Direct Purchase Shoppers, Why They Are Anxious Due to Frequent Typhoons

Powerful Hurricane Also Affects Sea Level
Additional Fuel Consumption When Ships Alter Course

As extreme weather events increase the frequency of powerful hurricanes, there are projections that maritime freight rates could also be affected. This is because cargo ships have to consume more fuel due to typhoons raging at sea.

On the 6th (local time), the British BBC broadcast highlighted the tropical storm 'Debby,' which was recently upgraded to a Category 1 hurricane. Debby has currently made landfall on the coast of Florida, USA, and is reported to pose a risk of strong winds and flooding in adjacent areas soon.

However, powerful typhoons do not only cause damage on land. Before making landfall, they already have a significant impact on the sea surface, which could make maritime logistics more difficult in the future. In other words, the cost of overseas direct purchases procured through cargo ships could also become more expensive.

Cargo ship. [Image source=Pixabay]

Typhoons have long been one of the main causes of disruption in shipping. When a Category 1 typhoon occurs, cargo ships adjust their routes or schedules. Ports may also close early, preventing timely entry. Recently, companies providing services to predict typhoons by analyzing weather activity have emerged to prevent such disruptions.

The bigger problem lies in the increase in fuel costs. For example, when a hurricane crosses the Atlantic, ships scatter left and right to avoid the storm's path. As a result, the total distance traveled by ships increases, leading to higher fuel consumption. Naturally, the amount of greenhouse gases emitted by the engines also rises.

A representative case is the storm 'Beryl' that occurred near the Gulf of Mexico last June. Michael O'Brien, Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the weather forecasting service company StormGeo, told the BBC that many ships had to change their routes due to Beryl. Among the affected vessels were cargo ships and LNG carriers carrying oil and natural gas, as well as the large cruise ship Icon of the Seas.

COO O'Brien stated, "If the routes had not been optimized in advance, the greenhouse gas emissions from ships detouring around the hurricane would have increased by 10 to 15%."

As global warming destabilizes atmospheric conditions, hurricanes are occurring more frequently and with greater intensity. The BBC reported that this year's Atlantic hurricane season is expected to be the most active in history, with a risk of at least 8 to as many as 13 hurricanes forming.

Another ship route adjustment service provider, ZeroNorth, estimates that due to hurricanes occurring this year in the Atlantic and Pacific, carbon dioxide emissions from the shipping industry could increase by about 800,000 tons (t). This is equivalent to adding 175,000 internal combustion engine vehicles worldwide. The entire shipping industry emits about 1 billion tons of carbon dioxide annually.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.