🌏 Why storms are becoming increasingly frequent in Asia

For several decades, Asia has been hit by more and more frequent and violent tropical storms and cyclones. This trend is no coincidence but the direct consequence of several reinforcing factors:

Warming oceans
Cyclones and typhoons draw their energy from the heat of ocean waters. The warmer the surface of the oceans, the stronger and more frequent these phenomena become. Asia, bordered by the Indian and Pacific Oceans, is particularly exposed.

Global climate change
Climate disruption alters atmospheric and oceanic currents, creating ideal conditions for storm formation. The monsoon itself is becoming more unstable, with more intense rainfall.

Urbanization and increased vulnerability
Entire megacities are developing along coasts and deltas (Bangkok, Manila, Ho Chi Minh City). These densely populated areas are directly exposed to floods and destructive winds.

Deforestation and soil artificialization
Fewer forests and more concrete mean soils absorb less rainwater. As a result, storm-related rains trigger flooding and landslides more quickly.

Domino effect on populations
Each storm causes more damage than before: roads cut off, fields destroyed, forced migration. Already vulnerable populations become even more fragile in the face of climate shocks.

In short, the multiplication of storms in Asia is both a warning signal about global climate change and a consequence of human development choices.

🚧 Chinese dams and their impact on neighboring countries

For decades, China has heavily invested in dam construction to produce electricity, control floods, and secure its water supply. But these massive infrastructures, built on transboundary rivers like the Mekong, the Brahmaputra, or the Salween, raise growing concerns among neighboring countries.

An energy and strategic tool
With megadams like the Three Gorges Dam or those planned on the Yarlung Tsangpo, China ensures its hydroelectric production and strengthens its energy independence. It is also a way to control internal flooding.

Direct downstream effects
Massive water releases abruptly change river levels, sometimes causing sudden floods in neighboring countries such as Vietnam, Laos, or Cambodia. Conversely, retention periods can worsen downstream droughts, weakening populations.

Impact on agriculture and fishing
Dams trap a large share of fertile sediments. As a result, the deltas of the Mekong or Brahmaputra see their soils impoverished, threatening harvests and the food security of millions. Aquatic ecosystems are also disrupted by changes in flow and water temperature.

A potential geopolitical weapon
In the context of border tensions, some observers fear that water could become a tool of pressure. Control exercised by China upstream gives it considerable power over neighbors dependent on these rivers.

Calls for cooperation
Several NGOs and international bodies are advocating for better regional cooperation and greater transparency in dam management. Without clear agreements, each country acts on its own priorities, increasing the risk of transboundary disasters.

🌏 Understanding why Asia faces so many storms

Tropical storms, cyclones, and typhoons have always been part of Asia’s natural history. But in recent decades, their frequency and intensity have increased. To understand this phenomenon, we must look at basic mechanisms and recent changes.

1. Storm seasons in Asia

• In the Asia-Pacific region, cyclone season runs from May to November.

• The peak of activity is between July and October, when the sea is warmest and atmospheric conditions favor storm formation.

• Historically, the most exposed countries are the Philippines, Vietnam, southern China (Guangdong, Hainan, Hong Kong), Japan, and, further west, Bangladesh and India.

2. Why storms are increasing

• Climate change: warming oceans provide more energy for cyclones.

• Wind and current shifts: altered circulation favors stronger systems.

• Coastal urbanization: megacities like Manila, Bangkok, or Ho Chi Minh City are now directly exposed.

• Deforestation and artificial soils: heavy rains run off faster, causing floods and landslides.

3. Where impacts are most visible

• Philippines (Manila, Cebu, Tacloban): struck almost every year.

• Vietnam (Hai Phong, Da Nang, Ho Chi Minh City): heavily hit in September and October.

• Southern China (Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Hainan Island): frequently in typhoon paths.

• Bangladesh and India (Kolkata, Chittagong): deadly Bay of Bengal cyclones.

• Thailand and Myanmar (Bangkok, Yangon): flood-prone during late rainy season storms.

4. The current reality

By early October 2025, Asia had already recorded several major storms, even though the season was not yet over. Scientists note that typhoons are becoming more sudden, intense, and destructive, as they rapidly strengthen near coasts. Their trajectories are also shifting, endangering cities less exposed in the past.

5. A lesson for the future

Like a history lesson, Asia is now entering a new climate era:

• Once, storms were part of the natural cycle.

• Today, they are amplified by human activity and global warming.

• Tomorrow, they will represent a survival challenge for millions, especially in deltas and coastal megacities.
  

🌪️ Asia’s cities most exposed to typhoons

• Manila (Philippines): in the Pacific typhoon corridor, regularly devastated.

• Hai Phong (Vietnam): highly vulnerable during autumn landfalls.

• Hong Kong (China): modern but frequently battered by winds and landslides.

• Dhaka (Bangladesh): far inland but devastated by Bay of Bengal cyclones.

• Tokyo (Japan): typhoons cause floods and major urban disruptions every year.

🌊 Asian cities threatened by rising seas

• Jakarta (Indonesia): sinking rapidly, capital relocation planned.

• Bangkok (Thailand): delta city, subsiding and flood-prone.

• Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam): parts projected underwater by 2050.

• Dhaka (Bangladesh): highly exposed to sea-level rise and cyclones.

• Shanghai (China): one of the world’s megacities most at risk from rising seas.

🦠 When floods fuel disease

Storms and rising seas not only cause material destruction but also serious health risks:

• Contaminated water → cholera, diarrheal disease, infections.

• Mosquito breeding grounds → dengue, malaria, chikungunya.

• Respiratory and skin diseases → due to persistent humidity.

• Limited access to care → damaged or overwhelmed hospitals.

• Vulnerable populations hit hardest → especially in slums.

Each storm or flood often triggers a public health crisis lasting weeks or months.

🏁 Asia facing an uncertain future

Asia stands at a crossroads. Storms, floods, and untamed rivers have always shaped life here, but today these forces are magnified by climate change, rapid urbanization, and political choices over water management. Typhoons are becoming stronger, coastal megacities risk sinking or being submerged, and each flood brings both destruction and disease.

Yet this future is not inevitable. Regional cooperation, resilient infrastructure, sustainable water management, and societal adaptation can reduce risks. With its dynamism and millions of inhabitants, Asia has the means to innovate and lead by example.

Ultimately, understanding why storms intensify, why rivers overflow, and why cities sink is only the first step. The true challenge is turning this understanding into action, so future generations can continue living on these rich but fragile lands, between mountains, deltas, and oceans.

❓ FAQ – Storms, Climate, and Change in Asia

🌊 What meteorological waves hit Asia the most in the Northern Hemisphere?

In Asia, the most significant meteorological waves are tropical typhoons, hot heat waves in summer, and polar cold waves in winter. Their intensity depends on latitude and regional climate variability.

🌡️ Why are tropical hurricanes becoming more intense in Southeast Asia?

In Asia’s tropical basins (South China Sea, Indian Ocean), rising ocean temperatures fuel tropical hurricanes, making storms stronger and more frequent in Southeast Asia.

🌍 What role do greenhouse gases play in Asia’s climate evolution?

Human activities in the region—industry, deforestation, and rapid urbanization—emit large amounts of greenhouse gases. This amplifies the greenhouse effect, altering regional weather with heavier rainfall and longer dry periods.

🧊 How does glacier and ice melt affect Asia?

Melting Himalayan glaciers directly threatens Asian rivers (Ganges, Mekong, Yangtze). In the Arctic and Antarctic, melting ice sheets and sea ice contribute to rising ocean levels, endangering coastal megacities like Bangkok, Jakarta, and Ho Chi Minh City.

📡 How do NOAA, satellites, and the IPCC monitor Asia’s climate?

NOAA and other meteorological agencies use satellites and oceanic models to track cyclones, temperatures, and climate variability across the North Atlantic and Pacific. The IPCC compiles this data to assess climate change impacts on Asia.

🌀 What is the difference between an Asian typhoon and a North Atlantic hurricane?

They are the same phenomenon: a powerful tropical storm. It is called a hurricane in the North Atlantic, a typhoon in the Northwest Pacific (affecting Asia), and a cyclone in the Indian Ocean.

🤝 What role does the Paris Agreement play for Asian countries?

The Paris Agreement commits Asian nations like China, India, and Indonesia to cut emissions and limit the rise in global average temperature. For Asia, this is vital, as the region contains many of the world’s cities most threatened by sea-level rise and tropical hurricanes.

🌍 What meteorological phenomena affect Asia’s climate?

Asia faces typhoons, droughts, heat waves, and floods. Their intensity is increasing with the global rise in average temperatures.

❄️ What is the role of Greenland, ice caps, and glacial periods?

Melting of Greenland’s glaciers and polar ice caps directly contributes to rising ocean levels. In the past, glacial and interglacial periods shaped Earth’s climate; today, human activity accelerates these changes.

📊 What do climatologists and the IPCC report say about Asia?

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warns that by the end of the century, rising temperatures could severely affect Asia with more droughts, coastal erosion, and tropical storms.

🏭 What is the impact of fossil fuels and carbon dioxide?

Burning fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide (CO₂), the main greenhouse gas (GHG). This drives global temperature rise and planetary warming, disrupting both oceanic and terrestrial systems.

🌡️ How do rising temperatures and increased GHGs affect Asia?

They intensify droughts in regions like India and Central Asia, warm the oceans and weaken coral reefs, and fuel stronger tropical storms in Southeast Asia.

🧭 What solutions exist against climate change?

Fighting climate change requires reducing GHG emissions, transitioning away from fossil fuels, and strengthening international cooperation (Paris Agreement, COP). In Asia, it also means adapting coastal cities to rising sea levels.

📉 Could the climate still experience cooling?

Some scenarios of local climate variability may create temporary cooling, but on a planetary scale, climatologists confirm the dominant trend remains a rapid and continuous rise in temperatures.