Typhoon Mujigae

Meteorological history

On September 28, a cluster of thunderstorms developed into a tropical disturbance near Palau. With further organization, the JMA classified the system to a tropical depression early on September 30. On the next day, the PAGASA upgraded it to a tropical depression, assigning it the name Kabayan. The JTWC designated it as 22W later that day and started issuing warnings. All three agencies later classified Kabayan as a tropical storm, with the JMA naming it Mujigae. The system was located in a region of light vertical wind shear.

By October 2, Mujigae made landfall over Aurora province and the JTWC later downgraded the system to a tropical depression. Soon, the storm left the Philippine Area of Responsibility. Later on the same day, Mujigae reemerged into the South China Sea, where weak vertical wind shear and warm sea surface temperature favored development and reorganization of the system. The JTWC upgraded it back to a tropical storm whilst the JMA upgraded its intensity to severe tropical storm strength. The next day, due to radial outflow, Mujigae began a phase of rapid deepening, with convection wrapping around a developing eye, as it moved towards western Guangdong, China, prompting the JMA and the JTWC to classify Mujigae as a typhoon.

The JTWC upgraded Mujigae to a Category 4-equivalent typhoon. At that time the storm was about 350 km (215 mi) south-southwest of Hong Kong. Later on the same day, Mujigae made landfall for the second time near Zhanjiang, China.

Philippines

The city of Iba, on the western side of Luzon Island in the northern Philippines, was deluged with at least 175 mm (7 inches) of rain in just 24 hours. Manila was spared the worst of it but still got approximately 50 mm (2 inches) during that same time. A coast guard spokesman said search-and-rescue ships were scouring the sea west of Pangasinan, Ilocos and Zambales after two cargo ships bound for Japan had picked up nine fishermen of the Philippines, of which are all conscious from a capsized boat. According to the NDRRMC, damages amounted to PHP40.86 million (US$1.3 million) Two people were reported dead in Central Luzon from the Office of Civil Defense (OCD).

China

In Hainan and coastal Guangdong province, around 60,000 fishing boats were recalled to harbor to shelter from the storm. Three were reported dead in Foshan as a tornado struck from the rainbands of Mujigae and a fisherman died at sea off Zhanjiang. Mujigae damaged more than 700 houses and 282,700 hectares of farmland in Guangdong inflicting 23.24 billion yuan (US$3.66 billion) in economic losses. Losses of 175 million yuan (US$27.54 million) were reported over Guangxi. As of October 7, 20 people are reported dead.

Hong Kong

As Mujigae approached Hong Kong from the southeast, the Hong Kong Observatory issued the Standby Signal No. 1 at 20:40 HKT (12:40 UTC) on October 2, when Mujigae was 670 kilometres to the southeast of Hong Kong. As the cyclone gradually intensified and moved closer to Guangdong, the Strong Wind Signal No. 3 was issued at 10:20 HKT (2:20 UTC) on October 3. Winds subsequently strengthened to become strong easterlies with gale winds over the southwestern part of Hong Kong. Strong winds and heavy rains ripped scaffoldings off buildings and knocked down scores of trees. The MTR Corp apologised to commuters after a power cut caused by a tree collapsing onto overhead cables near Fanling Station occurred, disrupting services for nearly two hours on the East Rail Line on the morning of 4 October. On the next day, a runner in this year's “Lantau 2 Peaks – A Skyrunner World Series Event” was saved by a tree, escaping with a broken arm, when he slipped off the trail and plunged down a slope near Ngong Ping in the stormy weather on Sunday morning. The 45-year-old Belgian, identified only as Michel by police, was running on Tei Tong Tsai Country Trail when he slipped at about 11.30am, with the wind reaching gale force at times. He is said to have fallen about four metres down the slope before the tree halted his fall. Rescuers took about two hours to reach the runner and a similar time to free him. He was first taken to Ngong Ping cable car station on a stretcher before being taken by ambulance to Princess Margaret Hospital.

A small craft, single-hull, production vessel named Europa, left Hong Kong October 1, 2015. They were headed for Subic Bay near Manila. The British captain, one fellow Brit and one each American, Canadian, and Filipino crew were not located after they initiated an EPRIB.

Retirement

Due to the high damage toll caused by the storm in China, the name Mujigae was retired at the Fourth Joint Session of the ESCAP/WMO Typhoon Committee and WMO/ESCAP Panel on Tropical Cyclones during 2016. On February 2017, they chose the name Surigae to replace Mujigae..