Storm Hunters Brave Super Typhoon Yagi
The storm hunters from Hong Kong prepared themselves for the challenges posed by Super Typhoon Yagi as it battered their small jet. At an altitude of 30,000 feet, they deployed probes into the powerful storm, which reached a Category 4 strength, as it roared south of the city last month. This data collection is considered essential by many meteorologists striving to enhance forecasting accuracy.
“Some prefer to fly on an empty stomach,” remarked Capt. Chan Wing Chi of the Hong Kong Government Flying Service in a recent interview, displaying a remarkable calmness despite the intense turbulence he had just navigated.
For over 80 years, the U.S. government has dispatched observation planes into storms across the Americas. However, such missions are a rarity in the western Pacific, an area notorious for its frequent and severe storms, often referred to as “Typhoon Alley.”
The storms that traverse this region have a broad impact across Asia, affecting countries such as Japan, the Korean Peninsula, mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Vietnam, and the Philippines. Unfortunately, only a limited number of these critical observation missions take place in Asia each year, hampered by ongoing political conflicts, the high costs associated with flights, and a lack of regional agreement on their effectiveness.
Many scientists assert that these observation flights can decrease forecasting errors by as much as 10 to 20 percent. Currently, only Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Japan actively conduct such missions within this vital region.
Last year, secured shopping mall doors in Hong Kong stood as a stark reminder of the impending danger when the Typhoon Talim warning was issued.
Credit: Michael Ho Wai Lee/SOPA Images, via Agence France-Presse — Getty Images