Do you remember last year's typhoon "Mandarin Duck"? It was the strongest typhoon of the 2022 Pacific typhoon season, causing massive damage along China's southern coast and Taiwan. This year, another "little dog" is roaring, which has escalated to a super typhoon, which will make landfall or wipe the southeastern coast of Taiwan Island from the night of the 4th to the morning of the 5th, and then move westward and move into the northeast of the South China Sea, gradually weakening in intensity. This is the 14th named storm of the 2023 Pacific typhoon season and the first storm to reach super typhoon category this year. Its name "little dog" is provided by Japan and means canis minor.
So, what impact will "little dogs" bring to our National Day Mid-Autumn Festival holiday? Let's take a look.
According to the China Meteorological Administration,2 on September 27, a tropical disturbance formed in the waters north-west of Guam, and the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory assigned the disturbance number 93W. At 2 a.m. on September 29, the Japan Meteorological Agency upgraded it to a tropical depression. At 10:30 a.m., the Joint Typhoon Warning Center upgraded its rating to "high" and issued a tropical cyclone formation warning. At 2 p.m., the Japan Meteorological Agency issued a gale warning. At the same time, Taiwan's Central Meteorological Administration upgraded it to a tropical depression and gave it the designation TD16; The Hong Kong Observatory also upgraded it to a tropical depression. At 8 p.m., the Joint Typhoon Warning Center upgraded it to a tropical depression and assigned the tropical cyclone number 14W; At the same time, the Macau Meteorological Bureau upgraded it to a tropical depression.
At 2 a.m. on September 30, the Japan Meteorological Agency upgraded it to a tropical storm, giving it the international designation 2314 and naming it "Little Dog". At the same time, Taiwan's Central Meteorological Administration upgraded it to a mild typhoon; The Hong Kong Observatory and the Macau Geophysical and Meteorological Bureau also upgraded it to a tropical storm. At 5 a.m., the China Meteorological Administration upgraded it to a tropical storm. At 2 p.m., the Joint Typhoon Warning Center upgraded it to a tropical storm.
At 8 a.m. on October 1, the Japan Meteorological Agency upgraded it to a severe tropical storm. At 11 a.m., the China Meteorological Administration upgraded it to a severe tropical storm. At 2 p.m., the Joint Typhoon Warning Center took the lead in upgrading it to a typhoon. At 8 p.m., Taiwan's Central Meteorological Administration upgraded it to a moderate typhoon.
At 2 a.m. on October 2, the Japan Meteorological Agency, the Hong Kong Observatory and the Macau Meteorological Bureau upgraded it to a typhoon. At 5:30 a.m., the China Meteorological Administration took the lead in upgrading it to a strong typhoon. At 2 p.m., the Hong Kong Observatory and the Macau Meteorological Bureau upgraded it to a strong typhoon. At the same time, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center upgraded it to a typhoon. At 11:30 p.m., the China Meteorological Administration took the lead in upgrading it to a super typhoon.
According to the forecast of the China Meteorological Administration, it is expected that the "little dog" will move northwest at a speed of 10-15 kilometers per hour, gradually approaching the southeast coast of Taiwan Island, the intensity will continue to increase, the strongest can reach the super typhoon level (16-17, 52-58 m/s), from the night of the 4th to the morning of the 5th, it will make landfall or wipe the southeast coast of Taiwan Island (strong typhoon or super typhoon, 48-52 m/s, 15-16), and then move westward, move into the northeast of the South China Sea, and gradually weaken.
According to the forecast of the Japan Meteorological Agency, the "little dog" will reach a super typhoon level with a maximum wind speed of 65 m/s (level 14) and a minimum pressure of 950 hPa near southeastern Taiwan on the afternoon of the 4th. From the night of the 4th to the morning of the 5th, the "little dog" will move west-northwest at a speed of about 20 kilometers per hour, approaching or landing on the southeastern coast of Taiwan. During the day on the 5th, the "little dog" will enter the northeast of the South China Sea and begin to weaken. On the 6th, the "little dog" will move north-west at a speed of about 15 kilometers per hour and weaken further.
According to the forecast of Taiwan's Central Meteorological Administration, the "little dog" will reach a super typhoon level with a maximum wind speed of 60 m/s (level 13) and a minimum pressure of 955 hPa near southeastern Taiwan on the afternoon of the 4th. From the night of the 4th to the morning of the 5th, the "little dog" will move west-northwest at a speed of about 15 kilometers per hour, approaching or landing on the southeastern coast of Taiwan. During the day on the 5th, the "little dog" will enter the northeast of the South China Sea and begin to weaken. On the 6th, the "little dog" will move north-west at a speed of about 10 kilometers per hour and weaken further.
Due to the influence of "small dogs", the Philippines, Taiwan, Ryukyu Islands and other places have experienced bad weather such as strong winds, large waves, and heavy rain. The Philippines has issued Storm Signal No. 2, warning coastal residents and fishermen to take precautions. Taiwan has issued a typhoon warning at sea, requiring ships to avoid dangerous areas and reminding the public to guard against flash floods, landslides, mudslides and other disasters. The Ryukyu Islands have issued strong wind warning warnings, asking residents to be aware of weather phenomena such as high temperatures, high humidity, and lightning.
"Little Dog" is the first storm to reach super typhoon level this year, and it is also the biggest weather threat during this year's National Day Mid-Autumn Festival holiday. It has brought serious disasters to the Philippines, Taiwan, the Ryukyu Islands and other places, and also brought adverse effects to the coastal and inland areas of southern China. Especially for the majority of tourists, "little dogs" have caused great trouble to their travel plans. Many flights, ferries, high-speed trains and other means of transportation have been cancelled or delayed, many attractions have been forced to close or limit traffic, and many tourist activities have been forced to be cancelled or changed. Therefore, for those who have traveled or are ready to travel, they need to pay attention to the latest developments of the "little dog" and adjust their itinerary according to the actual situation.
The impact of "puppy" is not only weather, but also social, economic, cultural and other aspects. The "little dog" caused loss of life and property to the people in the affected areas, and also brought difficulties to rescue work. At the same time, "Little Dog" also provides us with an opportunity to reflect and learn. How can we improve our resilience to disaster prevention and mitigation? How can we strengthen our contingency plans and coordination mechanisms? How should we cultivate our self-help awareness and ability? These are all questions worth pondering.
On the other hand, "Little Dog" also shows us some positive and beautiful aspects. Under the threat of "little dogs", we see the selflessness and bravery of many people. Some people abandon their vacation plans and stay on their posts to prepare for wind and disaster protection; Some volunteered to provide help and support to the affected population; Some people sent care and blessings to the people in the affected areas through the Internet and the media. These are the positive energy of our society and the good qualities of our nation.
In short, "puppy" is an inevitable natural disaster, but also an opportunity to test and train us. We should treat it with a normal mind, neither panic nor paralysis. We should deal with it with a scientific attitude, both prevention and response. We should face it in a spirit of solidarity, both to help ourselves and to help each other. Only in this way can we resolve the crisis of "puppy" and usher in the rainbow of "puppy".