Plan around the weather

Choose a better time to go.

See where tropical cyclones have historically travelled—and compare the months when weather disruption is most likely to affect your trip.

What are these examples?Six named storms selected to show different real routes through the region. They are not the six worst storms, and they do not generate the monthly scores below.

Six real storms, six different routes

Every line is plotted from six-hourly latitude and longitude records in NOAA IBTrACS. Click a line to identify the storm and route.

Haiyan · 2013Mangkhut · 2018Hato · 2017Doksuri · 2023Pabuk · 2019Vamei · 2001

Observed tracks: Actual six-hourly positions selected from NOAA IBTrACS v04r01, not forecasts or illustrative paths. Start and endpoint markers are outlined; peak intensity is solid. Basemap © OpenStreetMap contributors.

The storms shown on the map

Pabuk gives Thailand a direct example; rare near-equatorial Vamei gives the Singapore–Malaysia area one. Each mini-trail uses exactly the same coordinates as the map.

Route example · Philippines · Vietnam
2–11 November 2013 Super typhoon

Haiyan

Crossed the central Philippines before continuing through the South China Sea into Vietnam and southern China.

38 six-hour positions · peak 170 kt
IBTrACS SID 2013306N07162
NOAA IBTrACS dataset ↗
Route example · Philippines · south China
6–17 September 2018 Super typhoon

Mangkhut

Crossed northern Luzon, passed south of Hong Kong and made landfall on the Guangdong coast.

46 six-hour positions · peak 155 kt
IBTrACS SID 2018250N12170
NOAA IBTrACS dataset ↗
Route example · Luzon Strait · Macao
19–25 August 2017 Typhoon

Hato

Crossed the Luzon Strait and intensified before landfall near Macao and Zhuhai.

23 six-hour positions · peak 90 kt
IBTrACS SID 2017232N19130
NOAA IBTrACS dataset ↗
Route example · Philippines · Taiwan · China
20–31 July 2023 Super typhoon

Doksuri

Passed north of Luzon, crossed the Taiwan Strait and tracked inland after landfall in Fujian.

44 six-hour positions · peak 130 kt
IBTrACS SID 2023201N13134
NOAA IBTrACS dataset ↗
Route example · Thailand · Gulf of Thailand
30 December 2018–7 January 2019 Tropical storm

Pabuk

Crossed the Gulf of Thailand and made landfall in Nakhon Si Thammarat before moving into the Andaman Sea.

34 six-hour positions · peak 50 kt
IBTrACS SID 2018365N08115
NOAA IBTrACS dataset ↗
Route example · Singapore · Malaysia
26 December 2001–1 January 2002 Tropical storm

Vamei

Formed about 130 km east of Singapore, passed just north of the city and crossed southern Peninsular Malaysia.

24 six-hour positions · peak 65 kt
IBTrACS SID 2001361N01106
NOAA IBTrACS dataset ↗

Country comparison

Risk changes by month

Higher bars mean greater historical travel-disruption exposure—not a prediction that a storm will occur during your trip.

MNL · CEB

Philippines

Very high
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Peak windowJuly–October

Most exposed to direct western Pacific landfalls.

PVG · SHA · CAN

China coast

High
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Peak windowJuly–September

Shanghai and the southeast coast see the greatest disruption risk.

BKK · HKT

Thailand

Moderate
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Peak windowSeptember–November

Usually affected by weakened systems, monsoon rain and flooding.

SIN

Singapore

Low
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Peak windowNovember–January

Direct tropical cyclones are rare; indirect rain and regional knock-on delays matter more.

TPE · KHH

Taiwan

Very high
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Peak windowJuly–October

Frequent track exposure with major wind, rain and airport impacts.

OKA · KIX · HND

Japan

High
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Peak windowAugust–September

Okinawa is exposed earlier and more often than Tokyo or Hokkaido.

Use the pattern,
then check the forecast.

01Compare destinations before choosing dates.
02Add buffer days during higher-risk months.
03Check your actual flight as departure approaches.