More tropical development in Western Pacific could spell further flooding woes in eastern Asia
By
Courtney Travis, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Published Oct 31, 2019 5:13 PM EDT
An active start to November is expected in the Western Pacific, with new areas being monitored for tropical development.
Only a few days after Matmo brought more than 300 mm (1 foot) of rain to parts of Vietnam, more tropical downpours could exacerbate flooding issues.
AccuWeather meteorologists are monitoring an area of low pressure in the South China Sea that could strengthen into a more defined tropical system during the coming week.
Whether the system develops or not, tropical moisture will swirl around the low, bringing rounds of heavy rainfall to countries like Vietnam and the Philippines.
From Friday into Saturday, 179 mm (7.05 inches) of rain fell in Da Nang, Vietnam. Rounds of rain similar to this are expected to inundate the region during the next several days.
Given the rainfall that much of the region has had in the past few days, almost any rain amount could cause flooding, but the expected rainfall is not an insignificant amount.
"Widespread amounts of 100-200 mm (4-8 inches) of rainfall are anticipated, with a zone of as much as 400 mm (16 inches) is possible," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dave Houk said.
An AccuWeather Local StormMax™ï¸ of 600 mm (24 inches) of rain is not out of reach.
With this much rain, flooding and mudslides will be expected, especially in areas that received 100 mm or more rainfall from Matmo.
Rainfall amounts are expected to be less in western parts of the northern and central Philippines. However, given the recent rainfall in the area, including that from budding Matmo, flooding will still be a concern.
An additional level of concern will arise if the low in the South China Sea is able to become a defined tropical entity.
"Wind speeds of 80-95 km/h (50-60 mph) will be possible should the low strengthen to tropical-storm strength," said Houk.
The most likely area for this would be in southeast Vietnam where excessive rain is also anticipated.
If the low drifts towards land, the wind, on top of the over-saturated soil, could easily topple trees. In such a scenario, travel disruptions and power outages would be likely.
This is not the only area in the Western Pacific Ocean to be monitored.
Tropical Storm Halong developed to the east of the Mariana Islands on Saturday, local time. At this time, it appears that this system will likely only be of concern for shipping interest and stay away from most land masses.
AccuWeather Meteorologists are also concerned that the warm waters east of the Philippines may also be conducive for tropical development late next week or the following weekend. This could spell more downpours for the already flood-prone country.
Continue to check back with AccuWeather for more updates and developments in the tropics through November.
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News / Weather News
More tropical development in Western Pacific could spell further flooding woes in eastern Asia
By Courtney Travis, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Published Oct 31, 2019 5:13 PM EDT
An active start to November is expected in the Western Pacific, with new areas being monitored for tropical development.
Only a few days after Matmo brought more than 300 mm (1 foot) of rain to parts of Vietnam, more tropical downpours could exacerbate flooding issues.
AccuWeather meteorologists are monitoring an area of low pressure in the South China Sea that could strengthen into a more defined tropical system during the coming week.
Whether the system develops or not, tropical moisture will swirl around the low, bringing rounds of heavy rainfall to countries like Vietnam and the Philippines.
From Friday into Saturday, 179 mm (7.05 inches) of rain fell in Da Nang, Vietnam. Rounds of rain similar to this are expected to inundate the region during the next several days.
Given the rainfall that much of the region has had in the past few days, almost any rain amount could cause flooding, but the expected rainfall is not an insignificant amount.
"Widespread amounts of 100-200 mm (4-8 inches) of rainfall are anticipated, with a zone of as much as 400 mm (16 inches) is possible," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dave Houk said.
An AccuWeather Local StormMax™ï¸ of 600 mm (24 inches) of rain is not out of reach.
With this much rain, flooding and mudslides will be expected, especially in areas that received 100 mm or more rainfall from Matmo.
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Rainfall amounts are expected to be less in western parts of the northern and central Philippines. However, given the recent rainfall in the area, including that from budding Matmo, flooding will still be a concern.
An additional level of concern will arise if the low in the South China Sea is able to become a defined tropical entity.
"Wind speeds of 80-95 km/h (50-60 mph) will be possible should the low strengthen to tropical-storm strength," said Houk.
The most likely area for this would be in southeast Vietnam where excessive rain is also anticipated.
If the low drifts towards land, the wind, on top of the over-saturated soil, could easily topple trees. In such a scenario, travel disruptions and power outages would be likely.
This is not the only area in the Western Pacific Ocean to be monitored.
Tropical Storm Halong developed to the east of the Mariana Islands on Saturday, local time. At this time, it appears that this system will likely only be of concern for shipping interest and stay away from most land masses.
AccuWeather Meteorologists are also concerned that the warm waters east of the Philippines may also be conducive for tropical development late next week or the following weekend. This could spell more downpours for the already flood-prone country.
Continue to check back with AccuWeather for more updates and developments in the tropics through November.