The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) called the simultaneous formation of four tropical storms in the Western Pacific Ocean that hit the Philippines this November an “unusual sight.”
In a Facebook post late Thursday, NASA said it was the first time since records began in 1951 that such a phenomenon was documented.
“In an unusual sight, four storms churned simultaneously in the Western Pacific Ocean in November 2024,” NASA said.
“Typhoon season in the West Pacific stretches across the entire year, but most storms form between May and October. November typically sees three named storms, with one becoming a super typhoon, based on the 1991-2000 average,” it added.
The Japan Meteorological Agency confirmed that tropical cyclones “Marce” (Yinxing), “Nika” (Toraji), “Ofel” (Usagi), and “Pepito” (Man-Yi) were actively impacting the region based on its Earth Polychromatic Imaging Camera (EPIC) imager on Nov. 11.
“Pepito” is actually the sixth storm to barrel through the country in a span of three weeks.
The brutal wave of weather disturbances began with “Kristine” and “Leon” that left nearly 159 people dead, mostly from “Kristine.”
On Thursday, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. reiterated his order to overhaul the country’s flood control master plan, citing the escalating impact of climate change with the series of storms to hit the country.
“The storms are different now,” Mr. Marcos said.
“We have flood control measures, but due to the increased water from the rainfall, they can no longer cope,” he added.
The damage left by the first five typhoons prompted the United Nations to request $32.9 million in aid for the worst-affected regions.
“Typhoons are overlapping. As soon as communities attempt to recover from the shock, the next tropical storm is already hitting them again,” UN Philippines Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Gustavo Gonzalez said.
“In this context, the response capacity gets exhausted and budgets depleted,” he added.
President Marcos directed the Department of Public Works and Highways, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and other agencies to amend the country’s flood control master plan to meet the demands of increasingly severe weather events.
He likewise instructed the DENR and the Department of the Interior and Local Government to encourage local government units to utilize geohazard maps from the DENR-Mines and Geosciences Bureau.
These maps, he said, are essential for identifying areas prone to landslides and flooding, helping communities better prepare for potential threats.
The President also tasked the DPWH, the Department of Transportation, the Department of Science and Technology, and other agencies with assessing the integrity of roads and other infrastructure to ensure resilience against severe weather.
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline “Odd phenomenon: Symphony of Philippine storms baffles NASA.”
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