It has been so hot in Guangzhou this year that it has broken the longest summer record, and it's rare to see multiple typhoons coexisting at sea. How did all this happen? And what will the weather be like in the coming days?
Many places in the north have already come into winter, while many places in Guangdong are still experiencing summer-like weather. Why is autumn failing to arrive? The reason lies in the insufficient drop in temperature. On November 12th, the highest temperature in Guangzhou was even close to 30 °C.
On November 13th, under the bright sun, the vibrant colors of the bougainvillea on an overpass along Guangzhou Avenue caught the eye, attracting passersby to stop and admire the flowers despite the scorching heat. On that day, the maximum temperature in Guangzhou exceeded 30℃, marking the 235th summer day this year. (Photo: Zhang Guanjun, Nanfang Daily)
In meteorology, after summer, if the sliding average temperature is ≤22 °C for five consecutive days, then the first day is considered the start of autumn. However, due to the lack of strong cold air entering Guangdong to cool down in the second half of the year, it is especially difficult for cities in the central and southern parts of the province to enter autumn.
Taking Guangzhou as an example, it entered into summer on March 23rd. The average time for Guangzhou to enter autumn is November 9th, but as of November 13th, Guangzhou is still in summer. This means that Guangzhou's summer this year has lasted from March 23rd to November 13th, already 235 days long.
Historically, the longest summer in Guangzhou was in 1994, lasting 234 days. So far, Guangzhou has officially broken the record for the longest summer. Moreover, given the current temperature conditions, Guangzhou still doesn't meet the conditions to enter autumn, and the duration of this year's summer will continue to extend.
At present, the arrival of autumn in Guangzhou depends on the influx of cold air, and it is expected that the next significant cold front will have to wait until the 18th. Therefore, the record for the longest summer in Guangzhou will continue to be refreshed.
Typhoon Toraji is heading towards Western Guangdong
Compared to autumn, which is nowhere in sight, typhoons are "working overtime" to make their presence felt.
In the early morning of the 12th, Typhoon Usagi (tropical storm level) formed over the northwest Pacific Ocean. During the day on the 12th, there was a rare situation of four typhoons coexisting at sea, namely: Typhoon No. 22 Ginkgo, Typhoon No. 23 Toraji, Typhoon No. 24 Man Yi, and Typhoon No. 25 Usagi. As of 17:00 on the 12th, Typhoon Ginkgo further weakened, and the National Meteorological Centre stopped tracking it at 14:00 on the 12th.
Looking at the moving paths of these typhoons, it is expected that Typhoon Toraji will have a direct impact on Guangdong.
It is predicted that Typhoon Toraji will move west-northwest at a speed of 10-15 kilometers per hour, gradually approaching the western part of Guangdong and the eastern sea of Hainan Island, with its intensity slowly weakening; starting from the 14th, it will turn west-southwest over the eastern sea of Hainan Island.
Why are there still clusters of typhoons in November?
On the one hand, the subtropical high pressure has been unusually strong recently, with a stable and westward position, which is conducive to forming stable typhoons in the tropical convergence zone.
On the other hand, although the current land temperatures have dropped significantly compared to July to September, the sea temperatures are still relatively high, with some parts of the northwest Pacific and the South China Sea still above 26 °C, which is conducive to the formation and development of typhoons.
In the next few days, the overall weather in Guangdong will be stable; affected by the typhoon, strong winds will continue for a long time over the sea surface of the province and the northern part of the South China Sea.
Author: Huang Qini, Wang Yulin (intern)
Editor: Wei Shen, James, Shen He
