Four storms are churning simultaneously in the North Pacific Ocean and the South China Sea, the first time on record that so many have occurred at the same time in the month of November, weather experts say.

       The storms — Yinxing, Toraji, Usagi and Man-yi — are either fast approaching the Philippines or have already passed over the islands and surrounding areas over the past week.

       While typhoons form in the region every month, even in the colder seasons, never before have four storms been seen at once in November, said Gene Huang, a forecaster from Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration. Peak typhoon season in the Philippines lasts from July through October, and the nation sees an average of 20 tropical storms each year, according to its weather agency.

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