TROPICAL CYCLONES IN 2016

3.5 Super Typhoon Meranti (1614): 10 – 15 September 2016

Meranti was the fifth tropical cyclone necessitating the issuance of tropical cyclone warning signal by the Hong Kong Observatory in 2016.

Meranti formed as a tropical depression over the western North Pacific about 390 km west of Guam on the early morning of 10 September. It moved west-northwestward and intensified rapidly. Meranti developed into a super typhoon on 12 September and reached its peak intensity the next day with an estimated sustained wind of 250 km/h. After moving across the Luzon Strait on the night of 13 September, Meranti moved northwestward and swept across the coastal waters of southwestern Taiwan the next day. It continued to move towards Fujian and weakened gradually. Meranti made landfall near Xiamen in the early morning of 15 September. It moved inland and weakened further on that day, before finally degenerating into an area of low pressure over Jiangxi early in the morning on 16 September.

According to press reports, at least two persons were killed and 63 were injured in Taiwan during the passage of Meranti. Electricity and water supply of over 1 million households were interrupted. Transportation services were paralyzed. Meranti also wreaked havoc in Fujian and Jiangxi, resulting in at least 29 deaths, 15 missing, about 2.5 million people affected and 18 000 houses collapsed. Direct economic losses exceeded 11.7 billion RMB.

In Hong Kong, the Standby Signal No. 1 was issued at 10:10 a.m. on 14 September when Meranti was about 650 km east of Hong Kong. Local winds were generally moderate to fresh from the northwest and occasionally strong on high ground that day. At the Observatory Headquarters, the lowest instantaneous mean sea-level pressure of 1001.3 hPa was recorded at 3:31 p.m. on 14 September. As Meranti made landfall near Xiamen on the early morning of 15 September and weakened, it no longer posed a threat to Hong Kong and all tropical cyclone warning signals were cancelled at 4:20 a.m. Meranti came closest to the territory around 11 a.m. later that morning when it was about 460 km northeast of Hong Kong.

During the passage of Meranti, a maximum sea level (above chart datum) of 2.16 m was recorded at Waglan Island, while a maximum storm surge of 0.41 m (above astronomical tide) was recorded at Quarry Bay.

Meranti had no major impact on Hong Kong and no significant damage was reported. Under the influence of the outer subsiding air associated with Meranti, local weather was mainly fine and very hot during the day on 14 September before turning cloudy that night.

Information on the maximum wind, daily rainfall and maximum sea level reached in Hong Kong during the passage of Meranti is given in Tables 3.5.1 - 3.5.3 respectively. Figures 3.5.1 - 3.5.2 show respectively the track and satellite imageries of Meranti.