Characteristics and near-landfall behavior of tropical cyclones affecting the Philippines (1979–2024)

The Philippines is one of the most frequently affected countries by tropical cyclones (TCs), yet key questions remain about how storm behavior evolves as they enter national warning domains. In this study, we analyzed 372 landfalling TCs from 1979 to 2024 across the TC Information Domain (TCID), Advisory Domain (TCAD), the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR), and the Philippine Coastal Waters (PCW), used here as a landfall proxy. By combining domain-level statistics, latitude-dependent characteristics, temporal evolution centered on landfall, and spatial patterns of intensification, this study presents a multidimensional perspective on how storm intensity and motion evolve as TCs approach and traverse the Philippine archipelago. Our results show that while TCs often persist in TCAD and PAR for several days, their presence within the Philippine coasts is brief (median: 21 hours). Many storms, especially those undergoing rapid intensification (RI) within 24 hours before landfall, maintain high intensity up to and during coastal entry. These landfalling RI TCs (LF-RI TCs) often occur within the PAR, with intensification usually ramping up at around 36 hours prior to landfall. This reinforces the operational challenge of detecting and responding to rapid changes in storm intensity close to land. TC center latitude is correlated with storm behavior: southern landfalls tend to involve faster-moving, more dynamically accelerating storms, while northern landfalls are typically stronger and slower, increasing the risk of prolonged wind and rainfall impacts. These findings underscore the value of time- and space-centered analyses in operational contexts and highlight the need to prepare not only for how many storms may arrive, but also for how strong, how fast, and how abrupt conditions may change near landfall.