The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration's storm/low pressure forecast for November 20 said that during the week of November 20-26, 2024, there are no expected low pressure or storms in the Philippines' monitoring area or in the East Sea.
However, during the week of November 27-December 3, 2024, a low pressure area is expected to develop in the Philippine Forecast Area (PAR). This low pressure area has the potential to develop into a low to moderate storm, moving towards the Visayas - Southern Luzon. It is not yet clear whether this low pressure area has the potential to enter the South China Sea.
The Northwest Pacific, including the South China Sea, has produced 25 named tropical storms this year, up from 19 recorded during the 2023 hurricane season.
Of the 25 storms, eight were super typhoons that made landfall, causing significant damage, compared to five last year. The previous record was seven super typhoons recorded in both 2018 and 2019. The eight super typhoons this year are Gaemi, Shan Shan, Yagi, Krathon, Kong-rey Yinxing, Toraji and Man-yi.
Meanwhile, the Atlantic hurricane season will end on November 30 and no new depressions or storms are expected to form in the next seven days, according to the US National Hurricane Center's hurricane forecast.
However, on November 20, a "bomb cyclone" - one of the strongest storms in the northwestern United States in decades - struck the region, killing at least one person, leaving more than 600,000 people without power, causing heavy rain and knocking down trees.
Of the 18 named storms so far in the Atlantic hurricane season, 11 have developed into hurricanes. Of those 11, five have reached major hurricane strength (Category 3 or higher).
This year's 11 hurricanes in the Atlantic basin have exceeded the 30-year average from 1991-2020 of 6.9 and even surpassed 2023.
Last year had the fourth most named storms in recorded history, with 20 storms, but only seven became hurricanes.
There were five hurricanes that hit the United States this hurricane season.
The first was Hurricane Beryl, a rare major hurricane in June and the earliest Category 5 Atlantic hurricane on record.
Hurricane Debby made landfall on August 5 in the Big Bend region of Florida as a Category 1 storm. Debby's heavy rainfall caused both flash and river flooding across the southeastern United States, particularly from Florida to the Carolinas.
Hurricane Francine formed off the coast of Mexico and made landfall in Louisiana on September 11 with winds of 100 mph.
Then came one of the year’s deadliest storms. Hurricane Helene made landfall near Perry, Florida, on September 26 as a Category 4 storm with maximum sustained winds of 140 mph. The storm killed more than 230 people in six states.
October brought Hurricane Milton, the most intense Atlantic basin hurricane since Hurricane Dorian in 2019. Milton strengthened into a Category 5 storm in the Gulf of Mexico and moved south of Tampa, making landfall on October 9 as a Category 3 storm with maximum winds of 120 mph.
As of November 14, the Atlantic hurricane season has caused more than 300 deaths and nearly $190 billion in damage. Most of the deaths have been caused by Hurricanes Beryl, Helene, and Milton, while most of the damage has been caused by Hurricanes Helene and Milton.
