Typhoons

A typhoon is a very strong storm. The wind can blow at 250 kilometres per hour or more. Sometimes there is a lot of rain, too.

Typhoons start over a warm sea. The winds become stronger and stronger. They turn round and round.

A typhoon can be about 400 kilometres wide! In the middle of the typhoon there is an ‘eye’. The winds are fastest and strongest around this eye.

After a typhoon there is a lot of damage. The winds can pull up trees or lift up cars and boats and throw them a long way. The winds can also destroy houses.

There is usually a lot of rain after a typhoon. Sometimes the rain covers the roads, and people cannot go outside. A lot of rain can be very dangerous because there may also be landslides.

Today we can see typhoons before they come. Satellites above the earth take photographs of them. Then weather forecasters tell people about the typhoons. They also give each typhoon a name.

In Hong Kong, a typhoon signal number 8 tells people,‘A typhoon is near.’ Children should not go to school, and shops and offices are closed. People should not go outside.