What you need to know about the twin typhoons terrorizing Asia:
YESTERDAY, Typhoon Barijat swept parts of Macau, Hong Kong, and Guangdong in China.
The regions were prepared for it, halting shipping and suspending classes at kindergartens and schools for children with disabilities, and evacuating around 12,000 people. But it seems it came and left in barely a whimper compared to what is coming.
Apart from gloomy skies and strong winds, there was no huge downpour. Typhoon Barijat caused no damage or significant disruption.
However, another storm is brewing. More emergency alerts have already been issued, and evacuations have been ordered in preparation for this one.
Here is what you need to know about Typhoon Mangkhut, a classified super typhoon that is currently heading towards the South China Sea.
(Via Travel Wire Asia)
Many of my US friends and family have, are, or will deal with Hurricane Florence and the storms queueing up in the Atlantic.
And in the Pacific?
Typhoon Mangkhut, named after the Thai word for mangosteen (a tropical fruit), has been categorized as a super typhoon with powerful winds and gusts equivalent to a category 5 Atlantic hurricane by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center in Hawaii.
It has already passed Guam island, leaving behind flooded streets, downed trees, and widespread power outages (80 percent of the territory).
Power has since been restored, and government agencies are conducting damage assessments and clearing roads.
China, Hong Kong, and the Philippines will all get a healthy dose of Mangkhut:
Also on:Currently, it has sustained winds of more than 200 kilometers per hour and gusts of up to 255 kilometers per hour, according to AFP.
Said to be the most powerful typhoon to bear down on the Philippines this year, is now on course to hit the country's northeastern Cagayan province early Sept 15, 2018.
An average of 20 typhoons and storms lash the Philippines each year, killing hundreds of people and leaving millions in near-perpetual poverty, AFP reported.
Mangkhut is the 15th storm this year to batter the Philippines.
With a massive raincloud band 900 kilometers wide, combined with seasonal monsoon rains, Typhoon Mangkhut could bring heavy to intense rains that could set off landslides and flash floods.