In 2017, Macau had to face Typhoon Hato, one of the strongest storms to hit the city in the past 50 years. In September of last year, Typhoon Mangkhut roared through the area, unleashing its fury and forcing all casinos to shut down. Now, another massive typhoon could hit the region again this year, according to Macau’s weather service, the Macao Meteorological and Geophysical Bureau (MMGB).
The MMGB issued an assessment on Monday, warning that Macau could see another “super typhoon” this year. It didn’t specify whether or not the storm would become a category 10 typhoon, but the implication that a major disruption of activity in the city was emphasized.
Four to six typhoons are expected to reach as close as a 500-mile radius to Macau, according to the bureau. The first storm could come as earlier as mid-June and the season will continue until early October. This window coincides with the window established by the UN’s World Meteorological Bureau, which specifies the typhoon season as May to November.
A mild category eight typhoon can result in the closure of certain activities in Macau, such as public transportation. This can have an impact on the overall daily gross gaming revenue for the city’s casinos, as gamblers from mainland China and abroad lose access to the gambling venues during the transportation stoppage.