The Meteorological and Geophysical Bureau (SMG) announced in a statement yesterday that Typhoon “Fengshen” has broken the record for the most tropical cyclone warning signals issued in a single year since records began in 1968, having reached 13 on Monday. The previous record was in 1974, with a total of 12 tropical cyclone warning signals hoisted, the observatory said.
The weather station also said that “Fengshen” also marked the fifth time on record that the Strong Wind Signal No. 3 (T3) was hoisted right away, without first issuing the Standby Signal No.1 (T1). Last time that was T3 hoisted without T1 first was for Tropical Storm “Sinlaku” in 2020.
The statement explained the difference between the “Strong Monsoon Signal” and the “Strong Wind Signal.” When air flows from high pressure to low pressure, according to the statement, the greater the pressure difference is, the stronger the wind is as well. When Macau experiences significantly stronger winds due to monsoon effects, the observatory will appropriately issue the Strong Monsoon Signal; when significantly stronger local winds are caused by a tropical cyclone, a Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal is issued, the statement said. The Strong Monsoon Signal is symbolised by a black ball.
According to the observatory, under the combined influence of a relatively strong northeastern monsoon and Typhoon “Fengshen,” Macau began experiencing stronger northerly winds starting on Monday. Due to the prevailing north to northeasterly winds having been obstructed by the local topography, according to the observatory, the average wind speed was not exceptionally high but gusts were frequently recorded reaching Force 7 to 8 on the Beaufort scale*.
In the statement, the observatory reviewed how Typhoon “Fengshen” affected Macau.
According to the statement, on Monday a relatively strong northeastern monsoon first moved southwards, increasing the pressure gradient along the coastal areas of southern China and strengthening the wind force. Therefore, the observatory initially issued the Strong Monsoon Signal, the statement said.
According to the bureau’s official system of warning signals, the Strong Monsoon Signal indicates that under the influence of a monsoon** (which in Arabic means “season”), winds with a sustained speed of 41 km/h or above are expected or blowing in Macau.
As “Fengshen” moved across the central and northern parts of the South China Sea and interacted with the northeastern monsoon, the pressure gradient along the southern China coast intensified further, the statement said, leading to even stronger winds.
The statement said that the circulation of “Fengshen” began to have a greater impact on Macau which convinced the observatory to hoist T3 right away, i.e., without issuing T1 first. As “Fengshen” moved away, the pressure gradient along the southern China coast eased, prompting the bureau to reissue the Strong Monsoon Signal, the statement said.
Meanwhile, the observatory forecast that today’s minimum temperature will drop to 17 degrees Celsius, with conditions remaining rather windy, cloudy, and rainy. In the following days, the weather station said, the northeastern monsoon will gradually weaken. The bureau said there would be sunshine during the daytime, and temperatures will rise later this week.
The Strong Monsoon Signal, which was hoisted at 5 p.m. yesterday, was still in force late last night.
* The Beaufort scale is an empirical measure that relates wind speed to observed conditions at sea or on land. It’s a standardised scale from 0 to 12 that traditionally uses visual clues, like the effect of wind on water, trees, or buildings, to estimate the wind’s force without needing an anemometer (a wind-speed measuring instrument). – DeepSeek
** A monsoon is a seasonal change in the direction of the prevailing, or strongest, winds of a region. It is not just a single storm or a period of heavy rain, but a large-scale weather pattern that brings a distinct rainy season to many tropical and subtropical areas. – Deep Seek
This handout image provided by the local observatory (SMG) yesterday shows a satellite image of Typhoon “Fengshen”, as of 10 a.m. local time yesterday.
