 Surigae nearing its peak intensity east of the Philippines on April 17 | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | April 12, 2021 |
| Extratropical | April 25, 2021 |
| Dissipated | May 2, 2021 |
| Violent typhoon | |
| 10-minute sustained (JMA) | |
| Highest winds | 220 km/h (140 mph) |
| Lowest pressure | 895 hPa (mbar); 26.43 inHg |
| Category 5-equivalent super typhoon | |
| 1-minute sustained (SSHWS/JTWC) | |
| Highest winds | 315 km/h (195 mph) |
| Lowest pressure | 882 hPa (mbar); 26.05 inHg |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 10 total |
| Missing | 8 |
| Damage | $10.5 million (2021 USD) |
| Areas affected | Caroline Islands, Palau, Sulawesi, Philippines, Taiwan, Ryukyu Islands, Kuril Islands, Russian Far East, Alaska |
| IBTrACS | |
Part of the 2021 Pacific typhoon season | |
Typhoon Surigae, known in the Philippines as Super Typhoon Bising, was the strongest Northern Hemisphere tropical cyclone to form before the month of May, one of the most intense tropical cyclones on record and the strongest tropical cyclone worldwide in 2021.[1][2] The second named storm, first typhoon and first super typhoon of the 2021 Pacific typhoon season, Surigae originated from a low-pressure area south of the Micronesian island of Woleai that organized into a tropical depression on April 12. At 18:00 UTC that day, it strengthened to a tropical storm and was named Surigae by the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA). The formation of an eye and increasing winds prompted the JMA to upgrade the system to a severe tropical storm on April 13. The storm continued to gradually strengthen, and late on April 15, Surigae became a typhoon. Very favorable environmental conditions then allowed Surigae to begin a bout of rapid intensification; Surigae became a super typhoon the next day, and by April 17, the storm reached its peak intensity, with 10-minute sustained winds of 220 km/h (140 mph),[nb 1] 1-minute sustained winds of 315 km/h (196 mph), and a minimum pressure of 895 hPa (26.4 inHg). This made it the strongest pre-May typhoon on record. Afterward, the storm's weakening outflow and an eyewall replacement cycle caused Surigae to gradually weaken as its track shifted north-northwestward in the Philippine Sea. Following the eyewall replacement cycle, Surigae became an annular tropical cyclone on April 19, and restrengthened slightly. On April 22, the storm began to rapidly weaken as it accelerated northwestward into unfavorable environmental conditions, transitioning into a subtropical storm the next day. The subtropical system subsequently underwent extratropical transition, which it completed by April 24. Afterward, Surigae's extratropical remnant accelerated northeastward. On April 27, Surigae's remnant explosively intensified into a bomb cyclone near the Aleutian Islands, attaining hurricane-force winds. Afterward, the system gradually weakened as it turned eastward, slowing down in the process, before crossing the International Date Line on April 30 and fully dissipating on May 2.
Surigae is a North Korean word for the black-eared kite. Upon Surigae's naming, watches and warnings were issued for the island of Yap in the Federated States of Micronesia and the islands of Koror and Kayangel in Palau as well. The typhoon left US$4.8 million in damage in Palau after cutting off power, water, and destroying infrastructure.[nb 2] Later, warnings were raised for parts of the Philippines as the typhoon moved closer to the nation, with evacuations taking place in eastern regions of the Visayas. The storm killed at least 10 people and left another eight missing, in addition to causing at least ₱272.8 million (US$5.67 million) in damage in the Philippines.
- ^ "Rare Super Typhoon Surigae Barrels Towards the Philippines; Intensifies at Record Pace". The Weather Channel. Archived from the original on 2021-04-18. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
- ^ Samenow, Jason; Cappucci, Matthew. "Surigae sweeps past Philippines, after becoming strongest April typhoon on record". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived from the original on April 16, 2021. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
- ^ Joint Typhoon Warning Center (2005). "Frequently Asked Questions". Archived from the original on September 1, 2013. Retrieved July 23, 2006.
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