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News > Science and Tech

Super Storms Hit Atlantic, Pacific At The Same Time

  • NASA handout photo of Hurricane Florence churning in the Atlantic Ocean.

    NASA handout photo of Hurricane Florence churning in the Atlantic Ocean. | Photo: REUTERS

Published 12 September 2018
Opinion

"Monster" Hurricane Florence is heading to the Carolinas in the United States, as super Typhoon Mangkhut heads to Hong Kong and south China.

Typhoon Mangkhut, ranked as a major typhoon, and "monster" Hurricane Florence are close to hitting the ground in Hong Kong and the United States respectively, according to meteorological authorities.

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The Hong Kong Observatory ranked Mangkhut as a super typhoon and forecasted to pack winds of 155 miles per hour, by Friday, before weakening. Authorities expect that the typhoon will get closer to southern China on the weekend.

The super typhoon is forecast to enter the Philippines, on  Wednesday, shortly after another storm just left the country. In totally, the typhoon would affect around 43 million people, according to the Global Disaster Alert and Coordination System of the United Nations (GDACS).

GDACS
"Up to 43.3 million people can be affected by wind speeds of cyclone strength or above." Source: GDACS

Meanwhile, in the Atlantic, Hurricane Florence is on track to hit North Carolina, the first Category 4 storm to hit the state in decades. This storm is threatening to unleash deadly waves, heavy rain and flooding in the region. North and South Carolina, as well as Virginia, will experience strong winds, heavy rains and massive waves, even before Florence hits land, on Friday. 

Authorities have ordered the evacuation of over a million people on the coastline of the three states, as a precaution for the hurricane, "this storm is a monster," described Governor Roy Cooper from North Carolina. The storm is projected to pack winds of 140 miles per hour and is currently ranked as a Category 4 on the five-step Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale.

Map of disaster alerts in the past 4 days. Last 24 hours events are highlighted in yellow. Small earthquakes are shown as green boxes
"Map of disaster alerts in the past 4 days. Last 24 hours events are highlighted in yellow. Small earthquakes are shown as green boxes." Source: GDACS
 

Florence "can have a medium humanitarian impact based on the maximum sustained wind speed, exposed population and vulnerability," and can affect about 1.2 million people according to the GDACS.

Meteorologists have warned that this year's hurricane season, which officially runs from June 3 to September 30, will be as bad, or worse, than last year's. Researchers at Colorado State University are predicting seven hurricanes, as well as 14 named storms,  will form this year.

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