Tropical depression leaves 8 dead in Philippines
By
Mary Gilbert, AccuWeather meteorologist
Updated Dec 21, 2020 4:00 PM EDT
Byron's Bay Beach is a popular spot in New South Wales, Australia, but coastal erosion has caused the beach to shrink, resulting in it closing to the public.
Following a month-long period of relative calm in the West Pacific Ocean basin, tropical activity has bubbled to life once again.
The West Pacific Ocean basin has been devoid of impactful systems since the middle of November. However, on Friday night, an area of disturbed weather was designated as a tropical depression by the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) while it impacted the southern Philippines.
The system, known as Tropical Depression Vicky in the Philippines, brought torrential rain to portions of Mindanao and Visayas on Friday. This torrential rain triggered several landslides in the province of Leyte. One of these landslides occurred in the Municipality of Mahaplag, and took the lives of two people, CNN Philippines reported.
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Elsewhere, three people died of drowning in Surigao Del Sur, Governor Alexander Pimentel confirmed. As of Monday morning, local time, the death toll had risen to eight across the Philippines. At least one other person is still missing.
On Monday morning, an estimated 110.4 million Philippine Pesos (over $225,000 USD) of infrastructure damage was reported by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council. Additionally, and estimated 10.5 million Philippine Pesos of damage was done to agriculture of the region.
The depression strengthened to a tropical storm on Sunday morning, and was given the internationally-recognized name Krovanh by the JMA. However, by midday on Monday, the storm lost wind strength and regressed to a tropical depression in the middle of the South China Sea.
To strengthen, tropical systems need at least two main atmospheric ingredients -- warm waters and a lack vertical wind shear.
Vertical wind shear, the change in direction and speed of winds at increasing heights in the atmosphere, is forecast to decrease in strength across the South China Sea through Tuesday. In doing so, the atmosphere will limit how strong Krovanh could get, likely keeping it from regaining tropical storm strength and eventually dissipating the depression by Tuesday night..
Even without tropical-storm-force winds, tropical rainfall is likely to follow the tropical feature as it moves southwestward over the next 48 hours. This heavy rain could clip southern Vietnam and endure through Tuesday evening.
In the longer range, forecasters are watching for another tropical system to develop near the Philippines closer to the end of December.
A tropical wave is forecast to reach the eastern shores of the southern Philippines around Christmas Day on Friday, bringing with it a dose of tropical downpours.
As the wave crosses the Philippines and emerges over the waters of the Sulu Sea and South China Sea, conditions look more favorable for the tropical wave to strengthen into a tropical depression, or perhaps a tropical storm before the end of 2020.
The West Pacific Ocean basin has enjoyed an extended period of calm since the middle of November. The last impactful system to churn in the basin was the damaging and deadly Typhoon Vamco from Nov. 8 through Nov. 15. Vamco brought heavy rain and damaging winds to portions of the Philippines, Vietnam, Laos and Thailand during its lifetime. Typhoon Vamco ultimately led to $440 million USD worth of damages and took more than 100 lives.
Although, the 2020 West Pacific tropical season has been about average in terms of total numbers of named systems with 25, impacts from several dangerous storms have led to unimaginable damage for many.
All but one named tropical system that formed in the West Pacific Ocean basin during the months of October and November impacted the Philippines or Vietnam, including several typhoons. Ten storms have strengthened enough to earn typhoon status this season, with 25 named systems overall.
The West Pacific Ocean basin is not the only basin where tropical activity is ramping up through next week. Two tropical cyclones, Yasa and Zazu, came to life earlier this week in the South Pacific Ocean basin. Severe Tropical Cyclone Yasa struck Fiji on Thursday as the equivalent of a Category 5 hurricane in the Atlantic and East Pacific basins.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo
News / Hurricane
Tropical depression leaves 8 dead in Philippines
By Mary Gilbert, AccuWeather meteorologist
Updated Dec 21, 2020 4:00 PM EDT
Byron's Bay Beach is a popular spot in New South Wales, Australia, but coastal erosion has caused the beach to shrink, resulting in it closing to the public.
Following a month-long period of relative calm in the West Pacific Ocean basin, tropical activity has bubbled to life once again.
The West Pacific Ocean basin has been devoid of impactful systems since the middle of November. However, on Friday night, an area of disturbed weather was designated as a tropical depression by the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) while it impacted the southern Philippines.
The system, known as Tropical Depression Vicky in the Philippines, brought torrential rain to portions of Mindanao and Visayas on Friday. This torrential rain triggered several landslides in the province of Leyte. One of these landslides occurred in the Municipality of Mahaplag, and took the lives of two people, CNN Philippines reported.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
Elsewhere, three people died of drowning in Surigao Del Sur, Governor Alexander Pimentel confirmed. As of Monday morning, local time, the death toll had risen to eight across the Philippines. At least one other person is still missing.
On Monday morning, an estimated 110.4 million Philippine Pesos (over $225,000 USD) of infrastructure damage was reported by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council. Additionally, and estimated 10.5 million Philippine Pesos of damage was done to agriculture of the region.
The depression strengthened to a tropical storm on Sunday morning, and was given the internationally-recognized name Krovanh by the JMA. However, by midday on Monday, the storm lost wind strength and regressed to a tropical depression in the middle of the South China Sea.
To strengthen, tropical systems need at least two main atmospheric ingredients -- warm waters and a lack vertical wind shear.
Vertical wind shear, the change in direction and speed of winds at increasing heights in the atmosphere, is forecast to decrease in strength across the South China Sea through Tuesday. In doing so, the atmosphere will limit how strong Krovanh could get, likely keeping it from regaining tropical storm strength and eventually dissipating the depression by Tuesday night..
Even without tropical-storm-force winds, tropical rainfall is likely to follow the tropical feature as it moves southwestward over the next 48 hours. This heavy rain could clip southern Vietnam and endure through Tuesday evening.
In the longer range, forecasters are watching for another tropical system to develop near the Philippines closer to the end of December.
A tropical wave is forecast to reach the eastern shores of the southern Philippines around Christmas Day on Friday, bringing with it a dose of tropical downpours.
As the wave crosses the Philippines and emerges over the waters of the Sulu Sea and South China Sea, conditions look more favorable for the tropical wave to strengthen into a tropical depression, or perhaps a tropical storm before the end of 2020.
Related:
The West Pacific Ocean basin has enjoyed an extended period of calm since the middle of November. The last impactful system to churn in the basin was the damaging and deadly Typhoon Vamco from Nov. 8 through Nov. 15. Vamco brought heavy rain and damaging winds to portions of the Philippines, Vietnam, Laos and Thailand during its lifetime. Typhoon Vamco ultimately led to $440 million USD worth of damages and took more than 100 lives.
Although, the 2020 West Pacific tropical season has been about average in terms of total numbers of named systems with 25, impacts from several dangerous storms have led to unimaginable damage for many.
All but one named tropical system that formed in the West Pacific Ocean basin during the months of October and November impacted the Philippines or Vietnam, including several typhoons. Ten storms have strengthened enough to earn typhoon status this season, with 25 named systems overall.
The West Pacific Ocean basin is not the only basin where tropical activity is ramping up through next week. Two tropical cyclones, Yasa and Zazu, came to life earlier this week in the South Pacific Ocean basin. Severe Tropical Cyclone Yasa struck Fiji on Thursday as the equivalent of a Category 5 hurricane in the Atlantic and East Pacific basins.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo