Scientists warn of stronger typhoons in East Asia due to El Niño effect
Record-high Pacific Ocean temperatures are linked to an increase in storm intensity and unpredictable weather patterns across the region.
Scientists have warned that the Pacific Ocean is experiencing extreme conditions, with Ana Liza Solis, head of climatology at the Philippines' national weather bureau, comparing the ocean to a person "burning with fever" during a September briefing in Manila.
According to a Times of India report, the El Niño phenomenon is causing unusually warm ocean waters, which is expected to continue until February or March. The Japan Meteorological Agency monitored sea surface temperatures in the equatorial Pacific in October, which reached 4 degrees Celsius above normal, the highest level since 1949.
The accumulated cyclone energy (ACE) index, which tracks the combined intensity of tropical cyclones, suggests that the ACE reading for South-East and East Asia could be nearly double its 30-year average this year. This is attributed to record-high temperatures and changes in wind patterns.
In the Philippines, climatologist Rafaela Jane Delfino and her research team conducted simulations on the effects of warmer conditions. Their findings indicated that higher temperatures could lead to a 26 per cent increase in total accumulated rainfall.
The region has already faced several major storms, including super typhoon Dolphin in August, which caused flooding and dozens of deaths in eastern China. In October, a large typhoon with winds of 295 kmph approached Taiwan, causing flight cancellations in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Japan, as well as power outages in Japan's Okinawa islands.