Typhoon Choi-wan (2003)
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The 2003 Pacific typhoon season was a slightly below average yearlong period of tropical cyclogenesis exhibiting the development of 45 tropical depressions, of which 21 became named storms; of those, 14 became typhoons. Though every month with the exception of February and March featured tropical activity, most storms developed from May through October. During the season, tropical cyclones affected 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 ...
,
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 ...
,
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
, the
Korean Peninsula Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...
,
Indochina Mainland Southeast Asia, also known as the Indochinese Peninsula or Indochina, is the continental portion of Southeast Asia. It lies east of the Indian subcontinent and south of Mainland China and is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the west an ...
, and various islands in the western Pacific. The season ran year-round, with the first storm, Yanyan, developing west of 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 January 15. In April, Typhoon Kujira became one of the longest-lasting
Pacific typhoon A typhoon is a mature tropical cyclone that develops between 180° and 100°E in the Northern Hemisphere. This region is referred to as the Northwestern Pacific Basin, and is the most active tropical cyclone basin on Earth, accounting for a ...
s in history and attained climatological records for its unusually early impacts.
Typhoon Imbudo Typhoon Imbudo, known in the Philippines as Typhoon Harurot, was a powerful typhoon that struck the Philippines and southern China in July 2003. The seventh named storm and fourth typhoon of the season, Imbudo formed on July 15 to the east ...
in July caused several deaths and extensive damage across the Philippines and China. In September,
Typhoon Maemi Typhoon Maemi () or (), known in the Philippines as Typhoon Pogi, was the most powerful typhoon to strike South Korea since record-keeping began in the country in 1904. Maemi formed on September 4, 2003 from a disturbance in a monsoon troug ...
became one of the costliest typhoons in recorded history after striking
South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
; Maemi was also the most intense tropical cyclone of the season with a minimum
barometric pressure Atmospheric pressure, also known as barometric pressure (after the barometer), is the pressure within the atmosphere of Earth. The standard atmosphere (symbol: atm) is a unit of pressure defined as , which is equivalent to 1013.25 millibars, 7 ...
of 910 
mbar The bar is a metric unit of pressure, but not part of the International System of Units (SI). It is defined as exactly equal to 100,000  Pa (100 kPa), or slightly less than the current average atmospheric pressure on Earth at sea leve ...
(
hPa HPA may refer to: Organizations * Harry Potter Alliance, a charity * Halifax Port Authority, Canada * Hamburg Port Authority, Germany * Hawaii Preparatory Academy, a school in Hawaii, US * Health Protection Agency, UK * Heerespersonalamt, the Ger ...
; 26.87 
inHg Inch of mercury (inHg and ″Hg) is a non- SI unit of measurement for pressure. It is used for barometric pressure in weather reports, refrigeration and aviation in the United States. It is the pressure exerted by a column of mercury in heigh ...
). In late November, Typhoon Lupit devastated areas of
Yap State Yap State, also known in the Yapese language as Nam nu Wa'ab (lit. "Island of Yap") or simply as Wa'ab, is one of the four states of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM). The other states are Kosrae State, Pohnpei State, and Chuuk State. C ...
in the
Federated States of Micronesia The Federated States of Micronesia (; abbreviated FSM) is an island country in Oceania. It consists of four states from west to east, Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei and Kosraethat are spread across the western Pacific. Together, the states comprise a ...
. The season closed with the dissipation of a tropical depression east of the Philippines on December 27. 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
2003 Pacific hurricane season The 2003 Pacific hurricane season was the first season to feature no major hurricanes – storms of Category 3 intensity or higher on the Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale (SSHWS) – since 1977. The dates conventionally delimiting the ...
. Tropical Storms formed in the entire west Pacific basin are assigned a name by the Tokyo Typhoon Center. Tropical depressions in this basin monitored 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 ...
 (JTWC) 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 *Pagasa, alternate s ...
or PAGASA. This can often result in the same storm having two names.


Seasonal forecasts

On March 5, 2003, meteorologists from the
University College London , mottoeng = Let all come who by merit deserve the most reward , established = , type = Public research university , endowment = £143 million (2020) , budget = ...
at the Tropical Storm Risk (TSR) Consortium issued an extended range forecast for the typhoon season, noting the likelihood of near average
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 ...
activity as a result of projected neutral
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. The forecast indicated the potential for 26.2  tropical storms, compared to the 10– and 30-year average of 27.8 and 26.3 storms, respectively. The following month, the group raised their forecast for tropical storms to 26.7, indicating a slightly above average season. Over next two months, however, fluctuations in sea surface temperatures, particularly those in the Central Pacific, caused the group to revise their predictions downward and indicated the probability for a slightly below average typhoon season in their June forecast. A rise in sea surface temperatures in the following months prompted the forecasting group to once again raise their forecasts to indicate a near-average season in their final August forecast update, which predicted 27 tropical storms. The group was very accurate in their forecasts, with their April and August forecasts being the most accurate. Similarly, meteorologists working with the City University of Hong Kong issued a seasonal projection on April 24, 2003, indicating the likelihood of a normal or below normal season with 29 total tropical cyclones, 26 tropical storms, and 16 typhoons. As with the TSR, the group primarily based their forecast numbers on the prevailing status of the
El Niño-Southern Oscillation EL, El or el may refer to: Religion * El (deity), a Semitic word for "God" People * EL (rapper) (born 1983), stage name of Elorm Adablah, a Ghanaian rapper and sound engineer * El DeBarge, music artist * El Franco Lee (1949–2016), American po ...
. The City University of Hong Kong revised their forecasts on June 24, 2003, indicating a slight increase of total tropical cyclones to 30. The group was also accurate in their forecasts for the entirety of the Northwest Pacific, though their specialized forecasts for 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 ...
were substantially off. During the year, 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) issued advisories on tropical cyclones 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 ...
to the
Malay Peninsula The Malay Peninsula (Malay: ''Semenanjung Tanah Melayu'') is a peninsula in Mainland Southeast Asia. The landmass runs approximately north–south, and at its terminus, it is the southernmost point of the Asian continental mainland. The area ...
, and north of 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 ...
; this was due to the agency's status as the official Regional Specialized Meteorological Center, as designated by the
World Meteorological Organization The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for promoting international cooperation on atmospheric science, climatology, hydrology and geophysics. The WMO originated from the Internati ...
in 1989. The JMA issued forecasts and analyses four times a day, beginning at 0000  UTC and continuing every six hours. The JMA issued forecasts based on a climatological
tropical cyclone forecast model A tropical cyclone forecast model is a computer program that uses meteorological data to forecast aspects of the future state of tropical cyclones. There are three types of models: statistical, dynamical, or combined statistical-dynamic. Dyna ...
. The agency estimated 10 minute sustained winds and
barometric pressure Atmospheric pressure, also known as barometric pressure (after the barometer), is the pressure within the atmosphere of Earth. The standard atmosphere (symbol: atm) is a unit of pressure defined as , which is equivalent to 1013.25 millibars, 7 ...
based on the
Dvorak technique The Dvorak technique (developed between 1969 and 1984 by Vernon Dvorak) is a widely used system to estimate tropical cyclone intensity (which includes tropical depression, tropical storm, and hurricane/typhoon/intense tropical cyclone intensitie ...
and numerical weather prediction. The JTWC also issued warnings on storms within the basin, operating from
Pearl Harbor Pearl Harbor is an American lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. It was often visited by the Naval fleet of the United States, before it was acquired from the Hawaiian Kingdom by the U.S. with the signing of the Re ...
in
Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...
to represent the interests of the
United States Armed Forces The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. The armed forces consists of six service branches: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. The president of the United States is the ...
in the Indian and Pacific Oceans.


Season summary

ImageSize = width:1030 height:260 PlotArea = top:10 bottom:80 right:30 left:30 Legend = columns:2 left:30 top:58 columnwidth:270 AlignBars = early DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy Period = from:01/01/2003 till:01/01/2004 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal ScaleMinor = grid:black unit:month increment:1 start:01/01/2003 Colors = id:canvas value:gray(0.88) id:GP value:red id:TD value:rgb(0.37,0.73,1) legend:Tropical_Depression_=_≤62_km/h_(≤39_mph) id:TS value:rgb(0,0.98,0.96) legend:Tropical_Storm_=_62–88_km/h_(39–54_mph) id:ST value:rgb(0.8,1,1) legend:Severe_Tropical_Storm_=_89–117_km/h_(55–72_mph) id:TY value:rgb(0.99,0.69,0.60) legend:Typhoon_=_118–156_km/h_(73–96_mph) id:VSTY value:rgb(0.99,0.53,0.49) legend:Very_Strong_Typhoon_=_157–193_km/h_(97–119_mph) id:VITY value:rgb(1,0.38,0.38) legend:Violent_Typhoon_=_≥194_km/h_(≥120_mph) Backgroundcolors = canvas:canvas BarData = barset:Hurricane bar:month PlotData= barset:Hurricane width:10 align:left fontsize:S shift:(4,-4) anchor:till from:15/01/2003 till:20/01/2003 color:TS text:"Yanyan" barset:break from:10/04/2003 till:25/04/2003 color:VSTY text:" Kujira" from:17/05/2003 till:17/05/2003 color:TD text:"TD" from:18/05/2003 till:21/05/2003 color:TD text:"Batibot" from:19/05/2003 till:19/05/2003 color:TD text:"TD" from:19/05/2003 till:27/05/2003 color:VSTY text:"Chan-hom" from:25/05/2003 till:30/05/2003 color:ST text:" Linfa" from:30/05/2003 till:03/06/2003 color:ST text:"Nangka" from:07/06/2003 till:20/06/2003 color:TY text:" Soudelor" from:09/07/2003 till:10/07/2003 color:TD text:"Falcon" from:15/07/2003 till:22/07/2003 color:ST text:" Koni" from:15/07/2003 till:25/07/2003 color:VSTY text:" Imbudo" from:30/07/2003 till:31/07/2003 color:TD text:"Ineng" barset:break from:31/07/2003 till:04/08/2003 color:TS text:"
Morakot Typhoon Morakot, known in the Philippines as Typhoon Kiko, was the deadliest typhoon to impact Taiwan in recorded history. The eighth named storm and fourth typhoon of the 2009 Pacific typhoon season, Morakot wrought catastrophic damage in Taiwa ...
" from:02/08/2003 till:06/08/2003 color:TD text:"TD" from:02/08/2003 till:09/08/2003 color:VSTY text:" Etau" from:16/08/2003 till:26/08/2003 color:TY text:" Krovanh" from:17/08/2003 till:17/08/2003 color:TD text:"TD" from:18/08/2003 till:20/08/2003 color:TS text:"Vamco" from:18/08/2003 till:20/08/2003 color:TD text:"Lakay" from:18/08/2003 till:19/08/2003 color:TD text:"TD" from:27/08/2003 till:03/09/2003 color:TY text:" Dujuan" from:31/08/2003 till:03/09/2003 color:TD text:"TD" from:04/09/2003 till:13/09/2003 color:VITY text:" Maemi" from:07/09/2003 till:08/09/2003 color:TD text:"TD" barset:break from:11/09/2003 till:13/09/2003 color:TD text:"TD" from:14/09/2003 till:15/09/2003 color:TD text:"TD" from:15/09/2003 till:19/09/2003 color:TD text:"Quiel" from:16/09/2003 till:24/09/2003 color:TY text:"Choi-wan" from:23/09/2003 till:30/09/2003 color:TY text:"Koppu" from:05/10/2003 till:06/10/2003 color:TD text:"TD" from:06/10/2003 till:10/10/2003 color:TD text:"18W" from:12/10/2003 till:13/10/2003 color:TD text:"19W" from:16/10/2003 till:16/10/2003 color:TD text:"TD" from:17/10/2003 till:27/10/2003 color:VSTY text:"Ketsana" from:19/10/2003 till:31/10/2003 color:VSTY text:"Parma" from:21/10/2003 till:23/10/2003 color:TD text:"23W" barset:break from:21/10/2003 till:23/10/2003 color:TD text:"Ursula" from:29/10/2003 till:05/11/2003 color:ST text:"Melor" from:11/11/2003 till:19/11/2003 color:TY text:" Nepartak" from:14/11/2003 till:15/11/2003 color:TD text:"TD" from:15/11/2003 till:15/11/2003 color:TD text:"TD" from:18/11/2003 till:02/12/2003 color:VSTY text:" Lupit" from:16/12/2003 till:17/12/2003 color:TD text:"TD" from:23/12/2003 till:27/12/2003 color:TD text:"Zigzag" bar:Month width:5 align:center fontsize:S shift:(0,-20) anchor:middle color:canvas from:01/01/2003 till:01/02/2003 text:January from:01/02/2003 till:01/03/2003 text:February from:01/03/2003 till:01/04/2003 text:March from:01/04/2003 till:01/05/2003 text:April from:01/05/2003 till:01/06/2003 text:May from:01/06/2003 till:01/07/2003 text:June from:01/07/2003 till:01/08/2003 text:July from:01/08/2003 till:01/09/2003 text:August from:01/09/2003 till:01/10/2003 text:September from:01/10/2003 till:01/11/2003 text:October from:01/11/2003 till:01/12/2003 text:November from:01/12/2003 till:01/01/2004 text:December
Throughout the season, sea surface temperatures within the western equatorial Pacific were above normal, including those 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 ...
. Areas of
convection Convection is single or multiphase fluid flow that occurs spontaneously due to the combined effects of material property heterogeneity and body forces on a fluid, most commonly density and gravity (see buoyancy). When the cause of the convec ...
persisted year-round in the lower latitudes, particularly around 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 ...
. Atmospheric divergence was also prevalent in the same regions, resulting in enhanced tropical cyclogenesis east of the Philippines in 2003; the mean region of development of tropical systems during the year was more southwest than the
1971 * The year 1971 had three partial solar eclipses ( February 25, July 22 and August 20) and two total lunar eclipses (February 10, and August 6). The world population increased by 2.1% this year, the highest increase in history. Events Ja ...
2000 File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from ...
30-year average. In 2003, the JMA monitored 21 tropical cyclones of at least tropical storm intensity; of those, 14 reached typhoon intensity. Though the number of tropical storms was below average, the ratio between tropical storms and typhoons was 66% greater than normal. 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 *Pagasa, alternate s ...
(PAGASA) monitored three additional cyclones of at least tropical storm intensity that were not monitored by the JMA. The season began with the formation of Tropical Storm Yanyan on January 15. After its dissipation five days later, no tropical cyclones of at least tropical storm intensity developed over the next two months. This period of inactivity ended with the formation of Typhoon Kujira in mid-April; Kujira was one of the longest lived Pacific storms on record and was the first typhoon with 1-minute sustained winds of at least in April since
Typhoon Isa Typhoon Isa was the first of a record eleven super typhoons to occur during the 1997 Pacific typhoon season. The second tropical cyclone of the season, Isa developed from a disturbance in the monsoon trough near the Caroline Islands on April 12. ...
in
1997 File:1997 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The movie set of ''Titanic'', the highest-grossing movie in history at the time; ''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', is published; Comet Hale-Bopp passes by Earth and becomes one of t ...
. Tropical activity was enhanced from May to June, and during this period the JMA monitored four tropical storms, while the PAGASA monitored a fifth storm off the eastern Philippines. Three of the four tropical storms monitored by the JMA approached or hit
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 ...
, including
Typhoon Soudelor Typhoon Soudelor, known in the Philippines as Typhoon Hanna, was the third most intense tropical cyclone worldwide in 2015 after Hurricane Patricia and Cyclone Pam as well as the strongest tropical cyclone of the 2015 Pacific typhoon season. Sou ...
, which brought heavy rainfall and wind across the
Ryukyu Islands The , also known as the or the , are a chain of Japanese islands that stretch southwest from Kyushu to Taiwan: the Ōsumi, Tokara, Amami, Okinawa, and Sakishima Islands (further divided into the Miyako and Yaeyama Islands), with Yonaguni ...
and the
Korean Peninsula Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...
. Tropical activity once again declined towards the second half of June and first half of July. The second half of July, however, featured the development of typhoons Imbudo and Koni, which both tracked westward across the Philippines before striking areas near
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 ...
and other regions of southeastern
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
. Imbudo caused the deaths of 78 people and US$383 million in damage. August was a highly active month for tropical cyclogenesis, with a total of six tropical storms monitored by the JMA, JTWC, and PAGASA. This included typhoons Krovanh and Dujuan, which also struck southeastern China. Typhoon Etau earlier in the month made landfall in Japan, resulting in 17 deaths. Activity was somewhat below average in September, with only one tropical cyclone making landfall, Maemi. However, Maemi was the strongest tropical cyclone of the season and was the costliest with roughly US$4.8 billion in damage, mostly in
South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
. Tropical cyclogenesis and activity continued to decline after August, with October featuring only three tropical storms. However, two, Ketsana and Parma, reached typhoon intensity; both stayed away from land. November featured less storms but was climatologically average, with two typhoons developing. The second typhoon, Lupit, devastated portions of
Yap State Yap State, also known in the Yapese language as Nam nu Wa'ab (lit. "Island of Yap") or simply as Wa'ab, is one of the four states of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM). The other states are Kosrae State, Pohnpei State, and Chuuk State. C ...
, resulting in approximately $1.7 million in damage. In December, the JTWC and PAGASA monitored a sole tropical system east of the Philippines, though the JMA did not monitor or classify any tropical cyclones during the month.


Systems


Tropical Storm Yanyan

On January 11, the JTWC began monitoring the disturbance that would eventually develop into Yanyan near 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 ...
. As the system tracked westward, it gradually moved into a more favorable environment for tropical cyclogenesis. On January 14, surface observations indicated that the low-pressure area had developed a closed,
low-level circulation center The eye is a region of mostly calm weather at the center of tropical cyclones. The eye of a storm is a roughly circular area, typically in diameter. It is surrounded by the ''eyewall'', a ring of towering thunderstorms where the most severe weat ...
indicative of a tropical cyclone, satellite imagery remained inconclusive. Nonetheless, the JMA classified the pressure area as a
tropical depression 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 ...
west of 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 ...
at 0600  UTC on January 15. The JTWC would follow suit by classifying the storm as such at 1800 UTC later that day. At the time, the depression was tracking west-northwest under the influence of a
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 ...
to the north. Over the next day the system waned in convective activity before resuming its previous track and accelerating. At 0000 UTC on January 17, the JTWC upgraded the system to
tropical storm 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 ...
intensity, though the storm remained nameless as the JMA continued to classify it as a tropical depression. Throughout January 17 the tropical storm would again oscillate in strength, resulting in a brief downgrade by the JTWC to tropical depression intensity. However, an increase in deep convection resulted in its reclassification as a tropical storm at 1800 UTC that day, followed by the JMA upgrading the system to tropical storm intensity at 1200 UTC on January 18. As such, the storm received the name ''Yanyan''. At roughly the same time, the tropical cyclone began to stall east of the
Mariana Islands The Mariana Islands (; also the Marianas; in Chamorro: ''Manislan Mariånas'') are a crescent-shaped archipelago comprising the summits of fifteen longitudinally oriented, mostly dormant volcanic mountains in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, betw ...
and curve sharply northeastward. Whilst the JTWC indicated that Yanyan peaked in strength late on January 18 with 1-minute sustained winds of , the JMA considered the system to have maintained the same intensity throughout its stint as a tropical storm. Steered by the same nearby subtropical ridge, Yanyan would continue to track towards the northeast into a less favorable tropical cyclone environment. The JMA downgraded Yanyan to tropical depression at 1200 UTC on January 20 before the storm 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 ...
as its low-level circulation center decoupled from the primary mass of convection due to strong wind shear. At 0000 UTC, both the JTWC and JMA discontinued the monitoring of Yanyan.


Typhoon Kujira (Amang)

Kujira developed from a broad area of disturbed weather as a tropical depression on April 9 well removed from any landmasses. Shortly after development, Kujira quickly intensified in its early stages, and was upgraded to a tropical storm just two days after cyclogenesis. Strengthening slowed afterwards, though the storm attained typhoon intensity on April 14. Intensification continued and late on April 15, Kujira reached its peak intensity with winds of and a minimum barometric pressure of 930 mbar (hPa; 27.46 inHg). Following peak intensity, Kujira would begin to track northwest and oscillate in strength, cresting an additional two times in intensity. On April 21, the typhoon was downgraded to tropical storm intensity and began to track erratically for several days 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 ...
. However, on April 24, Kujira would resume a northward track and begin to weaken, and on April 24 was downgraded to tropical depression strength as it made landfall on
Kyushu is the third-largest island of Japan's five main islands and the most southerly of the four largest islands ( i.e. excluding Okinawa). In the past, it has been known as , and . The historical regional name referred to Kyushu and its surroun ...
. Following landfall, Kujira transitioned into an extratropical cyclone on April 25, which persisted until crossing the International Dateline towards the end of April 2003. Shortly after developing, Kujira caused two fatalities in
Pohnpei Pohnpei "upon (''pohn'') a stone altar (''pei'')" (formerly known as Ponape or Ascension, Proto-Chuukic-Pohnpeic: ''*Fawo ni pei)'' is an island of the Senyavin Islands which are part of the larger Caroline Islands group. It belongs to Pohnpei ...
in addition to minor agricultural and infrastructural damage; similar effects were felt in Guam.b Several days later, the typhoon prompted cyclone warnings and other precautionary measures 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 ...
after forecasts indicated the potential for strong winds and rain. However, ultimately any effects in the archipelago associated with Kujira remained minimal. The typhoon also prompted warning products in Taiwan, making it the first April typhoon since
1978 Events January * January 1 – Air India Flight 855, a Boeing 747 passenger jet, crashes off the coast of Bombay, killing 213. * January 5 – Bülent Ecevit, of Republican People's Party, CHP, forms the new government of Turkey (42nd go ...
to cause such a feat. Unlike in the Philippines, however, Kujira would bring significant rainfall to Taiwan. Effects from the typhoon were most significant in Japan, particularly in the
Ryukyu Islands The , also known as the or the , are a chain of Japanese islands that stretch southwest from Kyushu to Taiwan: the Ōsumi, Tokara, Amami, Okinawa, and Sakishima Islands (further divided into the Miyako and Yaeyama Islands), with Yonaguni ...
. Strong winds, rain, and waves caused US$230,000 (¥27.8 million) in agricultural damage on Ishigaki Island. One person was killed due to injuries resulting from the waves. In
Kyushu is the third-largest island of Japan's five main islands and the most southerly of the four largest islands ( i.e. excluding Okinawa). In the past, it has been known as , and . The historical regional name referred to Kyushu and its surroun ...
, heavy rainfall, peaking at in Ōita Prefecture, was reported. Overall, despite its distance away from land and weak intensity at the time of its sole landfall, Kujira resulted in three fatalities.


Tropical Depression 03W (Batibot)

An area of convection formed on May 16 to the southwest of Palau, located within an area of weak wind shear. The next day, the JMA and the JTWC both classified the system as a tropical depression. The convection was disorganized in association with multiple circulation centers, although it gradually organized. Moving westward initially, the depression turned more to the north into an area of increasing wind shear. On May 19, the JTWC upgraded the system to Tropical Storm 03W, and on the same day, PAGASA classified it as Tropical Depression Batibot. Soon after, the convection decreased from the center, and by May 20, all warning agencies had discontinued advisories.


Typhoon Chan-hom

Midday on May 18, the JTWC began to monitor an area of persistent disturbed weather associated with a broad low-pressure area southwest of Chuuk. Within highly conductive conditions, the disturbance quickly organized and became classified as a tropical depression at 0000 UTC the following day. In its initial stages, the depression tracked slowly northeastwards. However, a shortwave trough forced a weakness in a nearby ridge, allowing for the storm to take a more streamlined, northward path. At 1200 UTC on May 20, the JMA upgraded the depression to Tropical Storm Chan-hom. Following the system's naming, Chan-hom temporarily meandered towards the northwest before resuming its northeasterly track. The next day, the storm began to develop an
eye Eyes are organs of the visual system. They provide living organisms with vision, the ability to receive and process visual detail, as well as enabling several photo response functions that are independent of vision. Eyes detect light and conv ...
; this was reflected with an upgrade by the JMA to typhoon status at 0600 UTC on May 23. Gradual intensification followed, and at 1800 UTC that day Chan-hom reached its peak intensity with maximum sustained winds of and a minimum pressure of . Following peak intensity, Chan-hom began to intake dry air beginning on May 25. At roughly the same time, the typhoon began to weaken and accelerate towards the northeast. Conditions continued to worsen as the storm moved further north, and as the cyclone passed east of Minamitorishima, it was downgraded to tropical storm classification. By this time, Chan-hom had lost much of its convection due to wind shear. Early on May 27, Chan-hom had fully transitioned into an extratropical cyclone, and these remnants continued to track towards the northeast. These extratropical remnants dissipated south of the Aleutian Islands the following day. Early in the typhoon's existence, Chan-hom posed a potential threat to Guam, but remained well east of the island. However, after passing to the northeast, winds from the typhoon fanned volcanic ash from the recently erupting Anatahan volcano towards the island, prompting precautionary measures in Guam. Ashfalls were reported on the island, forcing the cancellation of several flights. As a tropical storm, Chan-hom caused some damage to homes and crops on Chuuk, mostly due to heavy rains brought forth by the storm. Offshore, a 1,040 ton fishing vessel, the ''Nien Feioch'', sank during the storm. The ship was valued at $16 million.


Severe Tropical Storm Linfa (Chedeng)

Tropical Storm Linfa developed as a tropical depression just off the western coast of Luzon on May 25. The disturbance quickly intensified to reach tropical storm intensity a few hours after cyclogenesis. However, intensification leveled off as Linfa executed a small clockwise loop before a subsequent landfall on Luzon on May 27. Due to land interaction the storm temporarily weakened and decoupled before reforming in 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 ...
. Afterwards Linfa began reintensifying and reached its peak intensity on May 29 with maximum sustained winds of and a barometric pressure of 980 mbar (hPa; 28.94 inHg). Following its peak the tropical storm began to deteriorate and transitioned into an extratropical cyclone on May 30; these extratropical remnants continued to track northward through Japan before dissipating in the
Sea of Okhotsk The Sea of Okhotsk ( rus, Охо́тское мо́ре, Ohótskoye móre ; ja, オホーツク海, Ohōtsuku-kai) is a marginal sea of the western Pacific Ocean. It is located between Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula on the east, the Kuril Islands ...
on June 4. The erratic and slow movement of Linfa off the western Philippines was the catalyst for extreme rainfall and flooding, killing 41 persons in the archipelago. Precipitation peaked at near Dagupan. Rising floodwaters resulted in the temporary shutdown of government offices and numerous mudslides. In addition, strong winds caused widespread power outages. Overall damage from Linfa in the Philippines amounted to
The Philippine peso sign (₱) is the currency symbol used for the Philippine peso, the official currency of the Philippines. The symbol resembles a Roman letter P with two horizontal strokes. It differs from the currency symbol used for the pe ...
192.3 million (US$3.65 million). The floods also displaced 8,367 people in 1,686 families and destroyed 178 homes. Linfa and its extratropical remnants later brought torrential rainfall and widespread flooding to Japan, particularly in southwestern regions. Rainfall there peaked at . Flood damage was worst in
Kōchi Kochi is a city in Kerala, India. Kochi or Kōchi may also refer to: People * Kochi people, a predominantly Pashtun nomadic people of Afghanistan * , a Japanese surname: ** Arata Kochi (born 1948 or 1949), Japanese physician and World Health Org ...
and
Tokushima Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Shikoku. Tokushima Prefecture has a population of 728,633 (1 October 2019) and has a geographic area of 4,146 km2 (1,601 sq mi). Tokushima Prefecture borders Kagawa Prefecture to the north, E ...
s, where several buildings were destroyed by floodwater. Other locations in Japan experienced considerable agricultural damage as well as numerous landslides. Overall, Linfa caused roughly $28.2 million in damage, much of which occurred in Japan, though the entirety of deaths associated with the cyclone took place in the Philippines.


Severe Tropical Storm Nangka (Dodong)

In late May, an area of disturbed weather began to persist 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 ...
. The JTWC began to monitor the storm cluster on May 29. The following day, the JMA reclassified the system as a tropical depression; initially the system remained highly disorganized due to the lack of deep convection. Persistent moderate wind shear and dry air prevented the cyclone from strengthening significantly in the storm's early stages. These conditions abated as the depression tracked northeast, and at 0000 UTC on June 1, the JMA upgraded the system to Tropical Storm Nangka. Throughout the course of the day, Nangka continued to strengthen as it accelerated northeast, and peaked in strength with a barometric pressure of and maximum sustained winds of , making it a severe tropical storm. However, upon moving through the Bashi Channel, conditions began to deteriorate due to increased wind shear, weakening the system and resulting in its downgrade to tropical depression status by the JMA at 1200 UTC on June 3. Nangka continued to become increasingly disorganized as it moved further north, and late that day, the depression transitioned to an extratropical cyclone. The resulting remnants continued to track well east of Japan before dissipating on June 7. Due to its track away from landmasses, damage remained minimal; however, as Nangka passed to the south and east of Japan, the storm brought light rainfall to the country, peaking at in
Minamidaitō, Okinawa is a village located entirely on Minamidaitōjima in Shimajiri District, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. Minamidaitōjima is located approximately east of Okinawa Island. Minamidaitō covers . As of June 2013, the city had a population of 1,418 and ...
.


Typhoon Soudelor (Egay)

A tropical disturbance persisted in the monsoon trough northwest of
Pohnpei Pohnpei "upon (''pohn'') a stone altar (''pei'')" (formerly known as Ponape or Ascension, Proto-Chuukic-Pohnpeic: ''*Fawo ni pei)'' is an island of the Senyavin Islands which are part of the larger Caroline Islands group. It belongs to Pohnpei ...
on June 7, and moved westward without development due to wind shear. On June 11, the shear decreased enough to allow the convection to organize, and the next day the JMA classified it as a tropical depression northeast of Palau. On June 13, the JMA upgraded it to Tropical Storm Soudelor to the east of the Philippines, and PAGASA gave it the local name "Egay". Soudelor moved to the northwest and later to the north, parallel to the eastern Philippines, and on June 17, the JMA upgraded it to typhoon status. The storm
rapidly intensified In meteorology, rapid intensification is a situation where a tropical cyclone intensifies dramatically in a short period of time. The United States National Hurricane Center defines rapid intensification as an increase in the maximum sustained wi ...
to the east of Taiwan as it developed a well-defined eye, and while doing so passed over the Japanese island of Iriomote-jima at around 2030 UTC on June 17. At 0600 UTC on June 18, the JTWC estimated peak 1 minute winds of , while the JMA estimated peak 10 minute winds of . Increased shear weakened the typhoon to tropical storm strengthen on June 19, and later that day the JMA declared the storm as extratropical near the Oki Islands. The extratropical remnants of Soudelor continued to the northeast, crossing northern Japan on June 20 and dissipating on June 24. While offshore the Philippines, Soudelor dropped heavy rainfall that caused flooding and left thousands homeless. The storm caused ₱131 million (PHP, US$2.46 million) in damage and 12 deaths. On the Japanese island of Iriomote-jima, where wind gusts reached . It also affected Taiwan, where floods covered highways and caused mudslides. In Japan, the storm caused widespread power outages, although damage was minimal, and there were 21 injuries. In South Korea, there was $12.1 million in damage and two deaths.


Typhoon Imbudo (Harurot)

On July 15, the JMA estimated that a tropical depression formed, and the next day the JTWC initiated advisories on Tropical Depression 09W about east of Yap. A
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 ...
near Okinawa steered the nascent depression to the west-northwest for much of its duration. With warm waters and favorable upper-level conditions, the depression quickly organized, first to Tropical Storm Imbudo on July 17, and to typhoon status two days later, when PAGASA begin issuing advisories on Typhoon Harurot. Around that time, Imbudo was rapidly intensifying, developing a well-defined
eye Eyes are organs of the visual system. They provide living organisms with vision, the ability to receive and process visual detail, as well as enabling several photo response functions that are independent of vision. Eyes detect light and conv ...
. At 1200 UTC on July 20, the JMA estimated peak 10 minute sustained winds of , and the same time, the JTWC estimated 1 minute sustained winds of , making it a
super typhoon Tropical cyclones are ranked on one of five tropical cyclone intensity scales, according to their maximum sustained winds and which tropical cyclone basins they are located in. Only a few scales of classifications are used officially by the mete ...
. Imbudo maintained peak winds for about 12 hours, before undergoing an eyewall replacement cycle. At 0300 UTC on July 22, Imbudo struck northern Luzon, with 1 minute winds estimated at by the JTWC. It weakened over land, but re-intensified 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 ...
, striking southern China near Yangjiang, Guangdong on July 24. Imbudo rapidly weakened, dissipating on July 25. In the Philippines, officials evacuated over 14,000 people. Imbudo was the strongest typhoon to strike since
Typhoon Zeb Typhoon Zeb, known in the Philippines as Typhoon Iliang, was a powerful typhoon that struck the island of Luzon in October 1998. It is tied with Cyclone Ron and Cyclone Susan in terms of minimum pressure, for the most intense tropical cyclone wo ...
five years prior, The typhoon left widespread areas flooded for several days. Damage was heaviest in the Cagayan Valley, where over 80,000 people were displaced by the storm. In Isabela, high winds wrecked most of the banana crop and severely damaged other crops. Throughout the Philippines, Imbudo damaged or destroyed 62,314 houses, causing P4.7 billion (2003 PHP, $86 million 2003 USD) in damage. There were 64 deaths in the country. In southern China in Yangjiang, more than 30,000 people evacuated ahead of the storm, and more than half of the trees in the city fell due to strong winds. High winds killed a man in Hong Kong after knocking him off a platform. Throughout Guangdong, Imbudo destroyed 595,000 houses and caused eight deaths. Heavy rains spread across southern China, peaking at at Hepu County in
Guangxi Guangxi (; ; Chinese postal romanization, alternately romanized as Kwanghsi; ; za, Gvangjsih, italics=yes), officially the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (GZAR), is an Autonomous regions of China, autonomous region of the People's Republic ...
province. There, 12 people died from the storm. Overall damage in China was about ¥4.45 billion (
CNY The renminbi (; symbol: ¥; ISO code: CNY; abbreviation: RMB) is the official currency of the People's Republic of China and one of the world's most traded currencies, ranking as the fifth most traded currency in the world as of April 202 ...
, $297 million USD).


Severe Tropical Storm Koni (Gilas)

Koni originated from a tropical depression situated within the monsoon trough to the east 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 ...
on July 15. Tracking westward, intensification was slow and the system remained a tropical depression as it moved across the central Philippines on July 17. Upon moving into 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 ...
, conditions allowed for quicker strengthening, and the cyclone reached tropical storm status on July 18 before reaching its peak intensity with maximum sustained winds of , making it a severe tropical storm. However, atmospheric conditions began to deteriorate as Koni made landfall on Hainan on July 21, weakening the system. The tropical storm continued to weaken as it moved over 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 ...
prior to a final landfall near Hanoi, Vietnam the following day. Tracking inland, the combination of land interaction and wind shear caused Koni to dissipate over
Laos Laos (, ''Lāo'' )), officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic ( Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ, French: République démocratique populaire lao), is a socialist ...
on July 23. Shortly after development, Koni tracked through the Philippines, killing two people. After moving into the South China Sea, turbulence produced by the storm resulted in an aviation incident involving a commercial airliner off the western Philippines. Three of the plane's occupants received minor injuries. In Hainan, Koni caused heavy rainfall, peaking at at a station on Wuzhi Mountain. The rains resulted in the collapse of 1,400 homes and an estimated CN¥140.27 million ( US$16.9 million) in direct economic losses. Effects were worst in Vietnam, where three people were killed. Widespread power outages occurred, and strong winds resulted in agricultural and infrastructural damage, particularly in Vietnam's northern provinces.


Tropical Storm Morakot (Juaning)

Morakot spawned from an area of disturbed weather in the Philippine Sea on July 31. Tracking northwest, favorable conditions allowed for the intensification of the system to tropical storm strength on August 2. Morakot reached peak intensity later that day with winds of and a minimum barometric pressure of 992 mbar (hPa; 28.29 inHg). This intensity was held for several hours until less conducive atmospheric conditions slightly weakened the system; this was followed by Morakot making landfall on southern Taiwan on August 3. Subsequently, the storm weakened and moved into the Taiwan Strait before making its final landfall near Quanzhou, China the next day. The storm quickly weakened over the Chinese mainland, and dissipated entirely several hours after landfall. In Taiwan, where Morakot first made landfall, heavy rainfall resulted in flooding. Commercial flights, schools, and rail service in some areas was cancelled in advance of the storm. Precipitation there peaked at over a period of nearly two days in
Taitung County Taitung County (; Mandarin pinyin: ''Táidōng Xiàn''; Hokkien POJ: ''Tâi-tang-koān''; Hakka PFS: ''Thòi-tûng-yen''; Paiwan: ''Valangaw'';lit:Eastern part of Taiwan) is the third largest county in Taiwan, located primarily on the island' ...
. Crop damage also resulted from the rainfall, and was estimated at over NT$70 million (US$2 million). In China, record rainfall was reported. The worst impacted city was Quanzhou, where losses due to Morakot reached CN¥240 million (US$29 million) and one death was reported. Power outages were also widespread across southeastern China. Due to preexisting drought conditions, 703 
cloud seeding Cloud seeding is a type of weather modification that aims to change the amount or type of precipitation that falls from clouds by dispersing substances into the air that serve as cloud condensation or ice nuclei, which alter the microphysical p ...
operations took place in order to artificially generate added rainfall; such operations resulted in moderate precipitation over the targeted area. Overall, Morakot caused roughly $31 million in damage and three deaths.


Typhoon Etau (Kabayan)

A tropical depression developed on August 2 southeast of Guam, and gradually intensified while moving to the northwest, becoming a tropical storm on August 3 and a typhoon a day later. Etau formed an
eye Eyes are organs of the visual system. They provide living organisms with vision, the ability to receive and process visual detail, as well as enabling several photo response functions that are independent of vision. Eyes detect light and conv ...
and became a large storm by the time it approached Okinawa on August 7. The typhoon attained peak winds of before weakening slightly while turning to the northeast. Etau made landfall on the Japanese island of Shikoku on August 8, and later moved across portions of Honshu and Hokkaido. After weakening to tropical storm status, the cyclone became extratropical on August 9 and dissipated three days later. While passing northeast of the Philippines, the typhoon caused light damage in the archipelago. The eye crossed over Okinawa, where Etau left 166,800 people without power and caused 10 injuries. Near where Etau first struck Japan, Muroto reported a peak wind gust of , at the time the third strongest on record there. The typhoon also dropped torrential rainfall peaking at . The combination of winds and rainfall caused landslides, particularly on Hokkaido. Nationwide, Etau killed 20 people, destroyed 708 houses, and caused ¥35.1 billion (
JPY The is the official currency of Japan. It is the third-most traded currency in the foreign exchange market, after the United States dollar (US$) and the euro. It is also widely used as a third reserve currency after the US dollar and th ...
, $294.8 million USD) in damage.


Typhoon Krovanh (Niña)

Krovanh originated from a tropical disturbance within the monsoon trough east of Chuuk State on August 13. Despite rather favorable conditions, the initial tropical depression did not intensify significantly and degenerated into a remnant low on August 18. However, these remnants were able to reorganize and the system was reclassified as a tropical cyclone a day later. Intensification was rather rapid upon the storm's reformation – the depression reached tropical storm status on August 20 and then typhoon intensity two days later. Shortly after, Krovanh made landfall on Luzon at peak intensity with winds of . The typhoon emerged into the South China Sea as a much weaker tropical storm, though it was able to restrengthen over warm waters. Once again at typhoon intensity, Krovanh clipped Hainan before moving over the Leizhou Peninsula on its way to a final landfall near Cẩm Phả, Vietnam on August 25. Quick weakening due to land interaction occurred as Krovanh moved across northern Vietnam, where the storm met its demise the following day. Krovanh first struck the Philippines, resulting in heavy rainfall and displacing approximately 1,000 families. The flooding caused severe damage and killed one person. Krovanh's effects were much more severe in China. In Hong Kong, eleven people were injured and isolated flooding occurred as a result of the typhoon's outer rainbands. However,
Guangdong Province Guangdong (, ), alternatively romanized as Canton or Kwangtung, is a coastal province in South China on the north shore of the South China Sea. The capital of the province is Guangzhou. With a population of 126.01 million (as of 2020) ...
,
Hainan Province 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
Guangxi Guangxi (; ; Chinese postal romanization, alternately romanized as Kwanghsi; ; za, Gvangjsih, italics=yes), officially the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (GZAR), is an Autonomous regions of China, autonomous region of the People's Republic ...
were the Chinese regions most extensively impacted. The typhoon brought record wind gusts into Guangxi. In those three regions combined, 13,000 homes were estimated to have collapsed and a large swath of farmland was damaged. Two people were killed in China and economic losses approximated to ¥2.1 billion (US$253 million). Due to its positioning and track, of all areas in Vietnam only the country's more northern regions were impacted by Krovanh. Flash flooding occurred in earnest in those regions, and 1,000 homes were flattened. One person was killed and five others were injured in Vietnam. Overall, the typhoon was responsible for the deaths of four persons.


Tropical Storm Vamco (Manang)

The monsoon trough spawned several tropical disturbances in the middle of August, one of which became Tropical Depression Lakay near the Philippines. On August 18, an area of convection persisted on the southern side of a circulation, developing into a tropical depression east of Luzon. It moved quickly northward and later to the northwest in an area generally unfavorable for strengthening, such as the presence of wind shear and land interaction. On August 19, the JMA upgraded the depression to Tropical Storm Vamco to the east of Taiwan. Later that day, the circulation passed just north of Taipei, although the convection was exposed that time. On August 20, the JMA assessed Vamco as dissipating in the Taiwan Strait, although the JTWC continued advisories until the storm moved ashore in southeastern China. Rainfall in Taiwan reached in Ilan County. On the island, the storm left several hundred houses without power due to a lightning strike. On mainland China, rainfall peaked at in Wenzhou, Zhejiang, which were largely beneficial in easing drought conditions, while winds gusted to . The storm damaged or destroyed 5,880 houses and flooded of
paddy field A paddy field is a flooded field (agriculture), field of arable land used for growing Aquatic plant, semiaquatic crops, most notably rice and taro. It originates from the Neolithic rice-farming cultures of the Yangtze River basin in sout ...
s, causing ¥38.6 million (CNY, US$4.7 million) in damage.


Typhoon Dujuan (Onyok)

On August 27, a tropical depression developed about northwest of Guam, which initially drifted to the southwest before turning to the northwest. On August 29, the JMA upgraded it to Tropical Storm Dujuan, and that day PAGASA began issuing advisories on Tropical Storm Onyok. The storm quickly intensified into a typhoon, after developing an eye in the center. On September 1, the JMA estimated Dujuan attained peak 10 minute winds of , and the JTWC assessed peak 1–minute winds of . While near peak intensity, the center of Dujuan passed about south of the southern tip of Taiwan. The typhoon weakened steadily and was a severe tropical storm by the time it made landfall on September 2 just east of Hong Kong. The JTWC estimated landfall winds of , making it the strongest typhoon to strike the
Pearl River Delta The Pearl River Delta Metropolitan Region (PRD; ; pt, Delta do Rio das Pérolas (DRP)) is the low-lying area surrounding the Pearl River estuary, where the Pearl River flows into the South China Sea. Referred to as the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Mac ...
since Typhoon Hope in 1979. Dujuan rapidly weakened while continuing westward through China, dissipating on September 3 over
Guangxi Guangxi (; ; Chinese postal romanization, alternately romanized as Kwanghsi; ; za, Gvangjsih, italics=yes), officially the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (GZAR), is an Autonomous regions of China, autonomous region of the People's Republic ...
. In the Philippines, Dujuan interacted with the monsoon to produce heavy rainfall, killing one person. While in the vicinity, Dujuan produced gusts of on Yonaguni, a Japanese subdivision of Okinawa. Heavy rainfall in Taiwan reached in
Pingtung County Pingtung County is a county located in southern Taiwan. It has a warm tropical monsoon climate and is known for its agriculture and tourism. Kenting National Park, Taiwan's oldest national park, is located in the county. The county seat is Pin ...
, and winds peaked at on Orchid Island before the anemometer was destroyed. The caused about NT$200 ( NWD, $115 million USD) in crop damage, and killed three people. Damage was minor in Hong Kong, and four fishermen were missing and presumed drowned after their boat sank. On the Chinese mainland, strong winds left 90% of the city of Shenzhen without power, and killed 16 construction workers due to a half-finished building collapsing. Across Guangdong, the typhoon damaged crops and destroyed 54,000 homes were destroyed. Overall damage in China was estimated at ¥2.3 billion (
CNY The renminbi (; symbol: ¥; ISO code: CNY; abbreviation: RMB) is the official currency of the People's Republic of China and one of the world's most traded currencies, ranking as the fifth most traded currency in the world as of April 202 ...
, US$277 million), and across Guangdong, the typhoon killed 40 people.


Typhoon Maemi (Pogi)

Typhoon Maemi formed on September 4 from the monsoon trough in the western Pacific Ocean. It slowly intensified into a tropical storm while moving northwestward, and Maemi became a typhoon on September 8. That day, it quickly intensified due to favorable conditions, developing a well-defined
eye Eyes are organs of the visual system. They provide living organisms with vision, the ability to receive and process visual detail, as well as enabling several photo response functions that are independent of vision. Eyes detect light and conv ...
and reaching peak maximum sustained winds of . While near peak intensity, Maemi was decelerating and began turning to the north-northeast. The eyewall soon after passed over the
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 ...
ese island of Miyako-jima on September 10, producing the fourth lowest pressure on record in Japan after a pressure of was recorded. With warm waters, Maemi was able to maintain much of its intensity before it made landfall just west of Busan, South Korea on September 12. On Jeju Island, Maemi produced a peak wind gust of and a minimum pressure of , both setting records for the country, and making it the most powerful typhoon to strike South Korea since record-keeping began in the country in 1904. The typhoon became extratropical in the Sea of Japan the next day, although the remnants persisted for several more days, bringing strong winds to northern Japan. The typhoon first affected the
Ryukyu Islands The , also known as the or the , are a chain of Japanese islands that stretch southwest from Kyushu to Taiwan: the Ōsumi, Tokara, Amami, Okinawa, and Sakishima Islands (further divided into the Miyako and Yaeyama Islands), with Yonaguni ...
of Japan. On Miyako-jima, strong winds damaged 104 buildings, and 95% of residents lost power. Maemi dropped heavy rainfall there, including rates of in an hour, and in 24 hours, the latter setting a record. One person died on Miyako-jima after being struck by flying glass. Elsewhere in Japan, the storm caused flights to be canceled, while rainfall-induced landslides blocked roads. There were two other deaths in Japan, and damage totaled ¥11.3 billion (
JPY The is the official currency of Japan. It is the third-most traded currency in the foreign exchange market, after the United States dollar (US$) and the euro. It is also widely used as a third reserve currency after the US dollar and th ...
, $96 million USD). Damage was heaviest in South Korea, notably where it moved ashore. Winds in Busan near the landfall location reached , the second-highest on record. There, the port sustained heavy damage, causing disruptions to exports in the months following the storm. Nationwide, the high winds destroyed about 5,000 houses and damaged 13,000 homes and businesses, leaving 25,000 people homeless. About 1.47 million lost power, and widespread crop damage occurred, resulting in the worst rice crop in 23 years. Across South Korea, Maemi killed 117 people, and overall damage totaled ₩5.52 trillion
won Won may refer to: *The Korean won from 1902–1910 *South Korean won, the currency of the Republic of Korea *North Korean won, the currency of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea * Won (Korean surname) * Won (Korean given name) * Won Buddhis ...
(US$4.8 billion).


Typhoon Choi-wan (Roskas)

In the middle of September, the monsoon trough spawned a rapidly organizing disturbance east-northeast of Luzon, with weak wind shear and favorable conditions. On September 16, the JMA classified it as a tropical depression, and the JTWC initiated advisories the next day. The system moved to the northwest due to the subtropical ridge to the northeast and later to the north. On September 18, the JMA upgraded the depression to Tropical Storm Choi-wan, the same day that PAGASA classified it as Tropical Storm Roskas (the only time this name was used, as it was retired the following year). An eastward-moving trough turned the storm to the northeast, bringing the track over Okinawa and Amami Ōshima on September 19. Choi-wan continued gradually intensifying, becoming a typhoon on September 20 to the southeast of Japan. That day, the JMA estimated peak winds of , and the JTWC estimated peak 1 minute winds of on September 21, after Choi-wan developed a well-defined eye. The typhoon weakened due to increasing wind shear, deteriorating to severe tropical storm status on September 22 before JMA declared it extratropical on September 23. The remnants of Choi-wan continued to the northeast, exited the basin on September 24, and eventually struck southern Alaska on September 25. Wind gusts in Okinawa reached , while on the volcanic island of Hachijō-jima, gusts reached . On the Japanese mainland, winds gusted to at Chōshi, Chiba. Choi-wan dropped heavy rainfall while near Japan, peaking at on
Miyake-jima is an inhabited volcanic island in the Izu archipelago in the Philippine Sea approximately southeast of Tokyo, Japan. As with the other islands in the Izu Island group, Miyake-jima forms part of the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park. Etymology ...
. In Okinawa, Choi-wan flooded a boat, forcing its occupants to be rescued by the Coast Guard. Also on the island, heavy rainfall caused landslides and flooded houses. In Amami Ōshima, the storm left 10,810 people without power. On Hachijō, wind gusts of damaged about 200 houses. Nationwide, Choi-wan destroyed 191 homes, injured 9 people, and left about ¥300 million (JPY, US$2.5 million).


Typhoon Koppu (Sikat)

Towards the end of September, the monsoon trough spawned a tropical disturbance east-northeast of Yap, which became a tropical depression on September 24. There were initially several circulations, with a tropical upper tropospheric trough to the northeast increasing outflow. After slowing and turning to the northeast, the depression intensified into Tropical Storm Koppu on September 26. After the storm developed a large eye feature, the JTWC upgraded it to typhoon status on September 27, although the JMA did not follow suit until the following day while near Chichi-jima. Also that day, Koppu passed west of
Iwo Jima Iwo Jima (, also ), known in Japan as , is one of the Japanese Volcano Islands and lies south of the Bonin Islands. Together with other islands, they form the Ogasawara Archipelago. The highest point of Iwo Jima is Mount Suribachi at high. ...
, and the JMA estimated peak 10 minute winds of . The JTWC estimated peak 1 minute winds of , before an approaching trough caused the typhoon to accelerate northeastward. The convection diminished near the center, causing Koppu to become extratropical on September 30. The remnants continued generally northeastward through the Aleutian Islands, eventually passing south of mainland Alaska on October 7. On Chichi-jima, Typhoon Koppu produced sustained winds of , with gusts to , which was the third strongest on record for the station. Rainfall there reached . Wind gusts on Iwo Jima peaked at .


Tropical Depression 18W

On October 6, the JTWC classified Tropical Depression 18W early in the month off the west coast of Luzon. With weak steering currents, the system moved slowly southwestward before looping to the northwest. On October 10, the depression dissipated just off the coast of southern China.


Tropical Depression 19W

Following the demise of 18W, the JTWC monitored Tropical Depression 19W, which developed on October 12 after an extratropical storm produced an area of convection. Described as a subtropical low, the depression moved generally northeastward toward Japan due to an approaching cold front. The depression moved through Kyushu and Honshu before dissipating on October 13. The depression dropped of rainfall in
Kōchi Kochi is a city in Kerala, India. Kochi or Kōchi may also refer to: People * Kochi people, a predominantly Pashtun nomadic people of Afghanistan * , a Japanese surname: ** Arata Kochi (born 1948 or 1949), Japanese physician and World Health Org ...
, while strong winds associated reached through a storm-produced downburst. The winds knocked over two cranes, killing two people, and left about 9,000 homes without power. The depression also killed two people due to drownings.


Typhoon Ketsana (Tisoy)

In the middle of October, an area of convection persisted along the monsoon trough between Luzon and Guam, developing into a tropical depression on October 17. The same monsoon trough later spawned Typhoon Parma to the east. For several days, the system remained disorganized while drifting to the west-northwest due to weak steering currents south of the subtropical ridge. On October 19, the JMA upgraded the depression to Tropical Storm Ketsana, and by that time the storm had begun drifting to the northeast. With favorable outflow, Ketsana quickly intensified into a typhoon on October 20 after developing an eye, and two days later, the JMA estimated peak winds of . The JTWC estimated peak 1 minute winds of around the time the well-defined eye had expanded to . Subsequently, the typhoon accelerated northeastward into the westerlies and began weakening due to increasing wind shear and dry air. On October 26, Ketsana became extratropical to the east of Japan and dissipated the next day. The passage of the typhoon caused surface chlorophyll a concentration in the ocean to increase 30-fold.


Typhoon Parma

The same monsoon trough that spawned Typhoon Koppu also produced an area of convection to the north-northeast of Guam, becoming a tropical depression on October 19. The system moved northwestward and later turned to the northeast around the subtropical ridge. With low wind shear and favorable outflow, the convection became better organized, and the JMA upgraded it to Tropical Storm Parma on October 21. After an eye began to form, Parma was upgraded to typhoon status the next day. An approaching trough caused Parma to accelerate northeastward while also increasing outflow. On October 24, the JMA estimated peak winds of while the JTWC estimated winds of , an unusually high intensity for 30° N. Subsequently, Parma rounded the subtropical ridge and began moving to the east-southeast, beginning a nearly week-long loop. The cold front had passed to the north and failed to bring the typhoon northeastward. Increasing wind shear weakened the convection, and Parma deteriorated into a severe tropical storm on October 26. The next day, it began moving westward while passing about north of Wake Island. A large eye of in diameter developed, and on October 28, the JMA re-upgraded Parma to typhoon status. The next day, the typhoon turned to the northeast due to another approaching trough. With decreasing wind shear and warmer waters, Parma re-intensified significantly on October 29, reaching a secondary peak of according to JMA, and according to JTWC. The storm moved very closely along the track it took several days prior. Increasing wind shear on October 30 caused rapid weakening, resulting in the eye dissipating. By the next day, the center was exposed, and Parma became extratropical, later exiting the basin on November 1. The remnants weakened, later turning to the southeast and dissipating on November 11 southwest of California.


Tropical Depression 23W

On October 21, a monsoon trough spawned a tropical depression in the
Gulf of Thailand The Gulf of Thailand, also known as the Gulf of Siam, is a shallow inlet in the southwestern South China Sea, bounded between the southwestern shores of the Indochinese Peninsula and the northern half of the Malay Peninsula. It is around in l ...
, which moved northwestward and crossed into the Indian Ocean, dropping heavy rainfall in Thailand.


Tropical Depression 22W (Ursula)

On October 22, a tropical depression developed in the South China Sea, classified by PAGASA as Ursula. The system moved eastward and crossed Palawan before dissipating on October 24. In the Philippines, the depression killed one person and caused minor damage.


Severe Tropical Storm Melor (Viring)

Late in October, an area of convection persisted northwest of Palau and quickly organized into a tropical depression on October 29. Moving west-northwestward toward the Philippines due to a ridge to the east, the depression intensified into Tropical Storm Melor on October 30. With minimal wind shear, the storm strengthened further and developed a large eye. The JTWC upgraded Melor to typhoon status on October 31, estimating peak 1 minute winds of , although the JMA estimated the storm only attained peak 10 minute winds of . Early on November 1, Melor made landfall on northeastern Luzon in the Philippines, south of Palanan. The storm weakened over land and emerged into the South China Sea. By that time, it was moving northward along the periphery of the ridge to the east. On November 2, Melor turned to the northeast, passing just east of Taiwan. The next day, it weakened to tropical depression status, and after meandering offshore eastern Taiwan, Melor continued northeastward. It became extratropical on November 5 and dissipated the next day near southern Japan. In the Philippines, Melor dropped about of rainfall, which flooded the Cagayan River and killed four people. In Taiwan, rainfall reached in
Pingtung County Pingtung County is a county located in southern Taiwan. It has a warm tropical monsoon climate and is known for its agriculture and tourism. Kenting National Park, Taiwan's oldest national park, is located in the county. The county seat is Pin ...
. On the Japanese island of Hateruma, rainfall totaled , which broke the hourly and daily record for the station in November.


Typhoon Nepartak (Weng)

A tropical depression developed near Yap on November 11. The system intensified gradually as it tracked quickly westward toward the Philippines. An anticyclone aloft allowed for strengthening, and the JMA upgraded the depression to Tropical Storm Nepartak on November 12. Simultaneously, the cyclone entered the area of responsibility of 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 *Pagasa, alternate s ...
, which named it Tropical Storm ''Weng''. At around 1600 UTC on November 13, Nepartak made landfall on northern Samar Island in the Philippines before traversing the remainder of the archipelago from east to west. The cyclone emerged into 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 ...
weakened but quickly re-intensified while continuing to the west-northwest. The JTWC estimated peak winds of on November 16, and later that day, the JMA upgraded the storm to typhoon status, estimating peak 10-minute winds of . On November 18, Nepartak passed near southwestern Hainan and weakened, with the convection diminishing from the circulation. By the next day, the system weakened to tropical depression status, and dissipated shortly after moving ashore over
Beihai Beihai (; Postal romanization: Pakhoi) is a prefecture-level city in the south of Guangxi, People's Republic of China. Its status as a seaport on the north shore of the Gulf of Tonkin has granted it historical importance as a port of internation ...
,
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
. In the Philippines, Nepartak produced strong winds, heavy rainfall, and rough seas. The storm caused widespread power outages and ferry disruptions. According to the PAGASA in its post-storm report, a total of 13 people died during the storm. On Hainan, the storm helped end one of the worst summer droughts in almost 65 years, although it also left heavy crop damage, wrecking of fields and killing 400 head of livestock. With about 800 homes destroyed, damage on Hainan amounted to $197 million (2003 USD). Effects were minor in mainland China.


Typhoon Lupit (Yoyoy)

Typhoon Lupit formed on November 18 from the monsoon trough to the west of 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 ...
. Early in its duration, it moved generally to the west or west-southwest. On November 21, the depression intensified into Tropical Storm Lupit, and two days later, it strengthened into a typhoon, developing an
eye Eyes are organs of the visual system. They provide living organisms with vision, the ability to receive and process visual detail, as well as enabling several photo response functions that are independent of vision. Eyes detect light and conv ...
. Lupit later began a prolonged movement to the northwest, during which it passed near several islands in Yap State. The typhoon reached peak intensity on November 26, with peak 10–minute sustained winds of . It later weakened due to a variety of unfavorable conditions, and after recurving to the northeast, Lupit became extratropical 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 ...
on December 2. Typhoon Lupit first affected
Pohnpei Pohnpei "upon (''pohn'') a stone altar (''pei'')" (formerly known as Ponape or Ascension, Proto-Chuukic-Pohnpeic: ''*Fawo ni pei)'' is an island of the Senyavin Islands which are part of the larger Caroline Islands group. It belongs to Pohnpei ...
with gusty winds, and later it damaged or destroyed about 200 homes in
Chuuk State Chuuk State (; also known as Truk) is one of the four states of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM). The other states are Kosrae State, Pohnpei State, and Yap State. It consists of several island groups: * Namoneas * Faichuuk * Hall Isla ...
. There, high waves flooded roads and homes, while high winds damaged crops. Damage was heaviest in Yap State, mostly in the small Ulithi atoll and Fais Island. On both islands, the typhoon contaminated the water supply and wrecked the crops. Rainfall reached on Ulithi, and gusts reached . Throughout the FSM, damage totaled about $1.7 million, although there were no deaths. The damage prompted the FSM government to declare two states as disaster areas, as well as a disaster declaration from the United States federal government. While Lupit was becoming extratropical, it became the first typhoon in December to threaten Japan in 13 years. The storm dropped rainfall that resulted in mudslides and flight cancellations.


Tropical Depression 27W (Zigzag)

The final system of the year was a tropical depression that originated out of the monsoon trough on December 24 east of the Philippines. After initially moving to the west, it turned to the south, and the JTWC estimated the depression intensified into a tropical storm. During this time, PAGASA classified it as Tropical Storm Zigzag. The system made landfall in northeastern Mindanao and dissipated on December 27, bringing heavy rainfall.


Other systems

On July 9, PAGASA classified a system as Tropical Depression Falcon, off the west coast of the Philippines. The JMA also briefly initiated advisories before dropping them later on July 9. Later in the month, PAGASA briefly issued advisories on Tropical Depression Ineng on July 30 off the east coast of Mindanao. The depression dissipated the next day, causing about P8 million (PHP, US$145,000) in damage. The monsoon trough spawned a tropical depression north of Luzon on August 18, with PAGASA naming it Lakay. There were several circulations in the region, with Tropical Storm Vamco to the northeast near Taiwan, and the overall system moved generally westward. PAGASA briefly classified Lakay as a tropical storm on August 19 before ending advisories the next day. The system spread rainfall across China, reaching in Xiamen, Fujuan. On September 5, former Hurricane Jimena crossed the International Date Line into the basin. By that time, the circulation was largely exposed from the convection, and the center quickly dissipated. Later in the month, the monsoon trough spawned a disturbance east of the Philippines that PAGASA classified as Tropical Depression Quiel on September 15. The system moved westward but never intensified, dissipating west of Luzon on September 19. The broad system also spawned Typhoon Choi-wan. On October 5, the JMA monitored a tropical depression southeast of Taiwan that later passed near the island, producing heavy rainfall that peaked at in
Ilan County Yilan County, alternately spelled I-lan, is a county in northeastern Taiwan, Republic of China. Name The name ''Yilan'' derives from the indigenous Kavalan people. Other former names in reference to this area in the Yilan Plain include ''K ...
. On October 16, the JMA briefly classified a tropical depression to the east of the Marianas Islands. Also in October, the monsoon trough spawned a tropical depression in the
Gulf of Thailand The Gulf of Thailand, also known as the Gulf of Siam, is a shallow inlet in the southwestern South China Sea, bounded between the southwestern shores of the Indochinese Peninsula and the northern half of the Malay Peninsula. It is around in l ...
, which moved northwestward and crossed into the Indian Ocean, dropping heavy rainfall in Thailand. In mid-November, the JMA briefly tracked a weak tropical depression near Wake Island. The agency also briefly tracked a tropical depression off the coast of Vietnam on December 16. It finally dissipated on December 17, with the pressure and winds unknown.


Storm names

Within the North-western Pacific Ocean, both 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) and 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 *Pagasa, alternate s ...
assign names to tropical cyclones that develop in the Western Pacific, which can result in a tropical cyclone having two names. The Japan Meteorological Agency's RSMC Tokyo — Typhoon Center assigns international names to tropical cyclones on behalf of the
World Meteorological Organization The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for promoting international cooperation on atmospheric science, climatology, hydrology and geophysics. The WMO originated from the Internati ...
's Typhoon Committee, should they be judged to have 10-minute sustained windspeeds of . While the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration 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 even if the cyclone has had an international name assigned to it. The names of significant tropical cyclones are retired, by both
PAGASA 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 *Pagasa, alternate s ...
and the Typhoon Committee. Should the list of names for the Philippine region be exhausted then names will be taken from an auxiliary list of which the first ten are published each season. Unused names are marked in .


International names

During the season 21 named tropical cyclones developed in the Western Pacific and were named by the Japan Meteorological Agency, when it was determined that they had become tropical storms. These names were contributed to a list of a 140 names submitted by the fourteen members nations and territories of the
ESCAP/WMO Typhoon Committee The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for promoting international cooperation on atmospheric science, climatology, hydrology and geophysics. The WMO originated from the Internatio ...
. All of these names were used for the first (and only, in the cases of Yanyan, Imbudo, Koni, and Maemi) time this year.


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 *Pagasa, alternate s ...
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 10 of which are published each year before the season starts. The names not retired from this list will be used again in the 2007 season. Names that were not assigned are marked in . After the season, the names ''Batibot'', ''Gilas'', ''Lakay'', ''Manang'', ''Niña'', ''Pogi'', ''Roskas'', and ''Sikat'' were replaced with ''Bebeng'', ''Goring'', ''Lando'', ''Mina'', ''Nonoy'', ''Pedring'', ''Ramon'', and ''Sendong'' for unknown reasons.


Retirement

The names ''Imbudo'' and ''Maemi'' were retired by the ESCAP/WMO Typhoon Committee. The names ''Molave'' and ''Mujigae'' were chosen to replace ''Imbudo'' and ''Maemi'' respectively. While ''Yanyan'' was requested by Hong Kong to be removed in the list, and was replaced by ''Dolphin''. The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) announced that the name ''Harurot'' had its name retired due to extensive damage. The name ''Hanna'' was chosen to replace ''Harurot''. Also, the name "Koni" was replaced by "Goni", after it was found that Koni was a misspelling.


Storm effects

The following table provides basic meteorological and impact information for each tropical cyclone from the 2003 Pacific typhoon season in tabular format; unnamed tropical cyclones are not included. PAGASA names for storms are provided in parentheses. Storms entering from the Central Pacific only include their information while in the western Pacific, and are noted with an asterisk *. , - , Yanyan , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , None affected , , None , , None , , , - , Kujira (Amang) , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Micronesia, Philippines, Taiwan, Japan , , , , , , , - , TD , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Philippines , , None , , None , , , - , 03W (Batibot) , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Philippines , , None , , None , , , - , TD , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , None affected , , None , , None , , , - , Chan-hom , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Chuuk, Guam , , , , None , , , - , Linfa (Chedeng) , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Philippines, Japan , , , , , , , - , Nangka (Dodong) , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Taiwan, Philippines, Japan , , None , , None , , , - , Soudelor (Egay) , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Philippines, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea , , , , , , , - , Falcon , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , None affected , , None , , None , , , - , Koni (Gilas) , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Philippines, China, Vietnam , , , , , , , - , Imbudo (Harurot) , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Philippines, China , , , , , , , - , Ineng , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Philippines , , , , None , , , - , Morakot (Juaning) , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Taiwan, China , , , , , , , - , TD , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , None affected , , None , , None , , , - , Etau (Kabayan) , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Palau, Guam, Okinawa, Japan , , , , , , , - , Krovanh (Niña) , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Philippines, China, Vietnam , , , , , , , - , TD , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Philippines , , None , , None , , , - , Vamco (Manang) , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Philippines, Taiwan, China , , , , None , , , - , Lakay , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Philippines, Taiwan, China , , None , , None , , , - , TD , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , None affected , , None , , None , , , - , TD , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , None affected , , None , , None , , , - , Dujuan (Onyok) , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Philippines, Okinawa, Taiwan, China , , , , , , , - , TD , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , None affected , , None , , None , , , - , Maemi (Pogi) , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Japan, South Korea, North Korea , , , , , , , - , TD , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Vietnam , , None , , None , , , - , TD , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , None affected , , None , , None , , , - , TD , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , South China , , None , , None , , , - , Quiel , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Philippines , , None , , None , , , - , Choi-wan (Roskas) , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Japan , , , , None , , , - , Koppu (Sikat) , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , None affected , , None , , None , , , - , TD , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Taiwan , , None , , None , , , - , 18W , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , South China , , None , , None , , , - , 19W , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , South China , , None , , 2 , , , - , TD , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , None affected , , None , , None , , , - , Ketsana (Tisoy) , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , None affected , , None , , None , , , - , Parma , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , None affected , , None , , None , , , - , 23W , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Thailand , , , , , , , - , 22W (Ursula) , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Philippines , , , , , , , - , Melor (Viring) , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Philippines, Taiwan, Japan , , None , , , , , - , Nepartak (Weng) , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Philippines, Vietnam, China , , , , , , , - , TD , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , None affected , , None , , None , , , - , TD , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , None affected , , None , , None , , , - , Lupit (Yoyoy) , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Micronesia, Japan , , , , None , , , - , TD , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , None affected , , None , , None , , , - , 27W (Zigzag) , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Philippines , , None , , None , , , -


See also

* Tropical cyclones in 2003 *
Pacific typhoon season 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 ...
*
2003 Atlantic hurricane season The 2003 Atlantic hurricane season was a highly active Atlantic hurricane season with tropical activity before and after the official bounds of the season—the first such occurrence since the 1970 season. The season produced 21 tropical cyclo ...
*
2003 Pacific hurricane season The 2003 Pacific hurricane season was the first season to feature no major hurricanes – storms of Category 3 intensity or higher on the Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale (SSHWS) – since 1977. The dates conventionally delimiting the ...
*
2003 North Indian Ocean cyclone season The 2003 North Indian Ocean cyclone season was the last season that tropical cyclones were not publicly labeled by India Meteorological Department (IMD). Also was mostly focused in the Bay of Bengal, where six of the seven depressions devel ...
* South-West Indian Ocean cyclone seasons: 2002–03, 2003–04 * Australian region cyclone seasons: 2002–03, 2003–04 * South Pacific cyclone seasons: 2002–03, 2003–04


Notes


References


External links


Satellite movie of 2003 Pacific typhoon season

Japan Meteorological Agency

China Meteorological Agency

National Weather Service Guam



Macau Meteorological Geophysical Services

Korea Meteorological Agency

Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration



Joint Typhoon Warning Center
{{DEFAULTSORT:2003 Pacific Typhoon Season Pacific typhoon seasons 2003 EPac