Philippines capital threatened by Christmas typhoon
December 26, 2016
After making landfall on Christmas Day, typhoon Nina is sweeping towards Manila. Despite weakening, the super typhoon is continuing to disrupt Christmas celebrations, with authorities still on red alert.
Image: picture alliance/dpa/
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Typhoon Nina, known locally as Nock-Ten, threatened on Monday to bring heavy rain and strong winds to the heavily-populated Philippine capital as it dragged its way across the archipelago.
After making landfall on Sunday with sustained winds of 185 kilometers per hour (114 miles per hour) and gusts of up to 255 kilometers per hour, the typhoon weakened on Monday to 150 kilometers per hour as it headed west towards provinces south of Manila at 20 kilometers per hour.
Preparations in place
The civil defense office said the capital could suffer "heavy to intense rains, flashfloods and severe winds," with rescue boats ready to be deployed in case the rivers overflow.
"Our local disaster councils are on red alert. We have pre-positioned relief supplies and rescue and (road) clearing equipment in Metro Manila," said Mina Marasigan, spokeswoman of the country's disaster monitoring council.
Typhoon Nina made landfall on Christmas DayImage: picture-alliance/dpa/F. R. Malasig
Christmas celebrations in the largely Christian nation continued to be marred by the unusually late typhoon as strong winds brought down trees and power lines. While almost 50 domestic and international flights were cancelled, authorities also warned of flash floods and mudslides. There were no official reports of injuries.
With about 20 typhoons and storms lashing the Philippines each year, the country of more than 100 million people is one of the most disaster-prone in the world. In the past 65 years, seven typhoons have struck the Philippines on Christmas Day.
Cyclones, typhoons, hurricanes - the power of devastation
Cyclones, typhoons and hurricanes pack a devastating punch: wherever they go, they leave a trail of destruction. But how do these powerful tropical storms arise?
Image: AFP/D. Sarkar
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Typhoon season amid the COVID-19 pandemic
On May 14, Typhoon Vongfong slammed the Philippines with strong winds and heavy rains, destroying the city of San Policarpo in the eastern province of Samar. At least five people died and more than 91,000 people were forced to leave their homes. Typhoons are not unusual in the Philippines at this time of year. But the COVID-19 outbreak lockdown measures are exacerbating the situation.
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Three names - one phenomenon
Hurricane, typhoon, and cyclone are actually three names for the same phenomenon. Along the North American coast they are called hurricanes, in East and Southeast Asia they are called typhoons, and near India and Australia they are called cyclones. But despite the different names, they develop in the same way.
Image: Reuters
A cyclone is created
Tropical storms develop over oceans when the water temperature is at least 26 degrees Celsius (79 degrees Fahrenheit). As the warm water evaporates and condenses, the air around it heats up and drags cooler air upwards, creating powerful winds.
The eye of the storm
The Earth's rotation causes the air stream to move around the eye of the storm, which can be up to 50 kilometers wide. This area is nearly completely free of clouds and wind.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
A storm hits land
When a tropical storm hits a coastline, it becomes weaker due to the lack of warm water. In Australia, "Marcia" was soon downgraded to a category one storm, while "Lam" weakened after striking near Brisbane. Masses of water from the sea often cause the worst damage - as seen here in China after Typhoon Nanmadol in August 2011.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
Chaos ensues
Hurricane Sandy was one of the strongest hurricanes ever recorded over the Atlantic Ocean. It caused waves of up to 4 meters high, fires, power outages and broken dykes. Sandy arrived with winds at speeds of more than 145 kilometers per hour. Cuba, New York and New Jersey were particularly affected.
Image: Reuters
Destructive vortex
Tornadoes however, are non-tropical whirlwinds that can occur anywhere a storm is brewing. Local temperature differences force warm air upwards and cold air down, and a column of warm air rotates upwards at an increasing velocity. Tornadoes are usually only a maximum of 1 kilometer in diameter.
Fastest storms
As the warm air rises, it forms a funnel, the main characteristic of a tornado. Inside the funnel, the speed of the air can be tremendous - up to 500 kilometers per hour. Tornadoes are the fastest whirlwind type of weather phenomenon.
Image: Fotolia/Daniel Loretto
Trail of destruction
A tornado can leave a trail of destruction several kilometers long. In the US Midwest, tornadoes occur several hundred times a year, as dry, cold air from the north hits damp, warm air from the Gulf of Mexico. It's different in other countries - in Germany, for example, tornadoes occasionally occur along the coast.
