Typhoon Yinxing strengthens hourly, unusual path toward the East Sea
According to the latest reports, Typhoon Yinxing (known as Marce in the Philippines)—the newest storm of this season—is expected to enter the South China Sea this week.
Japan's meteorological agency reports that Typhoon Yinxing has formed offshore from the Philippines, with a projected path indicating possible movement into the South China Sea. As of 6 a.m. on November 4, Yinxing is reported to have maximum winds of 18 meters per second near the eye (Category 8), with gusts up to Category 10 (25 meters per second).
Forecasting the direction of storm Yinxing shows that the storm may enter the East Sea in the second half of this week.
Forecasts from the Japanese weather station predict that over the next 3-4 days, Typhoon Yinxing will primarily move west-northwest. As it approaches the eastern coast of Luzon Island in the Philippines, it may shift its path westward toward the northern waters of Luzon before potentially entering the South China Sea.
In terms of intensity, the storm is unlikely to strengthen within the next 24 hours. However, starting tomorrow, Yinxing is expected to intensify, with current projections suggesting it may reach Category 12 (35 meters per second) with gusts up to Category 15 (50 meters per second).
Typhoon Yinxing (name in the Philippines is Marce)
Weather forecaster Liu Yu-chih from CWA notes that Yinxing, following the recent super typhoon Kong-rey, is in a highly favorable environment for strengthening further.
Regarding its path, Liu predicts that Yinxing will move toward the northeastern part of Luzon in the Philippines until November 6. He also emphasized that this will be a critical moment for the storm, as it may change direction. Current forecasts suggest Yinxing could weaken, impacting the Ryukyu Islands—a chain located on the western edge of the Pacific Ocean, near the eastern coast of the East China Sea.
However, several typhoon models indicate Yinxing could continue westward and pass north of the Philippines. Others predict it may move toward the eastern waters of Taiwan and then turn northward, Liu pointed out.
Yinxing is the 22nd typhoon to form in the Western Pacific this season. The name "Yinxing" was introduced to replace the previous name “Yutu” in 2018, meaning "ginkgo tree" in Chinese.
Meanwhile, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) reports that Yinxing's center is currently about 935 kilometers east of Central Philippines.
PAGASA forecasts that from now until November 6, the typhoon will move northwest, later slowing and shifting westward toward the northern waters of Luzon Island.
Notably, PAGASA expects the typhoon to intensify over the coming days, potentially reaching Category 13 (140 km/h) in strength.
