Why is the Typhoon Saola not so strong as Typhoon Mangkhut?

 

For the past two days, Hong Kong people have experienced  the  threat of Typhoon  Saola.

The Government of Hong Kong was well prepared. 

They have issued warnings and organized people before the typhoon arrives.

The midnight experience was unforgettable.

By the time of the arrival of the typhoon,   the wind was not so strong as expected.   And the sea level was not so high as  expected.

Some people had a doubt that may be the calculation was not so correct.

It might be a good experiment for the scientists to study.

I guess that there might be one missing element in the calculation.

Typhoon Mangkhut in 2018  was almost a direct hit  with a 45 degrees entering point to the South China coast.

But the Typhoon Saola was  parallel to the  South China coast.

It's not like a direct punch to the nose,  but a slap to the face.

Calculations could be different  under these two hitting directions.

The wind speed in the center of the typhoon was high.

But the feeling of the wind speed by the road side was not the same.  Because the total impact was not running towards you,   the typhoon was heading West, not entering Hong Kong.

The side-experienced  wind speed was not the same as the center of the wind speed.

There might be lots of uncertainties in this situation. 

The typhoon might change course to enter Hong Kong by the side.  Situations might be much worse.

Hong Kong is a lucky place to avoid this.

The well preparation of the Hong Kong government is important for any unexpected happenings.

I'm not a scientist.   I do not know how to calculate this complex situation.

It is a simple observation only.

I hope the  study of  typhoons could be improved further in the future.