Tropical storm Aere in Philippines kicks off typhoon season

Day 130: 235 days remaining

The tropical depression Bebeng (international name Aere), has been upgraded to a tropical storm and hit the eastern Catanduanes province in the Philippines.

The storm generated wind speeds of above 90 km/hr and has officially kicked off 2011's Pacific typhoon season. The storm is still active and according to the Central Weather Bureau it's generating winds at the center of around 18 meters per second with gusts of 25 meters per second. It's heading northeast at between 25 to 32km/hr towards Basco, Batanes but is expected to be downgraded back to a depression by 13th May as it continues to move north into colder waters.

The latest reports from Reuters suggest that 15 people have died and around 100,000 forced to leave their homes by the strong winds, fierce rain and flash floods. The storm has also caused millions of pounds of damage to farms and crops.

Image © Central Weather Bureau

The Philippines are prone to typhoons and get hit by around 20 each year. So what is it about the Philippines that make them a target for such a high number? Well it's all down to location. The Philippines are located in the tropics surrounded by warm seas, which power the storms. And they are far enough away from the equator for the Coriolis Effect to cause the powerful winds to spin in the developing storm.

For more on typhoons read BBC broadcast Meteorologist Peter Gibbs post on Cyclone Yasi and Coriolis effect.

If you live in the area affected by Tropical storm Aere or know of someone affected, do get in contact with us.

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