TYPHOON YAGI

TAG: GS-1: GEOGRAPHY

CONTEXT: Recently, India has launched Operation Sadbhav to provide humanitarian assistance to Southeast Asian countries affected by Typhoon Yagi, including Vietnam, Laos and Myanmar.

EXPLANATION:

What are Typhoons?

• A Typhoon is a type of tropical cyclone that forms in the northwestern part of the Pacific Ocean, particularly affecting East Asia, Southeast Asia, and parts of Oceania.
• They are characterized by strong winds, heavy rain, and can cause severe flooding, storm surges, and damage to infrastructure.

Factors of formation:

• Sustained sea temperature of 27°C or above required
• High humidity in the middle troposphere
• Average wind speed of about 120 km/h
• Presence of Coriolis force to initiate rotation.
• An initial low-pressure area

Key Features of Typhoons:

• Formation Region: Typhoons form in the Northwestern Pacific Ocean, primarily between 100°E and 180°E.
• Wind Speed: To be classified as a typhoon, sustained winds must exceed 119 km/h.
• Structure: Like hurricanes, typhoons have a central eye (calm area) surrounded by a violent eyewall where the strongest winds and heaviest rains occur.
• Season: Typhoons typically occur from May to October, with a peak from August to September.

Typhoon Yagi: Origin and Impact 

• Typhoon Yagi began as a tropical storm in the western Philippine Sea on September 1, 2024.

             o  Yagi, which means goat or the constellation of Capricornus in Japanese.

• It made landfall in the Philippines but intensified again due to warm waters in the South China Sea, reaching Category 3 winds by September 4.
• Yagi further strengthened to a Category 5 typhoon with peak winds of 260 kmph, making it one of only four Category 5 storms recorded in the South China Sea.
• Although downgraded to a tropical depression, it continued to bring heavy rains and floods to Myanmar and other areas.
• Vietnam and the Philippines are frequently affected by typhoons due to their geographic location in the Western Pacific, one of the most active typhoon basins in the world.

Global Terminology:

• Typhoon: Northwest Pacific Ocean.
• Hurricane: North Atlantic, Central and Eastern North Pacific Oceans.
• Cyclone: South Pacific and Indian Ocean.

Source:

https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-climate/typhoon-yagi-9567876/