Ever since Super typhoon Yolanda hit the country in November 2013 – dumping water for close to nine days in Eastern Visayas and the rest of the country – cyclones that normally enter the country singularly or twice in a month have now been coming in bundles.
Even the US National Aeronautics and Space Agency (NASA) is puzzled at the overlapping cyclones that are hovering in the country's weather system right now, which the space agency finds “unusual.”
As of 8:55 a.m. of November 11, NASA's EPIC (Earth Polychromatic Imaging Camera) imager on DSCOVR (Deep Space Climate Observatory) satellite observed 4 cyclones that were either approaching the Philippines or had already passed over the country.
The string of storms that simultaneously swirled near the Philippines this November was “unusual”, reported ABS-CBN News and AFP, citing NASA.
Cycle of cyclones
NASA on Thursday shared a satellite image that showed tropical cyclones "Marce," "Nika," "Ofel," and "Pepito" lining up in the western Pacific on November 11.
At that time, the cyclones were either approaching the Philippines or had already passed over Luzon.
“In an unusual sight, four storms churned simultaneously in the Western Pacific Ocean in November 2024," NASA said.
"The Japan Meteorological Agency reported that it was the first time since records began in 1951 that so many storms co-existed in the Pacific basin in November,” it added.
Typhoon season in the West Pacific stretches across the entire year, but most storms form between May and October, NASA noted.
“November typically sees three named storms, with one becoming a super typhoon, based on the 1991-2000 average,” it added.
AFP said the Philippines’ brutal wave of weather disasters has already killed 159 people and prompted the United Nations to request $32.9 million in aid for the worst-affected regions. Marce hit Northern Luzon on November 7.
"Marce" hit northern Luzon on November 7, leaving massive destruction in Cagayan.
Four days later, "Nika" slammed into Aurora province, where it unleashed flooding and brought power outages. It also spawned landslides that buried roads in the Cordilleras.
"Ofel" on Thursday slammed into the Philippines' already disaster-ravaged north, forcing massive evacuations.
Meanwhile, "Pepito" will continuously intensify and reach super typhoon strength by Saturday. It may make landfall at peak intensity over eastern Bicol or Central Luzon this weekend, PAGASA said.
"Pepito" is said to be nearing super typhoon strength as "Ofel" weakens.
This was similar to the path of last month's Severe Tropical Storm "Kristine," which accounted for most of the deaths tallied in the recent swarm of weather disasters to hit the country, the reports said.
"Typhoons are overlapping. As soon as communities attempt to recover from the shock, the next tropical storm is already hitting them again," said Gustavo Gonzalez, the UN's humanitarian coordinator in the Philippines.
"In this context, the response capacity gets exhausted and budgets depleted."
A UN assessment of the past month's weather disasters said 207,000 houses had been damaged or destroyed, and nearly 700,000 people were seeking temporary shelter.
Many families were without even essentials like sleeping mats, hygiene kits, and cooking supplies, and had limited access to safe drinking water, it said.
The storms destroyed thousands of hectares of farmland and persistent flooding is likely to delay replanting efforts and worsen food supply problems, the report added.
About 20 big storms and typhoons hit the archipelago nation or its surrounding waters each year, killing scores of people and keeping millions in enduring poverty.
The Philippines faces escalating weather challenges, having endured 12 typhoons this year, including two back-to-back storms within the past month.
Yet, extreme weather events are only part of the threat, as existing vulnerabilities heighten the risks, according to the United Nations (UN).
Relief efforts
They said that the recent typhoons have further limited access to safe water and sanitation, with some communities resorting to open defecation after facilities were damaged, raising concerns about potential disease outbreaks.
With this, UNICEF Representative to the Philippines Oyunsaikhan Dendevnorov noted that efforts are underway to address the worsening conditions.
“We are working with our partners to provide water, sanitation and hygiene supplies to affected families and children to ensure their access to critical measures against the spread of diseases,” she stressed.
Additionally, UN data from the Department of Education revealed that 20 million children nationwide experienced learning disruptions due to the recent storms, with at least 500 schools in the Bicol Region urgently needing assistance.
“UNICEF (UN Children’s Fund) strongly urges that schools remain dedicated to education and not used as evacuation centers so that children continue to have a stable learning environment,” said Akihiro Fushimi, UNICEF Philippines Education Chief.
The strain on recovery efforts has intensified after typhoons Marce and Nika impacted the same areas in the country, with a new weather system potentially developing into Tropical Storm Ofel.
In a statement, UN Resident Coordinator in the Philippines Gustavo Gonzalez emphasized the resilience Filipinos have cultivated in facing repeated disasters and climate risks, saying, “The ‘saving lives’ spirit is widely spread within local communities.”
“As Filipinos frequently say, ‘as long as there is life, there is hope,’” he added.
Photo Courtesy: ABS CBN News
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