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The secret of the world's most powerful typhoon: Do you know which one has the highest wind speed?
Typhoons, cyclones that develop in the tropics, have become another window into our understanding of natural forces. With the impact of climate change in various places, the intensity and path of typhoons have become increasingly uncertain. However, the scientific community has become more and more knowledgeable about typhoons. Today we explore the secrets of the world's most powerful typhoons and how their incredible wind speeds are measured and classified.
A typhoon is defined as a tropical cyclone when sustained wind speeds exceed 119 kilometers (74 miles) per hour.
According to data, about 30% of global tropical cyclones are formed in the northwest Pacific basin of the northern hemisphere every year. The typhoon season in this region is not clear-cut as they occur almost year-round. Optimum conditions for typhoon formation include warm ocean waters, stable climate, higher humidity, and the need for convection and low vertical wind shear. These factors work together to enable typhoons to form and intensify.
Nomenclature and classification of typhoons
The global naming of typhoons is carried out collaboratively by multiple countries, including Taiwan, Japan, the Philippines, etc. When a typhoon causes severe damage to an area, the affected area can request that its name be retired. Such naming systems are not random, but are full of cultural significance, usually named after animals, flowers, or astronomical symbols.
There are also different classification standards around the world for the intensity of typhoons. For example, the Hong Kong Observatory divides typhoons into three categories: ordinary typhoons, severe typhoons and super typhoons.
According to the standards of the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), a typhoon will be officially classified as a typhoon once its maximum sustained wind speed reaches 119 kilometers per hour. In contrast, the Hong Kong Observatory's classification further divides typhoons into different categories based on different wind speeds. Such a classification method not only helps to strengthen forecast accuracy, but also improves public safety awareness.
The formation and path of typhoons
Most typhoons form in the subtropical ridge near latitudes and then move north or west. The paths of these storms are affected by a variety of factors, including global climate change and local weather conditions. Ocean heat, changes in air pressure, and wind patterns all affect the path of a typhoon. In particular, El Niño is a natural phenomenon that affects global climate and can significantly affect the generation and intensity of typhoons.
The study found an inverse relationship with tropical cyclone activity in the North Atlantic basin. When one basin is active, the other is often relatively silent.
According to observations, typhoons from the Western Pacific often move toward China, Taiwan, Japan and other places. Taiwan, in particular, is one of the areas most frequently affected by typhoons due to its geographical location.
Record of the world’s strongest typhoon
After decades of observation, Typhoon Haiyan set the highest wind speed on record with its wind speed of 314 kilometers per hour. Not only that, it is also a representative of the devastating disasters that caused mankind to rethink how to face the powerful force of nature.
In the history of typhoons, there are not only staggering wind speeds, but also humanitarian disasters and environmental impacts caused by them. Every typhoon reminds us that respect and understanding of nature are the only way to protect life.
In addition to Haiyan, there are other typhoons that have left a deep mark on their intensity and destructive power, such as Typhoon Tip in 1979. Its minimum pressure reached 870hPa, making it the strongest in history. One of the tropical cyclones. In these typhoons are not only the forces of nature, but also the stories of millions of families and the hardships of rebuilding.
Conclusion
How to more effectively predict the formation and path of typhoons is an important challenge currently faced by scientific, technological and meteorological scientists. As the impact of climate change becomes increasingly apparent, research on typhoons is bound to continue to be in-depth. Facing the threat of typhoons in the future, we may need to think about what role humans should play in this process in order to better coexist with nature?
