Typhoon Maysak (2020)

Typhoon Maysak, known in the Philippines as Typhoon Julian, was a deadly, damaging and powerful tropical cyclone that struck the Ryukyu Islands and the Korean Peninsula in September 2020. The third typhoon of the 2020 Pacific typhoon season, Maysak formed from a tropical disturbance. The disturbance gradually organized, receiving the name ''Julian'' from PAGASA as it became a tropical depression. As the depression strengthened, the JMA subsequently named the system ''Maysak''. Maysak rapidly intensified into a strong typhoon before weakening and making landfall in South Korea.

Maysak was the second of three typhoons to affect the Korean Peninsula within two weeks, the others being Bavi and Haishen. It was also responsible for the loss of a livestock carrier Gulf Livestock 1, that sank 100 nautical miles West off from Amami Ōshima, Japan on September 2, 2020, taking 41 out of the 43 crew members on board.

Meteorological history

Following the impacts of Typhoon Bavi on the Korean peninsula in August 2020, the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) began to anticipate the development of a new tropical cyclone with the potential to be stronger and more damaging for the region than Bavi. The KMA assessed a high probability of the storm's development, but noted that its future impacts were uncertain; the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) also determined that there was a high likelihood of a "significant tropical cyclone" developing. Maysak's precursor disturbance was an area of low pressure over the western Pacific east of the Philippines. At 06:00  UTC on August 27, the Japan Meteorological Agency determined that a nearly stationary tropical depression had formed near 15°N, 132°E. The JTWC issued a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert for the system around the same time. The newly formed system was located in an environment conducive to storm development, including warm sea surface temperatures and low vertical wind shear. Clusters of atmospheric convection emerged around the storm's center, comprising formative rainbands wrapping into the developing circulation. Early on August 28, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) assessed the system as a tropical depression with the local name ''Julian''. At 06:00 UTC, the JMA assessed the tropical depression to have strengthened into a tropical storm, assigning it with the name ''Maysak''. By this time, outflow had become established and curvature of the Maysak's rainbands became apparent on satellite imagery. The storm's cloud tops cooled substantially, indicative of further consolidation of its circulation. Maysak became a severe tropical storm twelve hours later. Maysak became a typhoon by 12:00 UTC on August 29 according to the JMA after developing an eye. The storm also began to move towards the north in response to a nearby subtropical ridge of high pressure.

On August 30, Maysak's structure became indicative of an impending phase of rapid intensification according to the JTWC. The typhoon developed a central dense overcast that day with an eye embedded within. An approaching trough over eastern China and western Japan caused Maysak to accelerate towards the north as it continued to traverse energetic ocean waters. The typhoon's eye became symmetric and spanned 55 km (35 mi) across. By 21:00 UTC, the eye had contracted to a diameter of 19 km (12 mi). Around that time, the JTWC assessed the typhoon as having one-minute sustained winds of 215 km/h (130 mph). At 00:00 UTC on September 1, the JMA determined that Maysak had ten-minute maximum sustained winds of 110 mph (175 km/h) with gusts of up to 250 km/h (155 mph). The associated barometric pressure was estimated at 935 hPa (mbar; 27.61  inHg). Maysak held this intensity as it began to move into a less conducive environment for storm development within the East China Sea. Soon, Maysak began to weaken steadily as it passed the East China Sea, slowing back down to a Category 3 storm. The storm then made landfall near Busan, South Korea at 02:20 KST on September 3 (17:20 UTC on September 2), with 10-minute maximum sustained winds at 155 km/h (100 mph) and the central pressure at 950 hPa equivalent into a Category 2 typhoon. After that, it crossed the Sea of Japan and hitting North Korea into Jilin, Manchuria in China. Soon after, Typhoon Maysak transitioned into an extratropical low in northeast China.

Preparations and impact

The storm affected the eastern parts of South Korea, North Korea, China, and Russia, along with the Ryukyu Islands, causing at least 32 deaths and damage to more than 9,200 houses. Total combined economic losses were anticipated to surpass US$100 million.

Japan

The JMA urged residents of Okinawa to evacuate in anticipation of a potentially "major disaster" from Maysak; 560 people ultimately evacuated. The agency also warned of the possibility of tornadoes in the region. Schools, stores, and public offices throughout the prefecture closed. As many as 266 flights linking to Okinawa were cancelled, affecting roughly 9,200 travelers. The Naha Airport

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