The Northwest Pacific had been calm so far this season, but that peace and quiet has come to an end. Two twin typhoons are now roaring—and Super Typhoon Lekima has already made landfall in the southern Japanese islands. Taiwan and eastern China are next.
Super Typhoon Lekima is the scary one here, but both storms began forming earlier this week in the Western Pacific Ocean. By Tuesday, Lekima was gaining strength and evolved into the equivalent of a Category 2 hurricane with winds reaching 100 miles an hour. Now, the storm’s winds are charged up to at least 150 miles per hour, according to the Weather Channel.
With both Lekima and Typhoon Krosa, now with the power of a Category 3 hurricane, raging alongside each other, the season appears to be catching up to its usual force, said Bob Henson, a meteorologist with the Weather Company, in an email to Earther.
Super Typhoon Lekima poses a particular threat. The Japan Meteorological Agency has described it as “large” and “violent.” In Taiwan, markets, businesses, and schools closed Friday, reports Reuters. The Weather Channel reports some parts of the state have already seen 4 inches of rainfall. This storm comes after an earthquake on Thursday triggered landslide warnings in Taiwan. The storm should reach China by the weekend.
The people of the Pacific need to prepare. Maybe this pair of storms passes by without much damage, but a warmer world means a warmer atmosphere, which can hold more water. Stronger, more ferocious storms are increasingly common. And we all gotta be ready.