Typhoon Lekima

Typhoon Lekima
Name	Lekima
Type	Typhoon
Year	2019
Basin	WPac
10-min winds	95
1-min winds	120
Pressure	925
Areas	Philippines, Taiwan, East China, Japan, South Korea
Damages	$9.3 billion (2019 USD)
Fatalities	89

Typhoon Lekima was a powerful Western Pacific tropical cyclone in 2019 that caused widespread damage across the Philippines, Taiwan, and China. Originating from a low in the Philippine Sea, the system intensified while interacting with the Kuroshio Current and the Western Pacific Subtropical High, reaching peak strength before making landfall in Zhoushan and impacting the Yangtze River Delta. The storm prompted coordinated responses from agencies including the Japan Meteorological Agency, the China Meteorological Administration, and the National Weather Service (United States), and it led to significant disruptions to transportation infrastructure and agriculture across affected regions.

Meteorological history

The disturbance that became the cyclone formed near the Philippine Sea southwest of Wake Island and was monitored by the Japan Meteorological Agency, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center, and the China Meteorological Administration as it tracked west-northwest. Influenced by the Kuroshio Current, the system underwent rapid intensification while the Western Pacific Subtropical High steered it toward the Ryukyu Islands, and operational analyses from the Hong Kong Observatory and the Central Weather Bureau (Taiwan) recorded successive upgrading to tropical storm and typhoon status. Peak intensity estimates from the Joint Typhoon Warning Center and the Japan Meteorological Agency differed, with best tracks showing minimal central pressure near 925 hPa as the cyclone approached the East China Sea and the Yangtze River Delta prior to landfall near Zhoushan and subsequent weakening over the Chinese mainland.

Preparations and warnings

Authorities in the Philippines including the PAGASA issued alerts while the Philippine Coast Guard and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council prepositioned assets and suspended ferry services to islands such as Luzon and Visayas. The Central Weather Bureau (Taiwan) raised land and sea warnings, prompting closures at the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport and suspension of High Speed Rail (Taiwan) services, with emergency shelters activated by the National Fire Agency (Taiwan). In Mainland China the China Meteorological Administration and municipal governments in Shanghai, Zhejiang, and Jiangsu issued red and orange warnings, evacuated residents from coastal areas including Zhoushan and Wenzhou, and halted operations at ports such as Ningbo-Zhoushan Port while companies like CNOOC and state-owned rail operators suspended offshore and rail services. Regional coordination included notices from the Japan Meteorological Agency for the Ryukyu Islands and advisories from the Korea Meteorological Administration for potential effects in South Korea.

Impact by country

Philippines: Outer rainbands produced flooding in parts of Luzon and landslides in provinces such as Quezon and Camarines Sur, with local responders including the Philippine Red Cross and the Armed Forces of the Philippines conducting search and rescue and relief operations.

Taiwan: Heavy rains and gusts affected the east coast of Taiwan and cities including Hualien and Yilan County, resulting in localized flooding, power outages managed by the Taiwan Power Company, and disruptions at ports such as Keelung and airports including Kaohsiung International Airport; emergency services coordinated by the National Fire Agency (Taiwan) and municipal governments responded to roof damage and landslides.

China: The most severe impacts occurred in Zhejiang, Shanghai, and Jiangsu where storm surge, torrential rainfall, and strong winds led to widespread flooding, collapsed structures, and transportation paralysis; the China Meteorological Administration reported high casualty figures and economic losses, with large-scale evacuations from counties including Wenzhou and critical damage to agriculture in the Yangtze River Delta region. Urban disruptions affected ports such as Ningbo, airports including Shanghai Pudong International Airport, and industrial facilities linked to conglomerates and state-owned enterprises.

Japan and South Korea: The Ryukyu Islands and parts of Kyushu experienced heavy surf and localized wind damage as warned by the Japan Meteorological Agency, while southern areas of South Korea saw increased rainfall as noted by the Korea Meteorological Administration, producing minor flooding and transportation delays.

Aftermath and recovery

Post-storm responses involved bilateral and regional disaster relief coordination with agencies such as the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies supporting national societies like the Philippine Red Cross and the Red Cross Society of China. Restoration efforts prioritized power restoration by utilities like the Taiwan Power Company and the State Grid Corporation of China, reopening of major ports such as Ningbo-Zhoushan Port, and clearance of debris on highways managed by provincial departments in Zhejiang and Jiangsu. Reconstruction projects included rebuilding housing in hard-hit counties such as Wenzhou and strengthening flood defenses along the Yangtze River and coastal embankments, with financial assistance coordinated by provincial finance bureaus and national ministries including the Ministry of Civil Affairs (China).

Humanitarian operations addressed displaced populations through temporary shelters run by municipal bureaus in Shanghai and county governments in Zhejiang, distribution of emergency supplies by organizations including the Philippine Red Cross and the Red Cross Society of China, and long-term recovery planning involving international development partners and academic institutions researching storm resilience such as universities in Taipei and Shanghai.

Retirement of name and legacy

Following the extensive damage and fatalities, regional bodies including the ESCAP/WMO Typhoon Committee considered retiring the storm's designated name from the rotating list used by member states such as the Philippines, Japan, and China. The storm's impacts influenced revisions to coastal evacuation protocols adopted by provincial governments in Zhejiang and Shanghai and informed infrastructure resilience programs funded by national ministries and multilateral development banks active in East Asia. Academic assessments drawing on data from the Japan Meteorological Agency, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center, and national hydrological services contributed to improved modeling of rapid intensification events linked to oceanic features like the Kuroshio Current and atmospheric patterns including the Western Pacific Subtropical High.

Category:2019 Pacific typhoon season Category:Typhoons in China Category:2019 in Taiwan