Why Do Typhoons Often Make Landfall in Fujian at Night? Fujian Typhoon Archives
Fujian experiences an average of about two typhoon landfalls per year. Influenced by the barrier effect of Taiwan Island, typhoons making landfall in Fujian exhibit unique patterns in their tracks and intensity.
Taiwan Island: Fujian's Natural Barrier
Most typhoons that make landfall in Fujian first cross or graze Taiwan Island. The Central Mountain Range (with an average elevation of over 3,000 meters) significantly weakens typhoons:
- Typhoons crossing the island typically weaken by 1–2 intensity levels on average.
- After the typhoon's circulation is disrupted by terrain, its structure becomes loose upon reaching Fujian, but rainfall often increases rather than decreases.
- A few typhoons that bypass Taiwan to the north or south over the sea (such as MERANTI in 2016) maintain their intensity and strike southern Fujian directly, causing astonishing damage.
MERANTI (2016) is a typical example of a typhoon that bypassed Taiwan's landmass and made direct landfall in Xiamen as a severe typhoon. It became the strongest typhoon to hit southern Fujian since 1949, causing widespread tree fallouts and severe damage to the power grid across Xiamen.
Patterns of Typhoons in Fujian
- Concentrated Landfall Points: Jinjiang, Putian, Lianjiang, and Xiapu are historical hotspots for landfalls, with the central and southern coastal areas of Fujian accounting for the highest proportion.
- High Proportion of "Autumn Typhoons": A significant percentage of typhoons make landfall in Fujian during September and October. Autumn typhoons have variable tracks and remain strong, often combining with cold air masses to amplify rainfall.
- Double Landfall Phenomenon: About half of the typhoons hitting Fujian experience a "second landfall," first striking Taiwan and then Fujian. While predicting the second landfall location is relatively easier, forecasting intensity and rainfall remains challenging.
Key Risks in Fujian
- Coastal Storm Surges: Funnel-shaped terrains such as the Min River Estuary, Xinghua Bay, and Meizhou Bay amplify storm surges.
- Geological Hazards in Mountainous Areas: Heavy rain in the mountainous regions of northwest Fujian triggers landslides, with risks often lagging 1–2 days behind the typhoon's passage.
- Offshore Aquaculture: Ningde and Fuzhou rank among the top in China for raft aquaculture scale. Evacuating personnel to shore is a critical task in typhoon defense.
Historical Data
The TyphoonSays landfall aggregation page includes all historical typhoons with "Fujian" listed as a landfall location, allowing users to view track maps individually. Comparing the track differences between typhoons that "cross Taiwan" and those that "bypass Taiwan" provides an intuitive understanding of the barrier effect of Taiwan's terrain on typhoons affecting Fujian.