Typhoon Hato to Bring Heavy Rain to South China this Week

By Matthew Bossons, August 21, 2017

The Pearl River Delta is in for a double dose of meteorological mayhem this week, with scorching temperatures forecast for the region and the 13th typhoon of the season expected to make landfall between Guangdong and Fujian provinces sometime Wednesday.

The projected route of Typhoon Hato will see the storm travel between the Philippines and Taiwan, possibly making landfall on the island's southern portion, before heading towards the mainland.

Taiwan’s Central Weather Bureau (CWB) released a maritime warning last night at 11.30pm for the waters south of the island, including the Bashi Channel, and a land warning is anticipated today if the typhoon maintains its current course.

At 11.30pm last night, the storm was positioned roughly 570 kilometers east-southeast of Elubani, the southernmost point in Taiwan, according to Taiwan News, and was traveling west towards the Bashi Channel at a pace of 16 kilometers per hour.

After departing Taiwan, Typhoon Hato is expected to bring heavy rains to Guangzhou and Fujian, as well as Jiangxi, Guangxi, Hunan and Guizhou, according to the National Meteorological Center.

While we’ve come to take reports of impending typhoon chaos with a hearty dose of salt (as typhoon season here is generally anticlimactic), one type of weather forecast we do take seriously is heatwave warnings – which are currently in effect for much of the Pearl River Delta.

The mercury is expected to soar to 38 degrees Celsius today in Guangzhou, with the high tomorrow predicted to hit 37. Wednesday and Thursday (August 23-24) temperatures will drop to a slightly more bearable 32 degrees Celsius.

Current weather predications also indicated Canton can expect thunderstorms from Wednesday until Saturday.

Shenzheners will see similar heat, with the temperature today forecast to reach 37 degrees Celsius and a high tomorrow of 36. Wednesday and Thursday may have highs of 31 and 32 degrees Celsius respectively. Thunderstorms are also expected Tuesday and Wednesday.

Stay tuned to That’s for Typhoon Hato updates.

[Images via Taiwan News, Guangdong Central Meteorological Observatory]