Deadly Typhoon Doksuri pounds Philippines, sets sights on Taiwan and China
Damaging winds and flooding downpours are ahead for portions of Taiwan and China as powerful Typhoon Doksuri churns to the north through late this week, AccuWeather meteorologists warn.
The scary moments when a landspout crossed a Florida beach before turning into a waterspout on the ocean were all caught on camera on July 25.
Typhoon Doksuri, which turned deadly Wednesday as it thrashed the Philippines with heavy rain and strong winds, will continue to churn across the South China Sea and approach Taiwan and China later this week, according to AccuWeather forecasters.
The typhoon, which is known as Egay in the Philippines, will brush Taiwan into Thursday, and then is forecast to make a direct landfall in mainland China late this week. The country's largest city, Shanghai, could experience impacts from the storm.
Preparations are already underway in both countries to counter the threat of additional flooding and gusty winds as Doksuri approaches.
In this photo provided by the Philippine Coast Guard, Coast Guard personnel clear toppled trees caused by Typhoon Doksuri along a road in Claveria, Cagayan province, northern Philippines on Wednesday July 26, 2023. Typhoon Doksuri ripped off tin roofs from homes, engulfed low-lying villages in flood, knocked down power and displaced more than 12,000 people Wednesday as it smashed into a small island and lashed northern Philippine provinces overnight with ferocious wind and rain, officials said. (Philippine Coast Guard via AP)
Doksuri leaves its mark in the Philippines
Despite only brushing the northern part of the archipelago, Doksuri packed a punch as it passed by the Philippines earlier this week.
According to Al Jazeera, the typhoon ripped roofs off buildings in northern Luzon, knocked out power and flooded low-lying areas. There also may have been extensive damage to corn and rice farms in the area. Ahead of the impacts, over 12,000 people were evacuated from coastal towns.
On Thursday, at least six people fatalities had been reported, according to The Associated Press. A mother, her child and two other children died after a landslide buried a house in the Benguet province. In the Isabela province, a woman who was selling bread died after she was hit on her head by a falling coconut tree.
Flooding from heavy rain may prove to be the lasting legacy of Doksuri. A weather station in Laoag, a city in far northern Luzon, measured 16.14 inches (410 mm) of rain as of late Wednesday evening local time.
More than 5 inches (127 mm) of rain was also reported in the cities of Baguio (15.59 inches or 396 mm), Aparri (13.46 inches or 342 mm) and Itbayat (5.43 inches or 138 mm). Manila was spared from the typhoon's worst impacts, with only around 2 inches (50 mm) of rain reported there.
As the center of Doksuri passed just offshore, it was packing winds equivalent to that of a Category 3 or 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale (maximum sustained winds of 111 to 156 mph or 178 to 251 km/h). On land, it produced sustained winds of 74 mph (119 km/h) for a time at Aparri.
A man negotiates neck-deep floodwaters in his village caused by Typhoon Doksuri in Laoag city, Ilocos Norte province, northern Philippines, Wednesday, July 26, 2023. Typhoon Doksuri blew ashore in a cluster of islands and lashed northern Philippine provinces with ferocious wind and rain Wednesday, leaving at least a few people dead and displacing thousands of others as it blew roofs off rural houses, flooded low-lying villages and toppled trees, officials said. (AP Photo/Bernie Sipin Dela Cruz)
"I'm receiving reports of tin roofs being blown away," Cagayan Gov. Manuel Mamba told the AP as the typhoon was bearing down on the province.
The strong winds and heavy rain also wreaked havoc on travel across the country. The Philippine Coast Guard reported that over 4,000 passengers were stranded at coastal ports after travel by sea in the area was suspended.
Next up for impacts: Taiwan and China
As of Thursday afternoon, local time, Doksuri was still a powerful typhoon, packing maximum sustained winds equivalent to that of a Category 1 hurricane (maximum sustained winds of 74 to 95 mph or 119-153 km/h). It was tracking toward the northwest across the far northeastern part of the South China Sea, according to AccuWeather meteorologists.
"Doksuri will maintain strength into Thursday night, local time, as the core of the storm passes just south and west of southern Taiwan," said AccuWeather Lead International Forecaster Jason Nicholls. "The typhoon will continue to bring heavy rain to portions of the northern Philippines into Thursday, and Taiwan into Friday."
Typhoon Doksuri, as seen on AccuWeather RealVue™ Satellite late on Wednesday, July 26, local time.
Like in the Philippines, some eye-popping rainfall totals have already been reported in Taiwan. Fuli, a rural township located near the eastern coast of Taiwan, had already measured 14.94 inches (380 mm) of rain, as of late Wednesday evening, local time. Meanwhile, Xiamen Island reported 12.52 inches (318 mm), with the rain still over a day away from ending.
The AccuWeather Local StormMax™ for rain was 36 inches for both the Philippines and Taiwan, according to Nicholls. Amounts of this magnitude can cause extensive damage from flooding.
It is not just Doksuri's rain that is expected to cause major impacts going forward. Fierce winds will cause issues as well.
"The typhoon can produce wind gusts of 120 to 140 mph (190 to 225 km/h) across the Batanes and Babuyan Islands [of the Philippines] into Thursday, local time," said Nicholls. "In southern Taiwan, winds could gust in the 100 to 120 mph (160 to 190 km/h) range into Friday."
Winds of that magnitude can easily knock out power and cause damage to trees and other structures. The AccuWeather LocalStormMax™ for wind is 160 mph (257 km/h), and Doksuri is a 3 on the AccuWeather RealImpact™ Scale for Tropical Cyclones in the northern Philippines and Taiwan.
The Forecast Eye Path of Typhoon Doksuri, as of late Wednesday evening, June 26, local time.
After Taiwan, mainland China will be next up to feel the wrath of the typhoon.
"While a loss of wind intensity is possible before the storm makes a landfall in southeastern China later this week, it is still expected to pack a punch," said Nicholls.
AccuWeather forecasters expect Doksuri to come ashore in eastern Guangdong or Fujian province in China Thursday night or early Friday, local time. Winds could gust over 100 mph (160 km/h) near the point of landfall, and rainfall in China will total 1–4 inches (25 to 100 mm), which can result in some areas of flash flooding, even as far away as Shanghai.
Ahead of the typhoon, Taiwanese and Chinese officials were preparing.
Authorities in Taiwan issued warnings for several counties and cities in the south including the major port city of Kaohsiung, according to Reuters. Rail and ferry services were interrupted, and numerous flights were canceled.
In China, the country's Meteorological Administration upgraded its typhoon warning from orange to red, ahead of the expected impacts of Doksuri. The typhoon will be the second to make landfall in the country in less than two weeks after Talim came ashore in Guangdong province on July 17.
Want next-level safety, ad-free? Unlock advanced, hyperlocal severe weather alerts when you subscribe to Premium+ on the AccuWeather app. AccuWeather Alerts™ are prompted by our expert meteorologists who monitor and analyze dangerous weather risks 24/7 to keep you and your family safer.
Report a Typo
