1977 Pacific typhoon season

1977 Pacific typhoon season
First storm formed March 23, 1977
Last storm dissipated January 2, 1978
Strongest storm Babe – 905 hPa (mbar), 205 km/h (125 mph) (10-minute sustained)
Total storms 19
Typhoons 11
Super typhoons 1
Total fatalities 143 direct, 47 indirect
Total damage Unknown
Pacific typhoon seasons
1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979

The 1977 Pacific typhoon season was one of the least active Pacific typhoon seasons on record, with only 19 tropical storms forming. It was also the only known typhoon season during the satellite era (since 1960) to not produce a Category 5 equivalent super typhoon. The season's first storm, Severe Tropical Storm Patsy, formed on March 23 and the last, Typhoon Mary, dissipated on January 2, 1978. With Mary spanning two calendar years, it became the fourth typhoon to do so since 1945. Since then, two other typhoons have achieved this feat.

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 1977 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

A total of 26 tropical depressions were recognized by the various warning agencies this year in the Western Pacific, of which 19 became tropical storms. Eleven storms reached typhoon intensity, of which one reached super typhoon strength.[1]

Tropical Depression Atring

Tropical depression (JMA)
Tropical depression (SSHS)
Duration January 10 – January 13
Intensity 55 km/h (35 mph) (10-min),  Unknown

Severe Tropical Storm Patsy

Severe tropical storm (JMA)
Tropical storm (SSHS)
Duration March 23 – March 29
Intensity 95 km/h (60 mph) (10-min),  990 mbar (hPa)

Tropical Depression 02W (Bining)

Tropical depression (SSHS)
Duration May 26 – May 27
Intensity 55 km/h (35 mph) (1-min),  1001 mbar (hPa)

Severe Tropical Storm Ruth (Kuring)

Severe tropical storm (JMA)
Tropical storm (SSHS)
Duration June 10 – June 17
Intensity 110 km/h (70 mph) (10-min),  975 mbar (hPa)

Tropical Depression 04W (Daling)

Tropical depression (SSHS)
Duration July 4 – July 6
Intensity 55 km/h (35 mph) (1-min),  995 mbar (hPa)

Typhoon Sarah (Elang)

Typhoon (JMA)
Category 1 typhoon (SSHS)
Duration July 14 – July 21
Intensity 130 km/h (80 mph) (10-min),  970 mbar (hPa)

Typhoon Thelma (Goring)

Typhoon (JMA)
Category 2 typhoon (SSHS)
Duration July 20 – July 26
Intensity 130 km/h (80 mph) (10-min),  950 mbar (hPa)

A tropical disturbance east of the Philippines organized into a tropical depression on July 21. It moved to the northwest, strengthening into a tropical storm later that day and into a typhoon on the 22nd. After passing northern Luzon and dropping heavy rains, Thelma turned to the north, where it reached a peak intensity of 95 mph winds. The typhoon hit southern Taiwan on the 25th, crossed the island, and dissipated over southeastern China on the 26th. Though not a particularly strong storm, Thelma brought strong wind gusts and heavy rain, claiming more than 30 lives and bringing damage and destruction not seen to the island for over 80 years.

Typhoon Vera (Hulang)

Typhoon (JMA)
Category 3 typhoon (SSHS)
Duration July 28 – August 1
Intensity 205 km/h (125 mph) (10-min),  925 mbar (hPa)

Just 6 days after Thelma hit Taiwan, another typhoon was brewing to its east. Typhoon Vera, which developed on July 28, hit eastern Taiwan on the 31st as a 130 mph typhoon. It continued westward, and dissipated over southeastern China. The storm caused 25 additional fatalities to the island, with vast amounts of crop and property damage occurring.

Tropical Storm Wanda

Tropical storm (JMA)
Tropical storm (SSHS)
Duration July 30 – August 3
Intensity 75 km/h (45 mph) (10-min),  985 mbar (hPa)

Severe Tropical Storm Amy (Ibiang)

Severe tropical storm (JMA)
Tropical storm (SSHS)
Duration August 17 – August 23
Intensity 110 km/h (70 mph) (10-min),  985 mbar (hPa)

Unnamed Tropical Storm

Tropical storm (JMA)
Duration August 21 – August 22
Intensity 75 km/h (45 mph) (10-min),  988 mbar (hPa)

Typhoon Babe (Miling)

Typhoon (JMA)
Category 4 super typhoon (SSHS)
Duration September 1 – September 11
Intensity 205 km/h (125 mph) (10-min),  907.3 mbar (hPa)
Main article: Typhoon Babe (1977)

On September 2, Tropical Depression 10 developed well east of the Philippines. Later that day, it reached tropical storm status, and Babe continued to the west, threatening the central Philippines. A break in the subtropical ridge forced Babe northward, where favorable conditions aloft allowed Babe to rapidly intensify, first to a typhoon on the 6th, then to a super typhoon on the 8th. With a northwest movement, the typhoon-flogged Taiwan was again threatened, but Babe turned to the northeast, hitting Okinoerabu Island, Kagoshima. Now Japan was threatened, and full precautions were put in place. Like most of its lifetime, though, Babe changed course, and turned to the northwest in response to the building of the ridge to Babe's northeast. There, unfavorable conditions weakened Babe to a minimal typhoon as it hit near Shanghai, China on the 10th. Babe caused 16 casualties, mostly from shipping, and minor to moderate damage on its path.

Tropical Storm Carla (Luming)

Tropical storm (JMA)
Tropical storm (SSHS)
Duration August 31 – September 4
Intensity 65 km/h (40 mph) (10-min),  990 mbar (hPa)

Typhoon Dinah (Openg)

Typhoon (JMA)
Category 1 typhoon (SSHS)
Duration September 13 – September 23
Intensity 130 km/h (80 mph) (10-min),  965 mbar (hPa)

The monsoon trough spawned a tropical storm on September 14 northeast of the northern Philippines. The previous typhoon brought the trough more northward, hence the unusually high latitude for a monsoon storm. Strong high pressure to Dinah's northwest forced the storm to the southwest, where it crossed northern Luzon on the 15th and 16th. Weak steering currents in the South China Sea allowed Dinah to drift, first then to the northeast then back to the west-southwest. Generally favorable conditions allowed Dinah to reach typhoon strength on the 19th, but a developing tropical storm to its northeast caused it to weaken. The building of the subtropical ridge forced Dinah to the southwest, where it hit southern Vietnam on the 23rd as a tropical depression. The remnants turned northward, crossed the Gulf of Tonkin, and dissipated over China on the 27th. Dinah brought heavy rain and flooding to Luzon, causing 15 deaths and moderate damage.

Tropical Depression Narsing

Tropical depression (JMA)
Tropical depression (SSHS)
Duration September 11 – September 13
Intensity 55 km/h (35 mph) (10-min),  Unknown

Severe Tropical Storm Emma

Severe tropical storm (JMA)
Tropical storm (SSHS)
Duration September 14 – September 20
Intensity 110 km/h (70 mph) (10-min),  965 mbar (hPa)

Severe Tropical Storm Freda (Pining)

Severe tropical storm (JMA)
Tropical storm (SSHS)
Duration September 23 – September 25
Intensity 100 km/h (65 mph) (10-min),  980 mbar (hPa)

Tropical Storm Freda struck Hong Kong killing one person.[2]

Typhoon Gilda

Category 1 typhoon (SSHS)
Duration October 3 – October 9
Intensity 130 km/h (80 mph) (1-min),  968 mbar (hPa)

Tropical Depression Rubing

Tropical depression (JMA)
Tropical depression (SSHS)
Duration October 14 – October 16
Intensity 55 km/h (35 mph) (10-min),  Unknown

Tropical Storm Harriet (Saling)

Tropical storm (SSHS)
Duration October 14 – October 20
Intensity 100 km/h (65 mph) (1-min),  984 mbar (hPa)

Typhoon Ivy

Category 2 typhoon (SSHS)
Duration October 21 – October 26
Intensity 165 km/h (105 mph) (1-min),  945 mbar (hPa)

Typhoon Jean

Category 1 typhoon (SSHS)
Duration October 28 – November 3
Intensity 120 km/h (75 mph) (1-min),  972 mbar (hPa)

Tropical Depression Tasing

Tropical depression (JMA)
Tropical depression (SSHS)
Duration November 3 – November 5
Intensity 55 km/h (35 mph) (10-min),  Unknown

Typhoon Kim (Unding)

Category 4 typhoon (SSHS)
Duration November 6 – November 17
Intensity 230 km/h (145 mph) (1-min),  916 mbar (hPa)

Typhoon Kim was a 135 mph typhoon that hit the northern Philippines on November 13. The typhoon's heavy rains caused flash flooding that left 55 people dead with widespread damage. A further 47 people died when an upper floors of a hotel caught fire during the storm.

Typhoon Lucy (Walding)

Category 4 typhoon (SSHS)
Duration November 26 – December 7
Intensity 215 km/h (130 mph) (1-min),  919 mbar (hPa)

Typhoon Mary (Yeyeng)

Category 2 typhoon (SSHS)
Duration December 20 – January 2
Intensity 175 km/h (110 mph) (1-min),  947 mbar (hPa)

1977 storm names

Western North Pacific tropical cyclones were named by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. The first storm of 1977 was named Patsy and the final one was named Mary.

  • Agnes
  • Bonnie
  • Carmen
  • Della
  • Elaine
  • Faye
  • Gloria
  • Hester
  • Irma
  • Judy
  • Kit
  • Lola
  • Mamie
  • Nina
  • Ora
  • Phyllis
  • Rita
  • Susan
  • Tess
  • Viola
  • Winnie
  • Alice
  • Betty
  • Cora
  • Doris
  • Elsie
  • Flossie
  • Grace
  • Helen
  • Ida
  • June
  • Kathy
  • Lorna
  • Marie
  • Nancy
  • Olga
  • Pamela
  • Ruby
  • Sally
  • Therese
  • Violet
  • Wilda
  • Anita
  • Billie
  • Clara
  • Dot
  • Ellen
  • Fran
  • Georgia
  • Hope
  • Iris
  • Joan
  • Kate
  • Louise
  • Marge
  • Nora
  • Opal
  • Patsy 1W
  • Ruth 3W
  • Sarah 5W
  • Thelma 6W
  • Vera 7W
  • Wanda 8W
  • Amy 9W
  • Babe 10W
  • Carla 11W
  • Dinah 12W
  • Emma 13W
  • Freda 14W
  • Gilda 15W
  • Harriet 16W
  • Ivy 17W
  • Jean 18W
  • Kim 19W
  • Lucy 20W
  • Mary 21W
  • Nadine
  • Olive
  • Polly
  • Rose
  • Shirley
  • Trix
  • Virginia
  • Wendy

See also

References

  1. ^ 1977 ATCR TABLE OF CONTENTS
  2. ^ Historical Information

External links

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