Typhoon Soulik was an unusually large, and the deadliest typhoon to strike the Korean Peninsula as a tropical system since Khanun in 2012.[a] Soulik formed from an area of low pressure on August 15, and was the twenty-ninth tropical depression, twentieth tropical storm, tenth severe tropical storm, and sixth typhoon of the 2018 Pacific typhoon season.
Meteorological history
Map plotting the storm's track and intensity, according to the Saffir–Simpson scale
On August 14 at 06:00 UTC, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) began monitoring an area of convection approximately 435 nautical miles (805 km; 500 mi) southeast of Andersen Air Force Base, assessing its development potential in the next day as low. The system was located in favorable conditions for development, though its low-level circulation remained elongated. Sea surface temperatures in the area were around 28–29 °C (82–84 °F).[1] Convective bands began to form around the system, though they remained shallow; by 15:00 UTC, the JTWC upgraded its development potential in the next day to medium.[2] Convection began to deepen and wrap into a consolidating low-level circulation, and at 22:30 UTC, the JTWC issued a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert on the system.[3]
On August 15 at 06:00 UTC, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) began monitoring a tropical depression in the Philippine Sea.[4] The depression continued north-northwestward,[5] and at 15:00 UTC, the JTWC also upgraded the system to a tropical depression as it was located approximately 53 nautical miles (98 km; 61 mi) south-southwest of Hagatna, giving it the designation 22W. Deep convection was located southeast of a broad and elongated low-level circulation.[6] Conditions remained favorable for further development[7] as the depression began consolidating despite an exposed low-level circulation,[8] and on August 16 at 00:00 UTC, the JMA upgraded the depression to a tropical storm, giving it the name Soulik.[9] Convective banding began to wrap into the still-exposed low-level circulation, and at 03:00 UTC, the JTWC also upgraded Soulik to a tropical storm.[10] Soulik then organized rapidly as its low-level circulation became more defined,[11] and at 18:00 UTC, the JMA further upgraded Soulik to a severe tropical storm.[12] By 21:00 UTC, a low-level eye feature appeared as its structure began to rapidly improve,[13] and on August 17 at 03:00 UTC, the JTWC upgraded Soulik to a typhoon.[14] At 12:00 UTC, the JMA also upgraded Soulik to a typhoon as it was steered by a mid-level subtropical high-pressure area.[15]
Soulik then rapidly intensified into a severe typhoon, and on the next day, Soulik reached its peak intensity, with winds of 165 km/h (103 mph), and remained that intensity for several days. It also began to display some annular characteristics. After passing the Ryukyu Islands early on 22 August, the storm gradually weakened due to low sea-surface temperatures. On August 23, Soulik made landfall over Haenam County, South Jeolla Province of South Korea at around 23:00 KST (14:00 UTC).[16]
Impact
Soulik weakening while approaching Korea on August 23
Economic loss in Northeast China were counted to be CN¥550 million (US$79.9 million).[17] Flooding in North Korea triggered by Soulik killed 86 people.[18]
Notes
^Typhoon Lionrock in 2016 was deadlier, but it affected the Korean Peninsula as an extratropical system.
Extratropical cyclone, remnant low, tropical disturbance, or monsoon depression
