Another powerful typhoon as formed in the Pacific. Noul is currently north of the Philippines but is set to intensify and make landfall in China at the weekend.

Hurricane-force gusts, high waves, and heavy rainfall are expected. In some areas, up to 500 mm of rain is forecast. This could lead to severe flooding and landslides.

This year has seen an unusually high number of systems in the Pacific, with Noul already the ninth to form.

One reason for the high number of typhoons could be El Niño. This causes the sea water in the region where typhoons form to warm up particularly significantly.

In the Atlantic, by contrast, the hurricane season has so far been unusually quiet due to El Niño.