The 1981 Pacific typhoon season was a slightly above average season that produced 29 tropical storms, 13 typhoons and two intense typhoons. The season ran throughout 1981, though most tropical cyclones typically
develop
Develop or DEVELOP may refer to:
* ''Develop'' (magazine), a trade publication for the video game industry
* ''Develop'' (Apple magazine), a technical magazine formerly published by Apple Computer
*Develop (chess), moving a piece from its original ...
between May and October.
[Gary Padgett]
May 2003 Tropical Cyclone Summary.
Retrieved 2007-01-05. The season's first named storm, Freda, developed on March 12 while the final storm,
Lee
Lee may refer to:
Name
Given name
* Lee (given name), a given name in English
Surname
* Chinese surnames romanized as Li or Lee:
** Li (surname 李) or Lee (Hanzi ), a common Chinese surname
** Li (surname 利) or Lee (Hanzi ), a Chinese ...
, dissipated on December 29. Tropical cyclones only accounted for 12 percent of the rainfall in Hong Kong this season, the lowest percentage for the protectorate since 1972.
Hong Kong Royal Observatory
The Hong Kong Observatory is a weather forecast agency of the government of Hong Kong. The Observatory forecasts the weather and issues warnings on weather-related hazards. It also monitors and makes assessments on radiation levels in H ...
(1982)
Meteorological Results 1981: Part III - Tropical Cyclone Summaries.
Retrieved of 2008-11-10.
The scope of this article is limited to the Pacific Ocean to the north of the equator between
100°E and
180th meridian
The 180th meridian or antimeridian is the meridian (geography), meridian 180° both east and west of the prime meridian in a Geographic coordinate system, geographical coordinate system. The longitude at this line can be given as either east ...
. Within the northwestern Pacific Ocean, there are two separate agencies that assign names to tropical cyclones which can often result in a cyclone having two names. 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 ...
(JTWC) will name a tropical cyclone should it be judged to have 1-minute
sustained wind speeds of at least 65 km/h (40 mph) anywhere in the basin, whilst the
(PAGASA) assigns names to tropical cyclones which move into or form as a tropical depression in their area of responsibility located between 135°E and 115°E and between 5°N–25°N regardless of whether or not a tropical cyclone has already been given a name by the JTWC. The
Japan Meteorological Agency
The , abbreviated JMA, is an agency of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. It is charged with gathering and providing results for the public in Japan that are obtained from data based on daily scientific observation an ...
(JMA) also monitors the whole basin and uses the 10-minute sustained wind scale. Moreover, the JTWC also assigns a number with a "W" suffix when a system has strengthened into a tropical depression.
Season summary
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PlotData=
barset:Hurricane width:10 align:left fontsize:S shift:(4,-4) anchor:till
from:14/02/1981 till:15/02/1981 color:TD text:"Atring"
from:12/03/1981 till:18/03/1981 color:TY text:"Freda"
from:15/04/1981 till:23/04/1981 color:ST text:"Gerald"
from:29/04/1981 till:08/05/1981 color:TS text:"Holly"
from:08/06/1981 till:17/06/1981 color:ST text:"Ike"
from:11/06/1981 till:13/06/1981 color:TD text:"TD"
from:15/06/1981 till:23/06/1981 color:TY text:"June"
from:16/06/1981 till:16/06/1981 color:TD text:"TD"
from:27/06/1981 till:06/07/1981 color:ST text:"Kelly
Kelly may refer to:
Art and entertainment
* Kelly (Kelly Price album)
* Kelly (Andrea Faustini album)
* ''Kelly'' (musical), a 1965 musical by Mark Charlap
* "Kelly" (song), a 2018 single by Kelly Rowland
* ''Kelly'' (film), a 1981 Canadi ...
"
from:02/07/1981 till:07/07/1981 color:ST text:"Lynn"
from:07/07/1981 till:09/07/1981 color:TD text:"Goring"
from:15/07/1981 till:17/07/1981 color:TD text:"TD"
from:17/07/1981 till:21/07/1981 color:ST text:"Maury"
barset:break
from:20/07/1981 till:22/07/1981 color:TD text:"TD"
from:21/07/1981 till:24/07/1981 color:TS text:"Nina"
from:26/07/1981 till:01/08/1981 color:ST text:"Ogden"
from:31/07/1981 till:01/08/1981 color:TD text:"Luming"
from:01/08/1981 till:02/08/1981 color:TS text:"11W"
from:02/08/1981 till:06/08/1981 color:TD text:"TD"
from:02/08/1981 till:05/08/1981 color:ST text:"Phyllis"
from:02/08/1981 till:11/08/1981 color:TS text:"Roy"
from:06/08/1981 till:13/08/1981 color:ST text:"Susan"
from:06/08/1981 till:07/08/1981 color:TD text:"TD"
from:08/08/1981 till:09/08/1981 color:TD text:"Narsing"
from:14/08/1981 till:16/08/1981 color:TD text:"TD"
from:15/08/1981 till:23/08/1981 color:TY text:"Thad"
barset:break
from:16/08/1981 till:20/08/1981 color:ST text:"Vanessa"
from:16/08/1981 till:20/08/1981 color:TS text:"Warren"
from:17/08/1981 till:17/08/1981 color:TD text:"TD"
from:17/08/1981 till:17/08/1981 color:TD text:"TD"
from:25/08/1981 till:25/08/1981 color:TD text:"TD"
from:25/08/1981 till:03/09/1981 color:TY text:" Agnes"
from:01/09/1981 till:07/09/1981 color:TY text:"Bill"
from:02/09/1981 till:04/09/1981 color:TD text:"TD"
from:13/09/1981 till:23/09/1981 color:TY text:"Clara
Clara may refer to:
Organizations
* CLARA, Latin American academic computer network organization
* Clara.Net, a European ISP
* Consolidated Land and Rail Australia, a property development consortium
People
* Clara (given name), a feminine giv ...
"
from:19/09/1981 till:23/09/1981 color:TY text:"Doyle"
from:22/09/1981 till:24/09/1981 color:TD text:"TD"
from:22/09/1981 till:24/09/1981 color:TD text:"TD"
from:23/09/1981 till:02/10/1981 color:TY text:"Elsie"
barset:break
from:24/09/1981 till:27/09/1981 color:TD text:"Saling"
from:10/10/1981 till:14/10/1981 color:TS text:"Fabian"
from:14/10/1981 till:23/10/1981 color:TY text:"Gay"
from:15/10/1981 till:15/10/1981 color:TD text:"TD"
from:21/10/1981 till:21/10/1981 color:TD text:"TD"
from:06/11/1981 till:09/11/1981 color:TD text:"TD"
from:09/11/1981 till:11/11/1981 color:TD text:"TD"
from:13/11/1981 till:21/11/1981 color:TY text:"Hazen"
from:18/11/1981 till:27/11/1981 color:TY text:" Irma"
from:20/11/1981 till:26/11/1981 color:TS text:"Jeff"
from:07/12/1981 till:08/12/1981 color:TD text:"TD"
from:09/12/1981 till:22/12/1981 color:TY text:"Kit"
from:22/12/1981 till:29/12/1981 color:TY text:"Lee
Lee may refer to:
Name
Given name
* Lee (given name), a given name in English
Surname
* Chinese surnames romanized as Li or Lee:
** Li (surname 李) or Lee (Hanzi ), a common Chinese surname
** Li (surname 利) or Lee (Hanzi ), a Chinese ...
"
barset:skip
bar:Month width:5 align:center fontsize:S shift:(0,-20) anchor:middle color:canvas
from:01/02/1981 till:28/02/1981 text:February
from:01/03/1981 till:30/03/1981 text:March
from:01/04/1981 till:30/04/1981 text:April
from:01/05/1981 till:30/05/1981 text:May
from:01/06/1981 till:30/06/1981 text:June
from:01/07/1981 till:31/07/1981 text:July
from:01/08/1981 till:31/08/1981 text:August
from:01/09/1981 till:30/09/1981 text:September
from:01/10/1981 till:31/10/1981 text:October
from:01/11/1981 till:30/11/1981 text:November
from:01/12/1981 till:31/12/1981 text:December
The season started with Freda, which became the fourth March typhoon for the basin since 1959. The system passed west of Wake Island before dissipating on March 17. Gerald formed in mid-April near an upper-level low, and recurved just east of Guam bringing the island heavy rainfall. Holly formed in the middle of the tropical Pacific Ocean in late April, and dissipated far from land on May 7. Ike was the first system to form in the South China Sea, living during the second week of June before recurving across Taiwan and becoming 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 ...
. June formed during the third week of June, and moved just east of Taiwan before approaching Japan as a nontropical cyclone. Kelly crossed the Philippines on July 1, moving into Vietnam on July 4. Lynn moved nearby the northern Philippines before making landfall in mainland China on July 7. Maury tracked near Taiwan, China, and eventually Vietnam as a remnant low during the third and fourth weeks of July. Nina formed on the northeast fringe of Maury, also moving into mainland China on July 23, three days after Maury. Ogden moved into Japan at the end of July, approaching Korea early in August.
Tropical Depression 11 formed in the tropical west Pacific, dissipating well east of Asia on August 2. Phyllis formed and remained southeast of Japan on August 3 and August 4. Roy meandered around the South China Sea between August 3 and August 9. Susan moved northwest through the open western Pacific during the second week of August. Thad moved north-northeast through its life cycle, moving through Japan on August 23. Vanessa moved northeast through the open western Pacific in mid-August. Warren moved west-northwest through
Hainan Island
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 northern Vietnam during the third week of August. Agnes moved extremely close to eastern China before dissipating on September 1. Bill recurved southeast of Japan during the first week of September. Clara moved west-northwest near Luzon and into mainland China during the third week of September.
Doyle moved through the central Pacific during the third week of September. Elsie recurved south of Japan during the beginning of October. Fabian moved westward through the Philippines into Vietnam during the second week of October. Gay recurved near the Japanese coast on October 21 and 22. A tropical depression moved west-northwest into Vietnam on November 11. Hazen moved across the Central Philippines into mainland China by November 23. Irma moved across the northern Philippines and then south of Taiwan during late November. Jeff recurved east of mainland Asia during late November. Kit moved erratically westward towards the Philippines during mid-December. Lee moved across the central Philippines, dissipating across the South China Sea on December 28.
Systems
Tropical Depression Atring
Atring was short-lived.
Typhoon Freda
Freda was the first tropical cyclone in the western Pacific in 1981 and the fourth typhoon to occur in March since 1959. The incipient disturbance was nearly stationary near the
Gilbert Islands
The Gilbert Islands ( gil, Tungaru;Reilly Ridgell. ''Pacific Nations and Territories: The Islands of Micronesia, Melanesia, and Polynesia.'' 3rd. Ed. Honolulu: Bess Press, 1995. p. 95. formerly Kingsmill or King's-Mill IslandsVery often, this n ...
for a few days, before drifting northwest and slowly intensifying. During the morning of the March 11 it was upgraded to a tropical depression. It tracked along the periphery of the
subtropical ridge
The horse latitudes are the latitudes about 30 degrees north and south of the Equator. They are characterized by sunny skies, calm winds, and very little precipitation. They are also known as Subtropics, subtropical ridges, or highs. It is a h ...
with slow development for the next few days. On March 14 intensification became more rapid and Freda became a typhoon. Passing west of
Wake Island
Wake Island ( mh, Ānen Kio, translation=island of the kio flower; also known as Wake Atoll) is a coral atoll in the western Pacific Ocean in the northeastern area of the Micronesia subregion, east of Guam, west of Honolulu, southeast of To ...
with
maximum sustained wind
The maximum sustained wind associated with a tropical cyclone is a common
indicator of the intensity of the storm. Within a mature tropical cyclone, it is found within the eyewall at a distance defined as the radius of maximum wind, or RMW. Unl ...
s of intensity, the island sustained wind gusts to typhoon force and waves to . As the typhoon moved more northeast, the cyclone weakened, and Freda was absorbed by March 17 into another
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 ...
.
Severe Tropical Storm Gerald
This cyclone initially formed in response to a mid to upper level cyclone southeast of
Ponape
Ponape may refer to:
* Pohnpei, an island in the Federated States of Micronesia
* ''Ponape'' (barque), a German sailing ship
{{disambiguation ...
on April 12. Thunderstorms developed near the upper level system, and an outflow pattern was present on satellite imagery, but a surface circulation did not materialize until April 15. The system became a tropical depression by that night. Steady intensification was seen until around midday on April 17 when a new upper level high formed to its east, inducing southerly vertical
wind shear
Wind shear (or windshear), sometimes referred to as wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and/or direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere. Atmospheric wind shear is normally described as either vertical or horizontal ...
. Weakening began while the storm was located about east 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 ...
late on April 18. Moderate to heavy rainfall did occur on the island, with to being measured. After passing Guam, the remaining thunderstorm activity sheared away, leaving a low-level swirl which moved northwest. The cyclone was absorbed by a system approaching in the main belt in the Westerlies on April 19.
Tropical Storm Holly
A broad area of thunderstorm straddled the
equator
The equator is a circle of latitude, about in circumference, that divides Earth into the Northern and Southern hemispheres. It is an imaginary line located at 0 degrees latitude, halfway between the North and South poles. The term can als ...
around 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 ...
beginning on April 21. A tropical system in the
southern hemisphere was interacting with a strong system in the main belt of the Westerlies. Around this time, convective increased north of the equator, with a low level circulation forming near late on April 25. By midday on April 29 it had become a tropical depression as it continued to move westward. Holly became a tropical storm on April 30 and almost became a typhoon late on May 1. Southwesterly vertical
wind shear
Wind shear (or windshear), sometimes referred to as wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and/or direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere. Atmospheric wind shear is normally described as either vertical or horizontal ...
began to weaken the cyclone thereafter, causing Holly to dissipate over the open Pacific Ocean.
Severe Tropical Storm Ike (Bining)
This cyclone formed in 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 ...
at the end of the
monsoon
A monsoon () is traditionally a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with annual latitudinal oscil ...
transition season. Around noon on June 8 a broad area of lowered pressures was seen west 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 ...
. Moderate northeast
wind shear
Wind shear (or windshear), sometimes referred to as wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and/or direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere. Atmospheric wind shear is normally described as either vertical or horizontal ...
displaced its mid-level center as far as from the surface center, which retarded development. By midday on June 9, Ike strengthened into a tropical storm. On its closest approach to Hong Kong, winds gusted to at Tate's Cairn.
An upper trough in the main belt of the Westerlies moved across Asia, which turned Ike to the northeast. Intensification continued as it accelerated, and Ike became a typhoon late on June 12. The cyclone reached its peak intensity as it made landfall on the island of
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 ...
. Weakening substantially over the mountainous island, Ike attempted slight tropical redevelopment before it 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 ...
late on the morning of June 14. Eight perished due to Ike, four from Taiwan and four from the Philippines.
Typhoon June (Kuring)
A tropical upper tropospheric trough (TUTT) was located over the
Philippine Sea
The Philippine Sea is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean east of the Philippine archipelago (hence the name), the largest in the world, occupying an estimated surface area of . The Philippine Sea Plate forms the floor of the sea. Its ...
early in June. In response, a tropical disturbance formed in
Palau
Palau,, officially the Republic of Palau and historically ''Belau'', ''Palaos'' or ''Pelew'', is an island country and microstate in the western Pacific. The nation has approximately 340 islands and connects the western chain of the Caro ...
. An upper cyclone to the disturbance's northeast led to development of the disturbance. As the TUTT cell moved to the disturbance's northwest, intensification sped up and a low level circulation center formed on June 15 about north of Palau. By the afternoon of June 17, the cyclone had become a tropical storm. June tracked northwest towards
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 ...
, and by late on June 19, had reached its maximum intensity as a typhoon. About southeast of Taipei, June recurved to the north, and gradually weakened. While approaching Japan, the cyclone linked up with a frontal boundary and 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 ...
late on June 22.
Severe Tropical Storm Kelly (Daling)
A tropical disturbance organized into a tropical depression east of the Philippines on June 28. It tracked westward, reaching tropical storm on June 30 before hitting the central Philippines. Kelly weakened over the islands, but restrengthened in 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 ...
, attaining typhoon status on July 2. The typhoon hit southern
Hainan Island
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 ...
on July 3, bringing wind gusts to at Tate's Cairn in Hong Kong.
The cyclone then crossed the
Gulf of Tonkin
The Gulf of Tonkin is a gulf at the northwestern portion of the South China Sea, located off the coasts of Tonkin (northern Vietnam) and South China. It has a total surface area of . It is defined in the west and northwest by the northern ...
as a weakening tropical storm, and made landfall on northern
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 July 4 as a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of . Kelly dissipated the next day, after causing torrential flooding and mudslides, resulting in 200 casualties and leaving thousands homeless.
Severe Tropical Storm Lynn (Elang)
On the morning of June 27, an area of enhanced thunderstorm activity was spotted just south of
Ponape
Ponape may refer to:
* Pohnpei, an island in the Federated States of Micronesia
* ''Ponape'' (barque), a German sailing ship
{{disambiguation ...
along a weak portion of the
monsoon trough
The monsoon trough is a portion of the Intertropical Convergence Zone in the Western Pacific,Bin WangThe Asian Monsoon.Retrieved 2008-05-03. as depicted by a line on a weather map showing the locations of minimum sea level pressure, and as such, ...
. As Tropical Storm Kelly led to some vertical
wind shear
Wind shear (or windshear), sometimes referred to as wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and/or direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere. Atmospheric wind shear is normally described as either vertical or horizontal ...
over the system, the disturbance was slow to organize. A low-pressure area formed late on June 29. By late on July 2, Kelly's negative influence on the disturbance abated, allowing for further development. Early on July 3, the system developed into a tropical depression, and by afternoon Lynn was a tropical storm. Previously moving at a fast pace to the west, the cyclone slowed as it passed by the northern fringe of the Philippines. Inflow from 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 ...
led to convection focusing in the terrain of the Philippines, which distorted Lynn's convective pattern. Lynn was the second tropical cyclone is three days to impact the Philippines. The cyclone took 30 hours to track across the northern portion of the
archipelago
An archipelago ( ), sometimes called an island group or island chain, is a chain, cluster, or collection of islands, or sometimes a sea containing a small number of scattered islands.
Examples of archipelagos include: the Indonesian Archi ...
.
It took until late on July 4 for the storm to recover from its Philippine interaction and redevelop a
central dense overcast
The central dense overcast, or CDO, of a tropical cyclone or strong subtropical cyclone is the large central area of thunderstorms surrounding its circulation center, caused by the formation of its eyewall. It can be round, angular, oval, or irr ...
and quicken its pace to the west across Luzon. Turning northwest across the South China Sea, light to moderate easterly wind shear prevented Lynn's development into a typhoon. The cyclone struck Chuan-Tao, China early on July 7. Very heavy rainfall led to mudslides which took 22 lives and left tens of thousands homeless.
In Hong Kong, winds gusted to at
Tai O
Tai O is a fishing town, partly located on an island of the same name, on the western side of Lantau Island in Hong Kong. The village name means ''large inlet'', referring to outlet for the waterways (Tai O Creek and Tai O River) merges as it ...
, and a total of of rainfall was recorded at Cheung Chau.
Severe Tropical Storm Lynn had the Hong Kong observatory put the Typhoon 8 signal up for 28 Hours and 45 minutes.
Tropical Depression Goring
Goring was a depression that lasted for two days.
Severe Tropical Storm Maury (Huling)
On the morning of July 14, satellite imagery revealed an area of convection about north-northwest 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 ...
. By late on July 16, a mid-level center has formed in association with the thunderstorm complex, which was moving northwest. Ship reports indicated the system had become a tropical storm by the morning of July 18. Southwesterly vertical
wind shear
Wind shear (or windshear), sometimes referred to as wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and/or direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere. Atmospheric wind shear is normally described as either vertical or horizontal ...
impacted Maury, which led to its tilting to the northeast with height. By early on July 19 the wind shear lessened, and the cyclone's structure improved. While approaching China, a strong ridge to its northwest deflected the storm on a more westerly heading, sending the center toward
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 ...
. This ridge also led to weak east-northeasterly vertical wind shear, which halted development. By late on July 19, the cyclone's center moved ashore northern Taiwan. Heavy rains led to significant flooding and the loss of 38 lives.
Moving through the
Formosa 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 ...
as a weak tropical storm, Maury made a second landfall near Fu-Chou, China on the morning of July 20. Its remains were dragged southwest by an upper cyclone to its southeast back into the
Gulf of Tonkin
The Gulf of Tonkin is a gulf at the northwestern portion of the South China Sea, located off the coasts of Tonkin (northern Vietnam) and South China. It has a total surface area of . It is defined in the west and northwest by the northern ...
. By late on July 23, the circulation center moved back to the north near Yin-Chou, China and dissipated inland late on July 24. Its former thunderstorm activity decoupled from the surface center while still offshore and moved inland near Nam Định,
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 over
Laos
Laos (, ''Lāo'' )), officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic ( Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ, French: République démocratique populaire lao), is a socialist ...
late on July 24.
Tropical Storm Nina (Ibiang)
The eastern portion of the large convective mass from Maury led to Nina's formation. It was first noted late on July 20 to the east of
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 ...
. As it moved northwest around northern Taiwan late on the morning of July 22. By late afternoon a surface low formed with enough convective activity to be designated a tropical depression. Moving northwest at , the cyclone briefly became a tropical storm before nearly land and weakening back into a tropical depression. Early on the morning of July 23, its center made landfall northwest of Hsia-p'u, China before quickly dissipating in mountainous terrain inland.
Severe Tropical Storm Ogden
An area of convection active for the previous 48 hours led to the formation of a low level circulation near early on July 27. Gradual intensification ensued, and the system developed into a tropical depression that evening, a tropical storm on July 28, and a typhoon by July 31 as it moved west-northwest. The cyclone struck southern Kyūshū, in Japan, early on July 31 which weakened the cyclone. The tropical storm then moved into the
East China Sea
The East China Sea is an arm of the Western Pacific Ocean, located directly offshore from East China. It covers an area of roughly . The sea’s northern extension between mainland China and the Korean Peninsula is the Yellow Sea, separated b ...
which continuing to spin down. Upper-level wind shear took its toll, leading to its weakening into a tropical depression and its ultimate dissipation in the
Yellow Sea
The Yellow Sea is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean located between mainland China and the Korean Peninsula, and can be considered the northwestern part of the East China Sea. It is one of four seas named after common colour terms ...
along the west coast of Korea.
Tropical Depression Luming
Luming lasted for two days.
Tropical Storm 11W
Both Tropical Storm 11W and Tropical Storm Phyllis were associated with the same
synoptic scale
The synoptic scale in meteorology (also known as large scale or cyclonic scale) is a horizontal length scale of the order of 1000 kilometers (about 620 miles) or more. This corresponds to a horizontal scale typical of mid-latitude depressions (e. ...
feature, similar to Maury and Nina. On July 30 the
monsoon trough
The monsoon trough is a portion of the Intertropical Convergence Zone in the Western Pacific,Bin WangThe Asian Monsoon.Retrieved 2008-05-03. as depicted by a line on a weather map showing the locations of minimum sea level pressure, and as such, ...
extended from the
Northern Marianas
The Northern Mariana Islands, officially the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI; ch, Sankattan Siha Na Islas Mariånas; cal, Commonwealth Téél Falúw kka Efáng llól Marianas), is an unincorporated territory and commonwe ...
islands southeast toward
Palau
Palau,, officially the Republic of Palau and historically ''Belau'', ''Palaos'' or ''Pelew'', is an island country and microstate in the western Pacific. The nation has approximately 340 islands and connects the western chain of the Caro ...
. Two circulations were at opposite ends of the trough. Tropical Storm 11W formed north of Guam late on July 31. Moving northeast, the tropical depression experienced vertical
wind shear
Wind shear (or windshear), sometimes referred to as wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and/or direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere. Atmospheric wind shear is normally described as either vertical or horizontal ...
as the upper anticyclone fostering development accelerated faster than the tropical depression. This led to dissipation by late morning on August 2.
Severe Tropical Storm Phyllis
A second circulation along the monsoon trough which spawned Tropical Storm 11W was noted north of Palau. By late on August 3 it had developed into Tropical Storm Phyllis. Tracking northward at , the cyclone intensified slowly due to westerly vertical wind shear. Increased vertical wind shear from the southeast and cooler
sea surface temperature
Sea surface temperature (SST), or ocean surface temperature, is the ocean temperature close to the surface. The exact meaning of ''surface'' varies according to the measurement method used, but it is between and below the sea surface. Air mass ...
s led to the decline of Phyllis late on August 4, and it dissipated as a tropical cyclone early on August 5. Its remains tracked northeast, merging with 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 ...
offshore Japan. Eleven perished during Phyllis, with 22,500 people being left homeless across Japan.
Tropical Storm Roy (Miling)
The initial disturbance formed east of
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 ...
during the first few days of August. By August 2, a low level circulation was present. Moving slowly to the north, the low-pressure area developed central convection. By late on August 4, the disturbance strengthened into a tropical depression before reaching tropical storm strength on August 5. Easterly shear began soon afterwards, and Roy's circulation center became exposed well to the east of the main convection. This caused its subsequent weakening and dissipation before reaching Hainan Island. Winds gusted to on the northwest side of Hong Kong's airport.
Severe Tropical Storm Susan
The
monsoon trough
The monsoon trough is a portion of the Intertropical Convergence Zone in the Western Pacific,Bin WangThe Asian Monsoon.Retrieved 2008-05-03. as depicted by a line on a weather map showing the locations of minimum sea level pressure, and as such, ...
became well-established along
20 degrees north latitude. To the east of Phyllis, part of the monsoon trough shifted east towards
Wake Island
Wake Island ( mh, Ānen Kio, translation=island of the kio flower; also known as Wake Atoll) is a coral atoll in the western Pacific Ocean in the northeastern area of the Micronesia subregion, east of Guam, west of Honolulu, southeast of To ...
while the western portion moved north with Phyllis. Early on August 7, a tropical disturbance was noted about north of Wake Island. During this time, Wake experienced gale-force winds and heavy rainfall. The low level center became exposed for a time, though gales continued. By late on August 8, convection at the edge of the surface low strengthened as the vertical
wind shear
Wind shear (or windshear), sometimes referred to as wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and/or direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere. Atmospheric wind shear is normally described as either vertical or horizontal ...
weakened. At this point, the gale center was deemed to be a tropical cyclone, and was named Susan. The storm tracked north until reaching
30 degrees north latitude, before turning northwest towards a weak cold front. Early on August 11, Susan entrained cooler and drier air from behind the frontal zone which led to a significant reduction in thunderstorm activity. A warm core ridge building to its northeast forced the storm on a more west-northwest course, and as a second cold front approached, Susan recurved into the boundary, becoming 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 ...
during the late morning of August 13.
Tropical Depression Narsing
Narsing was short-lived.
Typhoon Thad (Openg)
An active
monsoon trough
The monsoon trough is a portion of the Intertropical Convergence Zone in the Western Pacific,Bin WangThe Asian Monsoon.Retrieved 2008-05-03. as depicted by a line on a weather map showing the locations of minimum sea level pressure, and as such, ...
spawned three tropical cyclones within 48 hours beginning on August 16. Thad was the first of the trio, initially noted on August 10 near . On August 15, limited outflow was witnessed over its low level circulation. The system developed into a tropical depression late on August 16. Thad moved north and northeast, maturing into a typhoon by late morning on August 18. On August 22 Thad accelerated northward between a subtropical ridge to its east and a deepening shortwave to its west, striking eastern Japan with a forward motion near . Thereafter, the cyclone rapidly 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 ...
by late on August 23. Twenty people died during Thad's passage of Japan.
Severe Tropical Storm Vanessa
This system developed about 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 ...
near the merger of the
monsoon trough
The monsoon trough is a portion of the Intertropical Convergence Zone in the Western Pacific,Bin WangThe Asian Monsoon.Retrieved 2008-05-03. as depicted by a line on a weather map showing the locations of minimum sea level pressure, and as such, ...
and a sharp surface trough brought into the region by Susan. Thunderstorm activity increased in the area on August 12, the next system up the
monsoon trough
The monsoon trough is a portion of the Intertropical Convergence Zone in the Western Pacific,Bin WangThe Asian Monsoon.Retrieved 2008-05-03. as depicted by a line on a weather map showing the locations of minimum sea level pressure, and as such, ...
from Thad. Once Vanessa freed itself from nearby troughs of low pressure, it lost one of its primary outflow channels and its northeastward movement subsequently exposed the system to the main belt of the westerlies. Within two days of formation as a tropical cyclone, Vanessa was already devoid of convection and transitioning to 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 the morning of August 19. The exposed surface circulation was tracked an additional couple days, merging with a mid-latitude system near on the morning of August 21.
Tropical Storm Warren
The initial disturbance which led to Warren's formation formed within the
monsoon trough
The monsoon trough is a portion of the Intertropical Convergence Zone in the Western Pacific,Bin WangThe Asian Monsoon.Retrieved 2008-05-03. as depicted by a line on a weather map showing the locations of minimum sea level pressure, and as such, ...
on August 14. Strong northeasterly wind shear halted further development for the next few days. By August 17 the vertical
wind shear
Wind shear (or windshear), sometimes referred to as wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and/or direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere. Atmospheric wind shear is normally described as either vertical or horizontal ...
relaxed, and thunderstorms increased south of the center. Moving slowly westward, the system became a tropical storm on the afternoon of August 18. Warren tracked over
Hainan Island
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 into the
Gulf of Tonkin
The Gulf of Tonkin is a gulf at the northwestern portion of the South China Sea, located off the coasts of Tonkin (northern Vietnam) and South China. It has a total surface area of . It is defined in the west and northwest by the northern ...
. Intensification renewed, but maximum sustained winds leveled off at . The cyclone made its final landfall near Nam Định,
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 August 20 and dissipated rapidly that evening.
Typhoon Agnes (Pining)
On August 23, a well-defined Tropical Upper Tropospheric Trough moved westward from 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 ...
. On August 24, a surface cyclone developed in its vicinity near
Wake Island
Wake Island ( mh, Ānen Kio, translation=island of the kio flower; also known as Wake Atoll) is a coral atoll in the western Pacific Ocean in the northeastern area of the Micronesia subregion, east of Guam, west of Honolulu, southeast of To ...
. An extensive area of disorganized thunderstorm activity developed on its southwest side initially. As the convection moved westward, upper-level outflow improved northeast 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 ...
. A well-defined mid-level cyclone passed just north of the island on the morning of August 26. A low level center began to form as the area moved northwest of Guam. By the early morning of August 27, a tropical depression had formed about west-northwest of Guam. Development continued, and the system became a tropical storm that evening. Moving west-northwestward, Agnes became a typhoon on the morning of August 29. The following day, the intensifying typhoon passed southwest 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 ...
. Entering a region of hostile northerly vertical
wind shear
Wind shear (or windshear), sometimes referred to as wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and/or direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere. Atmospheric wind shear is normally described as either vertical or horizontal ...
, Agnes began to weaken. Its central convection was almost completely gone by the morning of September 2. Agnes remained well south of Korea until September 3, when it unleashed a torrent of rainfall, the heaviest of the 20th century up to that time, when fell upon the peninsula. Agnes' remains passed through the
Korea Strait
The Korea Strait is a sea passage in East Asia between Korea and Japan, connecting the East China Sea, the Yellow Sea and the Sea of Japan in the northwest Pacific Ocean. The strait is split by the Tsushima Island into the Western Channel and t ...
into the
Sea of Japan
The Sea of Japan is the marginal sea between the Japanese archipelago, Sakhalin, the Korean Peninsula, and the mainland of the Russian Far East. The Japanese archipelago separates the sea from the Pacific Ocean. Like the Mediterranean Sea, it h ...
by September 4. A total of 139 lives were taken by Agnes.
Typhoon Bill
The initial disturbance formed about east-southeast 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 ...
on September 1. A compact system, with an area of central convection wide, Bill rapidly spun up into a tropical storm on September 3, and typhoon on September 4. Its central pressure was quite high for winds of that intensity due to the pressure gradient between the cyclone and the subtropical ridge to its northeast. The typhoon followed a classic parabolic track around the periphery of the
subtropical ridge
The horse latitudes are the latitudes about 30 degrees north and south of the Equator. They are characterized by sunny skies, calm winds, and very little precipitation. They are also known as Subtropics, subtropical ridges, or highs. It is a h ...
east of Japan, weakening back into a tropical storm on September 7. Rapid extratropical transition occurred as Bill interacted with the main belt of the Westerlies, and by midnight, Bill 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 ...
.
Typhoon Clara (Rubing)
The
monsoon trough
The monsoon trough is a portion of the Intertropical Convergence Zone in the Western Pacific,Bin WangThe Asian Monsoon.Retrieved 2008-05-03. as depicted by a line on a weather map showing the locations of minimum sea level pressure, and as such, ...
spawned a tropical depression on September 13 well east of the Philippines. The depression moved to the west-northwest, strengthening into a tropical storm on September 16 and a typhoon on September 18. Clara rapidly intensified to peak winds of on September 19 before brushing 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 ...
. Its circulation disrupted, Clara steadily weakened as it continued to the northwest, hitting southeast China on the 21st as a typhoon with winds of . In Hong Kong, winds gusted to at Cheung Chau.
Clara caused extensive damage and 141 deaths,
leaving thousands homeless from the heavy rains.
Typhoon Doyle
Like Bill, Doyle was a small typhoon that spent its life out over the open Pacific Ocean. Its initial disturbance was first detected near on September 18. The cyclone built down to the surface while moving westward, and Doyle became a tropical storm on the afternoon of September 20 and a typhoon the following day. Recurving around the
subtropical ridge
The horse latitudes are the latitudes about 30 degrees north and south of the Equator. They are characterized by sunny skies, calm winds, and very little precipitation. They are also known as Subtropics, subtropical ridges, or highs. It is a h ...
, Doyle accelerated rapidly northeastward, weakening over cool waters as it was merging with a frontal zone and becoming 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 ...
during the early morning of September 24 near .
Typhoon Elsie (Tasing)
The
monsoon trough
The monsoon trough is a portion of the Intertropical Convergence Zone in the Western Pacific,Bin WangThe Asian Monsoon.Retrieved 2008-05-03. as depicted by a line on a weather map showing the locations of minimum sea level pressure, and as such, ...
became diffuse on September 19 and September 20 in the wake of Typhoons Clara and Doyle. A small thunderstorm area formed near late on the morning of September 22, which slowly developed into a tropical depression early on September 25. Development was steady into a tropical storm later that day, a typhoon on the morning of September 26, and a super typhoon during the afternoon of September 27, maintaining that intensity into September 30. Elsie moved on a parabolic curve around the subtropical ridge to its northeast and east, moving offshore Japan as a typhoon on October 1 and October 2. By October 2, interaction with the upper trough which led to its recurvature also transitioned the typhoon 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 ...
.
Tropical Depression Saling
Saling had 35mph winds and was short-lived.
Tropical Storm Fabian (Unsing)
An area of active yet disorganized thunderstorm activity was located northeast of
Palau
Palau,, officially the Republic of Palau and historically ''Belau'', ''Palaos'' or ''Pelew'', is an island country and microstate in the western Pacific. The nation has approximately 340 islands and connects the western chain of the Caro ...
on October 6. Moving westward over the next several days, there was little change in organization until is approached
Samar Island
Samar ( ) is the third-largest and seventh-most populous island in the Philippines, with a total population of 1,909,537 as of the 2020 census. It is located in the eastern Visayas, which are in the central Philippines. The island is divided in ...
. Passing over the Philippines, it lost what convection it did have near the center, yet let to very heavy rainfall and flooding though a surface circulation was not apparent. Once the disturbance 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 ...
, it redeveloped and reached tropical depression strength on the afternoon of October 13. It crossed the sea and struck Cam Ranh Bay,
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 ...
. By October 15, the cyclone had dissipated inland.
Typhoon Gay (Walding)
The system formed within a very large area of thunderstorm activity. The system originally had a large circulation center, which led to problems in fixing its center via satellite imagery. The development of a large eye on October 20 finally led to the tracking of a more definitive, well-defined, circulation center. The typhoon brought relief to drought conditions in Okinawa, when of rainfall fell there are the circulation center of Gay moved by about to their southeast. As it continued moving towards Japan, the center passed only from Tokyo, bringing significant rainfall to central portions of the island
archipelago
An archipelago ( ), sometimes called an island group or island chain, is a chain, cluster, or collection of islands, or sometimes a sea containing a small number of scattered islands.
Examples of archipelagos include: the Indonesian Archi ...
. The typhoon ultimately merged with a second low pressure system moving eastward to the north of Japan.
Tropical Depression
This system was recognized by the Hong Kong Royal Observatory. A tropical depression formed in the South China Sea on November 7, and moved inland into Vietnam on the 10th.
Typhoon Hazen (Yeyeng)
A tropical disturbance developed along a trough east 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 ...
. Its circulation improved, and a low pressure center formed on November 13. It became a tropical depression by the morning of November 14, and a tropical storm that evening. Moving on a general westward track across the western Pacific, it moved over northern
Saipan
Saipan ( ch, Sa’ipan, cal, Seipél, formerly in es, Saipán, and in ja, 彩帆島, Saipan-tō) is the largest island of the Northern Mariana Islands, a Commonwealth (U.S. insular area), commonwealth of the United States in the western Pa ...
on the afternoon of November 15, bringing gusts approaching typhoon force. Hazen moved about north 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 ...
before reaching typhoon strength on early on November 16. Its intensity fluctuated on November 17 and November 18 as Hazen interacted with a nearby frontal zone. Weakening as it neared the Philippines, Hazen moved just south of
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 ...
, entering 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 ...
. Never recovering from the mountainous archipelago, Hazen struck
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 ...
about east-northeast of Hanoi, and dissipated as it entered southeast China.
Typhoon Irma (Anding)
Super Typhoon Irma developed from the near-equatorial trough on November 17. As a tropical depression, it headed westward, and steadily intensified, first to a tropical storm on November 19, later to a typhoon on November 20. Irma quickly strengthened on November 22 to a super typhoon with maximum winds of , but its outflow was disrupted by the Philippines to the southwest. Irma hit the northern Philippines on November 24 with maximum sustained winds of , and rapidly weakened over the country. As a weakened tropical storm, Irma turned northeastward, where it was absorbed by a cold front on November 27. A total of 409 fatalities
[David Michael V. Padua]
DEADLIEST TYPHOONS OF THE PHILIPPINES: (1947 - 2002).
Retrieved on 2007-01-05. and $9 million in damage (1981 USD) can be attributed to the typhoon.
Tropical Storm Jeff (Binang)
A distinct surface circulation formed by November 18. Jeff became a tropical storm on November 23 on the heels of Irma and approaching
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 ...
. It navigated through a break in the
subtropical ridge
The horse latitudes are the latitudes about 30 degrees north and south of the Equator. They are characterized by sunny skies, calm winds, and very little precipitation. They are also known as Subtropics, subtropical ridges, or highs. It is a h ...
and dissipated over cooler waters on November 26 due to increasing vertical
wind shear
Wind shear (or windshear), sometimes referred to as wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and/or direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere. Atmospheric wind shear is normally described as either vertical or horizontal ...
well to the south of Japan.
Typhoon Kit (Kadiang)
A strong and long lived tropical cyclone for December, the initial low level center for the system formed southwest of
Ponape
Ponape may refer to:
* Pohnpei, an island in the Federated States of Micronesia
* ''Ponape'' (barque), a German sailing ship
{{disambiguation ...
on December 4. By December 7, it had moved southwest of
Truk without further development. By the morning of December 10, its structure was improving, and by the next afternoon a tropical depressions had formed. Late on December 11, it had evolved into a tropical storm. A slow moving system, Kit shifted from the northwest to a westerly heading, passing just 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 ...
without any further development. Intensification resumed on the following two days reaching its first peak in intensity on December 16. The storm moved sharply northward for a second time at a slow rate of motion before resuming its westward motion due to a northeast surge in the trade winds. Reintensification occurred as the upper trough to its north acted as an outflow channel. Kit reached its peak intensity on the evening of December 17 before increasing westerlies aloft began to weaken the cyclone. On December 20, the surface circulation began to emerge south of its central convection. Thereafter, Kit was steered the low-level flow to the south and southwest as a deck of stratocumulus. On December 21. Kit became a tropical depression once more and by afternoon no longer qualified as 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 ...
. Late on December 22, the low level cloud swirl moved into
Mindanao
Mindanao ( ) ( Jawi: مينداناو) is the second-largest island in the Philippines, after Luzon, and seventh-most populous island in the world. Located in the southern region of the archipelago, the island is part of an island group of ...
before dissipating.
Typhoon Lee (Dinang)
While Kit was dissipating in the western
Philippine Sea
The Philippine Sea is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean east of the Philippine archipelago (hence the name), the largest in the world, occupying an estimated surface area of . The Philippine Sea Plate forms the floor of the sea. Its ...
on December 21, a disturbed area of weather organized west of
Truk. Strong northerlies previously diverted into Kit closed off a portion of the
monsoon trough
The monsoon trough is a portion of the Intertropical Convergence Zone in the Western Pacific,Bin WangThe Asian Monsoon.Retrieved 2008-05-03. as depicted by a line on a weather map showing the locations of minimum sea level pressure, and as such, ...
, with near gale-force winds wrapping around the convection. Development continued, and by the afternoon of December 22, the system became classified as a tropical depression. Tropical storm status was achieved that night. Moving west-northwest, Lee intensified rapidly into a typhoon on December 23 and reaching its peak intensity by December 24. Rapid weakening began as Lee crossed the Philippines, and the cyclone was once again a tropical storm by December 25 (Christmas Day). On December 28, all of the cyclone's convection was removed well east of the circulation center due to moderate to strong westerly vertical
wind shear
Wind shear (or windshear), sometimes referred to as wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and/or direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere. Atmospheric wind shear is normally described as either vertical or horizontal ...
. Turning to the north, Lee dissipated as a tropical cyclone around south of Hong Kong. A total of 188 perished during the cyclone's passage.
Storm names
During the season 28 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 which started on 1979.
Philippines
The
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
1985 season. This is the same list used for the
1977 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
It is unknown, but possibly due to damage, the name ''Hazen'' was retired and was later replaced by ''Hal'', which was first used in the
1985 season.
Season effects
This table will list all the storms that developed in the northwestern Pacific Ocean 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 ...
and north of the equator during 1981. It will include their intensity, duration, name, areas affected, deaths, and damage totals. Classification and intensity values will be based on estimations conducted by the JMA, the JTWC, and/or PAGASA. Peak wind speeds are in ten-minute sustained standards unless otherwise noted. All damage figures will be in 1981 USD. Damages and deaths from a storm will include when the storm was a precursor wave or an extratropical low.
, -
, Atring , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , None , , , , , ,
, -
, Freda , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Marshall Islands, Wake Island , , , , , ,
, -
, Gerald , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Caroline Islands, Mariana Islands , , , , , ,
, -
, Holly , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Marshall Islands, Caroline Islands , , , , , ,
, -
, Ike (Bining) , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , China, Taiwan, Ryukyu Islands , , Unknown , , , ,
, -
, TD , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , None , , , , , ,
, -
, June (Kuring) , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Taiwan, Philippines, Japan , , , , , ,
, -
, TD , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Philippines , , , , , ,
, -
, Kelly (Daling) , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Philippines, South China, Vietnam , , , , , ,
, -
, Lynn (Elang) , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Philippines, South China , , , , , ,
, -
, Goring , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , None , , , , , ,
, -
, TD , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Philippines, Taiwan , , , , , ,
, -
, Maury (Huling) , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Taiwan, Ryukyu Islands, China , , , , , ,
, -
, TD , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , None , , , , , ,
, -
, Nina (Ibiang) , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , None , , , , None , ,
, -
, Ogden , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Japan, South Korea , , , , None , ,
, -
, Luming , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , None , , , , , ,
, -
, 11W , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Mariana Islands , , , , None , ,
, -
, TD , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Mariana Islands , , , , , ,
, -
, Phyllis , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , None , , , , None , ,
, -
, Roy (Miling) , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , None , , , , None , ,
, -
, Susan , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , None , , , , None , ,
, -
, TD , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Mariana Islands , , , , , ,
, -
, TD , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Philippines , , , , , ,
, -
, TD , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Mariana Islands , , , , , ,
, -
, Thad (Openg) , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Japan , , Unknown , , , ,
, -
, Vanessa , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , None , , , , None , ,
, -
, Warren , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , None , , , , None , ,
, -
, TD , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , None , , , , , ,
, -
, TD , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , None , , , , , ,
, -
, TD , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , None , , , , , ,
, -
, Agnes (Pining) , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Mariana Islands, Japan, East China, Korean Peninsula , , , , , ,
, -
, Bill , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , None , , None , , None , ,
, -
, TD , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , None , , , , , ,
, -
, Clara (Rubing) , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Caroline Islands, Philippines, China, Taiwan , , Unknown , , , ,
, -
, Doyle , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , None , , None , , None , ,
, -
, TD , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Ryukyu Islands , , , , , ,
, -
, TD , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , South China , , , , , ,
, -
, Elsie (Tasing) , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Caroline Islands, Mariana Islands , , None , , None , ,
, -
, Saling , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Philippines , , , , , ,
, -
, Fabian (Unsing) , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Philippines, Vietnam , , , , None , ,
, -
, Gay (Walding) , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Caroline Islands, Mariana Islands, Japan , , None , , None , ,
, -
, TD , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Caroline Islands , , , , , ,
, -
, TD , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Caroline Islands , , , , , ,
, -
, TD , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Mariana Islands , , , , , ,
, -
, TD , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Vietnam , , , , , ,
, -
, Hazen (Yeyeng) , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Caroline Islands, Mariana Islands, Philippines, South China , , Unknown , , Unknown , ,
, -
, Irma (Anding) , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Caroline Islands, Mariana Islands, Philippines, Taiwan, Ryukyu Islands , , , , , ,
, -
, Jeff (Binang) , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Caroline Islands , , , , None , ,
, -
, TD , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Vietnam , , , , , ,
, -
, Kit (Kadiang) , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Caroline Islands, Mariana Islands , , None , , None , ,
, -
, Lee (Dinang) , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Caroline Islands, Mariana Islands, Philippines, South China , , , , , ,
, -
See also
*
List of Pacific typhoon seasons
The following is a list of Pacific typhoon seasons. The seasons are limited to the north of the equator between the 100th meridian east and the 180th meridian (aka Prime Antimeridian).
Seasons Pre-1940
1940s
1950s
1960s
1970s
1980s
...
*
1981 Pacific hurricane season
The 1981 Pacific hurricane season was a slightly below average Pacific hurricane season. The season officially started on May 15 in the eastern Pacific basin and June 1 in the central Pacific basin. Both basins' seasons ended on November 30; thes ...
*
1981 Atlantic hurricane season
The 1981 Atlantic hurricane season featured direct or indirect impacts from nearly all of its 12 tropical or subtropical storms. Overall, the season was fairly active, with 22 tropical depressions, 12 of which became a namable st ...
*
1981 North Indian Ocean cyclone season
The 1981 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 yea ...
* Southern Hemisphere tropical cyclone seasons:
1980–81,
1981–82
References
External links
Japan Meteorological AgencyJoint Typhoon Warning Center.
China Meteorological AgencyNational Weather Service GuamMacau Meteorological Geophysical ServicesPhilippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services AdministrationSatellite movie of 1981 Pacific typhoon season
{{DEFAULTSORT:1981 Pacific Typhoon Season
Articles which contain graphical timelines
1981 WPAC