Typhoon Maysak: NZ livestock ship and crew missing in storm off Japan coast

Times of News

6 years ago

A cargo ship from New Zealand went missing off the coast of Japan on Thursday as a typhoon bore down on the region.

The Japanese coastguard rescued one person as it searched for the ship, which has 43 people and almost 6,000 cattle on board.

The ship sent a distress call from the west of Amami Oshima island in southwestern Japan as strong winds and rains from typhoon Maysak lashed the region.

The Gulf Livestock 1 left Napier on New Zealand’s north island on August 14 with 5,867 cattle, heading for the Port of Jingtang in Tangshan, China. The expedition was supposed to last for around 17 days, New Zealand’s foreign ministry told news agency Reuters.

The crew consisted of 39 citizens from the Philippines, two from New Zealand, and two from Australia, Japan’s coastguard confirmed.

A spokeswoman for the coastguard said one person was rescued on Wednesday night after being spotted wearing a life jacket during the search.

North and South Korea badly affected

Maysak has also been causing devastation in South Korea, with winds reaching up to 140 kilometers (87 miles) per hour, off the coastal region where the city of Gangneung is located. The typhoon is headed for North Korea, South Korea’s weather agency said.

Read more: Mauritius oil spill: Japan asked to pay $34 million, support local fishermen

North Korea’s state TV showed widespread flooding in the eastern coastal cities of Wonsan and Tanchon.

Typhoon Maysak is moving northward along the eastern side of the Korean Peninsula, in this image taken by South Korea’s geostationary satellite

1 death, more than 2,000 evacuated

Maysak has resulted in at least one person dying and more than 2,200 people fleeing their homes in South Korea. The typhoon has taken out dozens of trees, utility poles and lamp posts, ripped off signboards, and damaged or flooded numerous homes and vehicles.

A woman in the southern city of Busan died after being injured by shattered window glass.

Four nuclear power reactors near Busan automatically shut down, but no leak of radioactive materials has yet been detected, South Korea’s Ministry of the Interior and Safety said.

As of Thursday morning, officials have managed to restore electricity to roughly 40,000 homes with 80,000 still without power.

Cyclones, typhoons, hurricanes – the power of devastation

Social distancing impossible during Cyclone Amphan

Residents along Bangladesh’s coast are being moved to safety as one of the strongest cyclones in years strikes the region. Millions of people had to be evacuated from low-lying regions along the Bay of Bengal on May 19. But plans are complicated by the coronavirus precautions. Maintaining social distancing is nearly impossible.

Cyclones, typhoons, hurricanes – the power of devastation

Typhoon season amid the COVID-19 pandemic

On May 14, Typhoon Vongfong slammed the Philippines with strong winds and heavy rains, destroying the city of San Policarpo in the eastern province of Samar. At least five people died and more than 91,000 people were forced to leave their homes. Typhoons are not unusual in the Philippines at this time of year. But the COVID-19 outbreak lockdown measures are exacerbating the situation.

Cyclones, typhoons, hurricanes – the power of devastation

Three names – one phenomenon

Hurricane, typhoon, and cyclone are actually three names for the same phenomenon. Along the North American coast they are called hurricanes, in East and Southeast Asia they are called typhoons, and near India and Australia they are called cyclones. But despite the different names, they develop in the same way.

Cyclones, typhoons, hurricanes – the power of devastation

A cyclone is created

Tropical storms develop over oceans when the water temperature is at least 26 degrees Celsius (79 degrees Fahrenheit). As the warm water evaporates and condenses, the air around it heats up and drags cooler air upwards, creating powerful winds.

Cyclones, typhoons, hurricanes – the power of devastation

The eye of the storm

The Earth’s rotation causes the air stream to move around the eye of the storm, which can be up to 50 kilometers wide. This area is nearly completely free of clouds and wind.

Cyclones, typhoons, hurricanes – the power of devastation

A storm hits land

When a tropical storm hits a coastline, it becomes weaker due to the lack of warm water. In Australia, “Marcia” was soon downgraded to a category one storm, while “Lam” weakened after striking near Brisbane. Masses of water from the sea often cause the worst damage – as seen here in China after Typhoon Nanmadol in August 2011.

Cyclones, typhoons, hurricanes – the power of devastation

Chaos ensues

Hurricane Sandy was one of the strongest hurricanes ever recorded over the Atlantic Ocean. It caused waves of up to 4 meters high, fires, power outages and broken dykes. Sandy arrived with winds at speeds of more than 145 kilometers per hour. Cuba, New York and New Jersey were particularly affected.

Cyclones, typhoons, hurricanes – the power of devastation

Destructive vortex

Tornadoes however, are non-tropical whirlwinds that can occur anywhere a storm is brewing. Local temperature differences force warm air upwards and cold air down, and a column of warm air rotates upwards at an increasing velocity. Tornadoes are usually only a maximum of 1 kilometer in diameter.

Cyclones, typhoons, hurricanes – the power of devastation

Fastest storms

As the warm air rises, it forms a funnel, the main characteristic of a tornado. Inside the funnel, the speed of the air can be tremendous – up to 500 kilometers per hour. Tornadoes are the fastest whirlwind type of weather phenomenon.

Cyclones, typhoons, hurricanes – the power of devastation

Trail of destruction

A tornado can leave a trail of destruction several kilometers long. In the US Midwest, tornadoes occur several hundred times a year, as dry, cold air from the north hits damp, warm air from the Gulf of Mexico. It’s different in other countries – in Germany, for example, tornadoes occasionally occur along the coast.

Author: Brigitte Osterath / ew