Inputs by Shuchi Giridhar
Typhoon MUIFA has caused China’s eastern Zhejiang province to close schools, ships return to ports, and evacuate tourists and citizens from nearby Islands. This typhoon is one of the strongest typhoons of this year.
A typhoon is a mature tropical cyclone that takes place between 100-180°E in the Northern Hemisphere. This region is the most active tropical cyclone basin on Earth. This basin is called the Northwestern Pacific Basin. The difference between hurricanes, cyclones, and typhoons is based on where they are formed.
Typhoon Muifa was formed over the Eastern Phillipines Sea on 6th September. This typhoon then headed Northwest, towards Taiwan and East China Sea. With maximum sustained winds of 157 kmph, it was located 270 km east of Taipei, Taiwan and 770 km south of the Shangai area of China on 12th September at 0.00 UTC.
The highest average wind speed of a certain weather system is the maximum sustained winds of the system, it has to be measured at a 10-m altitude during a 1-minute span.
The typhoon has made landfall on the coast near the archipelago of Zhoushan in China. This will cause heavy rains through eastern and southern coastal areas. Near Shanghai, China’s busiest container seaport, waves of upto 5m/16 feet are expected.
Before this, the typhoon has affected the remote Ishigaki island which is part of Japan’s Yaeyami chain at the southwest end of the Okinawa group. The Muifa typhoon is the twelfth typhoon hitting China this year.
Earthquake in Papua New Guinea
On Sunday, Septemer 11th, Papua New Guinea in the Southern Hemisphere faced a 7.6 magnitude earthquake. The earthquake struck at a depth of 61 km. The shaking was said to have been felt from the epicenter to the capital city of Port Moresby 480 Km away.
Loe and Madang were the areas closest to the epicenter which is the point wher the instability begins. Locals from these to places said that the quake was much more vigorous than normal.
The reason for frequent earthquakes in Papua New Guinea is that it is located on the Pacific ring of fire. Tsunami alert after the storm but the it is said to have passed. People living there will still feel frequent shakes.
