Typhoon - Paths

Paths

Most tropical cyclones form on the side of the subtropical ridge closer to the equator, then move poleward past the ridge axis before recurving north and northeast into the main belt of the Westerlies. When the subtropical ridge position shifts due to El Niño, so will the preferred tropical cyclone tracks. Areas west of Japan and Korea tend to experience much fewer September–November tropical cyclone impacts during El Niño and neutral years. During El Niño years, the break in the subtropical ridge tends to lie near 130°E which would favor the Japanese archipelago. During La Niña years, the formation of tropical cyclones, along with the subtropical ridge position, shifts westward across the western Pacific ocean, which increases the landfall threat to China and greater intensity to Philippines. Those that form near the Marshall Islands find their way to Jeju Island, Korea.

Typhoon paths follow three general directions.

• Straight track (or straight runner). A general westward path affects the Philippines, southern China, Taiwan, and Vietnam.
• A parabolic, recurving track. Storms recurving affect eastern Philippines, China, Taiwan, Korea, and Japan.
• Northward track. From point of origin, the storm follows a northerly direction, only affecting small islands.

A rare few storms, like Hurricane John, were redesignated as typhoons as its track originated from the Eastern/Central Pacific and moved its way into the western Pacific.