ESCAP/WMO Typhoon Committee Fifty-First Session 26 February – 1
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ESCAP/WMO Typhoon Committee FOR PARTICIPANTS ONLY Fifty-first Session INF/TC.51/7.2 26 February – 1 March 2019 25 January 2019 Guangzhou, China ENGLISH ONLY SUMMARY OF MEMBERS’ REPORTS 2018 (submitted by AWG Chair) Summary and Purpose of Document: This document presents an overall view of the progress and issues in meteorology, hydrology and DRR aspects among TC Members with respect to tropical cyclones and related hazards in 2018 Action Proposed The Committee is invited to: (a) take note of the major progress and issues in meteorology, hydrology and DRR activities in support of the 21 Priorities detailed in the Typhoon Committee Strategic Plan 2017-2021; and (b) Review the Summary of Members’ Reports 2018 in APPENDIX B with the aim of adopting a “Executive Summary” for distribution to Members’ governments and other collaborating or potential sponsoring agencies for information and reference. APPENDICES: 1) Appendix A – DRAFT TEXT FOR INCLUSION IN THE SESSION REPORT 2) Appendix B – SUMMARY OF MEMBERS’ REPORTS 2018 APPENDIX A: DRAFT TEXT FOR INCLUSION IN THE SESSION REPORT 6.2 SUMMARY OF MEMBERS’ REPORTS 1. The Committee took note of the Summary of Members’ Reports 2018 highlighting the key tropical cyclone impacts on Members in 2018 and the major activities undertaken by Members under the TC Priorities and components during the year. 2. The Committee expressed its sincere appreciation to AWG Chair for preparing the Summary of Members’ Reports and the observations made with respect to the progress of Members’ activities in support of the 21 Priorities identified in the TC Strategic Plan 2017-2021. Recommendations of AWG 3. AWG recommended the Committee to consider the key tropical cyclone impacts on Members in 2018 and review the initiatives and activities to be pursued in support of the 21 TC Priorities to mitigate future impacts. 4. Any other text to be included in the Session Report. APPENDIX B: SUMMARY OF MEMBERS’ REPORTS 2018 Raymond Tanabe (AWG Chair) The summary is based on Members’ Reports as submitted by Members of the Typhoon Committee for the 13th IWS in Chiang Mai on 5-9 November 2018. The full reports may be found in the member reports section of the 13th IWS website. http://www.typhooncommittee.org/13IWS/Members13IWS.html 1. Objectives The objectives of this Summary are to extract the key aspects of tropical cyclone impact and related topical issues of regional interest in Members’ countries or territories, and to consolidate the information and observations for: (a) the attention of Members’ governments to encourage allocating the necessary resources for the purposes of operational effectiveness and readiness, disaster mitigation and risk reduction, or leveraging available resources and support for technology transfer and capacity-building through regional cooperation initiatives; and (b) reference by sponsoring agencies with a view to coordinating and synergizing effort in the planning of relevant projects and programmes for such purposes, as well as channeling resources and aids into identified areas of gaps or needs. 2. Key Observations in 2018 2.1 Overview (courtesy RSMC Tokyo) In the western North Pacific and the South China Sea, 29 named tropical cyclones formed in 2018, which was above 30-year average, and 13 out of them reached typhoon intensity, whose ratio was the smaller than the 30-year average. Eighteen named TCs formed in summer (June to August), which ties with 1994 as the largest number of formation in summer since 1951. Among them, nine named TCs formed in August, which is the third largest number of formation in August after ten in 1960 and 1966. During the month, sea surface temperatures were above normal in the tropical Pacific east of 150˚E. Enhanced cyclonic vorticity existed over the sea east of the Philippines where strong southwesterly winds due to the above-normal monsoon activity and easterly winds in the southern side of the Pacific High converged. Adding to these, upper cold lows cut off from the meandering subtropical jet stream in the central to eastern North Pacific repeatedly moved southward and westward. These factors are thought to have contributed to the large number of TC formation. 2.2 Summary of Member contributions supporting the 21 Priorities of the Typhoon Committee Strategic Plan 2017-2021. Priorities 1 Enhance activities to develop impact-based forecast and risk-based warning. 31 2 Strengthen cross-cutting activities among working groups in the Committee. 9 3 Enhance collaborative activities with other regional/international 24 frameworks/organizations, including TC and PTC cooperation mechanism. 4 Enhance the capacity to monitor and forecast typhoon activities particularly in 29 genesis, intensity and structure change. 5 Develop and enhance typhoon analysis and forecast technique from short- to long- 21 term. 6 Enhance and provide typhoon forecast guidance based on NWP including 20 ensembles and weather radar related products, such as QPE/QPF. 7 Promote communication among typhoon operational forecast and research 14 communities in Typhoon Committee region. 8 Strengthen the cooperation with WGH and WGDRR to develop impact-based 5 forecast and risk-based warning. 9 Enhance, in cooperation with TRCG, training activities in accordance with Typhoon 10 Committee forecast competency, knowledge sharing, and exchange of latest development and new techniques. 10 Enhance RSMC capacity to provide regional guidance including storm surge, 8 responding to Member’s needs. 11 Improve typhoon-related flood (including river flood, urban flood, mountainous 14 flood, flash flood and storm surge, etc the same below) monitoring data collection, quality control, transmission, and processing. 12 Enhance capacity in typhoon-related flood risk management (including dam 16 operation), integrated water resources management and flood-water utilization. 13 Enhance capacity in impact-based and community-based operational flood 19 forecasting and early warning, including methodology research, hydrological modeling, and operation system development. 14 Enhance capacity in flood risk (hazard, inundation) information, mapping, and its 27 application. 15 Enhance capacity in assessment and dealing with the impacts of climate change, 11 urbanization, and other human activities on typhoon-related flood disastervulnerability and water resources availability. 16 Enhance capacity in advanced technology (including satellite data, GIS, RS, 19 QPE/QPF, ensemble, parallel computing) utilization in typhoon-related flood forecasting and early warning, and hydrological modeling. 17 Provide reliable statistics of mortality and direct disaster economic loss caused by 5 typhoon-related disasters for monitoring the targets of the Typhoon Committee. 18 Enhance Members’ disaster reduction techniques and management strategies. 26 19 Evaluate socio-economic benefits of disaster risk reduction for typhoon-related 14 disasters. 20 Promote international cooperation of DRR implementation project. 27 21 Share experience/know-how of DRR activities including legal and policy 18 framework, community-based DRR activities, methodology to collect disaster- related information. 2.3 Summary of Members’ Reports 2.3.1 Cambodia. During the period from October 2017 to September 2018, there were no direct landfalling tropical cyclones in Cambodia. Interactions between the outer circulation of nearby tropical cyclones with the southwest monsoon or the ITCZ produced a significant amount of thunderstorm activity and heavy rainfall. One example was Tropical Storm Ewiniar in June 2018 which made landfall in southern China and produced heavy rain and significant flooding in Cambodia. The increased thunderstorm activity led to a record number of fatalities due to lightning strikes. A report issued by the National Committee for Disaster Management indicated over 100 deaths and dozens of injuries due to lightning strikes over the first nine months of 2018, well above the 70-80 lightning related deaths in all of 2017. In July 2018, several days of heavy rain associated with the periphery of Tropical Storm Son-Tinh, which made landfall in Vietnam on 18 July 2018, produced significant flooding in the provinces of Kampong Speu, Battambang, Koh Kong and Phreah Sihanouk. As many as 1,786 houses and 1,100 hectares of paddy fields were damaged. 2.3.2 China During the period of 1 January – 18 October 2018, the western North Pacific and the South China Sea witnessed the genesis of 25 tropical cyclones. Ten tropical cyclones made landfall in China’s coastal areas, including Tropical Storm Ewiniar, Super Typhoon Maria, Tropical Storm Son-Tinh, Severe Tropical Storm Ampil, Typhoon Jongdari, Severe Tropical Storm Yagi, Severe Tropical Storm Bebinca, Severe Tropical Storm Rumbia, Super Typhoon Mangkhut, and Tropical Storm Barijat. China noted several characteristics of tropical cyclone impacts in the region for 2018. A slight increase in genesis let to more landfalling events. Of significance were landfalls further north in China, and unusually more landfalls in Shanghai, where three tropical cyclones made landfall in 2018, marking the largest number of landfalls since 1949. Next, there were more tropical cyclones to move northward after landfall. This post-landfall motion produced significant rainfall impacts over East, North, and Northeast China. Finally, a weak average landing strength was noted in 2018. Of the 10 landfalling tropical cyclones, only Maria and Mangkhut reached severe typhoon strength at landfall. The remaining 8 were storms or severe tropical