Typhoon Fitow

Typhoon Fitow, known in the Philippines as Typhoon Quedan, was the strongest typhoon to make landfall in Mainland China during October since 1949. The 21st named storm of the 2013 Pacific typhoon season, Fitow developed on September 29 to the east of the Philippines. It initially tracked north-northwestward, gradually intensifying into a tropical storm and later to typhoon status, or with winds of at least . Fitow later turned more to the west-northwest due to an intensifying ridge to the east, bringing the typhoon over the Ryukyu Islands with peak winds of on October 5. The next day, the typhoon struck China at Fuding in Fujian province. Fitow quickly weakened over land, dissipating on October 7.

Across its path, Fitow spurred many airlines to cancel flights and caused other transport disruptions. In Japan, the typhoon damaged 1,464 houses and left about 6,800 households without power on Miyako-jima. Heavy rainfall in Taiwan flooded houses and caused mudslides that closed two highways. Damage was heaviest in Fujian and Zhejiang provinces in China near where Fitow struck. In the latter province, rainfall peaked at in Yuyao, which flooded 70% of the town with up to of waters; as a result, the floods were the worst in a century for Yuyao, which disrupted aid distribution in the storm's aftermath. Across China, Fitow damaged about 95,000 houses and left at least 159,000 other houses without power. The storm also flooded about of fields and killed thousands of fish at fish farms. The damage in the country reached ¥63.14 billion (2013  RMB, $10.3 billion USD), of which ¥6 billion (RMB, US$1 billion) was from insured losses, totaling up to ¥69.14 billion (RMB, $10.4 billion in 2013 USD), making it the costliest event on record. There were also 12 deaths in China, eight of them related to electrocutions.

Meteorological history

The origins of Typhoon Fitow were from a persistent area of convection, or thunderstorms, about north-northeast of Palau, an island in the western Pacific Ocean during mid-late September. At the time, wind shear dislocated the convection to the west of a broad and poorly-defined circulation. Although the system was poorly organized, tropical cyclone forecast models noted the potential for development to occur. The convection gradually consolidated and outflow increased to the west, indicative of increased organization. Early on September 29, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) declared that a tropical depression formed about to the northeast of Palau. Around the same time, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) also began issuing warnings on the depression, giving it the local name ''Quedan''. Early on September 30, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) initiated advisories on Tropical Depression ''22W'', noting that the circulation had become increasingly well-defined amid decreasing wind shear.

With a ridge to the east, the system tracked to the north-northwest through an area of warm water temperatures. At 1200  UTC on September 30, the JMA upgraded the depression to Tropical Storm ''Fitow''. Although outflow and convection increased in general, the thunderstorm activity diminished over the center due to sinking air. By late on October 1, however, convection increased over Fitow's center, and the next day the JMA upgraded it to a severe tropical storm. On October 2, an eye began developing on satellite imagery, although the rainbands wrapping into the eye were fragmented. It took until midday on October 3 for the JTWC to upgrade Fitow to typhoon status, with 1–minute sustained winds of . By that time, the convection had increased in coverage and intensity, with outflow increased by a trough to the north. The JMA did not follow suit until 1200 UTC on October 4, by which time the eye had become better defined.

After officially becoming a typhoon, Fitow turned more to the northwest due to the ridge building to the east. Despite increasing wind shear, the typhoon continued to intensify due to amplified outflow. Late on October 4, the JMA upgraded Fitow to peak 10–minute winds of . Early the next day, the JTWC estimated peak 1–minute winds of , and shortly thereafter the typhoon passed about 225 km (140 mph) south of Okinawa. By that time, the eye had expanded to , which initially remained unaffected by the increased wind shear. Also on October 5, PAGASA issued the final advisory as the storm exited the agency's area of responsibility. Around 1500 UTC on October 5, Fitow passed about north of Miyako-jima, by which time the eye began deteriorating. As the typhoon passed northeast of Taiwan, the ragged eye became cloud-filled and the convection weakened. Late on October 6, Fitow made landfall just south of Wenzhou in eastern China, at Fuding in Fujian province. Fitow became the strongest China typhoon landfall for the month since 1949 according to the China Meteorological Administration (CMA), with a landfall pressure of and sustained winds of . While continuing northwestward near the border of Zhejiang and Fujian provinces, Fitow rapidly weakened, dissipating on October 7.

Preparations

On the Japanese island of Okinawa, 288 flights at Naha Airport