Besides hot, sticky weather, summer brings one other phenomenon to East Asia: typhoons. What does this mean for our students?

Below you’ll find some questions you may want to ask as well as words and phrases (bolded) that you may want to teach when discussing this topic.

What are Typhoons?

Readers from other parts of the world may be more familiar with the terms, “hurricane” or “cyclone.” Typhoons are the same thing but in the northwestern part of the Pacific Ocean.

From above, they look like this:

And on the ground, typhoons are huge storms with heavy rain which often cause flooding and strong winds with enough force to knock down trees.

Typhoons form when warm, moist air from the ocean rises and turns into clouds.

Do you learn about typhoons in school?
Do you know why typhoons form?

Students who like science and are interested in learning more about this process may enjoy the Daily News article, “How Do Hurricanes Form?”

Typhoons in Our Students' Countries

Each year around 30 typhoons form in the northwestern Pacific Ocean. Around three hit Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea.

The Tama River near Tokyo after a typhoon. Photo credit: パンダ王子

However, due to their force, typhoons can affect an area even if they don’t directly pass through.

In the countries many of our students call home, peak season for typhoons is August and September, and toward the end of the season, they tend to get stronger.

How many typhoons does your country experience each year?
When do most typhoons hit your country?

Weather patterns have been changing in recent years, though. Taiwan and the Philippines have experienced fewer typhoons, while South Korea, Japan, and China have seen an increase. In 2019, as many as seven typhoons hit the Korean peninsula.

Is your country experiencing more or less typhoons recently? Why do you think that is?

A fun fact about typhoons is that they have different names in different countries. Read this Daily News article to see how they’re named.

Do you know how typhoons are named in your country?

What Are Typhoons Like?

Typhoons are a huge pain and bring nothing but trouble for farmers and people in certain regions. For example, in Japan, the southern islands get hit by more typhoons than the rest of the country.

What parts of your country are the most affected by typhoons? Do you know why that is?
Is your region or neighborhood affected by typhoons?

However, for the majority of people, most typhoons are not that scary. Indoors, where it’s mostly safe, you’ll just hear winds howling and rain pouring.

I heard that it’s typhoon season recently in your country. Can you tell me what that’s like?

In Taiwan, some people even look forward to typhoon season, as they might get a day off from work or school. When typhoons aren’t as strong as expected, and it’s safe to go out, people use the opportunity to flock to department stores, movie theatres, and karaoke bars.

Do you get days off from work because of typhoons?
What do you normally do during a typhoon? How do you kill time?

But occasionally, typhoons do get very destructive. In recent years, Japan has experienced some big ones that caused problems, like widespread flooding and power outages.

In Taiwan, one of the strongest typhoons in recent memory caused severe damage, including devastating landslides in mountainous areas. There was even severe flooding in the streets of Taipei:

Here are some Daily News articles on some big typhoons in recent years:

So in any case, it’s a good idea to take safety precautions:

How do you prepare for typhoons?
Do you stock up on food and batteries? (“Instant noodles” you say? What’s your favorite flavor?)
Have you ever taped your windows like this? (During Typhoon Hagibis in Japan, many stores ran out of tape!)