Typhoon Neoguri (2008)
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Typhoon Neoguri (), known in the Philippines as Typhoon Ambo, was the earliest
tropical cyclone 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 locat ...
on record to strike
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
since
Typhoon Chanchu Typhoon Chanchu, known in the Philippines as Typhoon Caloy, was the most intense typhoon in the South China Sea in the month of May according to the Hong Kong Observatory (HKO). The first named storm of the 2006 Pacific typhoon season, Chanc ...
in
2006 2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification. Events January * January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute. * January 12 – A stampede during t ...
. The first named storm in the
2008 Pacific typhoon season The 2008 Pacific typhoon season was a below average season which featured 22 named storms, eleven typhoons, and two super typhoons. The season had no official bounds; it ran year-round in 2008, but most tropical cyclones tend to form in the north ...
, named after the
Korean Korean may refer to: People and culture * Koreans, people from the Korean peninsula or of Korean descent * Korean culture * Korean language **Korean alphabet, known as Hangul or Korean **Korean dialects **See also: North–South differences in t ...
word for
raccoon dog ''Nyctereutes'' (Greek: ''nyx, nykt-'' "night" + ''ereutēs'' "wanderer") is a genus of canid which includes only two extant species, both known as raccoon dogs: the common raccoon dog (''Nyctereutes procyonoides'') and the Japanese raccoon do ...
, it formed from a
low pressure area In meteorology, a low-pressure area (LPA), low area or low is a region where the atmospheric pressure is lower than that of surrounding locations. It is the opposite of a high-pressure area. Low-pressure areas are commonly associated with inclem ...
on April 13 to the east of the
Philippine 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 ...
island 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 after crossing the island it intensified into a tropical storm in 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 ...
. Environmental conditions allowed for quick strengthening, with Neoguri attaining typhoon status on April 16. The typhoon reached its peak intensity on April 18 as it approached the island of
Hainan Hainan is an island provinces of China, province and the southernmost province of China. It consists of the eponymous Hainan Island and various smaller islands in the South China Sea under the province's administration. The name literally mean ...
, and subsequently it turned northward. Due to increased
wind shear Wind shear (; also written windshear), sometimes referred to as wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and/or direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere. Atmospheric wind shear is normally described as either vertical ...
and cooler waters, Neoguri rapidly weakened and made
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 ...
as a minimal tropical storm in southern China on April 19. In the southern Philippines, the storm brought heavy rainfall, which left a person missing when a boat capsized. The typhoon left 40 fishermen missing in the South China Sea. Neoguri brought heavy rainfall as it made its final landfall on China, causing moderate damage totaling over ¥296 million (2008 
RMB The renminbi ( ; symbol: ¥; ISO code: CNY; abbreviation: RMB), also known as the Chinese yuan, is the official currency of the People's Republic of China. The renminbi is issued by the People's Bank of China, the monetary authority of Chin ...
, $42 million 2008 
USD The United States dollar (symbol: $; currency code: USD) is the official currency of the United States and several other countries. The Coinage Act of 1792 introduced the U.S. dollar at par with the Spanish silver dollar, divided it int ...
). Three deaths occurred in China.


Meteorological history

An area of disorganized
convection Convection is single or Multiphase flow, multiphase fluid flow that occurs Spontaneous process, spontaneously through the combined effects of material property heterogeneity and body forces on a fluid, most commonly density and gravity (see buoy ...
persisted east-northeast of
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 ...
on April 11 in association with a sharp easterly
wave In physics, mathematics, engineering, and related fields, a wave is a propagating dynamic disturbance (change from List of types of equilibrium, equilibrium) of one or more quantities. ''Periodic waves'' oscillate repeatedly about an equilibrium ...
, and within the system, a
low pressure area In meteorology, a low-pressure area (LPA), low area or low is a region where the atmospheric pressure is lower than that of surrounding locations. It is the opposite of a high-pressure area. Low-pressure areas are commonly associated with inclem ...
was evident between Palau and
Yap Yap (, sometimes written as , or ) traditionally refers to an island group located in the Caroline Islands of the western Pacific Ocean, a part of Yap State. The name "Yap" in recent years has come to also refer to the state within the Federate ...
. Located beneath a developing
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 ...
, with limited
wind shear Wind shear (; also written windshear), sometimes referred to as wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and/or direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere. Atmospheric wind shear is normally described as either vertical ...
and enhanced
diffluence Deformation is the rate of change of shape of fluid bodies. Meteorologically, this quantity is very important in the formation of atmospheric fronts, in the explanation of cloud shapes, and in the diffusion of materials and properties.Djurić, D ...
, the system encountered favorable conditions for development. By April 13, a low-level circulation had formed and started consolidating about 260 km (160 mi) southeast of
Bislig Bislig, officially the City of Bislig (; ), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, component city in the Provinces of the Philippines, province of Surigao del Sur, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of ...
on
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 ...
island 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 ...
. At around the same time, weak
rainbands A rainband is a cloud and precipitation structure associated with an area of rainfall which is significantly elongated. Rainbands in tropical cyclones can be either stratiform or convective and are curved in shape. They consist of showers and ...
began wrapping into the center. At 1200 
UTC Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) is the primary time standard globally used to regulate clocks and time. It establishes a reference for the current time, forming the basis for civil time and time zones. UTC facilitates international communica ...
on April 13, the JMA classified it as a weak tropical depression. Its development was impeded somewhat as it crossed Mindanao and
Negros Negros (, , ) is the fourth largest and third most populous island in the Philippines, with a total land area of . The coastal zone of the southern part of Negros is identified as a site of highest marine biodiversity importance in the Coral Tr ...
island, though the circulation consolidated while convective banding features increased. Later that day, the
Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (, abbreviated as PAGASA , which means "hope" as in the Tagalog word ''pag-asa'') is the National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHS) agency of the P ...
(PAGASA) classified the system as Tropical Depression Ambo, and early on April 14 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) classified it as Tropical Depression 02W about 300 km (185 mi north of the
Zamboanga Peninsula Zamboanga Peninsula (; ; ) is an administrative region in Mindanao, Philippines, designated as Region IX. It consists of the provinces of Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga Sibugay and Zamboanga del Sur, and the cities of Isabela and Zamboang ...
). Also, PAGASA declared "Ambo" at 0300 UTC April 14 to be within
Dumaguete Dumaguete, officially the City of Dumaguete (; ; ), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, component city and capital of the Provinces of the Philippines, province of Negros Oriental, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it h ...
. The depression continued westward, along the southern periphery of a strong
subtropical ridge The horse latitudes are the latitudes about 30 degrees north and south of the Equator. They are characterized by sunny skies, calm winds, and very little precipitation. They are also known as subtropical ridges or highs. It is a high-pressur ...
extending from southeastern Asia to north 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 ...
. After it entered the
Sulu Sea The Sulu Sea (; Tausug: ''Dagat sin Sūg''; ; ) is a body of water in the southwestern area of the Philippines, separated from the South China Sea in the northwest by Palawan and from the Celebes Sea in the southeast by the Sulu Archipela ...
, the convection and circulation continued to consolidate, while its anticyclone aloft provided excellent
outflow Outflow may refer to: *Capital outflow, the capital leaving a particular economy *Bipolar outflow, in astronomy, two continuous flows of gas from the poles of a star * Outflow (hydrology), the discharge of a lake or other reservoir system *Outflow ...
. Based on satellite intensity estimates using the
Dvorak technique The Dvorak technique (developed between 1969 and 1984 by Vernon Dvorak) is a widely used system to estimate tropical cyclone intensity (which includes tropical depression, tropical storm, and hurricane/typhoon/intense tropical cyclone intensities ...
, the JTWC upgraded the depression to Tropical Storm 02W midday on April 14. At 0000 UTC on April 15, the JMA classified the system as a full tropical depression, and six hours later the agency upgraded it to Tropical Storm Neoguri after it crossed
Palawan Palawan (, ), officially the Province of Palawan (; ), is an archipelagic province of the Philippines that is located in the region of Mimaropa. It is the largest province in the country in terms of total area of . The capital and largest c ...
island 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 ...
. Shortly thereafter, the PAGASA issued its last advisory on the cyclone as the storm moved out of their area of warning responsibility. After attaining tropical storm status, significant intensification was limited due to a slight increase in wind shear as well as impeded outflow. The slowing of the strengthening trend was temporary, and by early on April 16 the organization had rapidly improved. As a result, the JMA upgraded Neoguri to a severe tropical storm. Warm water temperatures contributed to further intensification, and an
eye An eye is a sensory organ that allows an organism to perceive visual information. It detects light and converts it into electro-chemical impulses in neurons (neurones). It is part of an organism's visual system. In higher organisms, the ey ...
formed in the center of the convection. At 1200 UTC on April 16, the JMA classified Neoguri as a typhoon about 350 km (220 mi) east of
Qui Nhon Quy Nhon ( ) is a coastal city in Bình Định province in central Vietnam. It is composed of 16 wards and five communes with a total of . Quy Nhon was the capital of the former Bình Định province. As of 2022 its population was 481.110. H ...
,
Vietnam Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...
. An approaching mid-level
trough Trough may refer to: In science * Trough (geology), a long depression less steep than a trench * Trough (meteorology), an elongated region of low atmospheric pressure * Trough (physics), the lowest point on a wave * Trough level (medicine), the l ...
turned the typhoon northwestward, which enhanced outflow and contributed to further intensification. Late on April 17, the JTWC assessed Neoguri as attaining peak winds of 175 km/h (110 mph), averaged over a duration of one minute, near the
Paracel Islands The Paracel Islands, also known as the Xisha Islands () and the Hoàng Sa Archipelago (), are a disputed archipelago in the South China Sea and currently controlled by the People's Republic of China. The word ''paracel'' is of Portuguese origi ...
. Early the next day, the JMA estimated Neoguri reached its peak intensity with ten-minute sustained winds of 150 km/h (90 mph), about 190 km (120 mi) east of
Sanya Sanya; Chinese postal romanization, also spelled Samah is the southernmost city on Hainan Island, and one of the four prefecture-level cities of Hainan, Hainan Province in Southeast China, South China. According to the Sixth National Populati ...
on the southern tip of
Hainan Hainan is an island provinces of China, province and the southernmost province of China. It consists of the eponymous Hainan Island and various smaller islands in the South China Sea under the province's administration. The name literally mean ...
. Typhoon Neoguri underwent an
eyewall replacement cycle In meteorology, eyewall replacement cycles, also called concentric eyewall cycles, naturally occur in intense tropical cyclones with maximum sustained winds greater than , or hurricane-force, and particularly in major hurricanes of Saffir–Simps ...
around the time it reached peak intensity; the inner eyewall collapsed, and the outer eyewall contracted to a diameter of 65 km (40 mi). Upon attaining peak winds, the typhoon had turned northward, and the
China Meteorological Administration The China Meteorological Administration (CMA) is the national weather service of the People's Republic of China. The institution is located in Beijing. History The agency was originally established in December 1949 as the Central Military Comm ...
assessed Neoguri as moving ashore along Hainan island near
Wenchang Wenchang ( postal: Mencheong; ; Hainanese spellings: Boon Siou) is a county-level city in the northeast of Hainan Island in China. Covering an area of , the city has a coastline of , and is divided into 17 towns. The city is a major target for t ...
. However, other agencies assessed the typhoon as tracking parallel to the eastern coastline just offshore. Land interaction and wind shear weakened the typhoon, and by April 19 it had weakened to a tropical storm. Cooler waters contributed to further weakening, causing its convection to diminish significantly and for its circulation to become elongated. After turning to the north-northeast, Neoguri made
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
Guangdong ) means "wide" or "vast", and has been associated with the region since the creation of Guang Prefecture in AD 226. The name "''Guang''" ultimately came from Guangxin ( zh, labels=no, first=t, t= , s=广信), an outpost established in Han dynasty ...
province in southern China, a short distance west of
Macau Macau or Macao is a special administrative regions of China, special administrative region of the People's Republic of China (PRC). With a population of about people and a land area of , it is the most List of countries and dependencies by p ...
as a weak tropical storm. Neoguri made landfall on China earlier than any other tropical cyclone on record, about two weeks prior to the previous record set by Typhoon Wanda in
1971 * The year 1971 had three partial solar eclipses (Solar eclipse of February 25, 1971, February 25, Solar eclipse of July 22, 1971, July 22 and Solar eclipse of August 20, 1971, August 20) and two total lunar eclipses (February 1971 lunar eclip ...
. Shortly after moving ashore, the JTWC issued its final warning as the cyclone began dissipating.


Preparations and impact

As Ambo (Neoguri) passed directly through many parts Visayas and Mindanao, PAGASA issued Public Storm Warning Signals for these areas. Signal number one was issued for southern
Negros Negros (, , ) is the fourth largest and third most populous island in the Philippines, with a total land area of . The coastal zone of the southern part of Negros is identified as a site of highest marine biodiversity importance in the Coral Tr ...
,
Siquijor Siquijor ( , ), officially the Province of Siquijor (; ), is a Philippines, Philippine Provinces of the Philippines, island province (List of islands of the Philippines, the third smallest in the country, in terms of population and land area) ...
and
Camiguin Camiguin, officially the Province of Camiguin (; ; Kamigin: ''Probinsya ta Kamigin''), is an island province in the Philippines located in the Bohol Sea, about off the northern coast of mainland Mindanao. It is geographically part of Region ...
. This storm signal was later scaled back up until the storm reached
Palawan Palawan (, ), officially the Province of Palawan (; ), is an archipelagic province of the Philippines that is located in the region of Mimaropa. It is the largest province in the country in terms of total area of . The capital and largest c ...
and 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 ...
. As a tropical depression, Neoguri (Ambo) brought heavy rainfall to many portions of 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 ...
, including even
Metro Manila Metropolitan Manila ( ), commonly shortened to Metro Manila and formally the National Capital Region (NCR; ), is the capital region and largest List of metropolitan areas in the Philippines, metropolitan area of the Philippines. Located ...
. In
Cebu City Cebu City, officially the City of Cebu, is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Central Visayas region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 964,169 people, making ...
, the precipitation caused flooding, which forced 62 people to evacuate their houses. In the
Camotes Islands The Camotes Islands are a group of islands in the Camotes Sea, Philippines. Combined area is . The island group is located east of Cebu Island, southwest of Leyte Island, and north of Bohol Island. It is from Cebu City and is part of the Pr ...
, rough waves capsized a motorboat with six passengers; five were rescued, with the other reported missing. But the storm at least alleviated for a few days the heat that has been experienced over
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 ...
from the past weeks. However, the storm did not stop the Palarong Pambansa (National Games in the Philippines) which was held in
Puerto Princesa City Puerto Princesa (, American Spanish: , European Spanish: ), officially the City of Puerto Princesa ( Cuyonon: ''Siyudad i'ang Puerto Princesa''; ), is a highly urbanized city in the Mimaropa region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 cen ...
in
Palawan Palawan (, ), officially the Province of Palawan (; ), is an archipelagic province of the Philippines that is located in the region of Mimaropa. It is the largest province in the country in terms of total area of . The capital and largest c ...
, one of the areas said by PAGASA to see stormy weather. In preparation for the storm, about 21,800 fishing boats in the Chinese province of
Hainan Hainan is an island provinces of China, province and the southernmost province of China. It consists of the eponymous Hainan Island and various smaller islands in the South China Sea under the province's administration. The name literally mean ...
returned to port, and about 120,000 people evacuated from fish farms and low-lying areas on the island. Officials halted ferry service between Hainan and the
Leizhou Peninsula The Leizhou Peninsula, alternately romanized as the Luichow Peninsula, is a peninsula in the southernmost part of Guangdong province in South China. As of 2015, the population of the peninsula was 5,694,245. The largest city by population and ...
in
Guangdong ) means "wide" or "vast", and has been associated with the region since the creation of Guang Prefecture in AD 226. The name "''Guang''" ultimately came from Guangxin ( zh, labels=no, first=t, t= , s=广信), an outpost established in Han dynasty ...
province. Offshore, 56 fishermen rode out the storm in a shelter on the
Paracel Islands The Paracel Islands, also known as the Xisha Islands () and the Hoàng Sa Archipelago (), are a disputed archipelago in the South China Sea and currently controlled by the People's Republic of China. The word ''paracel'' is of Portuguese origi ...
; 38 people were rescued shortly after the storm, and initially eighteen people were reported missing. The eighteen missing fishermen were found thirty hours after Neoguri struck. The ship they were on had sunk, and the crew clung to debris and made makeshift rafts to survive in the waters. However, another 18 Chinese fisherman and 22 Vietnamese fisherman remain missing. On Hainan island, the storm left the city of Wenchang without power. Along the mainland, ferry service was temporarily stopped between
Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...
and
Macau Macau or Macao is a special administrative regions of China, special administrative region of the People's Republic of China (PRC). With a population of about people and a land area of , it is the most List of countries and dependencies by p ...
. At the
Hong Kong International Airport Hong Kong International Airport is an international airport on the island of Chek Lap Kok in western Hong Kong. The airport is also referred to as Chek Lap Kok International Airport or Chek Lap Kok Airport, to distinguish it from its predec ...
, over 200 flights were delayed due to the threat of the storm; additionally, around 30 were canceled, and 66 others were deviated elsewhere. The
Hong Kong Observatory The Hong Kong Observatory is a weather forecast agency of the government of Hong Kong. The Observatory forecasts the weather and issues warnings on weather-related hazards. It also monitors and makes assessments on radiation levels in Hong ...
issued a standby warning signal on April 17, which was the second earliest standby signal on record. One day later, the No. 3 strong wind signal was issued, the earliest in record. As it moved ashore, the storm brought heavy rainfall, with one station reporting 237 mm (9.35 in) in one day. Strong winds downed coconut and banana trees, with agricultural damage totaling over ¥200 million (2008 
RMB The renminbi ( ; symbol: ¥; ISO code: CNY; abbreviation: RMB), also known as the Chinese yuan, is the official currency of the People's Republic of China. The renminbi is issued by the People's Bank of China, the monetary authority of Chin ...
, $28 million 2008 
USD The United States dollar (symbol: $; currency code: USD) is the official currency of the United States and several other countries. The Coinage Act of 1792 introduced the U.S. dollar at par with the Spanish silver dollar, divided it int ...
). Structural damage amounted to ¥96 million (2008 RMB, $14 million 2008 USD). Three fatalities were confirmed in China, two due to a road being covered in a mud flow, and another due to winds blowing a sheet of aluminum into a person, throwing them off the roof of a stadium.


See also

* Other tropical cyclones named Neoguri * Other tropical cyclones named Ambo *
Timeline of the 2008 Pacific typhoon season This timeline documents all the storm formations, strengthening, weakening, landfalls, extratropical transitions, as well as dissipation during the 2008 Pacific typhoon season. The 2008 Pacific typhoon season officially started on January 1, 2008 ...


References


External links

*The JMA'
Best Track Data
on Typhoon Neoguri (0801) *The JMA'
RSMC Best Track Data (Graphics)
on Typhoon Neoguri (0801) *The JMA'

*The JTWC'
Best Track Data
on Typhoon 02W (Neoguri) {{DEFAULTSORT:Neoguri (2008) 2008 Pacific typhoon season 2008 disasters in the Philippines Typhoons in the Philippines Typhoons in China Typhoons in Hong Kong Neoguri