Why is Hong Kong getting typhoons in November and are more coming late in year?

With Tropical Storm Toraji edging closer to the Pearl River Delta, the Hong Kong Observatory issued the No 8 typhoon signal on Wednesday night, the latest such warning on record.

The timing surpassed Typhoon Pamela in 1972, for which the No 8 signal was in force on November 8.

Toraji is one of four storms to emerge simultaneously in the western North Pacific and South China Sea in November for the first time since records began in 1961.

The Post breaks down the causes of late typhoon occurrences and the likelihood of frequent storms in November.

1. Why is Toraji so late in the year?

Leung Wing-mo, a former assistant director of the Observatory, said one plausible explanation for such a late typhoon was that the sea surface temperature in the Pacific Ocean and South China Sea remained warm despite it being November.