Typhoon Kalmaegi
Context: Typhoon Kalmaegi struck Vietnam’s central coast, forcing flight cancellations and mass evacuations after killing over 114 people in the Philippines, where it caused widespread flooding, destruction, and displacement.
About Typhoon Kalmaegi:
- What it is?
- Typhoon Kalmaegi is a tropical cyclone that developed over the western Pacific Ocean, characterized by strong winds, torrential rains, and high tidal waves.
- It intensified rapidly before making landfall in the Philippines and Vietnam.
- Origin:
- Kalmaegi formed over the Philippine Sea, moving westward toward Luzon (Philippines) before crossing the South China Sea and hitting central Vietnam.
- It is named after the Korean word for “seagull.”
About the Philippines:
- What it is?
- The Philippines is an archipelagic country in Southeast Asia, located in the western Pacific Ocean. It consists of over 7,000 islands, divided mainly into three groups — Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.
- Capital: Manila
- Neighbouring nations: It lies 500 miles (800 km) off the coast of Vietnam, bordered by the Philippine Sea (east), South China Sea (west), Celebes Sea (south), and near Taiwan (north) and Indonesia (south).
- Geological features:
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- The archipelago is mountainous and volcanic, part of the Pacific Ring of Fire.
- Notable volcanoes include Mayon, Mount Apo, and Mount Pinatubo.
- Major rivers: Cagayan, Pampanga, Agusan, Mindanao River.
- The islands experience frequent typhoons, earthquakes, and volcanic activity.