An expansive marine heat wave called the 'blob' is back and it is larger than ever

Super Typhoon Ragasa roared through the northern Philippines yesterday as the most powerful storm on Earth this year. It struck with destructive winds and torrential rain, prompting evacuations of thousands of people and preparations in nearby Hong Kong, Taiwan and mainland China.  Climate scientists worry this will happen more often in the coming years. The western Pacific is the most active tropical basin on Earth, and September is often its busiest stretch. Ragasa is a reminder of how quickly storms in this region can ramp up and how destructive they can be as they approach densely populated coastlines. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices