the entire year, but most storms form between May and October. November typically sees three named storms, with one becoming a super typhoon, based on the 1991-2000 average.
NASA Earth Observatory image by Wanmei Liang, using data from DSCOVR EPIC.
Never miss a breakthrough: Join the SciTechDaily newsletter.
Follow us on Google and Google News.