1979 Pacific typhoon season

1979 Pacific typhoon season
Season summary map
First storm formed January 1, 1979
Last storm dissipated December 23, 1979
Strongest storm Tip most intense tropical cyclone ever recorded – 870 hPa (mbar), 305 km/h (190 mph) (1-minute sustained)
Total storms 23
Typhoons 14
Super typhoons 4
Total fatalities Unknown
Total damage Unknown
Pacific typhoon seasons
1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981

The 1979 Pacific typhoon season has no official bounds; it ran year-round in 1979, 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 1979 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.

Contents

Storms

28 tropical depressions formed this year in the Western Pacific, of which 23 became tropical storms. 14 storms reached typhoon intensity, of which 4 reached super typhoon strength.

Typhoon Alice

Category 3 typhoon (SSHS)
Duration January 1 – January 14
Intensity 205 km/h (125 mph) (1-min),  930 mbar (hPa)

Very early on January 1 a tropical depression developed over the low latitudes of the open West Pacific. It tracked northwestward, reaching tropical storm strength that night and typhoon strength on the 5th. Alice turned to the west, and continued to intensify with generally favorable conditions to a peak of 130 mph winds on the 8th.[1] Cooler, drier air to the north caused Alice to weaken to a minimal typhoon, but as the typhoon turned to the northwest it briefly re-strengthened to a 115 mph typhoon on the 11th. Upper level winds, combined with the dry air, weakened Alice for good, causing it to dissipate on the 14th after stalling for three days. Alice caused extensive damage in the Marshall Islands, and the name was dropped from usage as new naming lists went into effect later in the year.

Typhoon Bess (Auring)

Category 2 typhoon (SSHS)
Duration March 19 – March 25
Intensity 165 km/h (105 mph) (1-min),  958 mbar (hPa)

Typhoon Cecil (Bebeng)

Category 1 typhoon (SSHS)
Duration April 10 – April 20
Intensity 150 km/h (90 mph) (1-min),  965 mbar (hPa)

Tropical Storm Dot (Katring)

Tropical storm (SSHS)
Duration May 9 – May 16
Intensity 75 km/h (45 mph) (1-min),  984 mbar (hPa)

Tropical Depression 5W (Diding)

Tropical depression (SSHS)
Duration May 18 – May 24
Intensity 55 km/h (35 mph) (1-min),  998 mbar (hPa)

Typhoon Ellis (Etang)

Category 2 typhoon (SSHS)
Duration June 29 – July 6
Intensity 155 km/h (100 mph) (1-min),  955 mbar (hPa)

Tropical Storm Faye (Gening)

Tropical storm (SSHS)
Duration July 1 – July 6
Intensity 75 km/h (45 mph) (1-min),  998 mbar (hPa)

Tropical Depression 8W

Tropical depression (SSHS)
Duration July 23 – July 25
Intensity 35 km/h (25 mph) (1-min),  1004 mbar (hPa)

Super Typhoon Hope (Ising)

Category 4 super typhoon (SSHS)
Duration July 25 – August 3
Intensity 240 km/h (150 mph) (1-min),  900 mbar (hPa)

A tropical depression formed southeast of Guam on July 24.[1] It headed to the west-northwest, but upper level shear from the TUTT caused the depression to dissipate on the 27th. It turned northward then westward, where it regenerated on the 28th. Intensification became more steady, with the depression reaching storm strength on the 28th and typhoon strength on the 29th. On the 31st, Hope reached a peak of 150 mph winds, but land interaction with Taiwan to the north weakened the storm. On August 2 95 mph Typhoon Hope hit southern China, only 10 miles east of Hong Kong. It weakened over the country while moving westward, but retained its satellite signature. Upon reaching the Bay of Bengal on the 7th, Hope restrengthened to a tropical storm, but moved over India and dissipated on the 8th. In Guangdong Province in China, the typhoon was responsible for around 100 deaths or missing people. Twelve people died along with 260 injured in Hong Kong. This was the strongest tropical cyclone to hit Hong Kong since Typhoon Rose in 1971.

Tropical Storm Gordon (Herming)

Tropical storm (SSHS)
Duration July 26 – July 29
Intensity 110 km/h (70 mph) (1-min),  980 mbar (hPa)

Tropical Depression 11W (Luding)

Tropical depression (SSHS)
Duration August 3 – August 6
Intensity 45 km/h (30 mph) (1-min),  997 mbar (hPa)

Typhoon Irving (Mameng)

Category 2 typhoon (SSHS)
Duration August 8 – August 17
Intensity 165 km/h (105 mph) (1-min),  954 mbar (hPa)

The monsoon trough spawned a tropical depression on August 7 east of the Philippines. It tracked to the north then to the west. Steering currents weakened, causing the depression to loop to the north. It was able to strengthen there, reaching tropical storm status on the 11th and typhoon status on the 13th. Irving continued to the north, attaining a peak of 100 mph winds on the 15th.[1] Its broad, loose wind field prevented it from strengthening further, and Irving weakened as it continued northward. On the 17th, Irving hit southwest South Korea as a minimal typhoon, and merged with a frontal boundary over extreme eastern Russia on the 18th. Torrential rains led to 150 fatalities, with damage at $10–$20 million (1979 USD).

Super Typhoon Judy (Neneng)

Category 4 super typhoon (SSHS)
Duration August 16 – August 26
Intensity 250 km/h (155 mph) (1-min),  910 mbar (hPa)

A tropical disturbance organized into a tropical storm on August 15. It tracked to the northwest, becoming a tropical storm on the 17th. Judy rapidly intensified, reaching typhoon status on the 18th and a peak of 155 mph winds on the 20th.[1] The super typhoon began to weaken as it passed south of Okinawa, and neared the Chinese coast on the 23rd and 24th. Judy turned to the northeast, and brushed past South Korea as a tropical depression on the 26th, shortly before dissipating. Judy passed through Guam and other Pacific islands, but damage was reported light there. However, the storm brought heavy rain to Korea as a tropical depression, killing 111 and more damage to an area hit by Irving just weeks before.

Tropical Depression 14W

Tropical depression (SSHS)
Duration August 18 – August 20
Intensity 35 km/h (25 mph) (1-min),  1006 mbar (hPa)

Tropical Storm Ken (Oniang)

Tropical storm (SSHS)
Duration September 1 – September 4
Intensity 110 km/h (70 mph) (1-min),  985 mbar (hPa)

Typhoon Lola

Category 2 typhoon (SSHS)
Duration September 2 – September 8
Intensity 165 km/h (105 mph) (1-min),  950 mbar (hPa)

Typhoon Mac (Pepang)

Category 1 typhoon (SSHS)
Duration September 15 – September 24
Intensity 130 km/h (80 mph) (1-min),  984 mbar (hPa)

Tropical Storm Nancy

Tropical storm (SSHS)
Duration September 18 – September 22
Intensity 85 km/h (50 mph) (1-min),  993 mbar (hPa)

Typhoon Owen (Rosing)

Category 3 typhoon (SSHS)
Duration September 22 – October 1
Intensity 205 km/h (125 mph) (1-min),  918 mbar (hPa)

Tropical Storm Pamela

Tropical storm (SSHS)
Duration September 24 – September 26
Intensity 85 km/h (50 mph) (1-min),  1002 mbar (hPa)

Tropical Storm Roger (Sisang)

Tropical storm (SSHS)
Duration October 2 – October 7
Intensity 85 km/h (50 mph) (1-min),  985 mbar (hPa)

Typhoon Sarah (Trining-Uring)

Category 3 typhoon (SSHS)
Duration October 4 – October 15
Intensity 205 km/h (125 mph) (1-min),  929 mbar (hPa)

The monsoon trough spawned a tropical depression in the eastern South China Sea on September 30. It drifted eastward into Luzon, and looped to the southwest where it strengthened into a tropical storm on October 4.[1] Sarah, with weak steering currents, drifted to the south, becoming a typhoon on the 7th before hitting Palawan Island. The storm turned to the west, peaking at 130 mph winds on the 10th before the mid-level circulation became decoupled from the low-level circulation. Sarah weakened, and hit eastern Vietnam on the 14th as a 60 mph tropical storm. The storm brought heavy flooding and wind, causing massive crop damage and loss of life.

Super Typhoon Tip (Warling)

Category 5 super typhoon (SSHS)
Duration October 4 – October 19
Intensity 305 km/h (190 mph) (1-min),  870 mbar (hPa)
Main article: Typhoon Tip

Typhoon Tip is considered to be the most intense and largest tropical cyclone ever recorded in the world.[1] The cyclone formed on October 5, and after moving into a very favorable environment for development, quickly strengthened into Super Typhoon Tip on the 11th. On the 12th, Super Typhoon Tip continued to intensify, with winds at 190 miles per hour and central pressure at 870 millibars, the lowest barometric pressure ever recorded from a tropical cyclone. Tip ultimately hit Japan, causing 68 deaths and moderate damage. It dissipated on October 19.

Super Typhoon Vera (Yayang)

Category 5 super typhoon (SSHS)
Duration November 2 – November 7
Intensity 260 km/h (160 mph) (1-min),  915 mbar (hPa)

Tropical Storm Wayne (Ading)

Tropical storm (SSHS)
Duration November 8 – November 13
Intensity 95 km/h (60 mph) (1-min),  990 mbar (hPa)

Tropical Depression 26W

Tropical depression (SSHS)
Duration November 30 – December 2
Intensity 55 km/h (35 mph) (1-min),  998 mbar (hPa)

Typhoon Abby (Barang)

Category 3 typhoon (SSHS)
Duration December 1 – December 14
Intensity 205 km/h (125 mph) (1-min),  951 mbar (hPa)

Tropical Storm Ben (Krising)

Tropical storm (SSHS)
Duration December 20 – December 23
Intensity 110 km/h (70 mph) (1-min),  990 mbar (hPa)

1979 storm names

Western North Pacific tropical cyclones were named by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. The first storm of 1979 was named Alice and the final one was named Ben. The name Alice was retired after this season and replaced by Andy, as Alice is a female name.

  • Alice 1W
  • Bess 2W
  • Cecil 3W
  • Dot 4W
  • Ellis 6W
  • Faye 7W
  • Gordon 10W
  • Hope 9W
  • Irving 12W
  • Judy 13W
  • Ken 15W
  • Lola 16W
  • Mac 17W
  • Nancy 18W
  • Owen 19W
  • Pamela 20W
  • Roger 21W
  • Sarah 22W
  • Tip 23W
  • Vera 24W
  • Wayne 25W
  • Abby 27W
  • Ben 28W
  • Carmen
  • Dom
  • Ellen
  • Forrest
  • Georgia
  • Herbert
  • Ida
  • Joe
  • Kim
  • Lex
  • Marge
  • Norris
  • Orchid
  • Percy
  • Ruth
  • Sperry
  • Thelma
  • Vernon
  • Wynn
  • Alex
  • Betty
  • Cary
  • Dinah
  • Ed
  • Freda
  • Gerald
  • Holly
  • Ike
  • June
  • Kelly
  • Lynn
  • Maury
  • Nina
  • Ogden
  • Phyllis
  • Roy
  • Susan
  • Thad
  • Vanessa
  • Warren
  • Agnes
  • Bill
  • Clara
  • Doyle
  • Elsie
  • Fabian
  • Gay
  • Hazen
  • Irma
  • Jeff
  • Kit
  • Lee
  • Mamie
  • Nelson
  • Odessa
  • Pat
  • Ruby
  • Skip
  • Tess
  • Val
  • Winona

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f 1979 ATCR TABLE OF CONTENTS

External links

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Tropical cyclones of the 1979 Pacific typhoon season
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