At Least 14 Dead As Typhoon Trami Makes Landfall in the Philippines

Severe Tropical Storm Trami made landfall in the northeastern portion of the Philippines’ main Luzon island on Thursday with maximum sustained winds of 95 km/h (50 mph) and gusts of up to 160 km/h.

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At least 14 people are dead and thousands have fled their homes as Typhoon Trami made landfall in the northeastern part of the Philippines’ main Luzon island on Thursday morning.

Over 500 mm of rainfall, the equivalent of more than a month’s average, has been recorded in some northern provinces, flooding streets and entire villages and prompting the evacuation of some 32,000 people.

Schools and government offices have been shut for the second straight day as authorities warn of continued risk of heavy rainfall, flooding, landslides and storm surge as Trami, known locally as Kristine, moves westward across Isabela province. Here, preemptive evacuations of some 300 individuals were conducted near Divilacan and Palanan municipalities, according to The Manila Times.

Of the 14 casualties accounted for so far, 12 were in central Naga city, home to nearly 210,000 people, Reuters reported.

The typhoon, which made landfall with maximum sustained winds of 95 km/h (50 mph) and gusts of up to 160 km/h, is moving towards the South China Sea. It is expected to enter within 800 kilometers of Hong Kong on Thursday night and “intensify gradually,” with maximum winds reaching typhoon speed of 120 km/h on Saturday, according to the city’s Observatory.

The tropical cyclone season typically runs between May and October, with the Philippines recording an average of 20 typhoons every year.

Climate Change

Typhoons – also known as hurricanes in the North Atlantic, central North Pacific, and eastern North Pacific and cyclones in the Indian Ocean and South Pacific – are a rather common weather phenomenon, though there has been a significant increase in their intensity in recent decades, which scientific observations link to anthropogenic climate change. 

These abnormal trends are attributed largely to the increased ocean temperatures. As ocean surfaces warm, so does the air above it, causing water to be carried up to high altitudes to form clouds, while leaving a low pressure zone beneath causing more air to rush in. As these systems build up, thunderstorms are formed. In the absence of strong winds to disrupt it, the system can intensify into a typhoon.

While the number of typhoons is not necessarily increasing, those that do form are becoming more destructive – generating heavier rain and a higher storm surge.

Featured image: NOAA.