The number of typhoons this year hit a new high in the 21st century! Why do typhoons come "in clusters"?

China News Service, Beijing, November 9 (Reporter Shao Meng) At 14:00 on November 7, Typhoon No. 32 "Chapaca" of 2026 was generated in the northwest Pacific Ocean. The reporter learned from the China Meteorological Administration that the formation of Typhoon "Chapaka" will set the number of typhoons in 2026 to the highest record since the 21st century.

It is reported that looking back at typhoon data since the 21st century, an average of 24.3 typhoons are generated in the northwest Pacific and South China Sea every year, and the number of typhoons fluctuates between 20 and 30 in most years. In many years of statistics, only in 2004 and 2013 did the number of typhoons exceed 30. Among them, 31 typhoons were generated in 2013, which was the previous record for the number of typhoons. Typhoon "Chapaca" became the first "Typhoon No. 32" in the 21st century.

Why do typhoons come in "clusters" this year? Experts from the National Climate Center analyzed that due to the development of the super El Niño event, the position of the subtropical high has continued to move northward since the summer of 2026. From August to October, it moved two latitudes northward on average compared to the same period in normal years. The northerly shift of the subtropical high is conducive to the generation of typhoons. A total of 23 typhoons were generated from July to October this year. The number of typhoons generated and the number of landfalls were significantly higher than the same period in normal years, and the overall intensity of typhoons was stronger. This year’s autumn typhoons mainly show the characteristics of long life history, high intensity extremes, and multiple turns. A total of 9 typhoons were generated from September 1 to November 9, of which 6 reached the super typhoon level, but no typhoon landed in my country.

According to the Central Meteorological Observatory, at 14:00 on November 9, the center of Typhoon "Chapaca" was located on the northwest Pacific Ocean about 1,570 kilometers northwest of Guam in the United States (24.0 degrees north latitude, 134.9 degrees east longitude). The maximum wind force near the center was level 12 (35 meters/second), and the minimum air pressure at the center was 970 hPa. "Chapaca" is expected to move east-northwest at a speed of 10 to 15 kilometers per hour, and its intensity will increase. It will have no impact on my country's waters in the future.