World’s strongest storm- super typhoon Goni hits the Philippines.
Tyophoon Goni hit the eastern part of the Philippines on November 1, 2020. The typhoon is being considered as the world’s strongest storm so far this year. It has bring “catastrophic violent winds” and thus is being the hardest landfall on record.
Highlights
- Super Typhoon Goni first hit land over Catanduanes province and then pummeled Albay.
- The storm is moving westward with an speed of 25 kilometers per hour.
- The previous strong typhoon was Super Typhoons Meranti of 2016 and Haiyan 2013.
- Goni’s attained the maximum wind speed of 310 kilometers per hour. However, it has weakened to 215 kilometers per hour.
- About 347,000 people have been evacuated.
Damages
Typhoon Goni would damage more than 928,000 hectares of land which is planted with rice and 58,431 hectares of corn. It would also create severe losses to Coconut, rice and corn plantations. The storm risk the life of 50 million people.
Typhoons in Philippines
The Philippines is highly disaster-prone. An average of 20 cyclones pass through it every year. In 2013 typhoon Haiyan hit which was one of the strongest typhoons recorded. It had killed more than 6,300 people.
About Typhoon Goni
It is known as Super Typhoon Rollyin the Philippines. It is a weakening tropical cyclone that made landfall in the country as an extremely powerful Category 5–equivalent super typhoon. It is the19th named storm, 9th typhoon, and 2nd super typhoon of the 2020 in the Pacific. Goni was originated on October 26, 2020 as a tropical depression southwest of Guam. On October 27, it was named as Tropical Storm Goni. But on October 28, it was intensified over the Philippine Sea, and became a Category 5–equivalent super typhoon.
Catanduanes
Catanduanes is an island province located on the Luzon island in the Philippines. It is the 12th-largest Island of the country. Virac is its capital. The island province lies to the east of Camarines Sur across the Maqueda Channel. The province comprise of the Catanduanes Island, Panay Island, Lete Island, Palumbanes group of islands and other minor islets and rocks. The province is home to mollusk fossil sites. It is the second oldest ammonite site in Philippine.