1970 Pacific typhoon season
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The 1970 Pacific typhoon season has no official bounds; it ran year-round in 1970, but most tropical cyclones tend to form in the northwestern Pacific Ocean between June and December. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the northwestern Pacific Ocean.
The scope of this article is limited to the Pacific Ocean, north of the equator and west of the international date line. Storms that form east of the date line and north of the equator are called hurricanes; see 1970 Pacific hurricane season. Tropical Storms formed in the entire west pacific basin were assigned a name by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. Tropical depressions in this basin have the "W" suffix added to their number. Tropical depressions that enter or form in the Philippine area of responsibility are assigned a name by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration or PAGASA. This can often result in the same storm having two names.
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[edit] Storms
27 tropical depressions formed this year in the Western Pacific, of which 24 became tropical storms. 12 storms reached typhoon intensity, of which 7 reached super typhoon strength.
[edit] Super Typhoon Olga
Super Typhoon Olga, the first of the season, moved northeastward after its peak of 160 mph on July 1. Dry air approached the system as it neared Japan, and Olga struck the country on the 5th as a 60 mph tropical storm. Olga brought heavy rains and mudslides to the area, causing 8 deaths in Japan, 29 casualties in South Korea, and $10 million in damage (1970 USD).
[edit] Typhoon Wilda
A broad surface trough developed into Tropical Storm Wilda on August 9. After drifting to the west-southwest, it turned to the north, where it reached a peak of 120 mph winds on the 12th near Okinawa. Wilda continued northward, and weakened slightly to a 105 mph typhoon before making landfall on western Kyūshū on the 14th. Wilda accelerated to the northeast, and became extratropical on the 15th. The typhoon caused heavy rain, killing 11 people.
[edit] Super Typhoon Anita
An upper level low contributed to the formation of Tropical Depression 11W on August 16 over the northern Marianas Islands. It quickly intensified, reaching typhoon status that night. Anita's intensification rate slowed initially, but as it continued northwestward late on the 18th and 19th, Anita rapidly strengthened to a 155 mph super typhoon. It weakened as it accelerated to the north-northwest, and hit western Shikoku in Japan on the 21st as a 115 mph typhoon. Anita, which became extratropical on the 22nd, caused 23 deaths and sank 31 vessels.
[edit] Typhoon Clara
Tropical Storm Clara developed on August 26 southeast of Japan from an upper tropospheric circulation that separated from the Mid-Pacific trough. It quickly strengthened, and became a typhoon on the 27th at 31.9º North, one of only 16 Western Pacific typhoons to reach that strength north of 30º. Clara peaked at 95 mph before coming close to Japan, when a shortwave trough forced it sharply eastward. The storm maintained its intensity until becoming extratropical on September 3. An interesting fact about Clara was a reconnaissance mission flown into Hurricane Dot in the central Pacific also flew into Clara on the same flight, an unusual accomplishment not normally seen.
[edit] Super Typhoon Georgia
On September 11, Super Typhoon Georgia, which formed on the 8th, struck northern Luzon with winds of 160 mph. It weakened over the island, turned to the northwest, and hit southern China as a strong tropical storm on the 13th. Georgia produced little rain over the Philippines, but its strong winds caused 95 casualties (with 80 missing) and damage at $1.4 million (1970 USD).
[edit] Super Typhoon Joan
- Main article: Typhoon Joan (1970)
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| Joan satellite image and storm path | |
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A tropical disturbance organized into Tropical Storm Joan on October 9, east of the Philippines. Conditions favored strengthening, and Joan reached typhoon status on the 11th. From late on the 11th to early on the 13th, Typhoon Joan rapidly intensified to a 175 mph Super Typhoon. It struck the southeastern Luzon at that intensity on the 13th, and crossed the archipelago. After weakening to a minimal typhoon, Joan turned to the northwest, where it reintensified to a 115 mph typhoon. It made landfall on eastern Hainan Island on the 16th, and dissipated on the 18th over China. Joan left 575 people dead (with 193 missing), and caused $74 million in damage (1970 USD), mostly from agricultural losses.
[edit] Super Typhoon Kate
- Main article: Typhoon Kate (1970)
Tropical Storm Kate developed just behind Typhoon Joan, east of the southern Philippines on October 14. It tracked westward as a small cyclone, and strengthened into a typhoon on the 15th. It made landfall twice, once in the Philippines and once in Vietnam, resulting in at least 631 fatalities (with 284 missing) and $50 million in damage.
[edit] Super Typhoon Patsy
- Main article: Typhoon Patsy (1970)
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| Patsy satellite image and storm path | |
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A tropical disturbance organized into Tropical Depression 27W on November 14 near the Marianas Islands. A strong ridge to its north forced it westward, where it strengthened to tropical storm status later on the 14th. Patsy steadily intensified, reaching typhoon strength on the 16th and peaking at 155 mph on the 18th. Its inflow became disrupted by the Philippines to its west, and Patsy hit Luzon on the 19th with winds of 130 mph, making it the 3rd strong typhoon since September to strike the island. After crossing the island, Patsy traversed the South China Sea, where cooler waters kept the system a tropical storm. On November 22, Patsy struck Vietnam, and dissipated soon after. Typhoon Patsy was one of the deadliest typhoons to strike the Philippines in its history. 106 people were killed (with 351 missing) on the island, and 135 people were killed at sea due to shipping failures. Because the Vietnam War was raging at that time, its difficult to say about the damage or death toll, but estimates say that 30 people died in Vietnam.
[edit] 1970 storm names
Western North Pacific tropical cyclones were named by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. The first storm of 1970 was named Nancy and the final one was named Ruth.
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One Central Pacific System developed, Hurricane Dot. The policy at that time was to use Western Pacific Names for the Central Pacific.
