Typhoon Fengshen

Category 2 Typhoon

Occurrence:
Typhoon Fengshen first start developing on June 15, 2008 as a tropical disturbance 305km to the south of Yap.

June 17: The disturbance designated as a tropical depression by the Japan Meteological Agency.

June 19: Early that day the Japan Meteorological Agency reclassified the tropical depression as a Tropical Storm (Tropical storm Fengshen)

June 20: The Tropical storm intensified into a typhoon and took a northwesterly path across the Philippines

June 21-22:
• Early that day Fensgehn made its first landfall in Samar Island in the Philippines. It then intensified and moved toward Metro Manila.
• The typhoon caused heavy rains, landslides, flash floods and storm surges.
• 59 people were reported dead and 40 missing.
• In Iloilo, Western Visayas, 30,000 people were forced onto rooftops to escape a overflowing dam when a reservoir burst.
• In Bicol region more than 200,000 people sought temporary shelter.

June 23: Typhoon Fengshen left the Philippines and headed to China via the South China Sea. Its intensity lowered to a tropical storm. It caused torrential rain and minor flooding near Hong Kong and Macau.
The Philipine National Disaster Coordinating Council reported in their country 229 dead, 115 missing, 66 injured, 99,687 families affected, 53,706 houses destroyed and 109,837 damaged. ₱500 million crops were destoyed. A total of ₱4.27 billion worth of damages were done.

June 24: Entering mainland China it made landfall at 22:00

What was it?
Typhoon Fengshen was a typhoon that formed as a tropical depression over the western North-Pacific.

It was a severe tropical typhoon that killed hundreds of people, starting as a wind disturbance.

Resulting Damage:

The Philippine National Disaster Coordinating Council on June 23, 2008, reported that: 98 people were killed, 115 were missing and 66 were injured.
99,687 families were affected, 155,564 houses were damaged; 53,706 totally destroyed and 109,837 partially destroyed

846 off the 922 people on board the Princess of that Stars were killed when the ship capsized.

Damages estimate to ₱4.27 billion pesos.

Path and varying category of Typhoon Fengshen

Causes:

The typhoon was believed to be caused by a tropical disturbance which created a convection. Over the days the convection became a tropical depression and was promptly given the name Frank. It drifted into the south of a low level subtropical ridge of low pressure. This caused it to intensify into a tropical storm and was renamed as Tropical Storm Fengshen

Tropical storm Fengsgen intensified further until it became a severe tropical storm. It continued intensifying until the Joint Typhoon Warming Center and Japan Meteorlogical Agency confirmed it to be a typhoon.
It was forecasted to go through Bicol Region but changed it's course toward Metro Manila between 5am and 6am on Sunday due to it's weakening high pressure system in northern Philippines.

Normal Weather Pattern
Climate: Typically Tropical Savanna, Tropical Monsoon or humid subtropical.
In high altitude areas of Philippines or nearly regions/countries, weather would be high, there would be oppressive humidity and plenty of rainfall.
The are two seasons in the Philippines; the wet and rainy season based on rainfall.
April to October are generally warmer months and November to May being cooler months with monsoons.

Weather Pattern associated with Typhoons
During monsoon seasons when typhoons would usually form there would be seasonal weather pattern caused by the differential heating of land and ocean. ocean waters must reach a minimum average temperature of about 27°C for typhoons to occur.

Passenger ferry, Princess of the Stars. Over 800 lives claimed when capsized by Typhoon Fengshen