Odd phenomenon: Symphony of Philippine storms baffles NASA

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) called the simultaneous formation of four tropical storms in the Western Pacific Ocean that hit the Philippines in November this year an “unusual sight.”

In a Facebook post late Thursday, NASA said it was the first time since records began in 1951 that such a phenomenon was documented.

The Japan Meteorological Agency confirmed that tropical cyclones ‘Marce’ (Yinxing), ‘Nika’ (Toraji), ‘Ofel’ (Usagi), and ‘Pepito’ (Man-Yi) were actively impacting the region.

On November 11, NASA’s Earth Polychromatic Imaging Camera captured images of these storms as they approached or passed over the Philippines.

Graphic shows the course of six typhoons and tropical storms that have hit or passed close to the Philippines in recent weeks. (Courtesy: Nicholas Shearman/AFP)

Typhoon ‘Nika’ made landfall on Luzon, causing significant flooding and power outages in the province of Aurora. The storm’s peak intensity reached sustained winds of 130 kilometers per hour.

Meanwhile, Typhoon ‘Marce’ previously struck northern Luzon on November 7 with winds of 240 kilometers per hour.

Super Typhoon ‘Ofel’ became the 15th tropical cyclone affecting the Philippines this year, and to the east, Typhoon ‘Pepito’ is also anticipated to strengthen and make landfall on November 17.

The ongoing typhoon season severely impacted the Philippines, which typically experiences around 20 storms annually.

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