Overview of Tropical Cyclone in April 2021

One tropical cyclone occurred over the western North Pacific in April 2021.

Surigae formed as a tropical depression over the western North Pacific about 230 km south of Yap on the night of 13 April. Moving generally west-northwestwards, it intensified gradually. Surigae intensified into a typhoon on 16 April. Under favourable atmospheric conditions, Surigae started to intensify rapidly that night. It developed into a super typhoon the next day and reached its peak intensity with an estimated sustained wind of 240 km/h near its centre, making it the most intense tropical cyclone over the western North Pacific in April since 1961. It then moved north-northwestwards slowly across the seas east of the Philippines in the following four days. Suriage turned to move northeastwards across the seas south of Ryukyu Islands on 22 April and weakened gradually. It finally evolved into an extratropical cyclone over the western North Pacific south of Japan on the morning of 25 April.

According to press reports, a cargo ship ran aground over the seas of the southern Philippines during the passage of Surigae, killing four crew members on board.