Tropical Cyclone Ragasa

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News: Recently, Typhoon Ragasa weakened to a tropical depression over northeastern Vietnam but will still bring heavy rain to the northern provinces of Vietnam.

About Tropical Cyclone Ragasa

PM orders preparedness as Typhoon Bualoi moving fast towards Vietnam ...
Source: en.vietnamplus.vn
  • Super Typhoon Ragasa, locally known as “Nando,” is an intense tropical cyclone that affected the northernmost parts of Luzon Island in the Philippines and Hualien County in Taiwan. It also impacted South China, Hong Kong, Macau and Vietnam.
  • It formed in the warm waters of the western Pacific and is moving through the Luzon Strait toward the Babuyan Islands and southern China.
  • It has been classified as a super typhoon because it is a Category 5 tropical cyclone with its sustained winds of 280 kmph, nearing the maximum intensity that storms can reach on Earth.
  • It was regarded as the strongest storm of the year.
  • Reason behind Ragasa being so intense:  
    • Rising global temperatures are making tropical cyclones more intense.  The Pacific Ocean’s surface temperature has increased by about 1.5°C in the last century, giving storms more energy.
    • Research shows storms in Southeast Asia are forming closer to coastlines, intensifying faster, and lasting longer over land.
    • Warm waters and a track over open sea allowed Ragasa to maintain strength without losing power over land.

About Super Cyclone

  • Super typhoons are powerful Pacific tropical cyclones with sustained winds over 150 mph.
  • Typhoons, including a super typhoon, generally form in the West Pacific, close to places like China, Japan, and the Philippines. 
  • They form from tropical disturbances over warm ocean waters where wind shear is low.

About tropical cyclone

About 
  • A tropical cyclone is a warm-core low-pressure system with no attached fronts that forms over tropical or subtropical waters and has an organized circulation.
  • A tropical cyclone has both a “clean” side and a “dirty” side.
    • In the Northern Hemisphere, the right side of the storm (relative to its direction of movement) is called the “dirty” side, while the left side is known as the “clean” side.
    • The “dirty” side is typically more destructive because the storm’s forward movement combines with its counterclockwise rotation, creating stronger winds.
  • The strongest winds occur where the storm’s rotation around the eye and its forward movement come together.
How it is formed 
  • Tropical cyclones form over warm oceans near the equator.
  • Warm, moist air rises from the ocean, creating a low-pressure area.
  • Air from surrounding regions rushes in to fill this space, also becoming warm and moist as it rises.
  • As the air cools, it forms clouds and thunderstorms.
  • Using the ocean’s heat and moisture, the storm system grows stronger and more organized.
Categories as per Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale
  • Category 1: Wind speeds of 74-95 mph, causing minimal damage.
  • Category 2: Wind speeds of 96-110 mph, leading to moderate damage.
  • Category 3: Wind speeds of 111-129 mph, classified as a major hurricane with significant damage potential.
  • Category 4: Wind speeds of 130-156 mph, resulting in catastrophic damage.
  • Category 5: Wind speeds of 157 mph or higher, causing devastating damage
Classification
  • Weakest tropical cyclones are known as Tropical depression. 
  • If a depression intensifies such that its maximum sustained winds reach 39 miles per hour [63 kmph], the tropical cyclone becomes a tropical storm. 
  • Storm systems with wind speeds of 119 kmph and above are classified as hurricanes, typhoons, or tropical cyclones.
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