Typhoon Gaemi


Typhoon Gaemi, known in the Philippines as Super Typhoon Carina, was a powerful and destructive tropical cyclone which impacted East China, Taiwan, and the Philippines in late July 2024. Gaemi, which means ant in Korean, the third named storm and second typhoon of the annual typhoon season, formed as a tropical depression east of Palau on July 19. Owing to favorable environmental conditions, the typhoon intensified and reached its peak with ten-minute maximum sustained winds of, and a central atmospheric pressure of. With one-minute sustained winds at, Gaemi was classified as a Category 4-equivalent typhoon according to the Saffir-Simpson wind scale. The storm then turned north-northwestward, along the western periphery of a subtropical ridge. After stalling and executing a tight counter-clockwise loop near the coast, Gaemi slightly weakened due to land interaction before making landfall on the northeastern coast of Taiwan on July 24. It emerged over the Taiwan Strait just six hours after landfall. Gaemi made landfall in China as a minimal tropical storm in the Xiuyu District of Putian in Fujian Province. Once inland, the system weakened to a tropical depression by July 26 and continued tracking the system until it dissipated on July 29.
Together with the southwest monsoon and Tropical Storm Prapiroon, heavy rains were reported over southern and northern Luzon, triggering widespread flash floods in various areas of the region. The monsoon enhanced by Gaemi's impact on Luzon led to comparisons to 2009's Typhoon Ketsana. The oil tanker MT Terra Nova, carrying around 1.5 million liters of industrial fuel, capsized and sank in depth of water in Manila Bay off the coast of Limay, Bataan. In Japan, the island of Yonaguni recorded wind speeds of up to. In Indonesia, large waves of up to in height affected the Molucca Sea, North Natuna Sea, Natuna Sea, and the areas between the Sitaro Islands and Bitung, and between the Sangihe Islands and Talaud Islands. A maximum rainfall accumulation of was observed in Luoyuan County in Fujian Province. The remnants of Gaemi also hit North Korea, where up to 4,000 may have died. North Korean state media did not provide figures on casualties. In total, the typhoon killed at least 152 people, injured 924 others, left 42 missing, and caused US in damages.
Despite causing severe flooding in Central and Southern Luzon, including Metro Manila, due to its enhancement of the southwest monsoon, the name Carina was not retired from PAGASA's rotating naming lists.

Meteorological history

The origins of Typhoon Gaemi can be traced back to July 17, when the Japan Meteorological Agency reported that a low-pressure area had formed east of Palau. Environment was generally favourable for tropical cyclogenesis, with warm sea surface temperatures of, low vertical wind shear and excellent poleward and equatorward outflow. Satellite imagery indicated that formative convective banding had begun to wrap into the centre of circulation. After slowly consolidating for two days, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center issued a tropical cyclone formation alert for the system on July 19, due to its rapidly consolidating broad low-level circulation center. Shortly after, both the JMA and the JTWC followed suit and upgraded the tropical depression, with the latter designating the system as 05W. The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration followed suit a few hours later, upgrading the system from a low-pressure area to a depression and assigning it the name Carina. Early the following day, the depression strengthened into a tropical storm and was named Gaemi by the JMA.
Gaemi's deep convection later began to consolidate into a small central dense overcast, with cloud tops reaching temperatures of. It then intensified into a severe tropical storm due to being in a conducive environment for development on July 21. The storm displayed convective banding features around its western periphery, wrapping into a low-level center of circulation. Around 00:00 UTC on July 22, the JMA then reported that Gaemi had intensified into a typhoon due to good upper-level outflow, warm sea surface temperatures, and high ocean heat content. Gaemi then turned north-northwestward, along the western periphery of a subtropical ridge. As it remained quasi-stationary six hours later, due to a weak steering environment between the subtropical ridge to the northwest and east, the JTWC upgraded Gaemi to minimal typhoon-equivalent status around 21:00 UTC that day.
After undergoing an eyewall replacement cycle and developing a pinhole eye, Gaemi rapidly intensified and peaked at Category 4-equivalent intensity on the Saffir-Simpson scale at 21:00 UTC on July 23, with 1-minute sustained winds of. The JMA reported that Gaemi reached its peak intensity at 06:00 UTC on July 24, with 10-minute sustained winds of and a central pressure of. A study by World Weather Attribution in August 2024 suggests that Gaemi's extreme winds and heavy precipitation were exacerbated by climate change. After stalling and executing a tight counter-clockwise loop near the coast, Gaemi slightly weakened into a below-equivalent typhoon status due to land interaction before it made landfall on the northeastern coast of Taiwan on July 24. Gaemi accelerated as it moved across the island and emerged into the Taiwan Strait just six hours after making landfall. The system quickly weakened to a minimal tropical storm as it made its closest approach offshore of eastern China. Soon after, the JTWC ceased issuing advisories on the system as it made its final landfall at Xiuyu, Putian in Fujian Province. Once inland, the JMA downgraded Gaemi into a tropical depression on July 26 and continued tracking the system until it dissipated at 00:00 UTC on July 29.

Preparations

Philippines

As Gaemi developed in the Philippine Area of Responsibility, the PAGASA began issuing weather advisories on the system, as it interacted with the southwest Tropical Storm Prapiroon over the South China Sea. Initial forecasts issued by the agency projected that Gaemi would not make landfall on the Philippines, however, moisture from the southwest monsoon would be drawn into the storm and bring heavy rainfall and strong winds to the archipelago. Therefore, on July 22, the PAGASA issued a Signal No. 1 wind warning in parts of the Babuyan Islands, Batanes, Cagayan, and Isabela. The PAGASA expected winds of up to 61 km/h in these provinces. On the morning of July 23, PAGASA raised to Signal No. 2 warning in Batanes as Gaemi's outer rainbands began to affect the province. Classes in all levels and several local government units were suspended in some areas of Luzon including Metro Manila on July 23 due to the storm. Several commercial flights were cancelled at Ninoy Aquino International Airport, as well as flights in Basco, Cagayan, and Tuguegarao. Ship travel was suspended in Itbayat. The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office in La Union raised a red alert on July 21, requiring all personnel to be readied for deployment. Emergency staff were deployed to operations centers where stockpiles of supplies and vehicles were prepared. Government offices in the province closed on the afternoon of July 23, with only emergency staff remaining. Immuki Island was isolated as a result of suspended sailing. Beaches in San Juan were closed to visitors, as well as Tangadan Falls in San Gabriel.
On July 21, the government of Iloilo City began a preemptive evacuation. Documentation began to prepare funding of ₱10,000 to occupants of destroyed dwellings and ₱7,000 to those of partially destroyed dwellings. In the Cordillera Administrative Region, ₱73.6 million worth of family food packages, totaling 25,357, were propositioned at multiple warehouses. In addition, approximately ₱52.7 million worth of non-food supplies were gathered at these warehouses. The PDRRMO office in Pangasinan issued a red emergency alert, allocating 64,564 packages of supplies, as well as a standby fund of ₱86.75 million. The Department of Social Welfare and Development prepared their stock fund of ₱2.5 billion for assistance during the typhoon. A total of 129,735 family food packages were positioned at warehouses and resource centers in Pasay, 93,516 packages were positioned in Mandaue, and 442,125 packages were made available at DSWD Offices No. 3, 5, and 6. The Philippine Air Force readied three Tactical Operations Group for response to the typhoon, including water rescue crews and helicopters for search and rescue and to serve as air ambulances. Rapid response teams trained for recovery efforts and damage assessments were also readied in Clark, Davao City, Laoag, Mactan, and the Zamboanga Peninsula.

Taiwan

The Central Weather Administration issued numerous typhoon and torrential rain warnings in anticipation of Gaemi. Ferry services were suspended, and the annual Han Kuang military exercises were cancelled. Domestic flights from the airlines Mandarin Airlines and Daily Air were also cancelled, alongside 201 international flights. Cancelled sea and air travel stranded around 10,000 visitors in Penghu. The Taiwan Stock Exchange ceased operations in preparation for the typhoon. The Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, a major computer chip manufacturer for brands such as Apple Inc. and Nvidia planned to continue normal operations amidst the storm, however, an emergency response team was placed on standby. The government of Taiwan placed 29,000 military personnel on standby for recovery efforts. Over 2,000 residents of mountainous areas on the island were evacuated. Evacuations also took place in Heping District, Taichung; 385 residents were evacuated from nine flood-prone districts of Tainan. Overall, a total of 8,569 people had evacuated to shelters prior to the typhoon's impact.
The Highway Bureau closed the Central Cross-Island Highway between Guanyuan and Taroko and the Suhua Highway between Chongde and Suao. The Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency closed ten recreational areas due to safety concerns. Yushan National Park banned hiking activities and forced 45 hiking groups to descend from mountains in the park. The Yilan International Children's Folklore and Folkgame Festival and Dongshih Summer Festival were halted due to the typhoon. The Wenhu line of the Taipei Metro, connecting Neihu District and Wenshan District, shut down on the afternoon of July 24. All other metro lines remained in operation. Schools and government offices were closed nationwide on July 25.