TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The weather phenomenon has shifted from La Niña to El Niño, significantly impacting typhoon formation. Research by the European Union shows that typhoon probability decreases during El Niño, but their intensity increases.
During a neutral phase, typhoons usually form slightly west of the central Pacific region. In contrast, they tend to develop more southeast than usual during El Niño. This means that when a typhoon moves towards Taiwan, it spends more time over the warm waters of the Pacific Ocean, making it stronger.
Moreover, El Niño events may intensify for the rest of 2023. It may strengthen further in the spring of next year, resulting in a hotter summer and an increased typhoon formation area.
Liu Chian-yi, an associate research fellow at the Research Center for Environmental Changes of Academia Sinica, emphasized that the ocean has a high heat capacity and can absorb and store more energy, leading to strong feedback into the atmosphere.
While typhoons bring water to Taiwan, they pose a significant risk of flooding, landslides, damaged crops, and other harm. With the ongoing climate change and extreme weather during the El Niño phase, the Taiwanese government must respond cautiously.