Elsewhere in Weather News: July 13th, 2013

Strong Typhoon Makes Landfall in Taiwan

A strong typhoon, Typhoon Soulik, has made landfall in northern Taiwan last night bringing heavy rainfall and strong winds in the order of around 160km/h – considered category two. Soulik, once a category four typhoon, encountered cooler waters before making landfall and Taiwan’s rugged terrain continues to tear it apart. It’s expected to cross the South China Sea and make a second landfall on China’s southeast coast as a tropical storm. Most models show it heading into China’s mainland weakening into a tropical depression and further on, a low pressure system. Although only a tropical depression, Soulik will bring copious amounts of rain into the mainland, prompting fears of possible flooding later this weekend.

Soulik

IR image of Soulik on Friday night. Expected track and intensity overlayed. (Source: CIMSS)

As of Friday night, electricity disruptions, 1 death and two dozen injuries had been reported. Around 8,500 people had been evacuated prior to Soulik making landfall because they lived in landslide-prone terrain.

Matthieu

Matt has been a member of the AWM team since January 2012, writing the weekly feature Elsewhere in Weather News which highlights weather news from across the globe. Matt has lived in Winnipeg all his life and has been a weather enthusiast since a very young age. He is currently completing his B.Sc. in Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Manitoba.

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