Context:
The death toll in Vietnam from Typhoon Bualoi and the ensuing floods has climbed to 36, according to recent reports from the nation’s disaster management agency. Over 210,000 houses have been damaged or inundated, and economic losses have been pegged at roughly US $435.8 million in the latest assessment.
About Typhoon Bualoi:
Typhoon Bualoi was a tropical cyclone in the Northwest Pacific region, known locally in the Philippines as Typhoon Opong. At its peak, it reached intensity roughly equivalent to Category 2 (on the Saffir‑Simpson scale) before weakening over land. It was the 20th named storm and the 9th typhoon in the 2025 Pacific typhoon season.
About Origin & Path:
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- The system originated from a disturbance north of Yap (in the western Pacific).
- It was named Opong by PAGASA in the Philippines, and Bualoi by the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA).
- It made multiple landfalls in Philippine islands, causing damage and displacement there, before intensifying and heading toward Vietnam.
- The storm brought torrential rainfall, storm surges, and strong winds, triggering widespread flooding and landslides.
- The system originated from a disturbance north of Yap (in the western Pacific).
About Tropical Cyclone:
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- A tropical cyclone is a large, rotating low‑pressure system that develops over warm tropical or subtropical ocean waters.
- It comprises organized thunderstorms, wind circulation around a central “eye” (in strong systems), and heavy rainfall.
- The energy source is the warm ocean — evaporation helps feed the system, and as moist air rises and cools, latent heat is released, fueling the cyclone.
- A tropical cyclone goes through intensity stages:
- A tropical cyclone is a large, rotating low‑pressure system that develops over warm tropical or subtropical ocean waters.
1. Tropical Depression (winds below ~34 knots / ~62 km/h)
2. Tropical Storm (winds ~34–63 knots / ~62–117 km/h)
3. When sustained winds reach ~64 knots (≈ 119 km/h or ~74 mph), it is classed as a full cyclone / hurricane / typhoon (depending on region)
4. Thus, hurricane, typhoon, and cyclone are names for the same kind of phenomenon (a strong tropical cyclone), but the name changes according to where it occurs.
Terminology: Hurricane, Typhoon, Cyclone
|
Term |
Region / Ocean Basin |
Notes / Usage |
|
Hurricane |
North Atlantic, Eastern & Central North Pacific |
Tropical cyclone with sustained winds ≥ 74 mph (119 km/h) in these regions |
|
Typhoon |
Northwest Pacific (west of the International Date Line) |
Same threshold; storms in the western Pacific are called typhoons. |
|
Cyclone |
Indian Ocean, South Pacific |
In these basins, tropical cyclones (of all strengths) are commonly called cyclones (or severe cyclonic storms). |
