Typhoon season nears end as HK faces low risk of tropical cyclones in Oct

This year’s typhoon season is expected to end by October, and the chance of a tropical cyclone directly affecting Hong Kong during the remaining part of this month is low, the Observatory said on Wednesday.

Sea surface temperatures in the South China Sea have dropped, and the anticyclonic circulation anomaly has been suppressing the development of deep convective clouds over the South China Sea and the Philippines regions since late September.

The latest climate models generally indicate these unfavorable conditions will persist through late October, making tropical cyclones unlikely to form, the forecaster said.

So far, a total of 34 tropical cyclones have affected the western North Pacific and the South China Sea, significantly higher than the long-term average of about 21 from January to September. Among them, 12 tropical cyclones formed in August, setting a record for the month since 1961.

For Hong Kong this year, Maysak, Noul and Saudel prompted the issuance of tropical cyclone warning signals by the Observatory. Among them, Noul skirted the city at a distance of about 80 km northeast on July 26, leading the weather watchdog to issue the Increasing Gale or Storm Signal No. 9.

Although the local typhoon season is expected to end, the observatory reminded residents planning to visit Japan that three tropical cyclones, Choi-wan, Koguma and Nolo, are currently affecting the western North Pacific and may impact Japan and nearby waters.

𝗗𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗔𝗽𝗽 ↓