Tropical Storm Choi-wan, known in the Philippines as Tropical Storm Dante, was a

tropical storm A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system with a low-pressure area, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depending on its lo ...

which caused moderate flooding and damage in the

Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...

and also affected

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...

in late May and early June 2021. The third named storm of the

2021 Pacific typhoon season The 2021 Pacific typhoon season was the second consecutive season to have below average tropical cyclone activity, with twenty-two tropical cyclone naming, named storms, and was the least active since 2011 Pacific typhoon season, 2011. Nine beca ...

, Choi-wan originated from an area of low pressure, located south-southeast of

Guam Guam ( ; ) is an island that is an Territories of the United States, organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. Guam's capital is Hagåtña, Guam, Hagåtña, and the most ...

near a brewing system. Fueled by an environment favorable for

tropical cyclogenesis Tropical cyclogenesis is the development and strengthening of a tropical cyclone in the atmosphere. The mechanisms through which tropics, tropical cyclogenesis occur are distinctly different from those through which temperate cyclogenesis occu ...

, it developed into a tropical depression, two days later as it moved westward. At 00:00 UTC on May 31, the system strengthened to a tropical storm and was named ''Choi-wan'' by the JMA. Although the storm was still located in the conductive conditions off the

Philippine Sea The Philippine Sea is a List of seas#Marginal seas by ocean, marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean, Western Pacific Ocean east of the list of islands of the Philippines, Philippine Archipelago (hence the name) and the List of seas#Largest seas ...

while moving northwestward, a

tropical upper tropospheric trough A tropical upper tropospheric trough (TUTT), also known as the mid-oceanic trough, is a trough situated in the upper-level (at about 200 hPa) tropics. Its formation is usually caused by the intrusion of energy and wind from the mid-latitudes into ...

to the northeast halted the system's intensification, with Choi-wan's convection displaced to the south of its circulation on

satellite imagery Satellite images (also Earth observation imagery, spaceborne photography, or simply satellite photo) are images of Earth collected by imaging satellites operated by governments and businesses around the world. Satellite imaging companies sell im ...

. Heavy rains caused floods across a majority of

Mindanao Mindanao ( ) is the List of islands of the Philippines, second-largest island in the Philippines, after Luzon, and List of islands by population, seventh-most populous island in the world. Located in the southern region of the archipelago, the ...

and

Visayas The Visayas ( ), or the Visayan Islands (Bisayan languages, Visayan: ''Kabisay-an'', ; Filipino language, Filipino: ''Kabisayaan'' ), are one of the three Island groups of the Philippines, principal geographical divisions of the Philippines, a ...

; 11 fatalities were reported and 2 people are missing. In the southwestern Philippines, 45,000 people were impacted while more than 12,000 sheltered at evacuation centers to ride out the cyclone. In

Western Visayas Western Visayas (; ; ) is an Regions of the Philippines, administrative region in the Philippines, numerically designated as Region VI. The region comprises the islands of Panay and Guimaras Island, Guimaras. It consists of five Provinces of the ...

, 895 people were also evacuated on June 2. Around 4,813 individuals were displaced in

Agusan del Norte Agusan del Norte, officially the Province of Agusan del Norte (; Butuanon: ''Probinsya hong Agusan del Norte''; ), is a province in the Caraga region of the Philippines. Its ''de jure'' capital is the city of Cabadbaran with several government o ...

Meteorological history

On May 27, the

Japan Meteorological Agency The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA; ''気象庁, Kishō-chō'') is a division of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism dedicated to the Scientific, scientific observation and research of natural phenomena. Headquartered ...

(JMA) and the

Joint Typhoon Warning Center The Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) is a joint United States Navy – United States Air Force command in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The JTWC is responsible for the issuing of tropical cyclone warnings in the North-West Pacific Ocean, South P ...

(JTWC) noted the persistence of an area of

atmospheric convection Atmospheric convection is the vertical transport of heat and moisture in the atmosphere. It occurs when warmer, less dense air rises, while cooler, denser air sinks. This process is driven by parcel-environment instability, meaning that a "par ...

about south-southeast of

. The convection's nearby environment exhibited low vertical wind shear and warm sea surface temperatures; ideal conditions for

. The JMA assessed the area of convection to have developed into a tropical depression on May 29 at 06:00 UTC around . The PAGASA made a similar assessment in a Tropical Cyclone Advisory issued at 15:00 UTC. The JTWC later followed with their own assessment, identifying the center of the newly developed tropical depression approximately south-southeast of

Angaur , or in Palauan, is an island and state in the Island country, island nation of Palau. History Angaur was traditionally divided among some eight clans. Traditional features within clan areas represent important symbols giving identity to fam ...

Palau Palau, officially the Republic of Palau, is an island country in the Micronesia subregion of Oceania in the western Pacific Ocean. The Republic of Palau consists of approximately 340 islands and is the western part of the Caroline Islands ...

and assigning the designation ''04W''. As the system tracked westward, it entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility at 01:00 PHT (17:00 UTC). The PAGASA then named the storm ''Dante'' in its first Tropical Cyclone Bulletin for the storm. Choi-wan intensified further in the

and the JTWC had determined that the depression strengthened into a tropical storm. Later on, the

also upgraded the system into a tropical storm, and the storm was then named ''Choi-wan''. Choi-wan's center was exposed due to a

from the northeast, inducing shear on the system. The system continued to move northwestward before taking a west-northwestward track while continuing to struggle from moderate shear. At 20:30 PHT (01:30 UTC), Choi-wan struck Sulat, Eastern Samar as a minimal tropical storm. Midway through its transit through the Philippines, the JTWC then downgraded it into a tropical depression.Alt URL
/ref> It then made a second

landfall Landfall is the event of a storm moving over land after being over water. More broadly, and in relation to human travel, it refers to 'the first land that is reached or seen at the end of a journey across the sea or through the air, or the fact ...

on the municipality of Cataingan on the island of

Masbate Masbate, officially the Province of Masbate (Masbateño language, Masbateño: ''Probinsya san Masbate''; ), is an island Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located near the midsection of the nation's archipelago. Its provi ...

at 17:00 UTC on June 1 before it made another

in Balud at 19:30 UTC, still in the province. It traversed the

Sibuyan Sea The Sibuyan Sea is a small sea in the Philippines separating Luzon and the Visayas. It is bounded by the island of Panay to the south, Mindoro to the west, Masbate to the east, and to the north Marinduque and the Bicol Peninsula of Luzon. ...

then made a fourth landfall in the island of Romblon, Romblon at 00:00 UTC on the next day. It crossed the Romblon Pass before making a fifth landfall in the municipality of San Agustin, fifty minutes after the previous one, still in the province. Choi-wan then headed northwest while struggling to reorganize under the waters of the

Tablas Strait Tablas Strait (), also Tabuas Strait, is a strait in the Philippines separating Mindoro Island, Tablas Island, Panay and Romblon Romblon (, , ), officially the Province of Romblon, is an archipelagic province of the Philippines located in t ...

, and then making a sixth landfall in

Pola, Oriental Mindoro Pola, officially the Municipality of Pola (), is a municipality in the province of Oriental Mindoro, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 35,455 people. It is from Calapan. Pola is known as the birthplace of former ...

at 06:00 UTC. It traversed the island of Mindoro with the system being disorganized again before exiting into the

Verde Island Passage The Verde Island Passage is a strait that separates the islands of Luzon and Mindoro in the Philippines, connecting the South China Sea with the Tayabas Bay and the Sibuyan Sea beyond. Traditionally, the sea lane has been one of the busiest ...

. Choi-wan then made a seventh landfall in Marincaban Island, Tingloy, Batangas at 11:20 UTC. Continuing to move northwestward, the system made an eighth and final landfall in the Calatagan Peninsula in

Batangas Batangas, officially the Province of Batangas ( ), is a first class province of the Philippines located in the southwestern part of Luzon in the Calabarzon region. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 2,908,494 people, making ...

at 12:00 UTC on June 2 before exiting back into the

South China Sea The South China Sea is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean. It is bounded in the north by South China, in the west by the Indochinese Peninsula, in the east by the islands of Taiwan island, Taiwan and northwestern Philippines (mainly Luz ...

. Despite the system being predicted to dissipate in the area, warm

sea surface temperatures Sea surface temperature (or ocean surface temperature) is the ocean temperature, temperature of ocean water close to the surface. The exact meaning of ''surface'' varies in the literature and in practice. It is usually between and below the sea ...

aided Choi-wan to restrengthen to a tropical storm at 03:00 UTC on the next day. A large

high-pressure area A high-pressure area, high, or anticyclone, is an area near the surface of a planet where the atmospheric pressure is greater than the pressure in the surrounding regions. Highs are middle-scale meteorological features that result from interpl ...

in the central

Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five Borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is ...

and an

anticyclone A high-pressure area, high, or anticyclone, is an area near the surface of a planet where the atmospheric pressure is greater than the pressure in the surrounding regions. Highs are middle-scale meteorological features that result from interpl ...

over China turned the system north-northeastward, with the storm exiting the

Philippine Area of Responsibility The Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) is an area in the Northwestern Pacific where PAGASA, the Philippines' national meteorological agency, monitors weather occurrences. Significant weather disturbances, specifically typhoons that enter o ...

at 18:00 UTC. Dry air yet again impacted the storm, with Choi-wan's convection being displaced to the west as it approached

and as a result, the storm weakened again to a tropical depression per the estimates of the JTWC and the PAGASA. At 08:00 UTC on June 4, Choi-wan reentered the PAR before the system started to merge with an existing meiyu front which extends from China to the Japanese Islands and at the same time, passing to the south of

. At 1:00 UTC, the system re-exited the PAR for the second and final time as it headed north-northeastward. While passing through the

Ryukyu Islands The , also known as the or the , are a chain of Japanese islands that stretch southwest from Kyushu to Geography of Taiwan, Taiwan: the Ryukyu Islands are divided into the Satsunan Islands (Ōsumi Islands, Ōsumi, Tokara Islands, Tokara and A ...

, the JMA issued their final warning on Choi-wan as it transitioned to an

extratropical storm Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are low-pressure areas which, along with the anticyclones of high-pressure areas, drive the weather over much of the Earth. Extratropical cyclones are capable of p ...

as it was still embedded in the front.

Preparations and impact

Philippines

As Choi-wan (known locally as Dante) approached the Philippines, Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal (TCWS) #1 was issued in most of

Luzon Luzon ( , ) is the largest and most populous List of islands in the Philippines, island in the Philippines. Located in the northern portion of the List of islands of the Philippines, Philippine archipelago, it is the economic and political ce ...

, the

and

on May 31. The next day, as Dante came closer to landfall, TCWS #2 was issued across a stretch of the eastern Philippines extending northward from

Biliran Biliran, officially the Province of Biliran (Waray language, Waray-Waray: ''Probinsya han Biliran''; ; ), is an island province in the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas Regions of the Philippines, region (Region VIII). Biliran is one of ...

and

Samar Samar ( ) is the third-largest and seventh-most populous island in the Philippines, with a total population of 1,909,537 as of the 2020 census. It is located in the eastern Visayas, which are in the central Philippines. The island is divided in ...

Quezon Quezon, officially the Province of Quezon () and historically known as Tayabas, is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Calabarzon Regions of the Philippines, region on Luzon. Lucena, a highly urbanized ci ...

. Before the landfalls of Choi-wan, the NDRRMC conducted a risk assessment for the approaching storm on May 31 while over

₱ The Philippine peso sign (₱) is the currency symbol used for the Philippine peso, the official currency of the Philippines. The symbol resembles a Latin script, Latin letter P with two horizontal strokes. It differs from the currency symbol u ...

1.105 billion worth of standby funds were dispersed by the country's Social Welfare and Development department for the evacuees. The

Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS, ; ) is a Philippine national institution dedicated to provide information on the activities of volcanoes, earthquakes, and tsunamis, as well as other specialized information and ...

(PHIVOLCS), in the other hand, issued an advisory for possible lahar on June 1 for the

Mayon Volcano Mayon (; , ), also known as Mount Mayon and Mayon Volcano is an active stratovolcano in the province of Albay in Bicol, Philippines. A popular tourist spot, it is renowned for its "perfect cone" because of its symmetric conical shape, and i ...

. At least 604 people were forced to take shelter in evacuation centers in

Davao City Davao City, officially the City of Davao, is a City of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Davao Region, Philippines. The city has a total land area of , making it the List of Philippine cities and municipalities ...

. Elsewhere, classes were suspended and workplaces closed in

Sorsogon Sorsogon, officially the Province of Sorsogon ( Bikol: ''Probinsya kan Sorsogon''; Waray: ''Probinsya han Sorsogon''; ), is a province in the Philippines located in the Bicol Region. It is the southernmost province in the island of Luzon and ...

on June 1 and 2. 500 families in

were forced to flee their homes as flash floods swept across the region. A total of 45,000 people were impacted in the southwestern Philippines, while 12,000 were safely evacuated. In

, 895 people were evacuated on June 2. Within

Negros Occidental Negros Occidental (; ), officially the Province of Negros Occidental (; ), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Negros, Negros Island. Its capital is the city of Bacolod, of which it is geographically s ...

, sea travel was suspended and citizens reported flooding. A preemptive evacuation were ordered on

Albay Albay (IPA: ), officially the Province of Albay (; ; Baybayin, ᜎᜎᜏᜒᜄᜈ᜔ ᜈᜅ᜔ ᜀᜎ᜔ᜊᜌ᜔), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Bicol Region of the Philippines, mostly on the southeastern part of the isla ...

's landslide, flood and lahar-prone areas on the same day. The province of

Ilocos Norte Ilocos Norte (), officially the Province of Ilocos Norte (; ), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province of the Philippines located in the Ilocos Region. It is located in the northwest corner of Luzon island, bordering Cagayan and Apayao to t ...

Northern Luzon Luzon ( , ) is the largest and most populous List of islands in the Philippines, island in the Philippines. Located in the northern portion of the List of islands of the Philippines, Philippine archipelago, it is the economic and political ce ...

were placed on heightened alert, also on the same day, following Choi-wan's approach as the storm progressed in the

. In Mindanao, heavy rains caused flash floods and landslides from May 29 to June 1, affecting at least 2,642 people and destroying crops. Floods killed a girl and left her father missing in

South Cotabato South Cotabato, officially the Province of South Cotabato, is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Soccsksargen Regions of the Philippines, region in Mindanao. Its capital is Koronadal (also the regional cen ...

, and drowned a man in

Davao del Sur Davao del Sur (; ), officially the Province of Davao del Sur (; ), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Davao Region in Mindanao. Its capital is Digos. Davao City is the largest city in terms of area an ...

. A landslide killed a baby in

Davao de Oro Davao de Oro, officially the Province of Davao de Oro (; ), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Davao Region in Mindanao. Its capital is Nabunturan while Monkayo is the most populous. It used to be part ...

. Damage to agriculture in Mindanao was valued at

14.6 million (US$305,000). A pick-up truck was swept up by floods and both of its two passengers were left missing, although they were later found alive with the truck being damaged beyond recognition. Around 4,813 citizens were displaced in Agusan del Norte from Choi-wan. Choi-wan caused

307.2 million in damage (US$6.39 million) to infrastructure and in the agricultural industry across both Visayas and Mindanao throughout its path on June 1–2. Choi-wan later scraped the coastline of Batangas Province in

, causing minimal impact, before exiting into the coastal waters near

Oriental Mindoro Oriental Mindoro (), officially the Province of Oriental Mindoro (), is a province in the Philippines located on the island of Mindoro under Mimaropa region in Luzon, about southwest of Manila. The province is bordered by the Verde Island P ...

. 2 people, a 28-year-old man and 32-year-old woman, died in Oriental Mindoro after being struck by lightning, the man dying immediately and the woman dying on arrival to the hospital due to her injuries. A 19-year-old teen died in

Occidental Mindoro Occidental Mindoro (), officially the Province of Occidental Mindoro ( or ''Lalawigan ng Occidental Mindoro''), is a province in the Philippines located in the Mimaropa region. The province occupies the western half of the island of Mindoro. I ...

after also being struck by lightning in San Jose. 11 people in total died across the Philippines, while at least 2 are still missing as of June 6.

Taiwan

The

Central Weather Bureau The Central Weather Administration (CWA; ) is the government meteorological research and forecasting institution of Taiwan (the Republic of China). In addition to meteorology, the Central Weather Administration also makes astronomical observation ...

of Taiwan issued land wind warnings across the country on June 3 as Choi-wan approached the country from the southwest. Heavy rain alerts were also issued for 15

counties A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...

as Choi-wan interacted with a front which was also delivering rainfall to the country. Roads in Greater Taipei were flooded and became impassable, while trees collapsed under the dampened soil. of rain fell in

Taipei , nickname = The City of Azaleas , image_map = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Taiwan#Asia#Pacific Ocean#Earth , coordinates = , subdivision_type = Country ...

within just three hours, while an estimated of rain fell near the

National Taiwan University National Taiwan University (NTU; zh, t=國立臺灣大學, poj=Kok-li̍p Tâi-oân Tāi-ha̍k, p=, s=) is a National university, national Public university, public research university in Taipei, Taiwan. Founded in 1928 during Taiwan under J ...

. The districts of

Daan Daan or Da'an may refer to: People * Daan (given name), Dutch short form for Daniel * Saumya Daan (born 1982), Indian voice actor * Serge Daan (1940–2018), Dutch zoologist Places Mainland China * Da'an, Hengyang (), a township in Hengyang ...

, Wenshan, Nangang, Neihu, and Xinyi in Taipei all reported over of rain due to the combination of the frontal system and Choi-wan, according to Taipei Mayor

Ko Wen-je Ko Wen-je ( zh, c=柯文哲; born 6 August 1959), also known by his nickname, Ko P, is a Taiwanese politician and physician who served as the Mayor of Taipei, mayor of Taipei from 2014 to 2022. He founded the Taiwan People's Party (TPP) in 201 ...

. Wind warnings related to Choi-wan were lifted on June 4 as the storm weakened to a tropical depression, although rain warnings remained in effect as the unrelated frontal system continued to produce heavy rainfall.

References

External links