THE IMPACT OF TROPICAL CYCLONES ON CHINA IN 2015

During 2015 typhoon season(1 January to 15 October), the Northwest Pacifi c and the South China Sea had registered 25 tropical cyclone genesis. 6 of them, including KUJIRA(1508), CHAN-HOM(1509), LINFA(1510), SOUDELOR(1513), DUJUAN(1521) and MUJIGAE(1522), made landfall over China’s coastal areas. Despite the high level of activity(the historical average in the same period of 1949-2014 is 21.6), fewer tropical cyclones made landfall over China(the historical average is 6.6). However, these 6 tropical cyclones had an averaged intensity up to 41 m/s, signifi cantly enhanced compared with the multi-year average of 32.8 m/s. The death toll from the 8 tropical cyclones affected China in 2015 is 73. SOUDELOR claimed the most affected population, death toll, missing person, emergency aiding population, damaged home, and MUJIGAE claimed the most direct economic loss. China Meteorological Administration(CMA) mean offi cial track forecast errors in 2015 were smaller than the multi-year means at all forecast times.