Typhoon Chanthu halted operations at some of the world’s busiest ports as the massive storm continues to grind its way across East Asia. The typhoon exploded last week, strengthening from a loosely organized tropical depression with 30 mph winds to the equivalent of a Category 5 hurricane with 160 mph winds in just 48 hours. Climate change, caused by the extraction and combustion of fossil fuels is making major cyclonic storms more intense and fueling increased rapid intensification. Chanthu already pummeled the Philippines and Taiwan and was forecast to hit Shanghai on Monday, forcing near complete shutdown of airports, train systems, and schools. (CNN, Al Jazeera, South China Morning Post; Rapid intensification: Washington Post $, Yale Climate Connections; Climate Signals background: Intense cyclone, hurricane, typhoon frequency increase)
