Guangdong Expecting Destructive Typhoon Season in 2019

By Matthew Bossons, June 3, 2019

Last year’s typhoon season was one for the books, mainly due to the devastation unleashed on the Greater Bay Area by the arrival of Typhoon Mangkhut. The 22nd typhoon of last year’s storm season, Mangkhut unleashed strong winds and heavy rains that resulted in fatalities, flooding and a whole lot of broken glass on the Chinese mainland. Mangkhut also caused widespread devastation in the Philippines, where it was responsible for at least 127 deaths.

Unfortunately for those of us living in coastal Guangdong province, the 2019 typhoon season is expected to deliver four or five destructive and powerful typhoons, according to the Guangdong Meteorological Bureau. These storms are anticipated to hammer the region with heavy rains, strong winds and thunder and lightning.

Flooding in Guangzhou’s Panyu District in the wake of Typhoon Mangkhut. Image via Prakash Mahtani

In South China, the annual typhoon season runs from May till December, although the majority of storms that land in Guangdong come between June and October. This year, Guangdong is not expected to receive any major storms until mid-July, and the last typhoon of the season is expected to make landfall before the end of September.

Dameisha Beach in Shenzhen. Image by Matt Bossons/That's

The 2019 Pacific typhoon season got off to an early – and powerful – start this year, when Super Typhoon Wutip slammed into both Guam and the Federated States of Micronesia in February. The storm cost Guam more than USD1.3 million and was the strongest storm ever recorded in the West Pacific Ocean during February.

As a result of the heavy rains that have blanketed much of South China over the past weeks and months, authorities are reminding Guangdong citizens to exercise caution as typhoon season sets in, due to the increased risks of floods and landslides.

To find out how to track typhoons in real time, click here.

[Cover image via Pixabay]