Typhoon Mulan (2022)

Typhoon Mulan (known as Super Typhoon Josie in the Philippines) was the strongest storm to affect Cambodia ever recorded. It was the eleventh named storm of the hyperactive 2022 typhoon season and formed on September 13, east of the Philippines. It was named Josie by PAGASA and moved west over the Philippines, causing minor damages. It dissipated and re-formed over the South China Sea, gradually strengthening into a typhoon. Named Mulan by the JTWC, the storm moved south-west near Malaysia. It was forecasted to move westwards towards Sumatra, but instead rapidly intensified into a Category 5 super typhoon with one-minute sustained wind speeds of 280km/h. It moved northwards towards Cambodia, still strengthening. It reached peak intensity on September 20th, where it peaked at 305 km/h and a central pressure of 887 mbar. As it made landfall in Cambodia, it caused catastrophic levels of damage, destroying thousands of poorly-constructed buildings, and flooding several major population centres. The rain and flooding severely damaged some of the ancient temples in the region, including the devastation of Angkor Wat, leaving it beyond recognition or repair. The storm was one of the deadliest in recent history, and caused a humanitarian crisis in Cambodia.