Typhoon Mujigae, known in the Philippines as Tropical Storm Kabayan, was the costliest typhoon to impact China in 2015. The typhoon first passed over the Philippines as a developing tropical cyclone from October 1 to 3, 2015. It then caused widespread damage in the Chinese provinces of Guangdong, Guangxi, and Hainan from October 3 to 6. Afterwards, as Mujigae weakened inland, it brought heavy rain to parts of Mainland Southeast Asia. Mujigae originated from an area of disturbed weather that formed just east of the Philippines on September 30. The disturbance slowly organized amid a favorable environment, becoming a tropical depression later that day. It traveled steadily west-northwestwards and made landfall in Central Luzon late on October 1, before crossing into the South China Sea the next morning. Mujigae strengthened rapidly on October 3, becoming a mature typhoon with 10-minute sustained winds of 155 km/h (100 mph), 1-minute sustained winds of 215 km/h (130 mph), and a minimum pressure of 950 hPa (28.05 inHg). The typhoon then made landfall over Zhanjiang, Guangdong, and weakened swiftly, dissipating inland over Guangxi on October 5.
As a developing system, Mujigae brought gusty winds, moderate rain, and rough seas to the island of Luzon in the Philippines. The adverse weather forced ports and schools to close, while numerous landslides and flash floods damaged roads, houses, and agricultural land. Large waves caused by the storm capsized several fishing boats, necessitating search-and-rescue operations by the Philippine Navy and Coast Guard. In total, Mujigae killed at least four in the Philippines, left 12 missing, and caused damage valued at ₱46.9 million (US$1.03 million).
Mujigae's most severe impacts occurred in China, with the provinces of Guangdong, Guangxi, and Hainan being the worst hit. The typhoon affected 7.5 million people across the three provinces, causing 27 fatalities and economic losses of ¥27 billion (US$4.3 billion). The outer bands of the typhoon spawned destructive tornadoes in Guangzhou and Foshan that killed seven and left 223 injured. Infrastructural damage left by the tornadoes resulted in widespread disruptions to telecommunications, electricity, and water supplies. Elsewhere, fallen trees, landslides, and collapsing buildings accounted for most of the fatalities. In preparation for the storm, ships and offshore workers were recalled to port, flights were delayed or canceled, train services were suspended, and tourist attractions were shut. These disrupted tourism amid China's "Golden Week" holidays following their National Day. Hong Kong and Macau experienced gusty winds and heavy rain from October 3 to 5 as Mujigae passed to the south, but were left relatively unscathed. Immediate post-storm relief was provided by the National Disaster Reduction Center of China and the Ministry of Civil Affairs. The National Development and Reform Commission later issued more funds for reconstruction efforts in Guangdong and Guangxi.
Towards the end of Mujigae's lifespan, its outer rainbands brought heavy rains to parts of Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand, causing localized flash floods. Consequently, some homes and crops were damaged.
Typhoon Mujigae, known in the Philippines as Tropical Storm Kabayan, was the costliest typhoon to impact China in 2015. The typhoon first passed over the Philippines as a developing tropical cyclone from October 1 to 3, 2015. It then caused widespread damage in the Chinese provinces of Guangdong, Guangxi, and Hainan from October 3 to 6. Afterwards, as Mujigae weakened inland, it brought heavy rain to parts of Mainland Southeast Asia. Mujigae originated from an area of disturbed weather that formed just east of the Philippines on September 30. The disturbance slowly organized amid a favorable environment, becoming a tropical depression later that day. It traveled steadily west-northwestwards and made landfall in Central Luzon late on October 1, before crossing into the South China Sea the next morning. Mujigae strengthened rapidly on October 3, becoming a mature typhoon with 10-minute sustained winds of 155 km/h (100 mph), 1-minute sustained winds of 215 km/h (130 mph), and a minimum pressure of 950 hPa (28.05 inHg). The typhoon then made landfall over Zhanjiang, Guangdong, and weakened swiftly, dissipating inland over Guangxi on October 5.
As a developing system, Mujigae brought gusty winds, moderate rain, and rough seas to the island of Luzon in the Philippines. The adverse weather forced ports and schools to close, while numerous landslides and flash floods damaged roads, houses, and agricultural land. Large waves caused by the storm capsized several fishing boats, necessitating search-and-rescue operations by the Philippine Navy and Coast Guard. In total, Mujigae killed at least four in the Philippines, left 12 missing, and caused damage valued at ₱46.9 million (US$1.03 million).
Mujigae's most severe impacts occurred in China, with the provinces of Guangdong, Guangxi, and Hainan being the worst hit. The typhoon affected 7.5 million people across the three provinces, causing 27 fatalities and economic losses of ¥27 billion (US$4.3 billion). The outer bands of the typhoon spawned destructive tornadoes in Guangzhou and Foshan that killed seven and left 223 injured. Infrastructural damage left by the tornadoes resulted in widespread disruptions to telecommunications, electricity, and water supplies. Elsewhere, fallen trees, landslides, and collapsing buildings accounted for most of the fatalities. In preparation for the storm, ships and offshore workers were recalled to port, flights were delayed or canceled, train services were suspended, and tourist attractions were shut. These disrupted tourism amid China's "Golden Week" holidays following their National Day. Hong Kong and Macau experienced gusty winds and heavy rain from October 3 to 5 as Mujigae passed to the south, but were left relatively unscathed. Immediate post-storm relief was provided by the National Disaster Reduction Center of China and the Ministry of Civil Affairs. The National Development and Reform Commission later issued more funds for reconstruction efforts in Guangdong and Guangxi.
Towards the end of Mujigae's lifespan, its outer rainbands brought heavy rains to parts of Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand, causing localized flash floods. Consequently, some homes and crops were damaged.
Meteorological history
At 00:00 UTC on September 30, a tropical disturbance developed near 11°54′N 130°18′E / 11.9°N 130.3°E, about 600 km (370 mi) east of the Philippines. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) deemed the disturbance to have become a tropical depression at 12:00 UTC and gave it the identifier 22W. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) also classified the system as a tropical depression at 18:00 UTC. The depression was lopsided at this time, with the bulk of thunderstorm activity to the west of the system's center. Amid low vertical wind shear and good outflow helping the growth of thunderstorms, the depression improved further in organization through October 1, as it moved west-northwestwards under the influence of a subtropical ridge to its north. The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration named the system Kabayan at 02:00 UTC on October 1. The JMA upgraded the system to a tropical storm at 12:00 UTC as it began producing 10-minute sustained winds of 65 km/h (40 mph), giving it the name Mujigae. The JTWC, however, continued to classify the system as a tropical depression as it approached the Philippines. No further intensification occurred on October 1 as Mujigae's circulation interacted with the Sierra Madre mountain range. Mujigae made landfall between Baler and San Luis in Aurora Province, Central Luzon, at roughly 20:00 UTC, and quickly crossed the island of Luzon, entering the South China Sea by 02:00 UTC on October 2.
Once over water, Mujigae soon resumed intensifying, taking advantage of 28–29 °C (82–84 °F) sea surface temperatures and strong outflow despite slightly elevated wind shear. The JTWC finally assessed Mujigae to be a tropical storm at 06:00 UTC on October 2; the JMA upgraded Mujigae further to severe tropical storm status six hours later. A nascent eye feature became visible on microwave satellite imagery, while associated thunderstorms grew more intense and wrapped more tightly into the system's circulation. Meanwhile, Mujigae continued tracking steadily west-northwest and exited the Philippine Area of Responsibility late on October 2. A 30-hour period of rapid intensification began at 00:00 UTC on October 3, aided greatly by the anomalously warm waters of the South China Sea, which even exceeded 30 °C (86 °F) around Hainan. Monthly mean sea surface temperatures in the area were the warmest since 1990, giving Mujigae ample energy to draw upon for strengthening in spite of moderate easterly wind shear. During this strengthening phase, the China Meteorological Administration's Shanghai Typhoon Institute launched four rocket-carried dropsondes into Mujigae from Wanning, Hainan, in a successful attempt to analyse the typhoon's interior structure. The JMA estimated that Mujigae's winds increased from 100 to 155 km/h (65 to 100 mph) and the central pressure dropped from 985 hPa (29.09 inHg) to 950 hPa (28.05 inHg) from 00:00 UTC October 3 to 00:00 UTC October 4, after which it peaked in intensity. The JTWC assessed that Mujigae continued to strengthen for a further three hours and attained peak 1-minute sustained winds of 215 km/h (130 mph), the equivalent of a Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir–Simpson scale. At its peak, Mujigae possessed a sharply defined eye just 24 km (15 mi) wide, centered in a symmetric central dense overcast. Shortly after, Mujigae made landfall in Potou District, Zhanjiang, Guangdong province, at 06:10 UTC on October 4. Rapid weakening commenced as the center of circulation moved over land, staying north of the Gulf of Tonkin. Mujigae weakened to a tropical storm by 18:00 UTC on October 4 and the JMA ceased monitoring the system as a tropical depression at 00:00 UTC on October 5. The JTWC continued tracking Mujigae while it moved inland over Guangxi province and last noted it as a dissipating tropical storm at 06:00 UTC on October 5.
Impact
Philippines
Mujigae (known locally as Tropical Storm Kabayan) passed over Luzon from October 1 to 3, bringing moderate rain and winds gusting up to 120 km/h (75 mph). Public Storm Warning Signal No. 1 was raised in the provinces of Catanduanes, Camarines Sur, Camarines Norte, Aurora, and Northern Quezon on October 1, and further extended to Benguet, Tarlac, Ilocos Sur, and Zambales on October 2. Public Storm Warning Signal No. 2—the highest warning level issued for Mujigae—was raised in La Union and Pangasinan on October 2. All warnings were lifted by the evening of October 2 as Mujigae began to move away from the Philippines.
The tropical storm affected roughly 59,600 people during its passage over the Philippines. A peak 24-hour rainfall total of 134.0 mm (5.28 in) occurred in Iba, Zambales. In Central Luzon, a total of 703 houses were damaged, of which 97 were destroyed. A landslide in Gabaldon, Nueva Ecija required the evacuation of 30 families, while another landslide in Buenavista, Marinduque damaged a wall. Several incidents of flash flooding were reported, with 50 barangays (village-level administrative districts) inundated with up to 0.9 m (3 ft) of water. A person in Maria Aurora municipality drowned in a flash flood, while another from Bongabon municipality was killed by a snake bite. The body of a fisherman was found in Agno municipality on October 3, two days after he went fishing out at sea and was reported missing. In total, roughly 6,480 people evacuated to seven shelters. Classes were suspended across much of Luzon on October 2. Ports were closed in the Bicol Region and Southern Tagalog on October 2 and 3 because of rough seas, leaving up to 212 passengers and 53 rolling cargoes stranded. Twelve roads and two bridges were blocked by flooding and mudslides. Power outages occurred on October 2 and 3 in parts of Aurora, Benguet, and Pangasinan, including in Baguio, though services were quickly restored. Damage to agriculture and infrastructure in Ilocos and Central Luzon was valued at ₱46.9 million (US$1.03 million), mostly from the provinces of Aurora, Pampanga, and Pangasinan. Following the storm, local government units and the Department of Social Welfare and Development gave ₱2.37 million (US$52,100) worth of disaster relief to Aurora, Bulacan, and Nueva Ecija provinces.
Numerous incidents occurred at sea as fishermen continued operations despite being advised against doing so by government agencies and the Philippine Coast Guard. Several fishing boats were capsized by large waves, leaving fishermen adrift in the water for up to four days before they were picked up by other boats or were swept back to shore. As many as 121 fishermen were missing on the night of October 3. The Philippine Navy activated two Islander aircraft and several ships to conduct search and rescue operations, in conjunction with vessels from the Coast Guard. They were largely successful in locating the missing fishermen, with the number of missing decreasing to 56 by October 5. A "partial and unofficial report" from the Coast Guard on October 6 stated that three fishermen had been confirmed dead; a body of another fisherman was recovered from the waters off Pangasinan on October 7. The searches were called off between October 7 and 10, leaving 12 still missing.
Mainland China
Typhoon Mujigae brought severe impacts to the provinces of Guangdong, Guangxi, and Hainan from October 3 to 6, affecting over 7.5 million people and killing 27. With economic losses estimated at ¥27 billion (US$4.3 billion), Mujigae was the costliest typhoon to impact China in 2015. At landfall in Zhanjiang, Guangdong, the China Meteorological Administration estimated Mujigae to have winds of 180 km/h (110 mph) and a central pressure of 940 hPa (27.76 inHg), making Mujigae the strongest typhoon to make landfall in China in the month of October since 1949. The three provinces experienced strong winds of at least 76 km/h (47 mph), with a peak gust of 242 km/h (150 mph) recorded in Zhanjiang. Torrential rain fell over the region throughout the four days, leading to rainfall accumulations of 100–500 mm (3.9–19.7 in). The outer rainbands of Mujigae also produced tornadoes in parts of Guangdong on October 4. Power outages occurred in much of the region and transport lines were cut. Mujigae came ashore during a week-long holiday (known as a "Golden Week") following China's National Day, disrupting the plans of many tourists seeking to travel to the southern coast. Mujigae's track and rapid intensification prior to landfall drew comparisons to Typhoon Rammasun, which had significantly impacted similar areas a year earlier.
Guangdong
Ahead of the storm, the China Meteorological Administration issued red alerts for the province, expecting wind gusts exceeding 200 km/h (120 mph) and rainfall accumulations of 250–280 mm (9.8–11.0 in). The Qiongzhou Strait was closed to marine traffic on the evening of October 2, and nearly 40,000 fishing boats west of Shanwei returned to port to shelter in Guangdong. Coastal tourist attractions in the province were closed from October 3. The suspension of ferry services to offshore islands left 503 tourists on Fangji Island stranded; strong winds hampered attempts to return them to the mainland. The National Marine Environmental Forecasting Center issued warnings for storm surge and large waves that same day. Flights out of Zhuhai and Zhanjiang were canceled. China Southern Power Grid readied 24,000 workers to address any power disruptions. Authorities evacuated 170,400 people in vulnerable areas.
Mujigae made landfall in Potou District, Zhanjiang, on the afternoon of October 4. The typhoon brought high winds and heavy rain to over 3.53 million people in Guangdong, and spawned at least three tornadoes in the province. One tornado touched down in Guangzhou's Panyu District, killing three and injuring 134. The tornado damaged several houses and factories, blew down trees, and damaged power cables. Large parts of Panyu and Haizhu Districts thus lost power for the first time in 23 years. Tourists visiting the Canton Tower in Haizhu had to be evacuated after it suffered a blackout. The power outages had a further knock-on effect on communications and water infrastructure, resulting in greater disruption. Another tornado touched down in Shunde District, Foshan, causing four deaths and 89 injuries, while inflicting roughly ¥180 million (US$29 million) of damage. The tornado touched down for 32 minutes and traveled 30.85 km (19.17 mi) northwest, leaving a damage swath of diameter between 20 and 570 m (22 and 623 yd). It was also noted to have possessed twin funnels at peak intensity. The Foshan tornado was rated EF3 on the Enhanced Fujita scale, based on observations of collapsed tower cranes and destroyed factories and warehouses. A third tornado—this time a waterspout—occurred near the coast of Shanwei. For context, tornadoes in China are rather uncommon: on average less than 100 occur in a year, and in the 50 years prior to 2015, only 20 were at or above EF3 intensity. Hence, when Mujigae struck China in 2015, the country had no tornado forecasting or warning systems, likely contributing to an elevated number of fatalities and more extensive damage.