On August 31, Cyclone Saola was at intensity level 15, peaking at level 17 over the North-East Sea and moving west-northwest at a speed of 10–15 km/h. . Forecasts of Vietnam Center for Hydrometeorological Forecasting.
The storm entered the East Sea on the afternoon of August 30, becoming the No. 3 typhoon of 2023. En route to the East Sea, Saola reached super typhoon level with winds of 195 km/h and gusts of up to 240 km/h. H. and passed through waters between the northernmost islands of the Philippines and Taiwan (China), causing heavy rain and wind in both areas, although it did not cause landfall.
In Taiwan, bad weather caused authorities to cancel ferry services and flights to several small offshore islands and the southeastern city of Taitung.
The heaviest rainfall is expected in the sparsely populated mountainous area of Pingtung District on Taiwan’s southern tip, as well as on the island’s eastern coast, where classes and even offices and businesses are temporarily suspended. Activities According to Newspaper South China Morning Post,
Heavy rain in Binh Dong district, Taiwan (China) on August 30 Photo: CNA
Meanwhile, about 49,000 people in the far north of the Philippines were forced to evacuate. According to the Management and Mitigation Council, Saola’s strong winds and rains caused a total of 41 million pesos ($724,000) in damage to infrastructure, with many homes affected by overflowing rivers in Isabela and Cagayan provinces. Philippines National Natural Disaster Risk.
After passing through the Bashi Strait, Saola headed straight towards Guangdong Province and the Hong Kong Special Region – China, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).
The Hong Kong Observatory issued warning signal number 1 on the evening of August 30, while concerns still remained about the storm’s intensity and unstable path, although PAGASA predicted that Saula would gradually weaken as it passed through the region. Will get closer. South China Sea.
Hong Kong believes the landing zone will fall within Guangdong province, most likely on September 1. Saola is also likely to move westward along the coast of the province. The Pearl River Delta – where the storm made close contact on September 1 and 2 – is expected to experience strong winds and rain.
Bantay town in Philippines’ Ilocos Sur province turned into a river due to Typhoon Saola, Photo: CNN Philippines
The Vietnam Center for Hydrometeorological Forecasting also estimates that the storm will weaken. At 4:00 pm on September 2, in waters off Guangdong, Typhoon Saola intensified to a level 12–13, peaking at level 16.
However, on the night of August 31 and September 1, there were violent seas in the northern waters of the Northeast Sea area, waves were 3–5 meters high, and the area near the storm’s center was 5–7 meters high. All other areas of the Eastern Sea have strong seas, with waves 2–4 m high.
Although far away, Super Typhoon Saola is close enough to produce strong winds and high waves around the Sakishima Archipelago in Okinawa, Japan. Meanwhile, a smaller typhoon, Haikui, is expected to strengthen and approach Okinawa on August 31. Due to the two typhoons, the Japan Meteorological Agency has asked people to beware of high waves and rough seas until September 2, according to NHK.
Haikui is also another concern for the Philippines, as it has been disturbing waters within the Philippine area of responsibility since the evening of August 30. PAGASA is concerned that it may gradually strengthen and become a typhoon, reaching its peak on September 1 with winds of 110 km/h.
Powerful hurricane hits Florida
According to CNN, Hurricane Idalia made landfall in the US state of Florida on the morning of August 30 (local time) with winds of 201 km/h (level 3 hurricane according to the US scale). The U.S. National Weather Service called Idalia an “unprecedented event”, as no major hurricane had ever been recorded passing through the bay adjacent to the Big Bend region of Florida.
In response to the U.S. National Hurricane Center’s warning that Idalia could cause “catastrophic damage”, mandatory evacuation orders were issued in at least 28 of 67 counties in the state of Florida by the evening of August 29 (US time). , Most of the 21 million residents of Florida and neighboring states Georgia and South Carolina received early hurricane warnings. State level emergency was declared at all three places.
The most dangerous feature of Idalia is the rapid rise in sea level that causes severe inundation of low-lying areas along the coast. Meanwhile, the occurrence of a supermoon on the same day could amplify the effect, producing a higher than normal “king tide”, possibly by about 5 metres, which would increase flooding caused by the storm.
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