A series of powerful typhoons, intensified by the El Niño phenomenon, has struck the Philippines, Taiwan, China, and Japan, the BBC reports. The storms have claimed dozens of lives, disrupted airport operations, and caused damage to crops and infrastructure.

In October, nearly all of Taiwan ground to a halt due to Typhoon Champi, which brought wind gusts of up to 295 km/h. Although the storm did not make landfall, it led to the cancellation of hundreds of flights across Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Japan, and left 15 thousand homes in Okinawa without power. Earlier, in June, one million people were evacuated in Japan as two storms approached simultaneously, while in August, Super Typhoon Dolphin caused flooding in eastern China that resulted in fatalities.

The accumulated cyclone energy for the region is forecast to be nearly double the 30-year average. Last month, sea surface temperatures in the equatorial Pacific rose to 4°C above the norm—a record high since 1949. El Niño, which the UK Met Office has described as the strongest in living memory, is expected to persist until February or March.

Authorities are taking action: Japan has urged its population to stock up on food, China is upgrading its warning systems, and the Philippines and neighboring countries are preparing for disruptions in rice production while providing support to farmers. The UN Development Programme has noted that the window for government action is "closing."