3/14/2023
Typhoon Season 2023 - Updates on coverage, maps, and my prediction for this season 2023 - Updated 6.1.2023
Welcome to this post detailing the improvements and modifications to my coverage of the 2023 typhoon season.
Only for informational purposes. Typhoons are deadly, as we all know, but I'm not here to provide any extremely fancy tales about them. However, I am here to discuss them and disseminate the knowledge required to make our nation, the general public, and our neighborhoods safer.
The most significant change in my coverage for this year will be the following: I will not cover storms that are just tropical depressions. The coverage of them will be up on my Twitter account only. So if you want to be informed about tropical depression coverage, please make sure to follow me on Twitter.
My website's coverage begins after a tropical storm has formed. In addition, I'll use a fresh color palette for each of the four categories this year.
Category Sustained winds
Super typhoon (T) ≥185 km/h ≥100 knots
Typhoon (T) 118–184 km/h 64–99 knots
Severe tropical storm (S) 89–117 km/h 48–63 knots
Tropical storm (S) 62–88 km/h 34–47 knots
This is a good reason because I will use an entirely new map for the NW Pacific Ocean basin. Here is my new design of the maps of the said region:
Full basin
Radar per region
Stormlist
Tamaraw and Ugong will be added to the list of names given to typhoons this year that will approach the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR).
The names Tisoy and Ursula were taken from the 2019 registration, according to Vicente Malano, head of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).
Pagasa name list
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International names
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Following the typhoon's devastation of the nation in December 2019, which left at least 17 people dead in Luzon and the Visayas, the name Tisoy was struck from the list.
The same month, however, Ursula also wreaked havoc, killing at least 57 people, mainly in the Visayas.
Using a four-year cycle, Malano explained to The STAR that PAGASA's list of typhoon names will now be utilized for 2023, minus the names that were delisted.
We should all expect that this typhoon season will be relatively calm. Precisely what am I hoping for? The following is to be characterized because of the anomalous sea surface temperature, ocean heat content, and other considerations.
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The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale is used to categorize tropical cyclones. It divides hurricane-equivalent storms (tropical cyclones with winds of 64 knots or more) into five different groups depending on wind speed. A "major" cyclone is any storm that receives a category 3 or higher classification. Unless otherwise noted, the damage descriptions below only include wind and do not account for rainfall, storm surge, tornadoes, or other risks that tropical storms bring.
Tropical Depression:
Winds: <33kts
Damage: Little to None
The lowest classification for a tropical cyclone is a tropical depression, and most hardly qualify. When a tropical depression is given this designation, it often begins to build into a tropical storm. Official RSMCs do not give tropical depression names. The main dangers from tropical depressions are severe rainfall and floods rather than winds.
Tropical Storm:
Winds: 34-63kts
Damage: Minor
Once a cyclone has gale-force winds for one minute, it is classified as a tropical storm. Once the local RSMC determines this stage has been reached, the storm is named. The hazard from wind and storm surge grows at this point, but the greatest danger is still from rainfall. Damage from tropical storms is more pronounced, with damaged trees and missing roof shingles being the most frequent kind. Tornadoes that are solitary, feeble, and transitory are possible. Depending on the effects of the flood, there are intermittent power disruptions.
Category 1:
Winds: 64-82kts
Damage: Moderate “Very dangerous winds will produce some damage”
Now that the storm has been numerically classified, it will be referred to be a hurricane in the North Atlantic, Eastern, and Central Pacific, a typhoon in the Western Pacific, and a cyclone in the Indian Ocean and South Pacific. Stronger trees break and are uprooted, while well-built buildings often only sustain minor damage, like shattered windows and scattered roof damage. Storm surge-induced coastal erosion worsens. After the storm has passed, power disruptions can grow more widespread and linger for days.
Category 2:
Winds: 82-95kts
Damage: Major “Extremely dangerous winds will cause extensive damage”
More vital, more enormous trees might snap or fall over. Roofs may come off of buildings in sections. Whether or whether they are moored, mobile houses sustain significant damage. Boats may be withdrawn from their docks, and piers sustain severe damage. Following the storm, power disruptions become very likely and might linger for up to a week. For days, tap water can be polluted.
Category 3:
Winds: 96-112kts
Damage: Extreme “Devastating damage will occur”
From this point on, the storm will be referred to as a "major" cyclone. Strong trees broke or were uprooted, obstructing roadways. Severe damage to foundationless buildings and those with timber frames. Structures may have their whole roofs removed. The storm surge makes the catastrophic damage along the shore worse, which floods coastal properties. Complete power outages can occur for several weeks. Water from the tap is probably polluted.
Category 4:
Winds: 113-136kts
Damage: Catastrophic “Catastrophic damage will occur”
Buildings with weak foundations and mobile houses are demolished. Wooden-frame dwellings and coastal constructions may sustain damage that is irreversible. Well-built structures are likely to have their roofs totally taken off. Further inland flooding from storm surges exacerbates the effects of wind damage. The entire lack of electricity might last for a few of months. Water from the tap is not fit for consumption. After the storm, the impact zone can be ruled uninhabitable for several weeks.
Category 5:
Winds: >137kts
Damage: Cataclysmic “Catastrophic damage will occur”
This is the SSHWS classification that is both rarest and most significant. No matter how well-engineered a structure is, all buildings within two nautical miles of the shoreline will almost certainly be destroyed if they do not comply with construction requirements. Complete collapse of a structure's outermost components. All but a few trees were uprooted, and some were debarked. Some constructions may lose their lowest level due to storm surge flooding. Communities thought to be unfamiliar. There is no electricity at all, and it won't come back for several months. Water from the tap is not fit for consumption. After the storm, the impact zone can be ruled uninhabitable for several months.
There is no such thing as "Category 6" as the destruction of man-made structures is complete once winds reach Category 5 levels. No matter how well-engineered the impacted structure is, it will experience damage within as little as 15 seconds of sustained category 5 winds. Any rating higher than this would be pointless because structural damage cannot go worse than overall damage, except for a broader region.
Overall, I anticipate seeing 28 named storms. 17 tropical storms or stronger, 11 typhoons, including 5 super typhoons.
