Exploring the Typhoon-Drought Interplay in Taiwan

Taiwan's semiconductor industry is a significant contributor to the global semiconductor market and requires substantial water resources for its operations. The severe drought during 2020−2021, which garnered global attention, highlighted the importance of understanding water dynamics. This study examines the link between typhoon activity and drought severity. We analyzed tropical cyclone best-track data and satellite-based precipitation records from 1981 to 2020, using anomalies, correlation matrices, and wavelet coherence to investigate the typhoon-drought relationship, seasonal variations, and long-term trends. Our results reveal a complex relationship: typhoon characteristics near Taiwan, such as frequency, duration, path length, and intensity, positively correlate with drought occurrence and severity on 2- to 4-year cycles. Conversely, in the broader Western North Pacific (WNP), typhoon duration and path length correlate negatively with Taiwan’s drought indices, driven by large-scale atmospheric patterns. Notably, WNP typhoon duration and path length exert a stronger influence on Taiwan’s drought conditions than typhoon frequency, demonstrating significant coherence with multi-year and decadal drought trends. These findings illuminate the intricate dynamics between typhoon activity and drought patterns, offering valuable insights for hydrological management and disaster preparedness in typhoon-prone regions.