Typhoon Lekima

Typhoon Lekima, known in the Philippines as Typhoon Hanna, was the fourth costliest typhoon in Chinese history. The ninth named storm of the 2019 Pacific typhoon season, Lekima originated from a tropical depression that formed east of the Philippines on 30 July. It gradually organized, became a tropical storm, and was named on 4 August. Lekima intensified under favorable environmental conditions and peaked as a Category 4–equivalent Super typhoon. However, an eyewall replacement cycle caused the typhoon to weaken before it made landfall in Zhejiang early on 10 August, as a Category 2–equivalent typhoon. Lekima weakened subsequently while moving across Eastern China, and made its second landfall in Shandong on 11 August. Lekima's precursor enhanced the southwestern monsoon in the Philippines, which brought heavy rain to the country. The rains caused three boats to sink and 31 people died in this accident. Lekima brought catastrophic damage in mainland China, with a death toll of 71 people and more than CN¥65.37 billion (US$9.26 billion) in damages. The system also caused minor damage in Ryukyu Islands and Taiwan. In Malaysia, the typhoon brought up strong tides and partially destroyed the coastal areas of Penang.