Typhoon Haishen (2020)

This article is about the 2020 typhoon. For other storms of the same name, see List of storms named Haishen and List of storms named Kristine.

Typhoon Haishen (Kristine)
Typhoon Haishen near peak intensity on September 4
Meteorological history
FormedAugust 30, 2020
ExtratropicalSeptember 7, 2020
DissipatedSeptember 10, 2020
Violent typhoon
10-minute sustained (JMA)
Highest winds195 km/h (120 mph)
Lowest pressure910 hPa (mbar); 26.87 inHg
Category 4-equivalent super typhoon
1-minute sustained (SSHWS/JTWC)
Highest winds250 km/h (155 mph)
Lowest pressure915 hPa (mbar); 27.02 inHg
Overall effects
Fatalities4 total
Missing6
Damage>$100 million (2020 USD)
Areas affectedMariana Islands, Japan, South Korea, North Korea, Northeastern China
IBTrACS
Part of the 2020 Pacific typhoon season

Typhoon Haishen, known in the Philippines as Super Typhoon Kristine, was a powerful tropical cyclone that became the first super typhoon of the 2020 Pacific typhoon season. Being also the tenth named storm and this season's fifth typhoon, Haishen's origins can be tracked back to a disorganised low pressure area situated near Guam. While the disturbance tracked south-westward and quickly organised, the JTWC issued a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert (TCFA) on the system, and a day later, on September 1, the system became a tropical depression.[1] The depression strengthened into Tropical Storm Haishen according to the Japan Meteorological Agency as it moved southwestward.[2] At about 12:00 UTC on September 2, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geological and Astronomical Services Administration indicated that Haishen had entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility and was subsequently named Kristine.[3][4] Later that day, Haishen became a typhoon. Intensification on September 3 was significant. Drifting northwestward into extremely favorable conditions, Haishen became a category 3-equivalent typhoon, acquiring a pinhole eye, before undergoing an eyewall replacement cycle (EWRC). Strengthening resumed soon after and the JTWC assessed wind speeds of 135 kn (155 mph; 250 km/h) as it peaked as a powerful Category 4 super typhoon and had attained a new, symmetrical, clear eye.[5][6]

Traversing northward toward land while gaining latitude, ocean heat content became unfavorable for supporting such a strong system, and while the central pressure decreased, the system's wind speeds began decreasing, as the structure began degrading. The eye's former shape was no longer present as it appeared ragged on satellite imagery, and Dvorak analysis indicated that Haishen was beginning to weaken steadily. On September 5, Haishen began to lose its eye as its inner eyewall began contracting, and it subsequently weakened to a category 3-equivalent typhoon.[7] On September 6, Haishen made landfall on Japan and South Korea as a strong category 2-equivalent typhoon.[8]

Haishen was the third typhoon within a span of two weeks to make landfall in the Korean Peninsula, the others being Bavi and Maysak.

  1. ^ "Archived copy". www.metoc.navy.mil. Archived from the original on September 4, 2020. Retrieved January 15, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. ^ "Super Typhoon 11W (Haishen), # 18 - Pacific Storm Tracker - Stripes". www.stripes.com. Archived from the original on September 4, 2020.
  3. ^ "気象庁｜統合地図ページ". Archived from the original on September 4, 2020.
  4. ^ "PAGASA". Archived from the original on September 4, 2020.
  5. ^ "Archived copy". www.metoc.navy.mil. Archived from the original on September 4, 2020. Retrieved January 15, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  6. ^ "Archived copy". www.metoc.navy.mil. Archived from the original on September 4, 2020. Retrieved January 15, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  7. ^ "Archived copy". www.metoc.navy.mil. Archived from the original on September 5, 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  8. ^ "Typhoon Haishen batters South Korea after slamming Japan". BBC News. September 7, 2020.