East Asia likely to face stronger storms in future due to oceanic warming

Scientists fear that stronger, more frequent typhoons will pummel East Asia in the coming years, crippling vital power and transport infrastructure in coastal areas.

Government officials and scientists have struggled to provide accurate forecasts because of technological limits and insufficient data. Further frustrating their work is minimal Chinese government investment in oceanic research. Beijing has poured more money into Pacific Ocean research recently in the hope that it can improve the region's ability to forecast typhoons, but the measures might take years to become effective.

The latest calamity inflicted on the Philippines shocked the world, not only because of the sheer magnitude of the storm but because the typhoon unleashed its fury in November - a month after the end of the typical typhoon season, which runs May through to October.

Super Typhoon Haiyan was probably the strongest tropical storm recorded, with wind speeds racing up to 315km/h. It could be a sign of storms to come.

"The energy of typhoons comes from the warmth of the ocean. The warmer the ocean, the stronger the typhoon," said Professor Zhou Jifu, a researcher with the Chinese Academy of Sciences. "With the increase of greenhouse gas in the atmosphere, the sea temperature is likely to continue to increase."

Higher ocean temperatures are expected to prolong the typhoon season, stretching a period that's typically confined to summer months into the spring and autumn, Zhou said.