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The 1979 Pacific typhoon season featured the largest and most intense tropical cyclone recorded globally,
Typhoon Tip Typhoon Tip, known in the Philippines as Typhoon Warling, was the largest and most intense tropical cyclone ever recorded. The forty-third tropical depression, nineteenth tropical storm, twelfth typhoon, and third super typhoon of the 1979 Paci ...
. The season also experienced slightly above-average tropical cyclone activity. The season had no official bounds; it ran year-round in 1979, but most
tropical cyclones A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depend ...
tend to form in the northwestern Pacific Ocean between June and December. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the northwestern Pacific Ocean. The scope of this article is limited to the Pacific Ocean, north of the equator and west of the
international date line The International Date Line (IDL) is an internationally accepted demarcation on the surface of Earth, running between the South and North Poles and serving as the boundary between one calendar day and the next. It passes through the Pacific O ...
. Storms that form east of the date line and north of the equator are called hurricanes; see
1979 Pacific hurricane season The 1979 Pacific hurricane season was an inactive season, featuring 10 named storms, 6 hurricanes, and 4 major hurricanes. It featured zero tropical cyclones in the Central Pacific, the most recent occurrence on record as of 2021. An average year ...
. Tropical storms formed in the entire west Pacific basin were assigned a name by the
Joint Typhoon Warning Center The Joint typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) is a joint United States Navy – United States Air Force command in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The JTWC is responsible for the issuing of tropical cyclone warnings in the North-West Pacific Ocean, South P ...
. Tropical depressions in this basin have the "W" suffix added to their number. Tropical depressions that enter or form in the Philippine area of responsibility are assigned a name by the
Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration Pagasa may refer to: * ''Pagasa'' (genus), an insect genus in the family Nabidae * PAGASA, an acronym for the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration *"May Pagasa", a pen-name of José Rizal José Prot ...
or PAGASA. This can often result in the same storm having two names.


Seasonal summary

54 tropical depressions formed this year in the Western Pacific, of which 24 became tropical storms. 13 storms reached typhoon intensity, of which 4 reached super typhoon strength.


Systems


Typhoon Alice

On December 31, a tropical depression developed over the low latitudes of the open West Pacific. It tracked northwestward, reaching tropical storm strength that night and typhoon strength on the 5th. Alice turned to the west, and continued to intensify with generally favorable conditions to a peak of 125 mph winds on the 8th.1979 ATCR TABLE OF CONTENTS
Cooler, drier air to the north caused Alice to weaken to a minimal typhoon, but as the typhoon turned to the northwest it briefly re-strengthened to a 115 mph typhoon on January 11. Upper level winds, combined with the dry air, weakened Alice for good, causing it to dissipate on the 14th after stalling for three days. Alice caused extensive damage in the
Marshall Islands The Marshall Islands ( mh, Ṃajeḷ), officially the Republic of the Marshall Islands ( mh, Aolepān Aorōkin Ṃajeḷ),'' () is an independent island country and microstate near the Equator in the Pacific Ocean, slightly west of the Internati ...
.


Typhoon Bess (Auring)

Typhoon Bess was the third typhoon since 1959 to develop in the month of March. Bess began as a weak surface circulation on March 16. The circulation intensified into a tropical depression on March 19. Bess then reached tropical storm strength on March 21. Slow intensification occurred for 18 hours, before Bess reached its peak intensity of 105 mph (165 km/h) early on March 23. Bess held on to its peak intensity for 18 hours before vertical wind shear caused Bess to rapidly dissipate on March 25. Typhoon Bess remained away from land, and therefore caused no deaths or damage.


Typhoon Cecil (Bebeng)

Typhoon Cecil formed on the 10th from an easterly wave in early April. The storm then reached its maximum intensity as a category 1 typhoon on the 14th. Typhoon Cecil then dissipated on April 20. Typhoon Cecil stuck
Leyte Leyte ( ) is an island in the Visayas group of islands in the Philippines. It is eighth-largest and sixth-most populous island in the Philippines, with a total population of 2,626,970 as of 2020 census. Since the accessibility of land has be ...
on April 15, causing 18 deaths, damage of $10 million and leaving 8,900 homeless. Cecil was also the first tropical cyclone in the Western Pacific to be given a male name.


Tropical Storm Dot (Karing)

A tropical disturbance developed on May 6. By May 10, the disturbance was upgraded to a tropical depression. It then was upgraded to a tropical storm on May 11. Dot then reached its peak intensity as a weak tropical storm the next day. Dot was downgraded to a tropical depression late on the 14th. The storm dissipated on May 17.


Tropical Storm 05W (Diding)

Initially, TD 05 drifted southwestward east of the
Paracel Islands The Paracel Islands, also known as the Xisha Islands () and the Hoang Sa Archipelago ( vi, Quần đảo Hoàng Sa, lit=Yellow Sand Archipelago), are a disputed archipelago in the South China Sea. The archipelago includes about 130 small coral ...
. TD 05 was not forecast to intensify significantly, but it merged with an extratropical frontal boundary near 22.N 124.8E and produced an improved satellite signature which included a banding-type eye.


Typhoon Ellis (Etang)

A tropical disturbance was first noted on satellite and synoptic data on June 25. The disturbance was upgraded to a tropical depression about 670 nautical miles east of
Manila Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...
on July 1. It rapidly intensified into a tropical storm and moved west-northwest. Ellis was in a favorable position at that time and steady intensification occurred over the next 2 days. Ellis intensified into a typhoon on July 2 and reached its peak intensity of 100 mph on later that day. Continued intensification was anticipated at that time, but a slow weakening trend was actually observed. The storm passed close to the northern tip of
Luzon Luzon (; ) is the largest and most populous island in the Philippines. Located in the northern portion of the Philippines archipelago, it is the economic and political center of the nation, being home to the country's capital city, Manila, as ...
on July 4 and caused damage to tobacco-rich regions of the
Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...
. Ellis then entered the
South China Sea The South China Sea is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean. It is bounded in the north by the shores of South China (hence the name), in the west by the Indochinese Peninsula, in the east by the islands of Taiwan and northwestern Phil ...
and weakened to a severe tropical storm while still moving west-northwest. Ellis made landfall on the
Chinese Chinese can refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation ** List of ethnic groups in China, people of va ...
coast on July 6 about 164 nautical miles southwest of
Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...
and dissipated rapidly over land thereafter. Damage caused by Ellis in Hong Kong was minimal.


Severe Tropical Storm Faye (Gening)

A closed surface circulation was detected on June 28 about 920 mil (1480 km) southeast of Guam. The associated convective activity remained disorganized until July 1. A few hours later, the disturbance intensified into a tropical depression. On July 3, it was upgraded to a tropical storm and was named Faye. Faye was forecast to reach typhoon status in the next 18 hours. However, Faye weakened. Faye was then downgraded to a tropical depression on July 4. Faye then dissipated on July 7 at 17N, 129.60E.


Tropical Depression 08W

A storm that tracked into open waters.


Super Typhoon Hope (Ising)

A tropical depression formed southeast of
Guam Guam (; ch, Guåhan ) is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. It is the westernmost point and territory of the United States (reckoned from the geographic cent ...
on July 24.1979 ATCR TABLE OF CONTENTS
It headed to the west-northwest, but upper level shear from the TUTT caused the depression to dissipate on the 27th. It turned northward then westward, where it regenerated on the 28th. Intensification became more steady, with the depression reaching storm strength on the 28th and typhoon strength on the 29th. On the 31st, Hope reached a peak of 150 mph, but land interaction with
Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...
to the north weakened the storm. On August 2, Typhoon Hope struck southern China, about 10 miles east of Hong Kong. It weakened over the country while moving westward, but retained its satellite signature. Upon reaching the
Bay of Bengal The Bay of Bengal is the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean, bounded on the west and northwest by India, on the north by Bangladesh, and on the east by Myanmar and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands of India. Its southern limit is a line between ...
on the 7th, Hope restrengthened to a tropical storm, but moved over India and dissipated on the 8th. In Guangdong Province in China, the typhoon was responsible for around 100 deaths or missing people. Twelve people died along with 260 injured in Hong Kong. Hope was the strongest tropical cyclone to hit Hong Kong since Typhoon Rose in 1971.


Severe Tropical Storm Gordon (Herming)

Gordon brushed southern Taiwan.


Tropical Depression 11W (Luding)

11W was tracked by PAGASA.


Typhoon Irving (Mameng)

The monsoon trough spawned a tropical depression on August 7 to the east of the Philippines. It tracked to the north then to the west. Steering currents weakened, causing the depression to loop to the north. It was able to strengthen there, reaching tropical storm status on the 11th and typhoon status on the 13th. Irving continued to the north, attaining a peak of 100 mph winds on the 15th.1979 ATCR TABLE OF CONTENTS
Its broad, loose wind field prevented it from strengthening further, and Irving weakened as it continued northward. On the 17th, Irving hit southwest South Korea as a minimal typhoon, and merged with a frontal boundary over extreme eastern Russia on the 18th. Torrential rains led to 150 fatalities, with damage at $10–$20 million (1979 USD).


Super Typhoon Judy (Neneng)

A tropical disturbance organized into a tropical storm on August 15. It tracked to the northwest, becoming a tropical storm on the 17th. Judy rapidly intensified, reaching typhoon status on the 18th and a peak of 155 mph winds on the 20th. It also had an eye temperature of 34.0 °C (93.2 °F) at 700 hPa height, making it the warmest eye of a tropical cyclone on record.
The super typhoon began to weaken as it passed south of
Okinawa is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi). Naha is the capital and largest city ...
, and neared the Chinese coast on the 23rd and 24th. Judy turned to the northeast, and brushed past South Korea as a tropical depression on the 26th, shortly before dissipating. Judy passed through
Guam Guam (; ch, Guåhan ) is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. It is the westernmost point and territory of the United States (reckoned from the geographic cent ...
and other Pacific islands, but damage was reported light there. However, the storm brought heavy rain to Korea as a tropical depression, killing 111 and causing more damage to an area hit by Irving just weeks before.


Tropical Depression 14W

14W lasted three days from August 18–20 producing only minimal winds.


Tropical Storm Ken (Oniang)

A tropical disturbance developed on August 30 and became a tropical depression later that day. The depression was upgraded to a tropical storm and was named Ken. Ken reached peak winds of 70 mph (110 km/h) on September 3. The storm moved north and turned north-northeast, striking
Shikoku is the smallest of the four main islands of Japan. It is long and between wide. It has a population of 3.8 million (, 3.1%). It is south of Honshu and northeast of Kyushu. Shikoku's ancient names include ''Iyo-no-futana-shima'' (), '' ...
late on the 3rd. Ken weakened over
Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
and dissipated on September 4.


Typhoon Lola

Around the same time the precursor to Tropical Storm Ken developed, a tropical disturbance developed south of
Marcus Island , also known as Marcus Island, is an isolated Japanese coral atoll in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, located some southeast of Tokyo and east of the closest Japanese island, South Iwo Jima of the Ogasawara Islands, and nearly on a straight line ...
. The disturbance became a tropical depression on the 2nd and a tropical storm on the 4th. Lola was upgraded to a typhoon early on September 5. The storm continued to intensify and reached peak intensity on September 6 with winds of 105 mph (165 km/h). Lola weakened to a tropical storm on the 7th. The next day, Lola weakened to a tropical depression at 35.90N, 151.80E. Lola then transitioned into an
extratropical cyclone Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are low-pressure areas which, along with the anticyclones of high-pressure areas, drive the weather over much of the Earth. Extratropical cyclones are capable of ...
on September 9 to the east of Japan.


Severe Tropical Storm Mac (Pepang)

A weak surface circulation formed northeast of
Yap Yap ( yap, Waqaab) traditionally refers to an island group located in the Caroline Islands of the western Pacific Ocean, a part of Yap State. The name "Yap" in recent years has come to also refer to the state within the Federated States of Micro ...
on September 12, tracking westward. On September 16, the circulation gained tropical storm intensity and was named ''Mac''. Mac attained peak intensity before making landfall in the
Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...
, causing the storm to weaken. Frictional effects caused the storm to weaken over southern
Luzon Luzon (; ) is the largest and most populous island in the Philippines. Located in the northern portion of the Philippines archipelago, it is the economic and political center of the nation, being home to the country's capital city, Manila, as ...
. Due to Tropical Storm Nancy's development, Mac's track was influenced into the South China Sea. Mac made landfall near
Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...
and dissipated on September 24.


Tropical Storm Nancy

On September 17, a tropical disturbance rapidly developed into a tropical storm and was given the name ''Nancy''. Weak steering currents allowed Nancy to track across the southern portion of
Hainan Hainan (, ; ) is the smallest and southernmost province of the People's Republic of China (PRC), consisting of various islands in the South China Sea. , the largest and most populous island in China,The island of Taiwan, which is slightly l ...
and do a cyclonic loop. The weak currents allowed Nancy to make landfall in
Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...
before dissipating on September 22.


Typhoon Owen (Rosing)

A tropical disturbance developed south of
Guam Guam (; ch, Guåhan ) is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. It is the westernmost point and territory of the United States (reckoned from the geographic cent ...
during September 19. The disturbance was upgraded to a tropical depression on September 22. It then was upgraded to a tropical storm the next day. Owen was upgraded to a typhoon on the 25th. Owen then reached its peak intensity on September 26 with winds of 125 mph (205 km/h). Owen then started to weaken as the storm moved northward. By the 30th, Owen made landfall near
Osaka is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of 2. ...
, Japan and weakened to a tropical storm. Owen then transitioned into an
extratropical cyclone Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are low-pressure areas which, along with the anticyclones of high-pressure areas, drive the weather over much of the Earth. Extratropical cyclones are capable of ...
on October 1. In Japan, Owen killed 12 people and injured another 83.


Tropical Storm Pamela

Developing at the apex of a wave in the easterly flow in late September 1979, Tropical Storm Pamela formed on September 23 and dissipated on September 26, due to strong shear caused by the nearby Typhoon Owen.


Typhoon Sarah (Sisang-Uring)

The monsoon trough spawned a disturbance in the eastern Vietnamese Sea on September 30, which developed into Tropical Depression Sisang on October 1. It drifted eastward into Luzon, and looped to the southwest, where it strengthened into a tropical storm, with the JTWC naming the storm ''Sarah'' on October 4.1979 ATCR TABLE OF CONTENTS
Around this time, the PAGASA renamed the system as ''Uring''. Sarah, with weak steering currents, drifted to the south, becoming a typhoon on October 7, before making landfall on
Palawan Island Palawan is the largest island of the province of Palawan in the Philippines and fifth-largest by area and tenth-most populous island of the country, with a total population of 994,101 as of 2020 census. The north west coast of the island is alon ...
. The storm turned to the west, peaking with 130 mph winds on October 10, before the mid-level circulation became decoupled from the low-level circulation. Sarah weakened, and hit eastern
Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...
on October 14 as a 60 mph tropical storm. The storm brought heavy flooding and wind, causing massive crop damage and loss of life. Sarah then weakened to a low-pressure area on October 15, but its remnants turned eastward towards
Manila Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...
,
Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...
, before curving westward towards Vietnam again. The storm's remnants fully dissipated on October 23.


Tropical Storm Roger (Trining)

Convective activity increased in the monsoon trough that extended over the
Caroline Islands The Caroline Islands (or the Carolines) are a widely scattered archipelago of tiny islands in the western Pacific Ocean, to the north of New Guinea. Politically, they are divided between the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) in the centra ...
on September 28. Post-analysis indicated the existence of a weak circulation southwest of Guam around that time, which was to become Tropical Storm Roger. On October 3, the system organized into Tropical Depression 21W, which was subsequently upgraded to a tropical storm and named ''Roger'' on October 4. Strong flow from the equator was drawn into Roger's circulation, preventing development to a disturbance to the east which would become
Typhoon Tip Typhoon Tip, known in the Philippines as Typhoon Warling, was the largest and most intense tropical cyclone ever recorded. The forty-third tropical depression, nineteenth tropical storm, twelfth typhoon, and third super typhoon of the 1979 Paci ...
. A strong mid-level southeasterly steering current caused Roger to move northwest. Roger then executed a cyclonic loop on October 5. The storm continued to move northwest until north of the ridge axis, after which it turned in a north-northeastward direction. Roger then became an
extratropical cyclone Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are low-pressure areas which, along with the anticyclones of high-pressure areas, drive the weather over much of the Earth. Extratropical cyclones are capable of ...
on October 7, as it merged with a cold front south of
Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
.


Super Typhoon Tip (Warling)

Typhoon Tip is considered to be both the most intense
tropical cyclone A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depend ...
ever recorded in the world, with a minimum pressure of 870 mbar, as well as the largest ever recorded, with a diameter of more than 2,000 km (>1,250 mi).1979 ATCR TABLE OF CONTENTS
The cyclone formed on October 5, and after moving into a very favorable environment for development, quickly strengthened into Super Typhoon Tip on the 11th. On the 12th, Super Typhoon Tip continued to intensify, with winds at 190 miles per hour and central pressure at 870 millibars, the lowest barometric pressure ever recorded from a
tropical cyclone A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depend ...
. Tip ultimately hit Japan, causing 68 deaths and moderate damage. The storm became
extratropical Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are low-pressure areas which, along with the anticyclones of high-pressure areas, drive the weather over much of the Earth. Extratropical cyclones are capable of p ...
on October 19, and was last tracked to a point near the Alaskan
Aleutian Islands The Aleutian Islands (; ; ale, Unangam Tanangin,”Land of the Aleuts", possibly from Chukchi language, Chukchi ''aliat'', "island"), also called the Aleut Islands or Aleutic Islands and known before 1867 as the Catherine Archipelago, are a cha ...
. Tip may have made landfall as an extratropical cyclone near
Cold Bay Cold Bay ( ale, Udaamagax,; Sugpiaq: ''Pualu'') is a city in Aleutians East Borough, Alaska, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 108, but at the 2020 census this had reduced to 50. Cold Bay is one of the main commercial ...
, in
Alaska Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S., ...
.


Super Typhoon Vera (Yayang)

Vera began as a tropical disturbance in the near equatorial trough on October 27. The disturbance rapidly intensified into a tropical storm and was named Vera on November 2. Vera continued to intensify and reached typhoon strength on November 3. The storm rapidly intensified, reaching its peak intensity as a super typhoon with 160 mph (260 km/h) winds on November 4. Reconnaissance aircraft indicated that Vera maintained its peak strength for 24 hours before weakening as it approached
Catanduanes Island Catanduanes (; ), officially the Province of Catanduanes, is an island Provinces of the Philippines, province located in the Bicol Region of Luzon in the Philippines. It is the List of islands of the Philippines#Catanduanes, 12th-largest island ...
. The next day, Vera weakened to a category 4 storm with 130 mph (215 km/h) winds. The
Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...
began restricting low-level inflow as Vera continued northwestward toward northern
Luzon Luzon (; ) is the largest and most populous island in the Philippines. Located in the northern portion of the Philippines archipelago, it is the economic and political center of the nation, being home to the country's capital city, Manila, as ...
. Vera made landfall north of Tarigtig Point with winds of 105 mph (165 km/h) on the 6th. Shortly after making landfall, an enhanced low-level northeasterly flow over the
Taiwan Strait The Taiwan Strait is a -wide strait separating the island of Taiwan and continental Asia. The strait is part of the South China Sea and connects to the East China Sea to the north. The narrowest part is wide. The Taiwan Strait is itself a s ...
coupled with strong upper-level southwesterlies over the Philippines resulted in the storm's weakening. After moving into the South China Sea, the strong northeast monsoon flow accelerated Vera southwestward and Vera dissipated at 12:00 UTC November 7.


Severe Tropical Storm Wayne (Ading)

A mid-level circulation was detected on satellite imagery in early November. Wayne moved to the north initially and began to develop more definitive surface circulation on November 7. Wayne turned to the west, tracking toward the central
Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...
on November 11. Wayne dissipated as it made landfall in
Luzon Luzon (; ) is the largest and most populous island in the Philippines. Located in the northern portion of the Philippines archipelago, it is the economic and political center of the nation, being home to the country's capital city, Manila, as ...
on November 13.


Tropical Depression 26W

Tropical Depression 26W did not last long. It was short-lived over the Eastern Pacific, impacting no major land masses and causing no damage.


Typhoon Abby (Barang)

A tropical disturbance developed over the
Marshall Islands The Marshall Islands ( mh, Ṃajeḷ), officially the Republic of the Marshall Islands ( mh, Aolepān Aorōkin Ṃajeḷ),'' () is an independent island country and microstate near the Equator in the Pacific Ocean, slightly west of the Internati ...
on November 29. The disturbance then intensified into Tropical Depression 27W on December 1. 27W then intensified into a tropical storm and was named Abby. The storm moved west and turned to the northwest, while reducing its forward movement on December 3. The JTWC predicted intensification as the storm moved towards
Guam Guam (; ch, Guåhan ) is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. It is the westernmost point and territory of the United States (reckoned from the geographic cent ...
. However, Abby weakened to a tropical depression on the 6th as it moved west of Truk. On December 7, Abby reintensified into a weak tropical storm. On the 8th, Abby weakened once again to a tropical depression and accelerated forward. By December 9, aircraft reconnaissance indicated that Abby had two centers of circulation. On the 10th, Abby attained typhoon strength which made it the last typhoon of 1979. On the next day, Abby recurved in response to a mid-tropospheric short-wave trough. Typhoon Abby reached maximum intensity of 125 mph (205 km/h) with a minimum pressure of 951 mb on December 13. As Abby continued to move east-northeast, it rapidly weakened due to strong
westerlies The westerlies, anti-trades, or prevailing westerlies, are prevailing winds from the west toward the east in the middle latitudes between 30 and 60 degrees latitude. They originate from the high-pressure areas in the horse latitudes and trend to ...
. Typhoon Abby then dissipated on December 14 due to strong shear.


Tropical Storm Ben (Krising)

A tropical depression developed on December 20. Later that day, the depression was upgraded to a tropical storm. Ben then reached its peak intensity on December 22 with winds of 70 mph (110 km/h.) The storm was downgraded to a tropical depression on the 23rd and dissipated later that day. Ben was the last tropical cyclone of the 1979 Pacific typhoon season.


Storm names


International

During the season 23 named tropical cyclones developed in the Western Pacific and were named by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center, when it was determined that they had become tropical storms. These names were contributed to a revised list starting this year, which now includes both female and male names.


Philippines

The
Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration Pagasa may refer to: * ''Pagasa'' (genus), an insect genus in the family Nabidae * PAGASA, an acronym for the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration *"May Pagasa", a pen-name of José Rizal José Prot ...
uses its own naming scheme for tropical cyclones in their area of responsibility. PAGASA assigns names to tropical depressions that form within their area of responsibility and any tropical cyclone that might move into their area of responsibility. Should the list of names for a given year prove to be insufficient, names are taken from an auxiliary list, the first 6 of which are published each year before the season starts. Names not retired from this list will be used again in the 1983 season. This is the same list used for the 1975 season. PAGASA uses its own naming scheme that starts in the
Filipino alphabet The modern Filipino alphabet ( fil, makabagong alpabetong Filipino), otherwise known as the Filipino alphabet ( fil, alpabetong Filipino), is the alphabet of the Filipino language, the official national language and one of the two official langua ...
, with names of Filipino female names ending with "ng" (A, B, K, D, etc.). Names that were not assigned/going to use are marked in .


Retirement

Naming storms using both female and male names are supposed to be used alternatively. Because Alice is a female name followed by Bess with the same gender, the JTWC retired the name ''Alice'' and replaced it with ''Andy'', a male name, which was first used in the 1982 season.


Season effects

This is a table of all of the storms that have formed in the 1979 Pacific typhoon season. It includes their duration, names, affected areas, damages, and death totals. Deaths in parentheses are additional and indirect (an example of an indirect death would be a traffic accident), but were still related to that storm. Damage and deaths include totals while the storm was extratropical, a wave, or a low, and all of the damage figures are in 1979 USD. Names listed in parentheses were assigned by PAGASA. , - , Alice , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , , , , , , , , - , Bess (Auring) , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , , , , , , , , - , Cecil (Bebeng) , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , , , , , , , , - , Dot (Karing) , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , , , , , , , , - , 7905 , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , , , , , , , , - , TD , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , , , , , , , , - , TD , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , , , , , , , , - , Ellis (Etang) , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , , , , , , , , - , Faye (Gening) , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , , , , , , , , - , TD , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , , , , , , , , - , Gordon (Herming) , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , , , , , , , , - , Hope (Ising) , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , , , , , , , , - , TD , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , , , , , , , , - , TD , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , , , , , , , , - , TD , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , , , , , , , , - , TD , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , , , , , , , , - , Irving (Mameng) , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , , , , , , , , - , TD , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , , , , , , , , - , TD , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , , , , , , , , - , TD , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , , , , , , , , - , Judy (Neneng) , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , , , , , , , , - , TD , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , , , , , , , , - , TD , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , , , , , , , , - , TD , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , , , , , , , , - , TD , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , , , , , , , , - , TD , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , , , , , , , , - , TD , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , , , , , , , , - , Ken (Oniang) , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , , , , , , , , - , TD , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , , , , , , , , - , Lola , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , , , , , , , , - , TD , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , , , , , , , , - , Mac (Pepang) , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , , , , , , , , - , TD , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , , , , , , , , - , Nancy , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , , , , , , , , - , TD , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , , , , , , , , - , Owen (Rosing) , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , , , , , , , , - , Pamela , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , , , , , , , , - , TD , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , , , , , , , , - , TD , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , , , , , , , , - , TD , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , , , , , , , , - , Sarah (Sisang-Uring) , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , , , , , , , , - , TD , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , , , , , , , , - , Roger (Trining) , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , , , , , , , , - , Tip (Warling) , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , , , , , 99 , , , - , TD , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , , , , , , , , - , TD , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , , , , , , , , - , TD , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , , , , , , , , - , TD , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , , , , , , , , - , Vera (Yayang) , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , , , , , , , , - , Wayne (Ading) , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , , , , , , , , - , TD , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , , , , , , , , - , TD , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , , , , , , , , - , TD , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , , , , , , , , - , Abby (Barang) , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , , , , , , , , - , Ben (Krising) , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , , , , , , , , -


See also

* Australian region cyclone seasons: 1978–79, 1979–80 * South Pacific cyclone seasons: 1978–79, 1979–80 * South-West Indian Ocean cyclone seasons 1978–79, 1979–80 *
1979 Atlantic hurricane season The 1979 Atlantic hurricane season was the first season to include both male and female names, as well as the common six-year rotating lists of tropical cyclone names. The season officially began on June 1, and lasted until November 30 ...
*
1979 Pacific hurricane season The 1979 Pacific hurricane season was an inactive season, featuring 10 named storms, 6 hurricanes, and 4 major hurricanes. It featured zero tropical cyclones in the Central Pacific, the most recent occurrence on record as of 2021. An average year ...
*
Pacific typhoon climatology A typhoon is a mature tropical cyclone that develops between 180th meridian, 180° and 100th meridian east, 100°E in the Northern Hemisphere. This region is referred to as the Tropical cyclone basins#Northwestern Pacific Ocean, Northwestern P ...
*
1979 North Indian Ocean cyclone season The 1979 North Indian Ocean cyclone season was part of the annual cycle of tropical cyclone formation. The season has no official bounds but cyclones tend to form between April and December. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each ye ...


Notes


References


External links


Japan Meteorological Agency

Joint Typhoon Warning Center
.
China Meteorological Agency

National Weather Service Guam



Macau Meteorological Geophysical Services

Korea Meteorological Agency

Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration



Satellite movie of 1979 Pacific typhoon season
{{DEFAULTSORT:1979 Pacific Typhoon Season