Category 5 Typhoon Saola headed for Hong Kong – Tropical Weather Bulletin – August 31, 2023
The tropics continue to bustle, with several strong storms active in multiple basins. Super Typhoon Saola is continuing west-northwestwards through the South China Sea, and Yellow Typhoon Warnings are in effect for parts of southern China, and Standby Signals are in effect in Hong Kong and Macau, with upgrades likely later. Saola is expected to strike or pass very close to the coast and rapidly weaken when land interaction takes hold, with signs of weakening beginning to show already. However, very strong winds, surge, and rainfall of up to 300mm could cause serious issues along the coast and inland.
Hurricane Idalia made landfall on Wednesday morning local time in western Florida, near Keaton Beach, as a strong Category 3. The storm’s catastrophic surge devastated some of the coastal communities in the area, and flooding concerns continue as the weakening storm continues through the Carolinas tonight.
Hurricane Franklin is still active near Bermuda, with tropical storm winds straddling the island.
Tropical Storms Haikui and Kirogi are both active in the Western Pacific, with the former likely to impact Taiwan and eastern China with more precipitation in that area. Rainfall of up to 400mm is likely across the mountains of Taiwan and in eastern China, with significant strengthening possible before it reaches land.
Elsewhere, other areas of interest could form later this week into the weekend in the Atlantic and Western Pacific.
Watch our full Tropical Weather Bulletin using this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxtrxOpZSc4
