Typhoon Ellen, known in the
Philippines as Typhoon Herming, was considered the worst typhoon to hit China since
1979
Events
January
* January 1
** United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the ''International Year of the Child''. Many musicians donate to the ''Music for UNICEF Concert'' fund, among them ABBA, who write the song ...
. Typhoon Ellen was first noted as a tropical disturbance east of the
International Date Line on August 26, 1983, and became a tropical storm soon after crossing the dateline on the morning of August 29. Initially, strong
wind shear inhibited development over the next five days, and the cyclone began to track south of west. On September 2, conditions aloft finally improved and the cyclone strengthened into a typhoon on September 4 as it tracked west-northwest. Approaching
Luzon late on September 5, Ellen intensified rapidly into a strong typhoon with winds of before interaction with Luzon began to weaken the cyclone. Its final landfall was at
Portuguese Macau on the morning of September 9 as a minimal typhoon. The next day, Ellen ceased to exist.
Despite passing north of the
Philippines, the storm killed three and left 15 persons injured. Damage in the country totaled $680,000 (1983
USD). While passing near
British Hong Kong
Hong Kong was a colony and later a dependent territory of the British Empire from 1841 to 1997, apart from a period of occupation under the Japanese Empire from 1941 to 1945 during the Pacific War. The colonial period began with the British ...
, 50,000 people lost electrical services. Around 200 homes were destroyed; a total 2,000 people lost their homes, 1,600 of whom sought shelter. Throughout the city, eight people perished and 339 were hurt, including 120 seriously. Ellen spawned the second tornado ever recorded in Hong Kong, and the first ever recorded during a typhoon. Elsewhere, in
Portuguese Macau, little damage was reported. Offshore, 40 crew members were rescued in a shipwreck. In a separate incident, eight people were lost at sea. Furthermore, ten Taiwan fishing boats capsized in the
South China Sea, resulting in 48 fishermen missing, though 103 persons also survived. Overall, damage totaled $79 million and 23 people died.
Meteorological history
Typhoon Ellen originated from a tropical disturbance located south-southwest of the
Johnston Atoll
Johnston Atoll is an unincorporated territory of the United States, currently administered by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). Johnston Atoll is a National Wildlife Refuge and part of the Pacific Remote Islands Marine Nationa ...
on August 26. Based on the development of
rainband
A rainband is a cloud and precipitation structure associated with an area of rainfall which is significantly elongated. Rainbands can be stratiform or convective, and are generated by differences in temperature. When noted on weather radar i ...
s, satellite intensity estimates via 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 intensiti ...
indicated winds of . The disturbance crossed the dateline two days later and a
Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert
A Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert (TCFA) is a bulletin released by the U.S. Navy-operated Joint Typhoon Warning Center in Honolulu, Hawaii or the Fleet Weather Center in Norfolk, Virginia, warning of the possibility of a tropical cyclone formin ...
(TCFA) was subsequently issued. At 0000
UTC on August 29, 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, So ...
(JTWC) first classified the system. Initially, the storm did not develop significantly due to strong
wind shear caused by an intense
high pressure area
A high-pressure area, high, or anticyclone, is an area near the surface of a planet where the atmospheric pressure is greater than the pressure in the surrounding regions. Highs are middle-scale meteorological features that result from interpl ...
north of the cyclone. This also caused Ellen to turn west-southwest.
On August 31, however, 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) started warning on the system, declaring it a tropical storm.
The next day, the JTWC briefly downgraded the system into a tropical depression;
however, the JMA held the storm's intensity to for several days.
On September 2, the storm began to turn west-northwest and environmental conditions became much more favorable for development.
The JMA upgraded Ellen into a
severe tropical storm early the following morning.
Later on September 3, the
(PASAGA) started tracking the storm and
assigned it with the local name ''Herming''.
At 1200 UTC, the JTWC upgraded Ellen into a typhoon,
though the JMA did not follow suit until early on September 4.
After maintaining this intensity for 12 hours, Ellen deepened slightly that evening,
though the JTWC suggests that the storm intensified into a Category 2 hurricane on the United States
Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.
By midday on September 5, data from both agencies indicated that Ellen developed winds while located west of
Luzon.
Thereafter, Ellen began to
rapidly intensify and according to the JTWC, the pressure decreased by .
At 0600 UTC on September 6, Ellen reached peak intensity, with the JMA estimating winds of and a pressure of .
Meanwhile, the JTWC suggests that Ellen reached a peak intensity of and a slightly higher pressure of .
Ellen's peak intensity was short-lived; Typhoon Ellen soon began to weaken steadily as it moved through the
Luzon Straits while interacting with Luzon.
After turning northwest, the JMA reported the winds had reduced to at 0000 UTC on September 7.
At that time, the JTWC noted that Ellen's winds were equivalent to a Category 2 hurricane.
However, the JMA suggests that the weakening trend leveled off late on September 7.
The next day, PASAGA ceased monitoring the system as it was no longer a threat to the Philippines.
According to the JMA, the system moved ashore near
Macao
Macau or Macao (; ; ; ), officially the Macao Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (MSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China in the western Pearl River Delta by the South China Sea. With a po ...
at 0000 UTC on September 9 as an typhoon,
though the JTWC estimates that the storm was a little weaker at landfall. Ellen dissipated rapidly overland, and the JTWC downgraded Ellen into a tropical depression 12 hours later.
However, the JMA kept watching the system until 0600 UTC on September 10.
Preparations and impact
Due to the storm's threat to Hong Kong, a
no. 10 hurricane signal was issued.
Across Hong Kong, schools and government offices were ordered to be closed and 250 shelters were opened.
In addition, most shops and restaurants as well as all financial markets were closed.
Despite passing north of the
Philippines, the storm killed three and 15 people sustained injuries. Damage in the country totaled $680,000. A total of 605 dwellings were damaged, excluding 105 that were destroyed.
Upon making landfall in , winds gusted to at
Stanley. Rainfall totaled at
Hong Kong's Royal Observatory (RO or ROHK, now HKO).
Twenty-two ships were wrecked, including a 21,000-ton freighter,
forcing the rescue of all 40 crew members.
A yacht ''Osprey'' carried nine people, eight of which were lost
and presumed dead.
Several minor collisions were reported between ships.
Along the coastal province Guandong in southern China, communications and public services were disrupted.
Ferry services from Hong Kong to Macao were suspended.
On September 8, ten Taiwan fishing boats capsized in the South China Sea; consequently, 48 fishermen were missing,
though 103 persons survived and later took refuge at
Pratas Island,
Taiwan (ROC).
In Hong Kong, 50,000 people lost power.
About 200 houses were destroyed.
More than 2,000 people were left homeless;
1,600 of the homeless sought
emergency shelter. Flights to the
Kai Tak Airport
Kai Tak Airport was the international airport of Hong Kong from 1925 until 1998. Officially known as Hong Kong International Airport from 1954 to 6 July 1998, it is often referred to as Hong Kong International Airport, Kai Tak, or simply Ka ...
were cancelled
as the airport was closed for 12 hours.
Large areas of farmland were damaged.
Throughout the city, eight people perished, including a girl that was crushed by a falling cabinet.
Two sisters were killed via a landslide while a fireman died when trying to rescue someone.
Additionally, 339 people were injured,
including 120 seriously.
Forty-five people were injured due to flying glass and failing objects.
Typhoon Ellen also spawned the second tornado ever recorded in Hong Kong, and the first ever recorded during the passage of a typhoon. According to the HKO, Ellen was Hong Kong's worst typhoon since
Typhoon Hope of 1979.
In nearby Macao, minor property damage was reported
and 15 people were initially rendered as missing.
However, by October 13, 10 people remained missing and were then presumed dead.
In all, damage totaled $79 million (1983 USD)
and 20 people were killed due to Typhoon Ellen in mainland China.
See also
*
Typhoon Ora (1972)
*
Typhoon Mangkhut - a typhoon in 2018, that followed the same track as Ellen.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ellen (1983)
Typhoons in China
1983 Pacific typhoon season
Typhoons
1983 in China
Ellen
Ellen is a female given name, a diminutive of Elizabeth, Eleanor, Elena and Helen. Ellen was the 609th most popular name in the U.S. and the 17th in Sweden in 2004.
People named Ellen include:
*Ellen Adarna (born 1988), Filipino actress
* Elle ...