NASA: FOUR STORMS THAT BATTERED PHILIPPINES SIMULTANEOUSLY, ‘UNUSUAL’

An extraordinary meteorological event over the Western Pacific of four simultaneous storms that past and approaching the Philippines is ‘unusual’ (Photo courtesy of NASA/GMA Integrated News)

The simultaneous formation of four tropical storms in the Western Pacific Ocean that hit most parts of the Philippines for just two weeks, is an “unusual” occurrence, according to the US-based National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) said.

NASA shared a satellite image taken last November 11 based on its Earth Polychromatic Imaging Camera (EPIC) imager where tropical cyclones “Marce” (Yinxing), “Nika” (Toraji), “Ofel” (Usagi), and “Pepito” (Man-Yi) were either approaching the Philippines or had already passed over the islands at that time.

“In an unusual sight, four storms churned simultaneously in the Western Pacific Ocean in November 2024,” NASA said.

According to Japan Meteorological Agency, “it was the first time since records began in 1951 that so many storms co-existed in the Pacific basin in November.”

NASA said that Typhoon season in the West Pacific stretches across the entire year, but most storms form between May and October. November typically sees three named storms, with one becoming a super typhoon, based on the 1991-2000 average.

Under a month, five storms bore down on the archipelago starting from “Kristine” up to “Ofel” and now “Pepito” which is already the 15th storm to enter PAR this 2024. The average number of tropical cyclones or storms that enter the country is 20.

While residents are still reeling from the impact of Marce and Nika, they braced themselves just recently for the onslaught of Severe Tropical Storm Ofel and for the pending impact of Typhoon Pepito.

Source: GMA Integrated News 

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