1997 Pacific typhoon season
Encyclopedia
The 1997 Pacific typhoon season has no official bounds; it ran year-round in 1997, but most tropical cyclones tend to form in the northwestern Pacific Ocean between May and November. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the northwestern Pacific Ocean. This was the most active tropical cyclone season ever recorded, with a record ten Category 5 storms forming and with an ACE of 594.11.
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 1997 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.
The season was unusual in the number of super typhoons that occurred in the basin, with eleven typhoons reaching winds of at least 135 knots. They were Isa, Nestor, Rosie, Winnie, Bing, Oliwa (from Central Pacific), Ginger, Ivan, Joan, Keith, and Paka (from Central Pacific). This was due to the strong El Niño of 1997-1998, which contributed to the record amounts of not only super typhoons but also tropical storms in the Western and Eastern Pacific. Fortunately, most of the stronger systems remained at sea.
, eleven tropical cyclones attained super typhoon status, ten of which became Category 5 Super Typhoons, marking the highest number of Category 5 storms in a single season on record.
ial trough
just west of the International Date Line
. It tracked steadily westward, and remained disorganized for about week. On January 18, deep convection increased as a low-level circulation began to form, and at 0000 UTC on January 19 it developed into Tropical Depression 01W while located to the southwest of Guam
. Based on satellite imagery estimates, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center
upgraded it to Tropical Storm Hannah six hours after first forming. The deep convection quickly organized into well-defined cyclonic bands, and early on January 20 Hannah attained its peak intensity of 60 mph near the island of Yap
. Increased southeasterly wind shear
weakened the storm, leaving its dwindling convection situated along the northern portion of the circulation. Interaction with a large and powerful extratropical cyclone
left the storm moving erratically, and on January 22 Hannah weakened to tropical depression status. Its motion turned to a steady southwestward motion, and on January 27 Hannah dissipated a short distance east of the Philippine
island of Mindanao
.
Near the end of its duration, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
began issuing warnings on Hannah when was a tropical depression; the institution named the storm Tropical Depression Atring. Hannah was not considered a tropical storm by the Japan Meteorological Agency
. There were no reports of significant damage or injuries.
near the Caroline Islands
on April 12. It moved erratically at first, though after attaining tropical storm status it curved westward due to the subtropical ridge
to its north. Isa very gradually intensified, and on April 20 the typhoon reached peak 1-min winds of 270 km/h (165 mph), as reported by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center; Japan Meteorological Agency reported maximum 10-min winds of 155 km/h (100 mph). After turning northward, it accelerated to the northeast, and merged with a larger extratropical cyclone
on April 24.
Early in its duration, Isa caused light rainfall and moderate winds on Pohnpei
. Later, a stationary rainband from the typhoon dropped heavy precipitation on Guam
during its dry season. Damage in the Guam National Weather Service
area of responsibility totaled $1 million (1997 USD, $1.3 million 2006 USD), the majority of it from crop damage. No deaths were reported.
ial westerly wind system developed an area of convection on April 18, the same system that previously developed Typhoon Isa. It drifted west-northwestward, and on April 21 separated from the westerly wind system. At 0400 UTC on April 22, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center
(JTWC) issued a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert
on the system, and two hours later the JTWC issued the first warning on Tropical Storm Jimmy about 1360 km (845 mi) southeast of Guam
. Coinciding with its first warning, the Japan Meteorological Agency
(JMA) classified it as a tropical depression.
Jimmy continued northwestward through a break in the subtropical ridge
caused by Isa, and it steadily intensified as it tracked through an area of light vertical wind shear
. It recurved to the northeast, and shortly after reaching its westernmost point Jimmy attained its peak intensity of 55 mph on April 24. Conversely, JMA assessed Jimmy as remaining a minimal tropical storm throughout its duration. After maintaining peak winds for about 18 hours, to increased southwesterly winds aloft quickly weakened the storm, and late on April 25 JTWC issued its final advisory on Jimmy after its low-level circulation center became completely exposed from the deep convection. On April 26, Jimmy was absorbed by an approaching frontal trough
over the open Pacific Ocean. The storm had little effects on land.
ial trough developed an area of convection on May 4. The low strengthened as it became more organized over the next two days. Late on May 6, the JTWC issued a TCFA
and the system was declared Tropical Depression 04W shortly after. The depression slowly intensified and was upgraded to a Tropical Storm early on May 8 and was named Kelly. Kelly was able to intensify slightly before strong vertical wind shear displaced the center, weakening Kelly. Kelly was downgraded to a Tropical Depression on May 10 and the remnant circulation dissipated the next day.
in late May. The depression continued northeastward, becoming a tropical storm, and transitioning to an extratropical storm on May 30. In the Philippines, Levi killed 53 people and displaced 210,000 others.
From May 26–29, Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
tracked the storm, and named it Bining.
tracked the storm, and named it Kuring.
In preparation for Opal, Japanese airlines cancelled 107 domestic flights and port officials halted all ferry traffic. Throughout Japan, 6,750 schools were closed due to the typhoon. One person drowned after being knocked off his boat by rough seas while trying to secure it at port. Heavy rains flooded streets throughout the region. The storm triggered 14 landslides, flooded 50 homes and cut power to 800 residences. In all, three people were killed in Japan by Typhoon Opal.
tracked the storm, and named it Daling.
Ahead of the storm, international and domestic flights were cancelled throughout Japan and ferry service was suspended. Heavy rains produced by the storm triggered landslides throughout Japan, resulting in three fatalities. A landslide caused a train derailment that left 28 people injured after covering the tracks. One of the fatalities from the storm was that of a United States soldier stationed in Iwakuni. The JMA estimated that upwards of 14 in (355.6 mm) of rain fell due to Typhoon Peter.
. 10W was upgraded to Tropical Storm Rosie and became a Category 5 Super Typhoon on July 22. Rosie moved northward and began to weaken. Rosie made a landfall as a Category 1 typhoon at Shikoku, Japan on July 26. In Japan, five people were killed and 1,200 were displaced by the storm.
From July 22–26, Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
tracked the storm, and named it Elang.
. The circulation built toward the surface, and by July 20 the system developed a low-level circulation with scattered associated convection. Based on its organization, the Japan Meteorological Agency
(JMA) classified the system as a weak tropical depression early on July 20 while located about 820 km (510 mi) northeast of Farallon de Pajaros
, the northernmost island in the Northern Mariana Islands
. Early development was impeded by the outflow from Typhoon Rosie; after drifting northwestward for 2 days the system turned to the northeast, and by July 24 the influence from Rosie greatly diminished. Accordingly, the organization of the depression quickly increased, and on July 24 the Joint Typhoon Warning Center
(JTWC) classified it as Tropical Depression 11W.
A building anticyclone
to its northwest forced the depression southeastward. It became steadily less organized, and on July 26 JTWC issued a final warning on the system, believing it to be dissipating. Shortly thereafter, however, the system began re-organizing, and on July 27 the system developed into Tropical Storm Scott. The storm tracked northwestward, then westward, and finally turned to the northeast. Scott gradually strengthened to attain peak winds of 105 km/h (65 mph) on July 29. JMA had upgraded the depression to tropical storm status on July 28, and assessed its peak intensity at 75 km/h (45 mph). Scott maintained its peak intensity for about 12 hours before slowly weakening as it accelerated northeastward. On August 2, the storm merged with an approaching frontal trough
, and the following day JMA considered Scott dissipated while located near the Alaskan island of Gareloi
. Tropical Storm Scott never affected land. The storm was the only tropical cyclone during the season to not form from the monsoon trough
.
tracked the storm, and named it Huling.
tracked the storm, and named it Goring. In China, Victor killed 65 people and caused $241 million in damages.
. It headed northwestward, slowly strengthening to a tropical storm on the 9th. Intensification became more rapid as conditions became more favorable, and Winnie reached typhoon strength on the 10th. 2 days later, it became the 4th Super Typhoon of the season with peak winds of 160 mph. Soon after, the eye became ragged and large, with an outer eyewall reaching 200 miles in diameter. On the 18th, a minimal Typhoon Winnie passed north of Taiwan
and hit eastern China, where it winded down until dissipating on the 19th. The remnant continued northeastward, bringing heavy rain and damage across China until the 23rd. In all, Winnie killed 212 people, displaced over 1 million, and caused $4.1 billion in damages.
and Typhoon Zita and developed at a faster than normal pace. By August 26, Tropical Storm Cass formed to the west-southwest, which accelerated Amber's forward motion to the northwest due to a fujiwara interaction. It underwent eyewall replacement cycles
from August 25 through August 27, and tracked across Taiwan
/Taipei with maximum sustained winds of 95 knots, then through the Formosa Strait into China as a minimal typhoon. Damages from Typhoon Amber amounted to $52 million.
Throughout much of its duration, Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
tracked the storm, and named it Miling.
and produced torrential rains. Following previous heavy rains earlier in the month, a maximum of 6.17 in (156.7 mm) at Andersen Air Force Base
on Guam
and 5.19 in (131.8 mm) on Tiyan. A landslide in Santa Rita
caused significant structural damage. By September 1, Bing bypassed the Bonin Islands. Sustained winds reached 55 km/h (34.2 mph) and gusts peaked at 75 km/h (46.6 mph). The extratropical remnants of Bing brought heavy rain to the Aleutian Islands between September 6 and 7. Winds also gusted in excess of 95 km/h (60 mph) in some areas.
, and continued to slowly strengthen to become a typhoon on September 8. Oliwa rapidly strengthened on September 9 to reach a peak of 160 mph winds; the sixth Super Typhoon of the year. Oliwa slowly weakened as it moved westward, and hit Japan on September 15 and September 16. It turned to the northeast, and dissipated on September 17. In Japan, severe flooding from the typhoon killed 17 people and displaced 30,000 others.
.
al trough
developed in the South China Sea
. Deep convection developed near the periphery of the low level circulation before rapidly consolidating near the center on September 20. At this time, the JTWC classified the system as Tropical Depression 22W while situated near the coast of Vietnam
. Due to the proximity to land, the system struggled to develop until it turned sharply to the east on September 22.
In Vietnam, Fritz killed 28 people and caused $5.1 million in damages.
near the International Date Line
on September 21. The following day, deep convection
consolidated around a low-level circulation center
and banding features
formed around the system. At 0530 UTC, the JTWC issued a tropical cyclone formation alert for the system. Later that day, the system was designated as Tropical Depression 24W. Tracking in a more northerly direction, the depression intensified into a tropical storm the next day, at which time it was given the name Ginger. Continued strengthening occurred at a climatological rate until it was upgraded to a typhoon on September 25. Upon becoming a typhoon, Ginger underwent a period of explosive development
.
During this period, the storm intensified into a Category 5 super typhoon, with winds reaching 265 km/h (165 mph) by 0000 UTC on September 27. At this time, Ginger featured a small, well-defined eye surrounded by a smooth central dense overcast and large convective feeder bands. The general cloudless environment surrounding the system allowed outflow
to cover a large area. Shortly after peaking, the storm began to recurve towards the northeast and weaken. Gradually accelerating, the storm began to undergo an extratropical transition. The JTWC issued their final advisory on the typhoon at 0600 UTC on September 30. Several hours later, the extratropical system weakened below typhoon intensity. The remnants of Ginger persisted for two more days as it rapidly tracked towards the Western United States
. By October 2, the storm impacted the region and dissipated shortly thereafter.
The remnants of Typhoon Ginger brought strong winds and heavy rain to the Western United States. Winds along the Oregon
coastline gusted up to 69 mph (111 km/h). The highest rainfall total was recorded in Felida, Washington
at 1.3 in (33 mm). Power was also briefly cut to 450 people by the high winds.
on September 29. While passing near Guam
, the disturbance was designated a tropical depression. Shortly after, the depression became disorganized as wind shear
displaced the convection
associated with the storm. Over the next 24 hours, the depression stalled in response to weak steering currents before a subtropical ridge developed to the north and caused the system to move quickly to the west. The low became separated from almost all of its convection on October 6 before being absorbed into a frontal system
the next day.
Although Ivan was a powerful storm at landfall, its effects were relatively minor compared to the storm's intensity; however, 14 people were killed during the storm and two others were listed as missing. Agricultural industries sustained the most severe damage, as thousands of animals drowned in the storm. Throughout the Philippines, damage amounted to $9.6 million (1997 USD; $13.1 million 2009 USD). A total of 1,779 homes were destroyed, 13,771 others were damaged and 4,600 hectares of farmland were flooded by the storm.
. The most severe damage occurred on Anatahan
where 37 homes were destroyed. Three people were injured during preparations for the storm when a wind gust blew a sheet of plywood into residents. Damages from the storm amounted to $200,000, mainly on Anatahan.
s to attain super typhoon intensity in the western North Pacific during 1997, Keith formed at low latitudes in the Marshall Islands
. It was one of ten TCs which formed east of 160°E
and south of 20°N
— within the "El Niño". Keith was a recurving TC which passed between the Islands of Rota and Tinian (only 50 nmi (92.6 km) apart) on the west-bound leg of its recurving track. NEXRAD imagery from Guam
indicated the eye wall cloud of Keith never touched land as it threaded the narrow channel between these two islands. As such, the Mariana Islands
were spared the full force of Keith. Keith's compact wind and cloud structure were revealed by Guam's NEXRAD Equatorial westerly winds bounded by twin near-equatorial troughs preceded the formation of Keith and a Southern Hemisphere
twin.
on November 3. It restrengthened in the Bay of Bengal, but vertical shear caused Linda to dissipate on the 9th.
On the 2nd of November, Linda hit the southern tip of Vietnam
, the Ca Mau province
, causing unprecedented havoc with 1,292 people being killed in Vietnam, most of which drowned at sea. Nearly 80,000 houses are reported as destroyed and almost 140,000 as badly damaged. Infrastructure (roads, schools and hospitals) also suffered heavily and huge swathes of rice paddy were swamped. The hardest hit provinces were Kien Giang, Ca Mau, Bac Lieu, Soc Trang, Tra Vinh, Ben Tre and Vung Tau. It was the worst typhoon to strike the area in 100 years. Damages from the storm amounted to VND 7 trillion (US$409 million).
Elsewhere in Thailand and the Philippines , Linda caused further deaths from flooding and heavy damage.
tracked the storm, and named it Pining.
The remnants of Tropical Storm Mort brought locally heavy rainfall to areas of northern Luzon
, resulting in minor flooding.
, and on December 18, Paka reached a peak of 185 mph winds. After causing major damage across the smaller Western Pacific island groups, Paka rapidly weakened and dissipated on December 22.
Typhoon Paka first impacted the Marshall Islands
, where it dropped heavy rainfall and left $80 million in damage (1997 USD, $109 million 2009 USD). Later, it passed just north of Guam
, where strong winds destroyed about 1,500 buildings and damaged 10,000 more; 5,000 people were left homeless, and the island experienced a complete power outage following the typhoon. Damage on the island totaled $500 million (1997 USD, $680 million 2009 USD), which warranted the retirement of its name. Paka also caused light damage in the Northern Mariana Islands
, and overall the typhoon caused no reported fatalities.
The table on the right shows the Accumulated Cyclone Energy
for each storm in the season. The ACE is, broadly speaking, a measure of the power of the typhoon multiplied by the length of time it existed for, so typhoons that lasted a long time (like Typhoon Paka
) have higher ACEs. The total ACE for the 1997 season was 594.11, which is the highest ACE for any tropical cyclone season in recorded history. This was because 11 of the 33 storms in the season reached super typhoon status. ACE for Linda, Paka, and Oliwa only include ACE during the time they were in the Western Pacific Basin.
. The first storm of 1997 was named Hannah and the final one was named Mort.
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The 1997 Pacific typhoon season has no official bounds; it ran year-round in 1997, but most tropical cyclones tend to form in the northwestern Pacific Ocean between May and November. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the northwestern Pacific Ocean. This was the most active tropical cyclone season ever recorded, with a record ten Category 5 storms forming and with an ACE of 594.11.
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 1997 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.
The season was unusual in the number of super typhoons that occurred in the basin, with eleven typhoons reaching winds of at least 135 knots. They were Isa, Nestor, Rosie, Winnie, Bing, Oliwa (from Central Pacific), Ginger, Ivan, Joan, Keith, and Paka (from Central Pacific). This was due to the strong El Niño of 1997-1998, which contributed to the record amounts of not only super typhoons but also tropical storms in the Western and Eastern Pacific. Fortunately, most of the stronger systems remained at sea.
, eleven tropical cyclones attained super typhoon status, ten of which became Category 5 Super Typhoons, marking the highest number of Category 5 storms in a single season on record.
ial trough
just west of the International Date Line
. It tracked steadily westward, and remained disorganized for about week. On January 18, deep convection increased as a low-level circulation began to form, and at 0000 UTC on January 19 it developed into Tropical Depression 01W while located to the southwest of Guam
. Based on satellite imagery estimates, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center
upgraded it to Tropical Storm Hannah six hours after first forming. The deep convection quickly organized into well-defined cyclonic bands, and early on January 20 Hannah attained its peak intensity of 60 mph near the island of Yap
. Increased southeasterly wind shear
weakened the storm, leaving its dwindling convection situated along the northern portion of the circulation. Interaction with a large and powerful extratropical cyclone
left the storm moving erratically, and on January 22 Hannah weakened to tropical depression status. Its motion turned to a steady southwestward motion, and on January 27 Hannah dissipated a short distance east of the Philippine
island of Mindanao
.
Near the end of its duration, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
began issuing warnings on Hannah when was a tropical depression; the institution named the storm Tropical Depression Atring. Hannah was not considered a tropical storm by the Japan Meteorological Agency
. There were no reports of significant damage or injuries.
near the Caroline Islands
on April 12. It moved erratically at first, though after attaining tropical storm status it curved westward due to the subtropical ridge
to its north. Isa very gradually intensified, and on April 20 the typhoon reached peak 1-min winds of 270 km/h (165 mph), as reported by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center; Japan Meteorological Agency reported maximum 10-min winds of 155 km/h (100 mph). After turning northward, it accelerated to the northeast, and merged with a larger extratropical cyclone
on April 24.
Early in its duration, Isa caused light rainfall and moderate winds on Pohnpei
. Later, a stationary rainband from the typhoon dropped heavy precipitation on Guam
during its dry season. Damage in the Guam National Weather Service
area of responsibility totaled $1 million (1997 USD, $1.3 million 2006 USD), the majority of it from crop damage. No deaths were reported.
ial westerly wind system developed an area of convection on April 18, the same system that previously developed Typhoon Isa. It drifted west-northwestward, and on April 21 separated from the westerly wind system. At 0400 UTC on April 22, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center
(JTWC) issued a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert
on the system, and two hours later the JTWC issued the first warning on Tropical Storm Jimmy about 1360 km (845 mi) southeast of Guam
. Coinciding with its first warning, the Japan Meteorological Agency
(JMA) classified it as a tropical depression.
Jimmy continued northwestward through a break in the subtropical ridge
caused by Isa, and it steadily intensified as it tracked through an area of light vertical wind shear
. It recurved to the northeast, and shortly after reaching its westernmost point Jimmy attained its peak intensity of 55 mph on April 24. Conversely, JMA assessed Jimmy as remaining a minimal tropical storm throughout its duration. After maintaining peak winds for about 18 hours, to increased southwesterly winds aloft quickly weakened the storm, and late on April 25 JTWC issued its final advisory on Jimmy after its low-level circulation center became completely exposed from the deep convection. On April 26, Jimmy was absorbed by an approaching frontal trough
over the open Pacific Ocean. The storm had little effects on land.
ial trough developed an area of convection on May 4. The low strengthened as it became more organized over the next two days. Late on May 6, the JTWC issued a TCFA
and the system was declared Tropical Depression 04W shortly after. The depression slowly intensified and was upgraded to a Tropical Storm early on May 8 and was named Kelly. Kelly was able to intensify slightly before strong vertical wind shear displaced the center, weakening Kelly. Kelly was downgraded to a Tropical Depression on May 10 and the remnant circulation dissipated the next day.
in late May. The depression continued northeastward, becoming a tropical storm, and transitioning to an extratropical storm on May 30. In the Philippines, Levi killed 53 people and displaced 210,000 others.
From May 26–29, Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
tracked the storm, and named it Bining.
tracked the storm, and named it Kuring.
In preparation for Opal, Japanese airlines cancelled 107 domestic flights and port officials halted all ferry traffic. Throughout Japan, 6,750 schools were closed due to the typhoon. One person drowned after being knocked off his boat by rough seas while trying to secure it at port. Heavy rains flooded streets throughout the region. The storm triggered 14 landslides, flooded 50 homes and cut power to 800 residences. In all, three people were killed in Japan by Typhoon Opal.
tracked the storm, and named it Daling.
Ahead of the storm, international and domestic flights were cancelled throughout Japan and ferry service was suspended. Heavy rains produced by the storm triggered landslides throughout Japan, resulting in three fatalities. A landslide caused a train derailment that left 28 people injured after covering the tracks. One of the fatalities from the storm was that of a United States soldier stationed in Iwakuni. The JMA estimated that upwards of 14 in (355.6 mm) of rain fell due to Typhoon Peter.
. 10W was upgraded to Tropical Storm Rosie and became a Category 5 Super Typhoon on July 22. Rosie moved northward and began to weaken. Rosie made a landfall as a Category 1 typhoon at Shikoku, Japan on July 26. In Japan, five people were killed and 1,200 were displaced by the storm.
From July 22–26, Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
tracked the storm, and named it Elang.
. The circulation built toward the surface, and by July 20 the system developed a low-level circulation with scattered associated convection. Based on its organization, the Japan Meteorological Agency
(JMA) classified the system as a weak tropical depression early on July 20 while located about 820 km (510 mi) northeast of Farallon de Pajaros
, the northernmost island in the Northern Mariana Islands
. Early development was impeded by the outflow from Typhoon Rosie; after drifting northwestward for 2 days the system turned to the northeast, and by July 24 the influence from Rosie greatly diminished. Accordingly, the organization of the depression quickly increased, and on July 24 the Joint Typhoon Warning Center
(JTWC) classified it as Tropical Depression 11W.
A building anticyclone
to its northwest forced the depression southeastward. It became steadily less organized, and on July 26 JTWC issued a final warning on the system, believing it to be dissipating. Shortly thereafter, however, the system began re-organizing, and on July 27 the system developed into Tropical Storm Scott. The storm tracked northwestward, then westward, and finally turned to the northeast. Scott gradually strengthened to attain peak winds of 105 km/h (65 mph) on July 29. JMA had upgraded the depression to tropical storm status on July 28, and assessed its peak intensity at 75 km/h (45 mph). Scott maintained its peak intensity for about 12 hours before slowly weakening as it accelerated northeastward. On August 2, the storm merged with an approaching frontal trough
, and the following day JMA considered Scott dissipated while located near the Alaskan island of Gareloi
. Tropical Storm Scott never affected land. The storm was the only tropical cyclone during the season to not form from the monsoon trough
.
tracked the storm, and named it Huling.
tracked the storm, and named it Goring. In China, Victor killed 65 people and caused $241 million in damages.
. It headed northwestward, slowly strengthening to a tropical storm on the 9th. Intensification became more rapid as conditions became more favorable, and Winnie reached typhoon strength on the 10th. 2 days later, it became the 4th Super Typhoon of the season with peak winds of 160 mph. Soon after, the eye became ragged and large, with an outer eyewall reaching 200 miles in diameter. On the 18th, a minimal Typhoon Winnie passed north of Taiwan
and hit eastern China, where it winded down until dissipating on the 19th. The remnant continued northeastward, bringing heavy rain and damage across China until the 23rd. In all, Winnie killed 212 people, displaced over 1 million, and caused $4.1 billion in damages.
and Typhoon Zita and developed at a faster than normal pace. By August 26, Tropical Storm Cass formed to the west-southwest, which accelerated Amber's forward motion to the northwest due to a fujiwara interaction. It underwent eyewall replacement cycles
from August 25 through August 27, and tracked across Taiwan
/Taipei with maximum sustained winds of 95 knots, then through the Formosa Strait into China as a minimal typhoon. Damages from Typhoon Amber amounted to $52 million.
Throughout much of its duration, Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
tracked the storm, and named it Miling.
and produced torrential rains. Following previous heavy rains earlier in the month, a maximum of 6.17 in (156.7 mm) at Andersen Air Force Base
on Guam
and 5.19 in (131.8 mm) on Tiyan. A landslide in Santa Rita
caused significant structural damage. By September 1, Bing bypassed the Bonin Islands. Sustained winds reached 55 km/h (34.2 mph) and gusts peaked at 75 km/h (46.6 mph). The extratropical remnants of Bing brought heavy rain to the Aleutian Islands between September 6 and 7. Winds also gusted in excess of 95 km/h (60 mph) in some areas.
, and continued to slowly strengthen to become a typhoon on September 8. Oliwa rapidly strengthened on September 9 to reach a peak of 160 mph winds; the sixth Super Typhoon of the year. Oliwa slowly weakened as it moved westward, and hit Japan on September 15 and September 16. It turned to the northeast, and dissipated on September 17. In Japan, severe flooding from the typhoon killed 17 people and displaced 30,000 others.
.
al trough
developed in the South China Sea
. Deep convection developed near the periphery of the low level circulation before rapidly consolidating near the center on September 20. At this time, the JTWC classified the system as Tropical Depression 22W while situated near the coast of Vietnam
. Due to the proximity to land, the system struggled to develop until it turned sharply to the east on September 22.
In Vietnam, Fritz killed 28 people and caused $5.1 million in damages.
near the International Date Line
on September 21. The following day, deep convection
consolidated around a low-level circulation center
and banding features
formed around the system. At 0530 UTC, the JTWC issued a tropical cyclone formation alert for the system. Later that day, the system was designated as Tropical Depression 24W. Tracking in a more northerly direction, the depression intensified into a tropical storm the next day, at which time it was given the name Ginger. Continued strengthening occurred at a climatological rate until it was upgraded to a typhoon on September 25. Upon becoming a typhoon, Ginger underwent a period of explosive development
.
During this period, the storm intensified into a Category 5 super typhoon, with winds reaching 265 km/h (165 mph) by 0000 UTC on September 27. At this time, Ginger featured a small, well-defined eye surrounded by a smooth central dense overcast and large convective feeder bands. The general cloudless environment surrounding the system allowed outflow
to cover a large area. Shortly after peaking, the storm began to recurve towards the northeast and weaken. Gradually accelerating, the storm began to undergo an extratropical transition. The JTWC issued their final advisory on the typhoon at 0600 UTC on September 30. Several hours later, the extratropical system weakened below typhoon intensity. The remnants of Ginger persisted for two more days as it rapidly tracked towards the Western United States
. By October 2, the storm impacted the region and dissipated shortly thereafter.
The remnants of Typhoon Ginger brought strong winds and heavy rain to the Western United States. Winds along the Oregon
coastline gusted up to 69 mph (111 km/h). The highest rainfall total was recorded in Felida, Washington
at 1.3 in (33 mm). Power was also briefly cut to 450 people by the high winds.
on September 29. While passing near Guam
, the disturbance was designated a tropical depression. Shortly after, the depression became disorganized as wind shear
displaced the convection
associated with the storm. Over the next 24 hours, the depression stalled in response to weak steering currents before a subtropical ridge developed to the north and caused the system to move quickly to the west. The low became separated from almost all of its convection on October 6 before being absorbed into a frontal system
the next day.
Although Ivan was a powerful storm at landfall, its effects were relatively minor compared to the storm's intensity; however, 14 people were killed during the storm and two others were listed as missing. Agricultural industries sustained the most severe damage, as thousands of animals drowned in the storm. Throughout the Philippines, damage amounted to $9.6 million (1997 USD; $13.1 million 2009 USD). A total of 1,779 homes were destroyed, 13,771 others were damaged and 4,600 hectares of farmland were flooded by the storm.
. The most severe damage occurred on Anatahan
where 37 homes were destroyed. Three people were injured during preparations for the storm when a wind gust blew a sheet of plywood into residents. Damages from the storm amounted to $200,000, mainly on Anatahan.
s to attain super typhoon intensity in the western North Pacific during 1997, Keith formed at low latitudes in the Marshall Islands
. It was one of ten TCs which formed east of 160°E
and south of 20°N
— within the "El Niño". Keith was a recurving TC which passed between the Islands of Rota and Tinian (only 50 nmi (92.6 km) apart) on the west-bound leg of its recurving track. NEXRAD imagery from Guam
indicated the eye wall cloud of Keith never touched land as it threaded the narrow channel between these two islands. As such, the Mariana Islands
were spared the full force of Keith. Keith's compact wind and cloud structure were revealed by Guam's NEXRAD Equatorial westerly winds bounded by twin near-equatorial troughs preceded the formation of Keith and a Southern Hemisphere
twin.
on November 3. It restrengthened in the Bay of Bengal, but vertical shear caused Linda to dissipate on the 9th.
On the 2nd of November, Linda hit the southern tip of Vietnam
, the Ca Mau province
, causing unprecedented havoc with 1,292 people being killed in Vietnam, most of which drowned at sea. Nearly 80,000 houses are reported as destroyed and almost 140,000 as badly damaged. Infrastructure (roads, schools and hospitals) also suffered heavily and huge swathes of rice paddy were swamped. The hardest hit provinces were Kien Giang, Ca Mau, Bac Lieu, Soc Trang, Tra Vinh, Ben Tre and Vung Tau. It was the worst typhoon to strike the area in 100 years. Damages from the storm amounted to VND 7 trillion (US$409 million).
Elsewhere in Thailand and the Philippines , Linda caused further deaths from flooding and heavy damage.
tracked the storm, and named it Pining.
The remnants of Tropical Storm Mort brought locally heavy rainfall to areas of northern Luzon
, resulting in minor flooding.
, and on December 18, Paka reached a peak of 185 mph winds. After causing major damage across the smaller Western Pacific island groups, Paka rapidly weakened and dissipated on December 22.
Typhoon Paka first impacted the Marshall Islands
, where it dropped heavy rainfall and left $80 million in damage (1997 USD, $109 million 2009 USD). Later, it passed just north of Guam
, where strong winds destroyed about 1,500 buildings and damaged 10,000 more; 5,000 people were left homeless, and the island experienced a complete power outage following the typhoon. Damage on the island totaled $500 million (1997 USD, $680 million 2009 USD), which warranted the retirement of its name. Paka also caused light damage in the Northern Mariana Islands
, and overall the typhoon caused no reported fatalities.
|-
!colspan=6|ACE (104 kt2)
|-
! 1
| 65.8375 || Paka
! 17
| 10.295 || Marie
|-
! 2
| 57.955 || Joan
! 18
| 9.9525 || Peter
|-
! 3
| 52.12 || Keith
! 19
| 5.12 || Mort
|-
! 4
| 43.44 || Isa
! 20
| 4.59 || Fritz
|-
! 5
| 42.68 || Oliwa
! 21
| 4.3925 || Scott
|-
! 6
| 42.225 || Ivan
! 22
| 4.135 || Zita
|-
! 7
| 40.5575 || Winnie
! 23
| 4.0875 || Linda
|-
! 8
| 31.0525 || Nestor
! 24
| 3.3575 || Levi
|-
! 9
| 26.1125 || Rosie
! 25
| 2.9675 || Jimmy
|-
! 10
| 24.9825 || Ginger
! 26
| 2.5975 || Victor
|-
! 11
| 24.8025 || Bing
! 27
| 2.435 || Hannah
|-
! 12
| 24.37 || Amber
! 28
| 1.1175 || Ella
|-
! 13
| 19.7325 || David
! 29
| 1.0925 || Kelly
|-
! 14
| 17.4575 || Tina
! 30
| 0.89 || Cass
|-
! 15
| 11.082 || Yule
! 31
| 0.565 || Hank
|-
! 16
| 11.06 || Opal
!
| ||
|-
!colspan=6|Total=594.11
|}
The table on the right shows the Accumulated Cyclone Energy
for each storm in the season. The ACE is, broadly speaking, a measure of the power of the typhoon multiplied by the length of time it existed for, so typhoons that lasted a long time (like Typhoon Paka
) have higher ACEs. The total ACE for the 1997 season was 594.11, which is the highest ACE for any tropical cyclone season in recorded history. This was because 11 of the 33 storms in the season reached super typhoon status. ACE for Linda, Paka, and Oliwa only include ACE during the time they were in the Western Pacific Basin.
. The first storm of 1997 was named Hannah and the final one was named Mort.
{|width="90%"
|
The 1997 Pacific typhoon season has no official bounds; it ran year-round in 1997, but most tropical cyclones tend to form in the northwestern Pacific Ocean between May and November. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the northwestern Pacific Ocean. This was the most active tropical cyclone season ever recorded, with a record ten Category 5 storms forming and with an ACE of 594.11.
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 1997 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.
The season was unusual in the number of super typhoons that occurred in the basin, with eleven typhoons reaching winds of at least 135 knots. They were Isa, Nestor, Rosie, Winnie, Bing, Oliwa (from Central Pacific), Ginger, Ivan, Joan, Keith, and Paka (from Central Pacific). This was due to the strong El Niño of 1997-1998, which contributed to the record amounts of not only super typhoons but also tropical storms in the Western and Eastern Pacific. Fortunately, most of the stronger systems remained at sea.
, eleven tropical cyclones attained super typhoon status, ten of which became Category 5 Super Typhoons, marking the highest number of Category 5 storms in a single season on record.
ial trough
just west of the International Date Line
. It tracked steadily westward, and remained disorganized for about week. On January 18, deep convection increased as a low-level circulation began to form, and at 0000 UTC on January 19 it developed into Tropical Depression 01W while located to the southwest of Guam
. Based on satellite imagery estimates, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center
upgraded it to Tropical Storm Hannah six hours after first forming. The deep convection quickly organized into well-defined cyclonic bands, and early on January 20 Hannah attained its peak intensity of 60 mph near the island of Yap
. Increased southeasterly wind shear
weakened the storm, leaving its dwindling convection situated along the northern portion of the circulation. Interaction with a large and powerful extratropical cyclone
left the storm moving erratically, and on January 22 Hannah weakened to tropical depression status. Its motion turned to a steady southwestward motion, and on January 27 Hannah dissipated a short distance east of the Philippine
island of Mindanao
.
Near the end of its duration, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
began issuing warnings on Hannah when was a tropical depression; the institution named the storm Tropical Depression Atring. Hannah was not considered a tropical storm by the Japan Meteorological Agency
. There were no reports of significant damage or injuries.
near the Caroline Islands
on April 12. It moved erratically at first, though after attaining tropical storm status it curved westward due to the subtropical ridge
to its north. Isa very gradually intensified, and on April 20 the typhoon reached peak 1-min winds of 270 km/h (165 mph), as reported by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center; Japan Meteorological Agency reported maximum 10-min winds of 155 km/h (100 mph). After turning northward, it accelerated to the northeast, and merged with a larger extratropical cyclone
on April 24.
Early in its duration, Isa caused light rainfall and moderate winds on Pohnpei
. Later, a stationary rainband from the typhoon dropped heavy precipitation on Guam
during its dry season. Damage in the Guam National Weather Service
area of responsibility totaled $1 million (1997 USD, $1.3 million 2006 USD), the majority of it from crop damage. No deaths were reported.
ial westerly wind system developed an area of convection on April 18, the same system that previously developed Typhoon Isa. It drifted west-northwestward, and on April 21 separated from the westerly wind system. At 0400 UTC on April 22, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center
(JTWC) issued a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert
on the system, and two hours later the JTWC issued the first warning on Tropical Storm Jimmy about 1360 km (845 mi) southeast of Guam
. Coinciding with its first warning, the Japan Meteorological Agency
(JMA) classified it as a tropical depression.
Jimmy continued northwestward through a break in the subtropical ridge
caused by Isa, and it steadily intensified as it tracked through an area of light vertical wind shear
. It recurved to the northeast, and shortly after reaching its westernmost point Jimmy attained its peak intensity of 55 mph on April 24. Conversely, JMA assessed Jimmy as remaining a minimal tropical storm throughout its duration. After maintaining peak winds for about 18 hours, to increased southwesterly winds aloft quickly weakened the storm, and late on April 25 JTWC issued its final advisory on Jimmy after its low-level circulation center became completely exposed from the deep convection. On April 26, Jimmy was absorbed by an approaching frontal trough
over the open Pacific Ocean. The storm had little effects on land.
ial trough developed an area of convection on May 4. The low strengthened as it became more organized over the next two days. Late on May 6, the JTWC issued a TCFA
and the system was declared Tropical Depression 04W shortly after. The depression slowly intensified and was upgraded to a Tropical Storm early on May 8 and was named Kelly. Kelly was able to intensify slightly before strong vertical wind shear displaced the center, weakening Kelly. Kelly was downgraded to a Tropical Depression on May 10 and the remnant circulation dissipated the next day.
in late May. The depression continued northeastward, becoming a tropical storm, and transitioning to an extratropical storm on May 30. In the Philippines, Levi killed 53 people and displaced 210,000 others.
From May 26–29, Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
tracked the storm, and named it Bining.
tracked the storm, and named it Kuring.
In preparation for Opal, Japanese airlines cancelled 107 domestic flights and port officials halted all ferry traffic. Throughout Japan, 6,750 schools were closed due to the typhoon. One person drowned after being knocked off his boat by rough seas while trying to secure it at port. Heavy rains flooded streets throughout the region. The storm triggered 14 landslides, flooded 50 homes and cut power to 800 residences. In all, three people were killed in Japan by Typhoon Opal.
tracked the storm, and named it Daling.
Ahead of the storm, international and domestic flights were cancelled throughout Japan and ferry service was suspended. Heavy rains produced by the storm triggered landslides throughout Japan, resulting in three fatalities. A landslide caused a train derailment that left 28 people injured after covering the tracks. One of the fatalities from the storm was that of a United States soldier stationed in Iwakuni. The JMA estimated that upwards of 14 in (355.6 mm) of rain fell due to Typhoon Peter.
. 10W was upgraded to Tropical Storm Rosie and became a Category 5 Super Typhoon on July 22. Rosie moved northward and began to weaken. Rosie made a landfall as a Category 1 typhoon at Shikoku, Japan on July 26. In Japan, five people were killed and 1,200 were displaced by the storm.
From July 22–26, Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
tracked the storm, and named it Elang.
. The circulation built toward the surface, and by July 20 the system developed a low-level circulation with scattered associated convection. Based on its organization, the Japan Meteorological Agency
(JMA) classified the system as a weak tropical depression early on July 20 while located about 820 km (510 mi) northeast of Farallon de Pajaros
, the northernmost island in the Northern Mariana Islands
. Early development was impeded by the outflow from Typhoon Rosie; after drifting northwestward for 2 days the system turned to the northeast, and by July 24 the influence from Rosie greatly diminished. Accordingly, the organization of the depression quickly increased, and on July 24 the Joint Typhoon Warning Center
(JTWC) classified it as Tropical Depression 11W.
A building anticyclone
to its northwest forced the depression southeastward. It became steadily less organized, and on July 26 JTWC issued a final warning on the system, believing it to be dissipating. Shortly thereafter, however, the system began re-organizing, and on July 27 the system developed into Tropical Storm Scott. The storm tracked northwestward, then westward, and finally turned to the northeast. Scott gradually strengthened to attain peak winds of 105 km/h (65 mph) on July 29. JMA had upgraded the depression to tropical storm status on July 28, and assessed its peak intensity at 75 km/h (45 mph). Scott maintained its peak intensity for about 12 hours before slowly weakening as it accelerated northeastward. On August 2, the storm merged with an approaching frontal trough
, and the following day JMA considered Scott dissipated while located near the Alaskan island of Gareloi
. Tropical Storm Scott never affected land. The storm was the only tropical cyclone during the season to not form from the monsoon trough
.
tracked the storm, and named it Huling.
tracked the storm, and named it Goring. In China, Victor killed 65 people and caused $241 million in damages.
. It headed northwestward, slowly strengthening to a tropical storm on the 9th. Intensification became more rapid as conditions became more favorable, and Winnie reached typhoon strength on the 10th. 2 days later, it became the 4th Super Typhoon of the season with peak winds of 160 mph. Soon after, the eye became ragged and large, with an outer eyewall reaching 200 miles in diameter. On the 18th, a minimal Typhoon Winnie passed north of Taiwan
and hit eastern China, where it winded down until dissipating on the 19th. The remnant continued northeastward, bringing heavy rain and damage across China until the 23rd. In all, Winnie killed 212 people, displaced over 1 million, and caused $4.1 billion in damages.
and Typhoon Zita and developed at a faster than normal pace. By August 26, Tropical Storm Cass formed to the west-southwest, which accelerated Amber's forward motion to the northwest due to a fujiwara interaction. It underwent eyewall replacement cycles
from August 25 through August 27, and tracked across Taiwan
/Taipei with maximum sustained winds of 95 knots, then through the Formosa Strait into China as a minimal typhoon. Damages from Typhoon Amber amounted to $52 million.
Throughout much of its duration, Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
tracked the storm, and named it Miling.
and produced torrential rains. Following previous heavy rains earlier in the month, a maximum of 6.17 in (156.7 mm) at Andersen Air Force Base
on Guam
and 5.19 in (131.8 mm) on Tiyan. A landslide in Santa Rita
caused significant structural damage. By September 1, Bing bypassed the Bonin Islands. Sustained winds reached 55 km/h (34.2 mph) and gusts peaked at 75 km/h (46.6 mph). The extratropical remnants of Bing brought heavy rain to the Aleutian Islands between September 6 and 7. Winds also gusted in excess of 95 km/h (60 mph) in some areas.
, and continued to slowly strengthen to become a typhoon on September 8. Oliwa rapidly strengthened on September 9 to reach a peak of 160 mph winds; the sixth Super Typhoon of the year. Oliwa slowly weakened as it moved westward, and hit Japan on September 15 and September 16. It turned to the northeast, and dissipated on September 17. In Japan, severe flooding from the typhoon killed 17 people and displaced 30,000 others.
.
al trough
developed in the South China Sea
. Deep convection developed near the periphery of the low level circulation before rapidly consolidating near the center on September 20. At this time, the JTWC classified the system as Tropical Depression 22W while situated near the coast of Vietnam
. Due to the proximity to land, the system struggled to develop until it turned sharply to the east on September 22.
In Vietnam, Fritz killed 28 people and caused $5.1 million in damages.
near the International Date Line
on September 21. The following day, deep convection
consolidated around a low-level circulation center
and banding features
formed around the system. At 0530 UTC, the JTWC issued a tropical cyclone formation alert for the system. Later that day, the system was designated as Tropical Depression 24W. Tracking in a more northerly direction, the depression intensified into a tropical storm the next day, at which time it was given the name Ginger. Continued strengthening occurred at a climatological rate until it was upgraded to a typhoon on September 25. Upon becoming a typhoon, Ginger underwent a period of explosive development
.
During this period, the storm intensified into a Category 5 super typhoon, with winds reaching 265 km/h (165 mph) by 0000 UTC on September 27. At this time, Ginger featured a small, well-defined eye surrounded by a smooth central dense overcast and large convective feeder bands. The general cloudless environment surrounding the system allowed outflow
to cover a large area. Shortly after peaking, the storm began to recurve towards the northeast and weaken. Gradually accelerating, the storm began to undergo an extratropical transition. The JTWC issued their final advisory on the typhoon at 0600 UTC on September 30. Several hours later, the extratropical system weakened below typhoon intensity. The remnants of Ginger persisted for two more days as it rapidly tracked towards the Western United States
. By October 2, the storm impacted the region and dissipated shortly thereafter.
The remnants of Typhoon Ginger brought strong winds and heavy rain to the Western United States. Winds along the Oregon
coastline gusted up to 69 mph (111 km/h). The highest rainfall total was recorded in Felida, Washington
at 1.3 in (33 mm). Power was also briefly cut to 450 people by the high winds.
on September 29. While passing near Guam
, the disturbance was designated a tropical depression. Shortly after, the depression became disorganized as wind shear
displaced the convection
associated with the storm. Over the next 24 hours, the depression stalled in response to weak steering currents before a subtropical ridge developed to the north and caused the system to move quickly to the west. The low became separated from almost all of its convection on October 6 before being absorbed into a frontal system
the next day.
Although Ivan was a powerful storm at landfall, its effects were relatively minor compared to the storm's intensity; however, 14 people were killed during the storm and two others were listed as missing. Agricultural industries sustained the most severe damage, as thousands of animals drowned in the storm. Throughout the Philippines, damage amounted to $9.6 million (1997 USD; $13.1 million 2009 USD). A total of 1,779 homes were destroyed, 13,771 others were damaged and 4,600 hectares of farmland were flooded by the storm.
. The most severe damage occurred on Anatahan
where 37 homes were destroyed. Three people were injured during preparations for the storm when a wind gust blew a sheet of plywood into residents. Damages from the storm amounted to $200,000, mainly on Anatahan.
s to attain super typhoon intensity in the western North Pacific during 1997, Keith formed at low latitudes in the Marshall Islands
. It was one of ten TCs which formed east of 160°E
and south of 20°N
— within the "El Niño". Keith was a recurving TC which passed between the Islands of Rota and Tinian (only 50 nmi (92.6 km) apart) on the west-bound leg of its recurving track. NEXRAD imagery from Guam
indicated the eye wall cloud of Keith never touched land as it threaded the narrow channel between these two islands. As such, the Mariana Islands
were spared the full force of Keith. Keith's compact wind and cloud structure were revealed by Guam's NEXRAD Equatorial westerly winds bounded by twin near-equatorial troughs preceded the formation of Keith and a Southern Hemisphere
twin.
on November 3. It restrengthened in the Bay of Bengal, but vertical shear caused Linda to dissipate on the 9th.
On the 2nd of November, Linda hit the southern tip of Vietnam
, the Ca Mau province
, causing unprecedented havoc with 1,292 people being killed in Vietnam, most of which drowned at sea. Nearly 80,000 houses are reported as destroyed and almost 140,000 as badly damaged. Infrastructure (roads, schools and hospitals) also suffered heavily and huge swathes of rice paddy were swamped. The hardest hit provinces were Kien Giang, Ca Mau, Bac Lieu, Soc Trang, Tra Vinh, Ben Tre and Vung Tau. It was the worst typhoon to strike the area in 100 years. Damages from the storm amounted to VND 7 trillion (US$409 million).
Elsewhere in Thailand and the Philippines , Linda caused further deaths from flooding and heavy damage.
tracked the storm, and named it Pining.
The remnants of Tropical Storm Mort brought locally heavy rainfall to areas of northern Luzon
, resulting in minor flooding.
, and on December 18, Paka reached a peak of 185 mph winds. After causing major damage across the smaller Western Pacific island groups, Paka rapidly weakened and dissipated on December 22.
Typhoon Paka first impacted the Marshall Islands
, where it dropped heavy rainfall and left $80 million in damage (1997 USD, $109 million 2009 USD). Later, it passed just north of Guam
, where strong winds destroyed about 1,500 buildings and damaged 10,000 more; 5,000 people were left homeless, and the island experienced a complete power outage following the typhoon. Damage on the island totaled $500 million (1997 USD, $680 million 2009 USD), which warranted the retirement of its name. Paka also caused light damage in the Northern Mariana Islands
, and overall the typhoon caused no reported fatalities.
|-
!colspan=6|ACE (104 kt2)
|-
! 1
| 65.8375 || Paka
! 17
| 10.295 || Marie
|-
! 2
| 57.955 || Joan
! 18
| 9.9525 || Peter
|-
! 3
| 52.12 || Keith
! 19
| 5.12 || Mort
|-
! 4
| 43.44 || Isa
! 20
| 4.59 || Fritz
|-
! 5
| 42.68 || Oliwa
! 21
| 4.3925 || Scott
|-
! 6
| 42.225 || Ivan
! 22
| 4.135 || Zita
|-
! 7
| 40.5575 || Winnie
! 23
| 4.0875 || Linda
|-
! 8
| 31.0525 || Nestor
! 24
| 3.3575 || Levi
|-
! 9
| 26.1125 || Rosie
! 25
| 2.9675 || Jimmy
|-
! 10
| 24.9825 || Ginger
! 26
| 2.5975 || Victor
|-
! 11
| 24.8025 || Bing
! 27
| 2.435 || Hannah
|-
! 12
| 24.37 || Amber
! 28
| 1.1175 || Ella
|-
! 13
| 19.7325 || David
! 29
| 1.0925 || Kelly
|-
! 14
| 17.4575 || Tina
! 30
| 0.89 || Cass
|-
! 15
| 11.082 || Yule
! 31
| 0.565 || Hank
|-
! 16
| 11.06 || Opal
!
| ||
|-
!colspan=6|Total=594.11
|}
The table on the right shows the Accumulated Cyclone Energy
for each storm in the season. The ACE is, broadly speaking, a measure of the power of the typhoon multiplied by the length of time it existed for, so typhoons that lasted a long time (like Typhoon Paka
) have higher ACEs. The total ACE for the 1997 season was 594.11, which is the highest ACE for any tropical cyclone season in recorded history. This was because 11 of the 33 storms in the season reached super typhoon status. ACE for Linda, Paka, and Oliwa only include ACE during the time they were in the Western Pacific Basin.
. The first storm of 1997 was named Hannah and the final one was named Mort.
{|width="90%"
|
The scope of this article is limited to the Pacific Ocean, north of the equator and west of the International Date Line
International Date Line
The International Date Line is a generally north-south imaginary line on the surface of the Earth, passing through the middle of the Pacific Ocean, that designates the place where each calendar day begins...
. Storms that form east of the Date Line and north of the equator are called hurricanes; see 1997 Pacific hurricane season
1997 Pacific hurricane season
The 1997 Pacific hurricane season was a very active hurricane season. With hundreds of deaths and billions of dollars in damage, this season was the costliest and one of the deadliest Pacific hurricane seasons. This was due to a strong El Niño...
. Tropical Storms formed in the entire west Pacific basin were assigned a name by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center
Joint Typhoon Warning Center
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center is a joint United States Navy – United States Air Force task force located at the Naval Maritime Forecast Center in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii...
. 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
Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration is a Philippine national institution dedicated to provide flood and typhoon warnings, public weather forecasts and advisories, meteorological, astronomical, climatological, and other specialized information and...
or PAGASA. This can often result in the same storm having two names.
Seasonal summary
The season was unusual in the number of super typhoons that occurred in the basin, with eleven typhoons reaching winds of at least 135 knots. They were Isa, Nestor, Rosie, Winnie, Bing, Oliwa (from Central Pacific), Ginger, Ivan, Joan, Keith, and Paka (from Central Pacific). This was due to the strong El Niño of 1997-1998, which contributed to the record amounts of not only super typhoons but also tropical storms in the Western and Eastern Pacific. Fortunately, most of the stronger systems remained at sea.
Records
When Severe Tropical Storm Peter made landfall in southern Japan on June 27, it marked the first time that two tropical cyclones made landfall in mainland Japan during the month of June since reliable records began in 1951. According to the Joint Typhoon Warning CenterJoint Typhoon Warning Center
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center is a joint United States Navy – United States Air Force task force located at the Naval Maritime Forecast Center in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii...
, eleven tropical cyclones attained super typhoon status, ten of which became Category 5 Super Typhoons, marking the highest number of Category 5 storms in a single season on record.
Tropical Depression Hannah (Atring)
In early January, an area of convection developed along a near-equatorEquator
An equator is the intersection of a sphere's surface with the plane perpendicular to the sphere's axis of rotation and containing the sphere's center of mass....
ial trough
Trough (meteorology)
A trough is an elongated region of relatively low atmospheric pressure, often associated with fronts.Unlike fronts, there is not a universal symbol for a trough on a weather chart. The weather charts in some countries or regions mark troughs by a line. In the United States, a trough may be marked...
just west of the International Date Line
International Date Line
The International Date Line is a generally north-south imaginary line on the surface of the Earth, passing through the middle of the Pacific Ocean, that designates the place where each calendar day begins...
. It tracked steadily westward, and remained disorganized for about week. On January 18, deep convection increased as a low-level circulation began to form, and at 0000 UTC on January 19 it developed into Tropical Depression 01W while located to the southwest of Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
. Based on satellite imagery estimates, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center
Joint Typhoon Warning Center
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center is a joint United States Navy – United States Air Force task force located at the Naval Maritime Forecast Center in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii...
upgraded it to Tropical Storm Hannah six hours after first forming. The deep convection quickly organized into well-defined cyclonic bands, and early on January 20 Hannah attained its peak intensity of 60 mph near the island of Yap
Yap
Yap, also known as Wa'ab by locals, is an island in the Caroline Islands of the western Pacific Ocean. It is a state of the Federated States of Micronesia. Yap's indigenous cultures and traditions are still strong compared to other neighboring islands. The island of Yap actually consists of four...
. Increased southeasterly wind shear
Wind shear
Wind shear, sometimes referred to as windshear or wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere...
weakened the storm, leaving its dwindling convection situated along the northern portion of the circulation. Interaction with a large and powerful extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are a group of cyclones defined as synoptic scale low pressure weather systems that occur in the middle latitudes of the Earth having neither tropical nor polar characteristics, and are connected with fronts and...
left the storm moving erratically, and on January 22 Hannah weakened to tropical depression status. Its motion turned to a steady southwestward motion, and on January 27 Hannah dissipated a short distance east of the Philippine
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
island of Mindanao
Mindanao
Mindanao is the second largest and easternmost island in the Philippines. It is also the name of one of the three island groups in the country, which consists of the island of Mindanao and smaller surrounding islands. The other two are Luzon and the Visayas. The island of Mindanao is called The...
.
Near the end of its duration, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration is a Philippine national institution dedicated to provide flood and typhoon warnings, public weather forecasts and advisories, meteorological, astronomical, climatological, and other specialized information and...
began issuing warnings on Hannah when was a tropical depression; the institution named the storm Tropical Depression Atring. Hannah was not considered a tropical storm by the Japan Meteorological Agency
Japan Meteorological Agency
The or JMA, is the Japanese government's weather service. Charged with gathering and reporting weather data and forecasts in Japan, it is a semi-autonomous part of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport...
. There were no reports of significant damage or injuries.
Typhoon Isa
Isa developed from a disturbance in the monsoon troughMonsoon trough
The monsoon trough is that portion of the Intertropical Convergence Zone which extends into or through a monsoon circulation, as depicted by a line on a weather map showing the locations of minimum sea level pressure, and as such, is a convergence zone between the wind patterns of the southern and...
near the Caroline Islands
Caroline Islands
The Caroline Islands are a widely scattered archipelago of tiny islands in the western Pacific Ocean, to the north of New Guinea. Politically they are divided between the Federated States of Micronesia in the eastern part of the group, and Palau at the extreme western end...
on April 12. It moved erratically at first, though after attaining tropical storm status it curved westward due to the subtropical ridge
Subtropical ridge
The subtropical ridge is a significant belt of high pressure situated around the latitudes of 30°N in the Northern Hemisphere and 30°S in the Southern Hemisphere. It is characterized by mostly calm winds, which acts to reduce air quality under its axis by causing fog overnight, and haze during...
to its north. Isa very gradually intensified, and on April 20 the typhoon reached peak 1-min winds of 270 km/h (165 mph), as reported by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center; Japan Meteorological Agency reported maximum 10-min winds of 155 km/h (100 mph). After turning northward, it accelerated to the northeast, and merged with a larger extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are a group of cyclones defined as synoptic scale low pressure weather systems that occur in the middle latitudes of the Earth having neither tropical nor polar characteristics, and are connected with fronts and...
on April 24.
Early in its duration, Isa caused light rainfall and moderate winds on Pohnpei
Pohnpei
Not to be confused with Pompeii, the ancient city destroyed by Vesuvius in AD 79.Pohnpei "upon a stone altar " is the name of one of the four states in the Federated States of Micronesia , situated among the Senyavin Islands which are part of the larger Caroline Islands group...
. Later, a stationary rainband from the typhoon dropped heavy precipitation on Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
during its dry season. Damage in the Guam National Weather Service
National Weather Service
The National Weather Service , once known as the Weather Bureau, is one of the six scientific agencies that make up the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States government...
area of responsibility totaled $1 million (1997 USD, $1.3 million 2006 USD), the majority of it from crop damage. No deaths were reported.
Tropical Storm Jimmy
A low-level equatorEquator
An equator is the intersection of a sphere's surface with the plane perpendicular to the sphere's axis of rotation and containing the sphere's center of mass....
ial westerly wind system developed an area of convection on April 18, the same system that previously developed Typhoon Isa. It drifted west-northwestward, and on April 21 separated from the westerly wind system. At 0400 UTC on April 22, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center
Joint Typhoon Warning Center
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center is a joint United States Navy – United States Air Force task force located at the Naval Maritime Forecast Center in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii...
(JTWC) issued a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert
Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert
A Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert is a bulletin released by the U.S. Navy-operated Joint Typhoon Warning Center in Honolulu, Hawaii or the Naval Maritime Forecast Center in Norfolk, Virginia, warning of the possibility of a tropical cyclone forming from a tropical disturbance that has been...
on the system, and two hours later the JTWC issued the first warning on Tropical Storm Jimmy about 1360 km (845 mi) southeast of Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
. Coinciding with its first warning, the Japan Meteorological Agency
Japan Meteorological Agency
The or JMA, is the Japanese government's weather service. Charged with gathering and reporting weather data and forecasts in Japan, it is a semi-autonomous part of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport...
(JMA) classified it as a tropical depression.
Jimmy continued northwestward through a break in the subtropical ridge
Ridge (meteorology)
A ridge is an elongated region of relatively high atmospheric pressure, the opposite of a trough....
caused by Isa, and it steadily intensified as it tracked through an area of light vertical wind shear
Wind shear
Wind shear, sometimes referred to as windshear or wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere...
. It recurved to the northeast, and shortly after reaching its westernmost point Jimmy attained its peak intensity of 55 mph on April 24. Conversely, JMA assessed Jimmy as remaining a minimal tropical storm throughout its duration. After maintaining peak winds for about 18 hours, to increased southwesterly winds aloft quickly weakened the storm, and late on April 25 JTWC issued its final advisory on Jimmy after its low-level circulation center became completely exposed from the deep convection. On April 26, Jimmy was absorbed by an approaching frontal trough
Surface weather analysis
Surface weather analysis is a special type of weather map that provides a view of weather elements over a geographical area at a specified time based on information from ground-based weather stations...
over the open Pacific Ocean. The storm had little effects on land.
Tropical Storm Kelly
A low-level equatorEquator
An equator is the intersection of a sphere's surface with the plane perpendicular to the sphere's axis of rotation and containing the sphere's center of mass....
ial trough developed an area of convection on May 4. The low strengthened as it became more organized over the next two days. Late on May 6, the JTWC issued a TCFA
Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert
A Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert is a bulletin released by the U.S. Navy-operated Joint Typhoon Warning Center in Honolulu, Hawaii or the Naval Maritime Forecast Center in Norfolk, Virginia, warning of the possibility of a tropical cyclone forming from a tropical disturbance that has been...
and the system was declared Tropical Depression 04W shortly after. The depression slowly intensified and was upgraded to a Tropical Storm early on May 8 and was named Kelly. Kelly was able to intensify slightly before strong vertical wind shear displaced the center, weakening Kelly. Kelly was downgraded to a Tropical Depression on May 10 and the remnant circulation dissipated the next day.
Tropical Storm Levi (Bining)
Tropical Depression 5W drifted eastward through the PhilippinesPhilippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
in late May. The depression continued northeastward, becoming a tropical storm, and transitioning to an extratropical storm on May 30. In the Philippines, Levi killed 53 people and displaced 210,000 others.
From May 26–29, Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration is a Philippine national institution dedicated to provide flood and typhoon warnings, public weather forecasts and advisories, meteorological, astronomical, climatological, and other specialized information and...
tracked the storm, and named it Bining.
Typhoon Opal (Kuring)
From June 15–18, Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services AdministrationPhilippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration is a Philippine national institution dedicated to provide flood and typhoon warnings, public weather forecasts and advisories, meteorological, astronomical, climatological, and other specialized information and...
tracked the storm, and named it Kuring.
In preparation for Opal, Japanese airlines cancelled 107 domestic flights and port officials halted all ferry traffic. Throughout Japan, 6,750 schools were closed due to the typhoon. One person drowned after being knocked off his boat by rough seas while trying to secure it at port. Heavy rains flooded streets throughout the region. The storm triggered 14 landslides, flooded 50 homes and cut power to 800 residences. In all, three people were killed in Japan by Typhoon Opal.
Typhoon Peter (Daling)
From June 22–26, PAGASAPhilippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration is a Philippine national institution dedicated to provide flood and typhoon warnings, public weather forecasts and advisories, meteorological, astronomical, climatological, and other specialized information and...
tracked the storm, and named it Daling.
Ahead of the storm, international and domestic flights were cancelled throughout Japan and ferry service was suspended. Heavy rains produced by the storm triggered landslides throughout Japan, resulting in three fatalities. A landslide caused a train derailment that left 28 people injured after covering the tracks. One of the fatalities from the storm was that of a United States soldier stationed in Iwakuni. The JMA estimated that upwards of 14 in (355.6 mm) of rain fell due to Typhoon Peter.
Typhoon Rosie (Elang)
On July 18, Tropical Depression 10W formed near Caroline IslandsCaroline Islands
The Caroline Islands are a widely scattered archipelago of tiny islands in the western Pacific Ocean, to the north of New Guinea. Politically they are divided between the Federated States of Micronesia in the eastern part of the group, and Palau at the extreme western end...
. 10W was upgraded to Tropical Storm Rosie and became a Category 5 Super Typhoon on July 22. Rosie moved northward and began to weaken. Rosie made a landfall as a Category 1 typhoon at Shikoku, Japan on July 26. In Japan, five people were killed and 1,200 were displaced by the storm.
From July 22–26, Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration is a Philippine national institution dedicated to provide flood and typhoon warnings, public weather forecasts and advisories, meteorological, astronomical, climatological, and other specialized information and...
tracked the storm, and named it Elang.
Tropical Storm Scott
In the middle of July, a mid-level circulation formed within the Tropical Upper Tropospheric TroughTropical Upper Tropospheric Trough
A tropical upper tropospheric trough , also known as the mid-oceanic trough, is a trough situated in upper-level tropics. Its formation is usually caused by the intrusion of energy and wind from the mid-latitudes into the tropics. It can also develop from the inverted trough adjacent to an upper...
. The circulation built toward the surface, and by July 20 the system developed a low-level circulation with scattered associated convection. Based on its organization, the Japan Meteorological Agency
Japan Meteorological Agency
The or JMA, is the Japanese government's weather service. Charged with gathering and reporting weather data and forecasts in Japan, it is a semi-autonomous part of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport...
(JMA) classified the system as a weak tropical depression early on July 20 while located about 820 km (510 mi) northeast of Farallon de Pajaros
Farallon de Pajaros
Farallón de Pájaros , also known as Urracas , is an uninhabited volcanic island, the northernmost island in the Northern Mariana Islands chain....
, the northernmost island in the Northern Mariana Islands
Northern Mariana Islands
The Northern Mariana Islands, officially the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , is a commonwealth in political union with the United States, occupying a strategic region of the western Pacific Ocean. It consists of 15 islands about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to the Philippines...
. Early development was impeded by the outflow from Typhoon Rosie; after drifting northwestward for 2 days the system turned to the northeast, and by July 24 the influence from Rosie greatly diminished. Accordingly, the organization of the depression quickly increased, and on July 24 the Joint Typhoon Warning Center
Joint Typhoon Warning Center
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center is a joint United States Navy – United States Air Force task force located at the Naval Maritime Forecast Center in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii...
(JTWC) classified it as Tropical Depression 11W.
A building anticyclone
Anticyclone
An anticyclone is a weather phenomenon defined by the United States' National Weather Service's glossary as "[a] large-scale circulation of winds around a central region of high atmospheric pressure, clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere, counterclockwise in the Southern Hemisphere"...
to its northwest forced the depression southeastward. It became steadily less organized, and on July 26 JTWC issued a final warning on the system, believing it to be dissipating. Shortly thereafter, however, the system began re-organizing, and on July 27 the system developed into Tropical Storm Scott. The storm tracked northwestward, then westward, and finally turned to the northeast. Scott gradually strengthened to attain peak winds of 105 km/h (65 mph) on July 29. JMA had upgraded the depression to tropical storm status on July 28, and assessed its peak intensity at 75 km/h (45 mph). Scott maintained its peak intensity for about 12 hours before slowly weakening as it accelerated northeastward. On August 2, the storm merged with an approaching frontal trough
Surface weather analysis
Surface weather analysis is a special type of weather map that provides a view of weather elements over a geographical area at a specified time based on information from ground-based weather stations...
, and the following day JMA considered Scott dissipated while located near the Alaskan island of Gareloi
Gareloi Island
Gareloi is a volcanic island in the Delarof Islands of the Aleutian Islands of Alaska. It is located between the Tanaga Pass and the Amchitka Pass....
. Tropical Storm Scott never affected land. The storm was the only tropical cyclone during the season to not form from the monsoon trough
Monsoon trough
The monsoon trough is that portion of the Intertropical Convergence Zone which extends into or through a monsoon circulation, as depicted by a line on a weather map showing the locations of minimum sea level pressure, and as such, is a convergence zone between the wind patterns of the southern and...
.
Typhoon Tina (Huling)
From July 31-August 6, Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services AdministrationPhilippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration is a Philippine national institution dedicated to provide flood and typhoon warnings, public weather forecasts and advisories, meteorological, astronomical, climatological, and other specialized information and...
tracked the storm, and named it Huling.
Severe Tropical Storm Victor (Goring)
From July 30–31, Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services AdministrationPhilippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration is a Philippine national institution dedicated to provide flood and typhoon warnings, public weather forecasts and advisories, meteorological, astronomical, climatological, and other specialized information and...
tracked the storm, and named it Goring. In China, Victor killed 65 people and caused $241 million in damages.
Typhoon Winnie (Ibiang)
On August 5, a tropical depression formed near the Marshall IslandsMarshall Islands
The Republic of the Marshall Islands , , is a Micronesian nation of atolls and islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, just west of the International Date Line and just north of the Equator. As of July 2011 the population was 67,182...
. It headed northwestward, slowly strengthening to a tropical storm on the 9th. Intensification became more rapid as conditions became more favorable, and Winnie reached typhoon strength on the 10th. 2 days later, it became the 4th Super Typhoon of the season with peak winds of 160 mph. Soon after, the eye became ragged and large, with an outer eyewall reaching 200 miles in diameter. On the 18th, a minimal Typhoon Winnie passed north of Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
and hit eastern China, where it winded down until dissipating on the 19th. The remnant continued northeastward, bringing heavy rain and damage across China until the 23rd. In all, Winnie killed 212 people, displaced over 1 million, and caused $4.1 billion in damages.
Severe Tropical Storm Yule
Typhoon Yule merged with Tropical Depression 16W early in its life. It briefly held typhoon strengthTropical Depression 16W
Tropical Depression 16W developed out of a weak tropical disturbance on August 13. The disturbance was relatively close to another disturbance which would eventually become Typhoon Yule. By August 17, the disturbance had developed sufficient convection to be declared a tropical depression. However, upon being classified a depression, it was already beginning to be influenced by the nearby Yule. 16W eventually was overcome by Yule and a merger of the two systems took place on August 19, leading to the dissipation of the depression.Severe Tropical Storm Zita (Luming)
Originating from a tropical disturbance over the South China Sea on August 19, Zita tracked westward as it quickly strengthened within a region of light wind shear, attaining winds of 140 km/h (85 mph) as it made landfall along the Leizhou Peninsula early on August 22. Maintaining this intensity, the storm made a second landfall in northern Vietnam later that day before rapidly weakening over land. The remnants of Zita were last noted over extreme northwestern Vietnam on August 24. Early in its existence, the storm was monitored by PAGASA and was designated with the local name Luming. Throughout Zita's path, seven people were killed and $438 million was wrought in damage, nearly all of which took place in China.Typhoon Amber (Miling)
Typhoon Amber was the eighteenth tropical cyclone of the season. The tropical depression initially tracked slowly west-northwest between the subtropical ridgeSubtropical ridge
The subtropical ridge is a significant belt of high pressure situated around the latitudes of 30°N in the Northern Hemisphere and 30°S in the Southern Hemisphere. It is characterized by mostly calm winds, which acts to reduce air quality under its axis by causing fog overnight, and haze during...
and Typhoon Zita and developed at a faster than normal pace. By August 26, Tropical Storm Cass formed to the west-southwest, which accelerated Amber's forward motion to the northwest due to a fujiwara interaction. It underwent eyewall replacement cycles
Eyewall replacement cycle
Eyewall replacement cycles, also called concentric eyewall cycles, naturally occur in intense tropical cyclones, generally with winds greater than 185 km/h , or major hurricanes...
from August 25 through August 27, and tracked across Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
/Taipei with maximum sustained winds of 95 knots, then through the Formosa Strait into China as a minimal typhoon. Damages from Typhoon Amber amounted to $52 million.
Throughout much of its duration, Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration is a Philippine national institution dedicated to provide flood and typhoon warnings, public weather forecasts and advisories, meteorological, astronomical, climatological, and other specialized information and...
tracked the storm, and named it Miling.
Typhoon Bing
As a tropical storm, Bing tracked through the Mariana IslandsMariana Islands
The Mariana Islands are an arc-shaped archipelago made up by the summits of 15 volcanic mountains in the north-western Pacific Ocean between the 12th and 21st parallels north and along the 145th meridian east...
and produced torrential rains. Following previous heavy rains earlier in the month, a maximum of 6.17 in (156.7 mm) at Andersen Air Force Base
Andersen Air Force Base
Andersen Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately northeast of Yigo in the United States territory of Guam....
on Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
and 5.19 in (131.8 mm) on Tiyan. A landslide in Santa Rita
Santa Rita, Guam
Santa Rita is a village located on the southwest coast of the United States territory of Guam with hills overlooking Apra Harbor. According to the 2000 census it has a population of 7,500, down from 11,857 in 1990....
caused significant structural damage. By September 1, Bing bypassed the Bonin Islands. Sustained winds reached 55 km/h (34.2 mph) and gusts peaked at 75 km/h (46.6 mph). The extratropical remnants of Bing brought heavy rain to the Aleutian Islands between September 6 and 7. Winds also gusted in excess of 95 km/h (60 mph) in some areas.
Typhoon Oliwa
On August 28, the monsoon formed into Tropical Depression 2C in the Central Pacific. It headed slowly westward, becoming a tropical storm on September 3. It crossed the International Date LineInternational Date Line
The International Date Line is a generally north-south imaginary line on the surface of the Earth, passing through the middle of the Pacific Ocean, that designates the place where each calendar day begins...
, and continued to slowly strengthen to become a typhoon on September 8. Oliwa rapidly strengthened on September 9 to reach a peak of 160 mph winds; the sixth Super Typhoon of the year. Oliwa slowly weakened as it moved westward, and hit Japan on September 15 and September 16. It turned to the northeast, and dissipated on September 17. In Japan, severe flooding from the typhoon killed 17 people and displaced 30,000 others.
Typhoon David
Large swells produced by Typhoon David resulted in beach erosion in HawaiiHawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
.
Severe Tropical Storm Fritz
During mid-September, a monsoonMonsoon
Monsoon is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea...
al trough
Trough (meteorology)
A trough is an elongated region of relatively low atmospheric pressure, often associated with fronts.Unlike fronts, there is not a universal symbol for a trough on a weather chart. The weather charts in some countries or regions mark troughs by a line. In the United States, a trough may be marked...
developed in the South China Sea
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around...
. Deep convection developed near the periphery of the low level circulation before rapidly consolidating near the center on September 20. At this time, the JTWC classified the system as Tropical Depression 22W while situated near the coast of Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
. Due to the proximity to land, the system struggled to develop until it turned sharply to the east on September 22.
In Vietnam, Fritz killed 28 people and caused $5.1 million in damages.
Typhoon Ginger
Typhoon Ginger originated from a low-latitude tropical disturbanceTropical wave
Tropical waves, easterly waves, or tropical easterly waves, also known as African easterly waves in the Atlantic region, are a type of atmospheric trough, an elongated area of relatively low air pressure, oriented north to south, which move from east to west across the tropics causing areas of...
near the International Date Line
International Date Line
The International Date Line is a generally north-south imaginary line on the surface of the Earth, passing through the middle of the Pacific Ocean, that designates the place where each calendar day begins...
on September 21. The following day, deep convection
Atmospheric convection
Atmospheric convection is the result of a parcel-environment instability, or temperature difference, layer in the atmosphere. Different lapse rates within dry and moist air lead to instability. Mixing of air during the day which expands the height of the planetary boundary layer leads to...
consolidated around a low-level circulation center
Low pressure area
A low-pressure area, or "low", is a region where the atmospheric pressure at sea level is below that of surrounding locations. Low-pressure systems form under areas of wind divergence which occur in upper levels of the troposphere. The formation process of a low-pressure area is known as...
and banding features
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 imagery, this precipitation elongation is referred to as...
formed around the system. At 0530 UTC, the JTWC issued a tropical cyclone formation alert for the system. Later that day, the system was designated as Tropical Depression 24W. Tracking in a more northerly direction, the depression intensified into a tropical storm the next day, at which time it was given the name Ginger. Continued strengthening occurred at a climatological rate until it was upgraded to a typhoon on September 25. Upon becoming a typhoon, Ginger underwent a period of explosive development
Rapid deepening
Rapid deepening, also known as rapid intensification, is a meteorological condition that occurs when the minimum sea-level atmospheric pressure of a tropical cyclone decreases drastically in a short period of time. The National Weather Service describes rapid deepening as a decrease of...
.
During this period, the storm intensified into a Category 5 super typhoon, with winds reaching 265 km/h (165 mph) by 0000 UTC on September 27. At this time, Ginger featured a small, well-defined eye surrounded by a smooth central dense overcast and large convective feeder bands. The general cloudless environment surrounding the system allowed outflow
Outflow (meteorology)
Outflow, in meteorology, is air that flows outwards from a storm system. It is associated with ridging, or anticyclonic flow. In the low levels of the troposphere, outflow radiates from thunderstorms in the form of a wedge of rain-cooled air, which is visible as a thin rope-like cloud on weather...
to cover a large area. Shortly after peaking, the storm began to recurve towards the northeast and weaken. Gradually accelerating, the storm began to undergo an extratropical transition. The JTWC issued their final advisory on the typhoon at 0600 UTC on September 30. Several hours later, the extratropical system weakened below typhoon intensity. The remnants of Ginger persisted for two more days as it rapidly tracked towards the Western United States
Western United States
.The Western United States, commonly referred to as the American West or simply "the West," traditionally refers to the region comprising the westernmost states of the United States. Because the U.S. expanded westward after its founding, the meaning of the West has evolved over time...
. By October 2, the storm impacted the region and dissipated shortly thereafter.
The remnants of Typhoon Ginger brought strong winds and heavy rain to the Western United States. Winds along the Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
coastline gusted up to 69 mph (111 km/h). The highest rainfall total was recorded in Felida, Washington
Felida, Washington
Felida is a census-designated place in Clark County, Washington, United States. The population was 5,683 at the 2000 census.Based on per capita income, one of the more reliable measures of affluence, Felida ranks 51st of 522 areas in the state of Washington to be ranked.-Geography:Felida is...
at 1.3 in (33 mm). Power was also briefly cut to 450 people by the high winds.
Tropical Depression 26W
Tropical Depression 26W developed out of an area of disturbed weather located near the Mariana IslandsMariana Islands
The Mariana Islands are an arc-shaped archipelago made up by the summits of 15 volcanic mountains in the north-western Pacific Ocean between the 12th and 21st parallels north and along the 145th meridian east...
on September 29. While passing near Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
, the disturbance was designated a tropical depression. Shortly after, the depression became disorganized as wind shear
Wind shear
Wind shear, sometimes referred to as windshear or wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere...
displaced the convection
Atmospheric convection
Atmospheric convection is the result of a parcel-environment instability, or temperature difference, layer in the atmosphere. Different lapse rates within dry and moist air lead to instability. Mixing of air during the day which expands the height of the planetary boundary layer leads to...
associated with the storm. Over the next 24 hours, the depression stalled in response to weak steering currents before a subtropical ridge developed to the north and caused the system to move quickly to the west. The low became separated from almost all of its convection on October 6 before being absorbed into a frontal system
Weather front
A weather front is a boundary separating two masses of air of different densities, and is the principal cause of meteorological phenomena. In surface weather analyses, fronts are depicted using various colored lines and symbols, depending on the type of front...
the next day.
Tropical Storm Hank
Tropical Storm Hank originated out of an area of low pressure over the South China Sea in late September. Minimal convection was associated with the system and only light winds were recorded. Over the following days, the system gradually organized and by October 3, the JTWC issued a TCFA for the system. However, in post-storm analysis, it was found that Hank was already a tropical storm by this time. By the time the TCFA was issued, Hank reached its peak intensity with winds of 75 km/h (45 mph) before succumbing to strong wind shear. Late on October 3, Hank weakened to a tropical depression and was initially thought to have made landfall; however, satellite analysis showed that the center did not cross land until October 5, shortly before dissipating. There were no reports of damage in relation to the storm.Typhoon Ivan (Narsing)
Forming out of an area of disturbed weather on October 13, Ivan gradually intensified into a typhoon as it tracked steadily to the west-northwest. On October 15, the storm underwent rapid intensification and reached an intensity corresponding to Category 5 status on the Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale. Late on October 17, Ivan reached its peak strength with winds of 295 km/h (185 mph) and a barometric pressure of 905 hPa (mbar). Shortly thereafter, the typhoon began to weaken as it approached the Philippines. Ivan eventually made landfall in northern Luzon with winds of 220 km/h (140 mph) on October 20 before weakening to a tropical storm the next day. The storm then curved northeastward and became extratropical on October 25, dissipating the following day. During its existence, Ivan was monitored by PAGASA and designated with the local name Narsing.Although Ivan was a powerful storm at landfall, its effects were relatively minor compared to the storm's intensity; however, 14 people were killed during the storm and two others were listed as missing. Agricultural industries sustained the most severe damage, as thousands of animals drowned in the storm. Throughout the Philippines, damage amounted to $9.6 million (1997 USD; $13.1 million 2009 USD). A total of 1,779 homes were destroyed, 13,771 others were damaged and 4,600 hectares of farmland were flooded by the storm.
Typhoon Joan
Typhoon Joan caused significant damage throughout the Marshall IslandsMarshall Islands
The Republic of the Marshall Islands , , is a Micronesian nation of atolls and islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, just west of the International Date Line and just north of the Equator. As of July 2011 the population was 67,182...
. The most severe damage occurred on Anatahan
Anatahan
Anatahan is one of the most active volcanoes of the Northern Mariana Islands. The island of Anatahan is 9 kilometers long and has a land area of . Formerly inhabited, it now has no population because of the always-present danger of volcanic eruptions...
where 37 homes were destroyed. Three people were injured during preparations for the storm when a wind gust blew a sheet of plywood into residents. Damages from the storm amounted to $200,000, mainly on Anatahan.
Typhoon Keith
The tenth of eleven tropical cycloneTropical cyclone
A tropical cyclone is a storm system characterized by a large low-pressure center and numerous thunderstorms that produce strong winds and heavy rain. Tropical cyclones strengthen when water evaporated from the ocean is released as the saturated air rises, resulting in condensation of water vapor...
s to attain super typhoon intensity in the western North Pacific during 1997, Keith formed at low latitudes in the Marshall Islands
Marshall Islands
The Republic of the Marshall Islands , , is a Micronesian nation of atolls and islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, just west of the International Date Line and just north of the Equator. As of July 2011 the population was 67,182...
. It was one of ten TCs which formed east of 160°E
160th meridian east
The meridian 160° east of Greenwich is a line of longitude that extends from the North Pole across the Arctic Ocean, Asia, the Pacific Ocean, the Southern Ocean, and Antarctica to the South Pole....
and south of 20°N
20th parallel north
The 20th parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 20 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane. It crosses Africa, Asia, the Indian Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, North America, the Caribbean and the Atlantic Ocean....
— within the "El Niño". Keith was a recurving TC which passed between the Islands of Rota and Tinian (only 50 nmi (92.6 km) apart) on the west-bound leg of its recurving track. NEXRAD imagery from Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
indicated the eye wall cloud of Keith never touched land as it threaded the narrow channel between these two islands. As such, the Mariana Islands
Mariana Islands
The Mariana Islands are an arc-shaped archipelago made up by the summits of 15 volcanic mountains in the north-western Pacific Ocean between the 12th and 21st parallels north and along the 145th meridian east...
were spared the full force of Keith. Keith's compact wind and cloud structure were revealed by Guam's NEXRAD Equatorial westerly winds bounded by twin near-equatorial troughs preceded the formation of Keith and a Southern Hemisphere
Southern Hemisphere
The Southern Hemisphere is the part of Earth that lies south of the equator. The word hemisphere literally means 'half ball' or "half sphere"...
twin.
Severe Tropical Storm Linda (Openg)
Typhoon Linda, after moving through the Philippines and the South China Sea, hit the Malay PeninsulaMalay Peninsula
The Malay Peninsula or Thai-Malay Peninsula is a peninsula in Southeast Asia. The land mass runs approximately north-south and, at its terminus, is the southern-most point of the Asian mainland...
on November 3. It restrengthened in the Bay of Bengal, but vertical shear caused Linda to dissipate on the 9th.
On the 2nd of November, Linda hit the southern tip of Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
, the Ca Mau province
Ca Mau Province
Cà Mau is a province of Vietnam, named after its capital city. It is located in the Mekong Delta of southern Vietnam, and is the southernmost of Vietnam's 58 provinces...
, causing unprecedented havoc with 1,292 people being killed in Vietnam, most of which drowned at sea. Nearly 80,000 houses are reported as destroyed and almost 140,000 as badly damaged. Infrastructure (roads, schools and hospitals) also suffered heavily and huge swathes of rice paddy were swamped. The hardest hit provinces were Kien Giang, Ca Mau, Bac Lieu, Soc Trang, Tra Vinh, Ben Tre and Vung Tau. It was the worst typhoon to strike the area in 100 years. Damages from the storm amounted to VND 7 trillion (US$409 million).
Elsewhere in Thailand and the Philippines , Linda caused further deaths from flooding and heavy damage.
Tropical Storm Mort (Pining)
From November 12–16, Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services AdministrationPhilippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration is a Philippine national institution dedicated to provide flood and typhoon warnings, public weather forecasts and advisories, meteorological, astronomical, climatological, and other specialized information and...
tracked the storm, and named it Pining.
The remnants of Tropical Storm Mort brought locally heavy rainfall to areas of northern Luzon
Luzon
Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...
, resulting in minor flooding.
Super Typhoon Paka (Rubing)
The final super typhoon of the year developed in the Central Pacific on November 28. It moved westward, strengthening into a tropical storm before crossing the International Date Line on December 7. Conditions were marginally favorable for development, and Paka remained a tropical storm until December 10, when it was able to become a typhoon. Five days later, Paka reached Super Typhoon strength, the eleventh of the year. The next day it crossed over GuamGuam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
, and on December 18, Paka reached a peak of 185 mph winds. After causing major damage across the smaller Western Pacific island groups, Paka rapidly weakened and dissipated on December 22.
Typhoon Paka first impacted the Marshall Islands
Marshall Islands
The Republic of the Marshall Islands , , is a Micronesian nation of atolls and islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, just west of the International Date Line and just north of the Equator. As of July 2011 the population was 67,182...
, where it dropped heavy rainfall and left $80 million in damage (1997 USD, $109 million 2009 USD). Later, it passed just north of Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
, where strong winds destroyed about 1,500 buildings and damaged 10,000 more; 5,000 people were left homeless, and the island experienced a complete power outage following the typhoon. Damage on the island totaled $500 million (1997 USD, $680 million 2009 USD), which warranted the retirement of its name. Paka also caused light damage in the Northern Mariana Islands
Northern Mariana Islands
The Northern Mariana Islands, officially the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , is a commonwealth in political union with the United States, occupying a strategic region of the western Pacific Ocean. It consists of 15 islands about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to the Philippines...
, and overall the typhoon caused no reported fatalities.
Accumulated Cyclone Energy (ACE) Ranking
| ACE (104 kt2) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 65.8375 | Paka Typhoon Paka Typhoon Paka was the last tropical cyclone in the 1997 Pacific Ocean hurricane and typhoon season, and was among the strongest Pacific typhoons in the month of December. Paka, which is the Hawaiian name for Pat, developed on November 28 from a trough well to the southwest of Hawaii... |
17 | 10.295 | Marie |
| 2 | 57.955 | Joan | 18 | 9.9525 | Peter |
| 3 | 52.12 | Keith Typhoon Keith (1997) Typhoon Keith was the tenth of a record eleven super typhoons to develop during the unusually intense 1997 Pacific typhoon season. Originating from a near-equatorial trough on October 26, the precursor depression to Keith slowly organized into a tropical storm... |
19 | 5.12 | Mort |
| 4 | 43.44 | Isa | 20 | 4.59 | Fritz |
| 5 | 42.68 | Oliwa Typhoon Oliwa (1997) Typhoon Oliwa was one of a record eleven super typhoons in the 1997 Pacific typhoon season. It formed in the central Pacific Ocean on September 2 to the southwest of Hawaii, but it became a typhoon in the western Pacific. Oliwa explosively deepened on September 8, increasing its winds... |
21 | 4.3925 | Scott |
| 6 | 42.225 | Ivan Typhoon Ivan (1997) Typhoon Ivan was an intense tropical cyclone that existed simultaneously with another storm of the same intensity. Forming out of an area of disturbed weather on October 13, Ivan gradually intensified into a typhoon as it tracked steadily to the west-northwest... |
22 | 4.135 | Zita Tropical Storm Zita (1997) Severe Tropical Storm Zita was a short-lived tropical cyclone that killed seven people throughout southern China. Originating from a tropical disturbance over the South China Sea on August 19, Zita tracked westward as it quickly strengthened within a region of light wind shear, attaining winds... |
| 7 | 40.5575 | Winnie | 23 | 4.0875 | Linda |
| 8 | 31.0525 | Nestor | 24 | 3.3575 | Levi |
| 9 | 26.1125 | Rosie | 25 | 2.9675 | Jimmy |
| 10 | 24.9825 | Ginger | 26 | 2.5975 | Victor |
| 11 | 24.8025 | Bing | 27 | 2.435 | Hannah |
| 12 | 24.37 | Amber | 28 | 1.1175 | Ella |
| 13 | 19.7325 | David | 29 | 1.0925 | Kelly |
| 14 | 17.4575 | Tina | 30 | 0.89 | Cass |
| 15 | 11.082 | Yule | 31 | 0.565 | Hank |
| 16 | 11.06 | Opal | |||
| Total=594.11 | |||||
The table on the right shows the Accumulated Cyclone Energy
Accumulated cyclone energy
Accumulated cyclone energy is a measure used by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to express the activity of individual tropical cyclones and entire tropical cyclone seasons, particularly the North Atlantic hurricane season. It uses an approximation of the energy used by a...
for each storm in the season. The ACE is, broadly speaking, a measure of the power of the typhoon multiplied by the length of time it existed for, so typhoons that lasted a long time (like Typhoon Paka
Typhoon Paka
Typhoon Paka was the last tropical cyclone in the 1997 Pacific Ocean hurricane and typhoon season, and was among the strongest Pacific typhoons in the month of December. Paka, which is the Hawaiian name for Pat, developed on November 28 from a trough well to the southwest of Hawaii...
) have higher ACEs. The total ACE for the 1997 season was 594.11, which is the highest ACE for any tropical cyclone season in recorded history. This was because 11 of the 33 storms in the season reached super typhoon status. ACE for Linda, Paka, and Oliwa only include ACE during the time they were in the Western Pacific Basin.
1997 storm names
Western North Pacific tropical cyclones were named by the Joint Typhoon Warning CenterJoint Typhoon Warning Center
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center is a joint United States Navy – United States Air Force task force located at the Naval Maritime Forecast Center in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii...
. The first storm of 1997 was named Hannah and the final one was named Mort.
{|width="90%"
|
The 1997 Pacific typhoon season has no official bounds; it ran year-round in 1997, but most tropical cyclones tend to form in the northwestern Pacific Ocean between May and November. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the northwestern Pacific Ocean. This was the most active tropical cyclone season ever recorded, with a record ten Category 5 storms forming and with an ACE of 594.11.
The scope of this article is limited to the Pacific Ocean, north of the equator and west of the International Date Line
International Date Line
The International Date Line is a generally north-south imaginary line on the surface of the Earth, passing through the middle of the Pacific Ocean, that designates the place where each calendar day begins...
. Storms that form east of the Date Line and north of the equator are called hurricanes; see 1997 Pacific hurricane season
1997 Pacific hurricane season
The 1997 Pacific hurricane season was a very active hurricane season. With hundreds of deaths and billions of dollars in damage, this season was the costliest and one of the deadliest Pacific hurricane seasons. This was due to a strong El Niño...
. Tropical Storms formed in the entire west Pacific basin were assigned a name by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center
Joint Typhoon Warning Center
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center is a joint United States Navy – United States Air Force task force located at the Naval Maritime Forecast Center in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii...
. 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
Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration is a Philippine national institution dedicated to provide flood and typhoon warnings, public weather forecasts and advisories, meteorological, astronomical, climatological, and other specialized information and...
or PAGASA. This can often result in the same storm having two names.
Seasonal summary
The season was unusual in the number of super typhoons that occurred in the basin, with eleven typhoons reaching winds of at least 135 knots. They were Isa, Nestor, Rosie, Winnie, Bing, Oliwa (from Central Pacific), Ginger, Ivan, Joan, Keith, and Paka (from Central Pacific). This was due to the strong El Niño of 1997-1998, which contributed to the record amounts of not only super typhoons but also tropical storms in the Western and Eastern Pacific. Fortunately, most of the stronger systems remained at sea.
Records
When Severe Tropical Storm Peter made landfall in southern Japan on June 27, it marked the first time that two tropical cyclones made landfall in mainland Japan during the month of June since reliable records began in 1951. According to the Joint Typhoon Warning CenterJoint Typhoon Warning Center
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center is a joint United States Navy – United States Air Force task force located at the Naval Maritime Forecast Center in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii...
, eleven tropical cyclones attained super typhoon status, ten of which became Category 5 Super Typhoons, marking the highest number of Category 5 storms in a single season on record.
Tropical Depression Hannah (Atring)
In early January, an area of convection developed along a near-equatorEquator
An equator is the intersection of a sphere's surface with the plane perpendicular to the sphere's axis of rotation and containing the sphere's center of mass....
ial trough
Trough (meteorology)
A trough is an elongated region of relatively low atmospheric pressure, often associated with fronts.Unlike fronts, there is not a universal symbol for a trough on a weather chart. The weather charts in some countries or regions mark troughs by a line. In the United States, a trough may be marked...
just west of the International Date Line
International Date Line
The International Date Line is a generally north-south imaginary line on the surface of the Earth, passing through the middle of the Pacific Ocean, that designates the place where each calendar day begins...
. It tracked steadily westward, and remained disorganized for about week. On January 18, deep convection increased as a low-level circulation began to form, and at 0000 UTC on January 19 it developed into Tropical Depression 01W while located to the southwest of Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
. Based on satellite imagery estimates, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center
Joint Typhoon Warning Center
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center is a joint United States Navy – United States Air Force task force located at the Naval Maritime Forecast Center in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii...
upgraded it to Tropical Storm Hannah six hours after first forming. The deep convection quickly organized into well-defined cyclonic bands, and early on January 20 Hannah attained its peak intensity of 60 mph near the island of Yap
Yap
Yap, also known as Wa'ab by locals, is an island in the Caroline Islands of the western Pacific Ocean. It is a state of the Federated States of Micronesia. Yap's indigenous cultures and traditions are still strong compared to other neighboring islands. The island of Yap actually consists of four...
. Increased southeasterly wind shear
Wind shear
Wind shear, sometimes referred to as windshear or wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere...
weakened the storm, leaving its dwindling convection situated along the northern portion of the circulation. Interaction with a large and powerful extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are a group of cyclones defined as synoptic scale low pressure weather systems that occur in the middle latitudes of the Earth having neither tropical nor polar characteristics, and are connected with fronts and...
left the storm moving erratically, and on January 22 Hannah weakened to tropical depression status. Its motion turned to a steady southwestward motion, and on January 27 Hannah dissipated a short distance east of the Philippine
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
island of Mindanao
Mindanao
Mindanao is the second largest and easternmost island in the Philippines. It is also the name of one of the three island groups in the country, which consists of the island of Mindanao and smaller surrounding islands. The other two are Luzon and the Visayas. The island of Mindanao is called The...
.
Near the end of its duration, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration is a Philippine national institution dedicated to provide flood and typhoon warnings, public weather forecasts and advisories, meteorological, astronomical, climatological, and other specialized information and...
began issuing warnings on Hannah when was a tropical depression; the institution named the storm Tropical Depression Atring. Hannah was not considered a tropical storm by the Japan Meteorological Agency
Japan Meteorological Agency
The or JMA, is the Japanese government's weather service. Charged with gathering and reporting weather data and forecasts in Japan, it is a semi-autonomous part of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport...
. There were no reports of significant damage or injuries.
Typhoon Isa
Isa developed from a disturbance in the monsoon troughMonsoon trough
The monsoon trough is that portion of the Intertropical Convergence Zone which extends into or through a monsoon circulation, as depicted by a line on a weather map showing the locations of minimum sea level pressure, and as such, is a convergence zone between the wind patterns of the southern and...
near the Caroline Islands
Caroline Islands
The Caroline Islands are a widely scattered archipelago of tiny islands in the western Pacific Ocean, to the north of New Guinea. Politically they are divided between the Federated States of Micronesia in the eastern part of the group, and Palau at the extreme western end...
on April 12. It moved erratically at first, though after attaining tropical storm status it curved westward due to the subtropical ridge
Subtropical ridge
The subtropical ridge is a significant belt of high pressure situated around the latitudes of 30°N in the Northern Hemisphere and 30°S in the Southern Hemisphere. It is characterized by mostly calm winds, which acts to reduce air quality under its axis by causing fog overnight, and haze during...
to its north. Isa very gradually intensified, and on April 20 the typhoon reached peak 1-min winds of 270 km/h (165 mph), as reported by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center; Japan Meteorological Agency reported maximum 10-min winds of 155 km/h (100 mph). After turning northward, it accelerated to the northeast, and merged with a larger extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are a group of cyclones defined as synoptic scale low pressure weather systems that occur in the middle latitudes of the Earth having neither tropical nor polar characteristics, and are connected with fronts and...
on April 24.
Early in its duration, Isa caused light rainfall and moderate winds on Pohnpei
Pohnpei
Not to be confused with Pompeii, the ancient city destroyed by Vesuvius in AD 79.Pohnpei "upon a stone altar " is the name of one of the four states in the Federated States of Micronesia , situated among the Senyavin Islands which are part of the larger Caroline Islands group...
. Later, a stationary rainband from the typhoon dropped heavy precipitation on Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
during its dry season. Damage in the Guam National Weather Service
National Weather Service
The National Weather Service , once known as the Weather Bureau, is one of the six scientific agencies that make up the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States government...
area of responsibility totaled $1 million (1997 USD, $1.3 million 2006 USD), the majority of it from crop damage. No deaths were reported.
Tropical Storm Jimmy
A low-level equatorEquator
An equator is the intersection of a sphere's surface with the plane perpendicular to the sphere's axis of rotation and containing the sphere's center of mass....
ial westerly wind system developed an area of convection on April 18, the same system that previously developed Typhoon Isa. It drifted west-northwestward, and on April 21 separated from the westerly wind system. At 0400 UTC on April 22, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center
Joint Typhoon Warning Center
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center is a joint United States Navy – United States Air Force task force located at the Naval Maritime Forecast Center in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii...
(JTWC) issued a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert
Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert
A Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert is a bulletin released by the U.S. Navy-operated Joint Typhoon Warning Center in Honolulu, Hawaii or the Naval Maritime Forecast Center in Norfolk, Virginia, warning of the possibility of a tropical cyclone forming from a tropical disturbance that has been...
on the system, and two hours later the JTWC issued the first warning on Tropical Storm Jimmy about 1360 km (845 mi) southeast of Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
. Coinciding with its first warning, the Japan Meteorological Agency
Japan Meteorological Agency
The or JMA, is the Japanese government's weather service. Charged with gathering and reporting weather data and forecasts in Japan, it is a semi-autonomous part of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport...
(JMA) classified it as a tropical depression.
Jimmy continued northwestward through a break in the subtropical ridge
Ridge (meteorology)
A ridge is an elongated region of relatively high atmospheric pressure, the opposite of a trough....
caused by Isa, and it steadily intensified as it tracked through an area of light vertical wind shear
Wind shear
Wind shear, sometimes referred to as windshear or wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere...
. It recurved to the northeast, and shortly after reaching its westernmost point Jimmy attained its peak intensity of 55 mph on April 24. Conversely, JMA assessed Jimmy as remaining a minimal tropical storm throughout its duration. After maintaining peak winds for about 18 hours, to increased southwesterly winds aloft quickly weakened the storm, and late on April 25 JTWC issued its final advisory on Jimmy after its low-level circulation center became completely exposed from the deep convection. On April 26, Jimmy was absorbed by an approaching frontal trough
Surface weather analysis
Surface weather analysis is a special type of weather map that provides a view of weather elements over a geographical area at a specified time based on information from ground-based weather stations...
over the open Pacific Ocean. The storm had little effects on land.
Tropical Storm Kelly
A low-level equatorEquator
An equator is the intersection of a sphere's surface with the plane perpendicular to the sphere's axis of rotation and containing the sphere's center of mass....
ial trough developed an area of convection on May 4. The low strengthened as it became more organized over the next two days. Late on May 6, the JTWC issued a TCFA
Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert
A Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert is a bulletin released by the U.S. Navy-operated Joint Typhoon Warning Center in Honolulu, Hawaii or the Naval Maritime Forecast Center in Norfolk, Virginia, warning of the possibility of a tropical cyclone forming from a tropical disturbance that has been...
and the system was declared Tropical Depression 04W shortly after. The depression slowly intensified and was upgraded to a Tropical Storm early on May 8 and was named Kelly. Kelly was able to intensify slightly before strong vertical wind shear displaced the center, weakening Kelly. Kelly was downgraded to a Tropical Depression on May 10 and the remnant circulation dissipated the next day.
Tropical Storm Levi (Bining)
Tropical Depression 5W drifted eastward through the PhilippinesPhilippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
in late May. The depression continued northeastward, becoming a tropical storm, and transitioning to an extratropical storm on May 30. In the Philippines, Levi killed 53 people and displaced 210,000 others.
From May 26–29, Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration is a Philippine national institution dedicated to provide flood and typhoon warnings, public weather forecasts and advisories, meteorological, astronomical, climatological, and other specialized information and...
tracked the storm, and named it Bining.
Typhoon Opal (Kuring)
From June 15–18, Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services AdministrationPhilippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration is a Philippine national institution dedicated to provide flood and typhoon warnings, public weather forecasts and advisories, meteorological, astronomical, climatological, and other specialized information and...
tracked the storm, and named it Kuring.
In preparation for Opal, Japanese airlines cancelled 107 domestic flights and port officials halted all ferry traffic. Throughout Japan, 6,750 schools were closed due to the typhoon. One person drowned after being knocked off his boat by rough seas while trying to secure it at port. Heavy rains flooded streets throughout the region. The storm triggered 14 landslides, flooded 50 homes and cut power to 800 residences. In all, three people were killed in Japan by Typhoon Opal.
Typhoon Peter (Daling)
From June 22–26, PAGASAPhilippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration is a Philippine national institution dedicated to provide flood and typhoon warnings, public weather forecasts and advisories, meteorological, astronomical, climatological, and other specialized information and...
tracked the storm, and named it Daling.
Ahead of the storm, international and domestic flights were cancelled throughout Japan and ferry service was suspended. Heavy rains produced by the storm triggered landslides throughout Japan, resulting in three fatalities. A landslide caused a train derailment that left 28 people injured after covering the tracks. One of the fatalities from the storm was that of a United States soldier stationed in Iwakuni. The JMA estimated that upwards of 14 in (355.6 mm) of rain fell due to Typhoon Peter.
Typhoon Rosie (Elang)
On July 18, Tropical Depression 10W formed near Caroline IslandsCaroline Islands
The Caroline Islands are a widely scattered archipelago of tiny islands in the western Pacific Ocean, to the north of New Guinea. Politically they are divided between the Federated States of Micronesia in the eastern part of the group, and Palau at the extreme western end...
. 10W was upgraded to Tropical Storm Rosie and became a Category 5 Super Typhoon on July 22. Rosie moved northward and began to weaken. Rosie made a landfall as a Category 1 typhoon at Shikoku, Japan on July 26. In Japan, five people were killed and 1,200 were displaced by the storm.
From July 22–26, Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration is a Philippine national institution dedicated to provide flood and typhoon warnings, public weather forecasts and advisories, meteorological, astronomical, climatological, and other specialized information and...
tracked the storm, and named it Elang.
Tropical Storm Scott
In the middle of July, a mid-level circulation formed within the Tropical Upper Tropospheric TroughTropical Upper Tropospheric Trough
A tropical upper tropospheric trough , also known as the mid-oceanic trough, is a trough situated in upper-level tropics. Its formation is usually caused by the intrusion of energy and wind from the mid-latitudes into the tropics. It can also develop from the inverted trough adjacent to an upper...
. The circulation built toward the surface, and by July 20 the system developed a low-level circulation with scattered associated convection. Based on its organization, the Japan Meteorological Agency
Japan Meteorological Agency
The or JMA, is the Japanese government's weather service. Charged with gathering and reporting weather data and forecasts in Japan, it is a semi-autonomous part of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport...
(JMA) classified the system as a weak tropical depression early on July 20 while located about 820 km (510 mi) northeast of Farallon de Pajaros
Farallon de Pajaros
Farallón de Pájaros , also known as Urracas , is an uninhabited volcanic island, the northernmost island in the Northern Mariana Islands chain....
, the northernmost island in the Northern Mariana Islands
Northern Mariana Islands
The Northern Mariana Islands, officially the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , is a commonwealth in political union with the United States, occupying a strategic region of the western Pacific Ocean. It consists of 15 islands about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to the Philippines...
. Early development was impeded by the outflow from Typhoon Rosie; after drifting northwestward for 2 days the system turned to the northeast, and by July 24 the influence from Rosie greatly diminished. Accordingly, the organization of the depression quickly increased, and on July 24 the Joint Typhoon Warning Center
Joint Typhoon Warning Center
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center is a joint United States Navy – United States Air Force task force located at the Naval Maritime Forecast Center in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii...
(JTWC) classified it as Tropical Depression 11W.
A building anticyclone
Anticyclone
An anticyclone is a weather phenomenon defined by the United States' National Weather Service's glossary as "[a] large-scale circulation of winds around a central region of high atmospheric pressure, clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere, counterclockwise in the Southern Hemisphere"...
to its northwest forced the depression southeastward. It became steadily less organized, and on July 26 JTWC issued a final warning on the system, believing it to be dissipating. Shortly thereafter, however, the system began re-organizing, and on July 27 the system developed into Tropical Storm Scott. The storm tracked northwestward, then westward, and finally turned to the northeast. Scott gradually strengthened to attain peak winds of 105 km/h (65 mph) on July 29. JMA had upgraded the depression to tropical storm status on July 28, and assessed its peak intensity at 75 km/h (45 mph). Scott maintained its peak intensity for about 12 hours before slowly weakening as it accelerated northeastward. On August 2, the storm merged with an approaching frontal trough
Surface weather analysis
Surface weather analysis is a special type of weather map that provides a view of weather elements over a geographical area at a specified time based on information from ground-based weather stations...
, and the following day JMA considered Scott dissipated while located near the Alaskan island of Gareloi
Gareloi Island
Gareloi is a volcanic island in the Delarof Islands of the Aleutian Islands of Alaska. It is located between the Tanaga Pass and the Amchitka Pass....
. Tropical Storm Scott never affected land. The storm was the only tropical cyclone during the season to not form from the monsoon trough
Monsoon trough
The monsoon trough is that portion of the Intertropical Convergence Zone which extends into or through a monsoon circulation, as depicted by a line on a weather map showing the locations of minimum sea level pressure, and as such, is a convergence zone between the wind patterns of the southern and...
.
Typhoon Tina (Huling)
From July 31-August 6, Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services AdministrationPhilippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration is a Philippine national institution dedicated to provide flood and typhoon warnings, public weather forecasts and advisories, meteorological, astronomical, climatological, and other specialized information and...
tracked the storm, and named it Huling.
Severe Tropical Storm Victor (Goring)
From July 30–31, Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services AdministrationPhilippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration is a Philippine national institution dedicated to provide flood and typhoon warnings, public weather forecasts and advisories, meteorological, astronomical, climatological, and other specialized information and...
tracked the storm, and named it Goring. In China, Victor killed 65 people and caused $241 million in damages.
Typhoon Winnie (Ibiang)
On August 5, a tropical depression formed near the Marshall IslandsMarshall Islands
The Republic of the Marshall Islands , , is a Micronesian nation of atolls and islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, just west of the International Date Line and just north of the Equator. As of July 2011 the population was 67,182...
. It headed northwestward, slowly strengthening to a tropical storm on the 9th. Intensification became more rapid as conditions became more favorable, and Winnie reached typhoon strength on the 10th. 2 days later, it became the 4th Super Typhoon of the season with peak winds of 160 mph. Soon after, the eye became ragged and large, with an outer eyewall reaching 200 miles in diameter. On the 18th, a minimal Typhoon Winnie passed north of Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
and hit eastern China, where it winded down until dissipating on the 19th. The remnant continued northeastward, bringing heavy rain and damage across China until the 23rd. In all, Winnie killed 212 people, displaced over 1 million, and caused $4.1 billion in damages.
Severe Tropical Storm Yule
Typhoon Yule merged with Tropical Depression 16W early in its life. It briefly held typhoon strengthTropical Depression 16W
Tropical Depression 16W developed out of a weak tropical disturbance on August 13. The disturbance was relatively close to another disturbance which would eventually become Typhoon Yule. By August 17, the disturbance had developed sufficient convection to be declared a tropical depression. However, upon being classified a depression, it was already beginning to be influenced by the nearby Yule. 16W eventually was overcome by Yule and a merger of the two systems took place on August 19, leading to the dissipation of the depression.Severe Tropical Storm Zita (Luming)
Originating from a tropical disturbance over the South China Sea on August 19, Zita tracked westward as it quickly strengthened within a region of light wind shear, attaining winds of 140 km/h (85 mph) as it made landfall along the Leizhou Peninsula early on August 22. Maintaining this intensity, the storm made a second landfall in northern Vietnam later that day before rapidly weakening over land. The remnants of Zita were last noted over extreme northwestern Vietnam on August 24. Early in its existence, the storm was monitored by PAGASA and was designated with the local name Luming. Throughout Zita's path, seven people were killed and $438 million was wrought in damage, nearly all of which took place in China.Typhoon Amber (Miling)
Typhoon Amber was the eighteenth tropical cyclone of the season. The tropical depression initially tracked slowly west-northwest between the subtropical ridgeSubtropical ridge
The subtropical ridge is a significant belt of high pressure situated around the latitudes of 30°N in the Northern Hemisphere and 30°S in the Southern Hemisphere. It is characterized by mostly calm winds, which acts to reduce air quality under its axis by causing fog overnight, and haze during...
and Typhoon Zita and developed at a faster than normal pace. By August 26, Tropical Storm Cass formed to the west-southwest, which accelerated Amber's forward motion to the northwest due to a fujiwara interaction. It underwent eyewall replacement cycles
Eyewall replacement cycle
Eyewall replacement cycles, also called concentric eyewall cycles, naturally occur in intense tropical cyclones, generally with winds greater than 185 km/h , or major hurricanes...
from August 25 through August 27, and tracked across Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
/Taipei with maximum sustained winds of 95 knots, then through the Formosa Strait into China as a minimal typhoon. Damages from Typhoon Amber amounted to $52 million.
Throughout much of its duration, Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration is a Philippine national institution dedicated to provide flood and typhoon warnings, public weather forecasts and advisories, meteorological, astronomical, climatological, and other specialized information and...
tracked the storm, and named it Miling.
Typhoon Bing
As a tropical storm, Bing tracked through the Mariana IslandsMariana Islands
The Mariana Islands are an arc-shaped archipelago made up by the summits of 15 volcanic mountains in the north-western Pacific Ocean between the 12th and 21st parallels north and along the 145th meridian east...
and produced torrential rains. Following previous heavy rains earlier in the month, a maximum of 6.17 in (156.7 mm) at Andersen Air Force Base
Andersen Air Force Base
Andersen Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately northeast of Yigo in the United States territory of Guam....
on Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
and 5.19 in (131.8 mm) on Tiyan. A landslide in Santa Rita
Santa Rita, Guam
Santa Rita is a village located on the southwest coast of the United States territory of Guam with hills overlooking Apra Harbor. According to the 2000 census it has a population of 7,500, down from 11,857 in 1990....
caused significant structural damage. By September 1, Bing bypassed the Bonin Islands. Sustained winds reached 55 km/h (34.2 mph) and gusts peaked at 75 km/h (46.6 mph). The extratropical remnants of Bing brought heavy rain to the Aleutian Islands between September 6 and 7. Winds also gusted in excess of 95 km/h (60 mph) in some areas.
Typhoon Oliwa
On August 28, the monsoon formed into Tropical Depression 2C in the Central Pacific. It headed slowly westward, becoming a tropical storm on September 3. It crossed the International Date LineInternational Date Line
The International Date Line is a generally north-south imaginary line on the surface of the Earth, passing through the middle of the Pacific Ocean, that designates the place where each calendar day begins...
, and continued to slowly strengthen to become a typhoon on September 8. Oliwa rapidly strengthened on September 9 to reach a peak of 160 mph winds; the sixth Super Typhoon of the year. Oliwa slowly weakened as it moved westward, and hit Japan on September 15 and September 16. It turned to the northeast, and dissipated on September 17. In Japan, severe flooding from the typhoon killed 17 people and displaced 30,000 others.
Typhoon David
Large swells produced by Typhoon David resulted in beach erosion in HawaiiHawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
.
Severe Tropical Storm Fritz
During mid-September, a monsoonMonsoon
Monsoon is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea...
al trough
Trough (meteorology)
A trough is an elongated region of relatively low atmospheric pressure, often associated with fronts.Unlike fronts, there is not a universal symbol for a trough on a weather chart. The weather charts in some countries or regions mark troughs by a line. In the United States, a trough may be marked...
developed in the South China Sea
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around...
. Deep convection developed near the periphery of the low level circulation before rapidly consolidating near the center on September 20. At this time, the JTWC classified the system as Tropical Depression 22W while situated near the coast of Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
. Due to the proximity to land, the system struggled to develop until it turned sharply to the east on September 22.
In Vietnam, Fritz killed 28 people and caused $5.1 million in damages.
Typhoon Ginger
Typhoon Ginger originated from a low-latitude tropical disturbanceTropical wave
Tropical waves, easterly waves, or tropical easterly waves, also known as African easterly waves in the Atlantic region, are a type of atmospheric trough, an elongated area of relatively low air pressure, oriented north to south, which move from east to west across the tropics causing areas of...
near the International Date Line
International Date Line
The International Date Line is a generally north-south imaginary line on the surface of the Earth, passing through the middle of the Pacific Ocean, that designates the place where each calendar day begins...
on September 21. The following day, deep convection
Atmospheric convection
Atmospheric convection is the result of a parcel-environment instability, or temperature difference, layer in the atmosphere. Different lapse rates within dry and moist air lead to instability. Mixing of air during the day which expands the height of the planetary boundary layer leads to...
consolidated around a low-level circulation center
Low pressure area
A low-pressure area, or "low", is a region where the atmospheric pressure at sea level is below that of surrounding locations. Low-pressure systems form under areas of wind divergence which occur in upper levels of the troposphere. The formation process of a low-pressure area is known as...
and banding features
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 imagery, this precipitation elongation is referred to as...
formed around the system. At 0530 UTC, the JTWC issued a tropical cyclone formation alert for the system. Later that day, the system was designated as Tropical Depression 24W. Tracking in a more northerly direction, the depression intensified into a tropical storm the next day, at which time it was given the name Ginger. Continued strengthening occurred at a climatological rate until it was upgraded to a typhoon on September 25. Upon becoming a typhoon, Ginger underwent a period of explosive development
Rapid deepening
Rapid deepening, also known as rapid intensification, is a meteorological condition that occurs when the minimum sea-level atmospheric pressure of a tropical cyclone decreases drastically in a short period of time. The National Weather Service describes rapid deepening as a decrease of...
.
During this period, the storm intensified into a Category 5 super typhoon, with winds reaching 265 km/h (165 mph) by 0000 UTC on September 27. At this time, Ginger featured a small, well-defined eye surrounded by a smooth central dense overcast and large convective feeder bands. The general cloudless environment surrounding the system allowed outflow
Outflow (meteorology)
Outflow, in meteorology, is air that flows outwards from a storm system. It is associated with ridging, or anticyclonic flow. In the low levels of the troposphere, outflow radiates from thunderstorms in the form of a wedge of rain-cooled air, which is visible as a thin rope-like cloud on weather...
to cover a large area. Shortly after peaking, the storm began to recurve towards the northeast and weaken. Gradually accelerating, the storm began to undergo an extratropical transition. The JTWC issued their final advisory on the typhoon at 0600 UTC on September 30. Several hours later, the extratropical system weakened below typhoon intensity. The remnants of Ginger persisted for two more days as it rapidly tracked towards the Western United States
Western United States
.The Western United States, commonly referred to as the American West or simply "the West," traditionally refers to the region comprising the westernmost states of the United States. Because the U.S. expanded westward after its founding, the meaning of the West has evolved over time...
. By October 2, the storm impacted the region and dissipated shortly thereafter.
The remnants of Typhoon Ginger brought strong winds and heavy rain to the Western United States. Winds along the Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
coastline gusted up to 69 mph (111 km/h). The highest rainfall total was recorded in Felida, Washington
Felida, Washington
Felida is a census-designated place in Clark County, Washington, United States. The population was 5,683 at the 2000 census.Based on per capita income, one of the more reliable measures of affluence, Felida ranks 51st of 522 areas in the state of Washington to be ranked.-Geography:Felida is...
at 1.3 in (33 mm). Power was also briefly cut to 450 people by the high winds.
Tropical Depression 26W
Tropical Depression 26W developed out of an area of disturbed weather located near the Mariana IslandsMariana Islands
The Mariana Islands are an arc-shaped archipelago made up by the summits of 15 volcanic mountains in the north-western Pacific Ocean between the 12th and 21st parallels north and along the 145th meridian east...
on September 29. While passing near Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
, the disturbance was designated a tropical depression. Shortly after, the depression became disorganized as wind shear
Wind shear
Wind shear, sometimes referred to as windshear or wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere...
displaced the convection
Atmospheric convection
Atmospheric convection is the result of a parcel-environment instability, or temperature difference, layer in the atmosphere. Different lapse rates within dry and moist air lead to instability. Mixing of air during the day which expands the height of the planetary boundary layer leads to...
associated with the storm. Over the next 24 hours, the depression stalled in response to weak steering currents before a subtropical ridge developed to the north and caused the system to move quickly to the west. The low became separated from almost all of its convection on October 6 before being absorbed into a frontal system
Weather front
A weather front is a boundary separating two masses of air of different densities, and is the principal cause of meteorological phenomena. In surface weather analyses, fronts are depicted using various colored lines and symbols, depending on the type of front...
the next day.
Tropical Storm Hank
Tropical Storm Hank originated out of an area of low pressure over the South China Sea in late September. Minimal convection was associated with the system and only light winds were recorded. Over the following days, the system gradually organized and by October 3, the JTWC issued a TCFA for the system. However, in post-storm analysis, it was found that Hank was already a tropical storm by this time. By the time the TCFA was issued, Hank reached its peak intensity with winds of 75 km/h (45 mph) before succumbing to strong wind shear. Late on October 3, Hank weakened to a tropical depression and was initially thought to have made landfall; however, satellite analysis showed that the center did not cross land until October 5, shortly before dissipating. There were no reports of damage in relation to the storm.Typhoon Ivan (Narsing)
Forming out of an area of disturbed weather on October 13, Ivan gradually intensified into a typhoon as it tracked steadily to the west-northwest. On October 15, the storm underwent rapid intensification and reached an intensity corresponding to Category 5 status on the Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale. Late on October 17, Ivan reached its peak strength with winds of 295 km/h (185 mph) and a barometric pressure of 905 hPa (mbar). Shortly thereafter, the typhoon began to weaken as it approached the Philippines. Ivan eventually made landfall in northern Luzon with winds of 220 km/h (140 mph) on October 20 before weakening to a tropical storm the next day. The storm then curved northeastward and became extratropical on October 25, dissipating the following day. During its existence, Ivan was monitored by PAGASA and designated with the local name Narsing.Although Ivan was a powerful storm at landfall, its effects were relatively minor compared to the storm's intensity; however, 14 people were killed during the storm and two others were listed as missing. Agricultural industries sustained the most severe damage, as thousands of animals drowned in the storm. Throughout the Philippines, damage amounted to $9.6 million (1997 USD; $13.1 million 2009 USD). A total of 1,779 homes were destroyed, 13,771 others were damaged and 4,600 hectares of farmland were flooded by the storm.
Typhoon Joan
Typhoon Joan caused significant damage throughout the Marshall IslandsMarshall Islands
The Republic of the Marshall Islands , , is a Micronesian nation of atolls and islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, just west of the International Date Line and just north of the Equator. As of July 2011 the population was 67,182...
. The most severe damage occurred on Anatahan
Anatahan
Anatahan is one of the most active volcanoes of the Northern Mariana Islands. The island of Anatahan is 9 kilometers long and has a land area of . Formerly inhabited, it now has no population because of the always-present danger of volcanic eruptions...
where 37 homes were destroyed. Three people were injured during preparations for the storm when a wind gust blew a sheet of plywood into residents. Damages from the storm amounted to $200,000, mainly on Anatahan.
Typhoon Keith
The tenth of eleven tropical cycloneTropical cyclone
A tropical cyclone is a storm system characterized by a large low-pressure center and numerous thunderstorms that produce strong winds and heavy rain. Tropical cyclones strengthen when water evaporated from the ocean is released as the saturated air rises, resulting in condensation of water vapor...
s to attain super typhoon intensity in the western North Pacific during 1997, Keith formed at low latitudes in the Marshall Islands
Marshall Islands
The Republic of the Marshall Islands , , is a Micronesian nation of atolls and islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, just west of the International Date Line and just north of the Equator. As of July 2011 the population was 67,182...
. It was one of ten TCs which formed east of 160°E
160th meridian east
The meridian 160° east of Greenwich is a line of longitude that extends from the North Pole across the Arctic Ocean, Asia, the Pacific Ocean, the Southern Ocean, and Antarctica to the South Pole....
and south of 20°N
20th parallel north
The 20th parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 20 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane. It crosses Africa, Asia, the Indian Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, North America, the Caribbean and the Atlantic Ocean....
— within the "El Niño". Keith was a recurving TC which passed between the Islands of Rota and Tinian (only 50 nmi (92.6 km) apart) on the west-bound leg of its recurving track. NEXRAD imagery from Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
indicated the eye wall cloud of Keith never touched land as it threaded the narrow channel between these two islands. As such, the Mariana Islands
Mariana Islands
The Mariana Islands are an arc-shaped archipelago made up by the summits of 15 volcanic mountains in the north-western Pacific Ocean between the 12th and 21st parallels north and along the 145th meridian east...
were spared the full force of Keith. Keith's compact wind and cloud structure were revealed by Guam's NEXRAD Equatorial westerly winds bounded by twin near-equatorial troughs preceded the formation of Keith and a Southern Hemisphere
Southern Hemisphere
The Southern Hemisphere is the part of Earth that lies south of the equator. The word hemisphere literally means 'half ball' or "half sphere"...
twin.
Severe Tropical Storm Linda (Openg)
Typhoon Linda, after moving through the Philippines and the South China Sea, hit the Malay PeninsulaMalay Peninsula
The Malay Peninsula or Thai-Malay Peninsula is a peninsula in Southeast Asia. The land mass runs approximately north-south and, at its terminus, is the southern-most point of the Asian mainland...
on November 3. It restrengthened in the Bay of Bengal, but vertical shear caused Linda to dissipate on the 9th.
On the 2nd of November, Linda hit the southern tip of Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
, the Ca Mau province
Ca Mau Province
Cà Mau is a province of Vietnam, named after its capital city. It is located in the Mekong Delta of southern Vietnam, and is the southernmost of Vietnam's 58 provinces...
, causing unprecedented havoc with 1,292 people being killed in Vietnam, most of which drowned at sea. Nearly 80,000 houses are reported as destroyed and almost 140,000 as badly damaged. Infrastructure (roads, schools and hospitals) also suffered heavily and huge swathes of rice paddy were swamped. The hardest hit provinces were Kien Giang, Ca Mau, Bac Lieu, Soc Trang, Tra Vinh, Ben Tre and Vung Tau. It was the worst typhoon to strike the area in 100 years. Damages from the storm amounted to VND 7 trillion (US$409 million).
Elsewhere in Thailand and the Philippines , Linda caused further deaths from flooding and heavy damage.
Tropical Storm Mort (Pining)
From November 12–16, Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services AdministrationPhilippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration is a Philippine national institution dedicated to provide flood and typhoon warnings, public weather forecasts and advisories, meteorological, astronomical, climatological, and other specialized information and...
tracked the storm, and named it Pining.
The remnants of Tropical Storm Mort brought locally heavy rainfall to areas of northern Luzon
Luzon
Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...
, resulting in minor flooding.
Super Typhoon Paka (Rubing)
The final super typhoon of the year developed in the Central Pacific on November 28. It moved westward, strengthening into a tropical storm before crossing the International Date Line on December 7. Conditions were marginally favorable for development, and Paka remained a tropical storm until December 10, when it was able to become a typhoon. Five days later, Paka reached Super Typhoon strength, the eleventh of the year. The next day it crossed over GuamGuam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
, and on December 18, Paka reached a peak of 185 mph winds. After causing major damage across the smaller Western Pacific island groups, Paka rapidly weakened and dissipated on December 22.
Typhoon Paka first impacted the Marshall Islands
Marshall Islands
The Republic of the Marshall Islands , , is a Micronesian nation of atolls and islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, just west of the International Date Line and just north of the Equator. As of July 2011 the population was 67,182...
, where it dropped heavy rainfall and left $80 million in damage (1997 USD, $109 million 2009 USD). Later, it passed just north of Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
, where strong winds destroyed about 1,500 buildings and damaged 10,000 more; 5,000 people were left homeless, and the island experienced a complete power outage following the typhoon. Damage on the island totaled $500 million (1997 USD, $680 million 2009 USD), which warranted the retirement of its name. Paka also caused light damage in the Northern Mariana Islands
Northern Mariana Islands
The Northern Mariana Islands, officially the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , is a commonwealth in political union with the United States, occupying a strategic region of the western Pacific Ocean. It consists of 15 islands about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to the Philippines...
, and overall the typhoon caused no reported fatalities.
Accumulated Cyclone Energy (ACE) Ranking
{|class="wikitable" border="1" style="float:right; margin-left:1em;"|-
!colspan=6|ACE (104 kt2)
|-
! 1
| 65.8375 || Paka
Typhoon Paka
Typhoon Paka was the last tropical cyclone in the 1997 Pacific Ocean hurricane and typhoon season, and was among the strongest Pacific typhoons in the month of December. Paka, which is the Hawaiian name for Pat, developed on November 28 from a trough well to the southwest of Hawaii...
! 17
| 10.295 || Marie
|-
! 2
| 57.955 || Joan
! 18
| 9.9525 || Peter
|-
! 3
| 52.12 || Keith
Typhoon Keith (1997)
Typhoon Keith was the tenth of a record eleven super typhoons to develop during the unusually intense 1997 Pacific typhoon season. Originating from a near-equatorial trough on October 26, the precursor depression to Keith slowly organized into a tropical storm...
! 19
| 5.12 || Mort
|-
! 4
| 43.44 || Isa
! 20
| 4.59 || Fritz
|-
! 5
| 42.68 || Oliwa
Typhoon Oliwa (1997)
Typhoon Oliwa was one of a record eleven super typhoons in the 1997 Pacific typhoon season. It formed in the central Pacific Ocean on September 2 to the southwest of Hawaii, but it became a typhoon in the western Pacific. Oliwa explosively deepened on September 8, increasing its winds...
! 21
| 4.3925 || Scott
|-
! 6
| 42.225 || Ivan
Typhoon Ivan (1997)
Typhoon Ivan was an intense tropical cyclone that existed simultaneously with another storm of the same intensity. Forming out of an area of disturbed weather on October 13, Ivan gradually intensified into a typhoon as it tracked steadily to the west-northwest...
! 22
| 4.135 || Zita
Tropical Storm Zita (1997)
Severe Tropical Storm Zita was a short-lived tropical cyclone that killed seven people throughout southern China. Originating from a tropical disturbance over the South China Sea on August 19, Zita tracked westward as it quickly strengthened within a region of light wind shear, attaining winds...
|-
! 7
| 40.5575 || Winnie
! 23
| 4.0875 || Linda
|-
! 8
| 31.0525 || Nestor
! 24
| 3.3575 || Levi
|-
! 9
| 26.1125 || Rosie
! 25
| 2.9675 || Jimmy
|-
! 10
| 24.9825 || Ginger
! 26
| 2.5975 || Victor
|-
! 11
| 24.8025 || Bing
! 27
| 2.435 || Hannah
|-
! 12
| 24.37 || Amber
! 28
| 1.1175 || Ella
|-
! 13
| 19.7325 || David
! 29
| 1.0925 || Kelly
|-
! 14
| 17.4575 || Tina
! 30
| 0.89 || Cass
|-
! 15
| 11.082 || Yule
! 31
| 0.565 || Hank
|-
! 16
| 11.06 || Opal
!
| ||
|-
!colspan=6|Total=594.11
|}
The table on the right shows the Accumulated Cyclone Energy
Accumulated cyclone energy
Accumulated cyclone energy is a measure used by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to express the activity of individual tropical cyclones and entire tropical cyclone seasons, particularly the North Atlantic hurricane season. It uses an approximation of the energy used by a...
for each storm in the season. The ACE is, broadly speaking, a measure of the power of the typhoon multiplied by the length of time it existed for, so typhoons that lasted a long time (like Typhoon Paka
Typhoon Paka
Typhoon Paka was the last tropical cyclone in the 1997 Pacific Ocean hurricane and typhoon season, and was among the strongest Pacific typhoons in the month of December. Paka, which is the Hawaiian name for Pat, developed on November 28 from a trough well to the southwest of Hawaii...
) have higher ACEs. The total ACE for the 1997 season was 594.11, which is the highest ACE for any tropical cyclone season in recorded history. This was because 11 of the 33 storms in the season reached super typhoon status. ACE for Linda, Paka, and Oliwa only include ACE during the time they were in the Western Pacific Basin.
1997 storm names
Western North Pacific tropical cyclones were named by the Joint Typhoon Warning CenterJoint Typhoon Warning Center
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center is a joint United States Navy – United States Air Force task force located at the Naval Maritime Forecast Center in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii...
. The first storm of 1997 was named Hannah and the final one was named Mort.
{|width="90%"
|
The 1997 Pacific typhoon season has no official bounds; it ran year-round in 1997, but most tropical cyclones tend to form in the northwestern Pacific Ocean between May and November. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the northwestern Pacific Ocean. This was the most active tropical cyclone season ever recorded, with a record ten Category 5 storms forming and with an ACE of 594.11.
The scope of this article is limited to the Pacific Ocean, north of the equator and west of the International Date Line
International Date Line
The International Date Line is a generally north-south imaginary line on the surface of the Earth, passing through the middle of the Pacific Ocean, that designates the place where each calendar day begins...
. Storms that form east of the Date Line and north of the equator are called hurricanes; see 1997 Pacific hurricane season
1997 Pacific hurricane season
The 1997 Pacific hurricane season was a very active hurricane season. With hundreds of deaths and billions of dollars in damage, this season was the costliest and one of the deadliest Pacific hurricane seasons. This was due to a strong El Niño...
. Tropical Storms formed in the entire west Pacific basin were assigned a name by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center
Joint Typhoon Warning Center
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center is a joint United States Navy – United States Air Force task force located at the Naval Maritime Forecast Center in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii...
. 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
Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration is a Philippine national institution dedicated to provide flood and typhoon warnings, public weather forecasts and advisories, meteorological, astronomical, climatological, and other specialized information and...
or PAGASA. This can often result in the same storm having two names.
Seasonal summary
The season was unusual in the number of super typhoons that occurred in the basin, with eleven typhoons reaching winds of at least 135 knots. They were Isa, Nestor, Rosie, Winnie, Bing, Oliwa (from Central Pacific), Ginger, Ivan, Joan, Keith, and Paka (from Central Pacific). This was due to the strong El Niño of 1997-1998, which contributed to the record amounts of not only super typhoons but also tropical storms in the Western and Eastern Pacific. Fortunately, most of the stronger systems remained at sea.
Records
When Severe Tropical Storm Peter made landfall in southern Japan on June 27, it marked the first time that two tropical cyclones made landfall in mainland Japan during the month of June since reliable records began in 1951. According to the Joint Typhoon Warning CenterJoint Typhoon Warning Center
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center is a joint United States Navy – United States Air Force task force located at the Naval Maritime Forecast Center in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii...
, eleven tropical cyclones attained super typhoon status, ten of which became Category 5 Super Typhoons, marking the highest number of Category 5 storms in a single season on record.
Tropical Depression Hannah (Atring)
In early January, an area of convection developed along a near-equatorEquator
An equator is the intersection of a sphere's surface with the plane perpendicular to the sphere's axis of rotation and containing the sphere's center of mass....
ial trough
Trough (meteorology)
A trough is an elongated region of relatively low atmospheric pressure, often associated with fronts.Unlike fronts, there is not a universal symbol for a trough on a weather chart. The weather charts in some countries or regions mark troughs by a line. In the United States, a trough may be marked...
just west of the International Date Line
International Date Line
The International Date Line is a generally north-south imaginary line on the surface of the Earth, passing through the middle of the Pacific Ocean, that designates the place where each calendar day begins...
. It tracked steadily westward, and remained disorganized for about week. On January 18, deep convection increased as a low-level circulation began to form, and at 0000 UTC on January 19 it developed into Tropical Depression 01W while located to the southwest of Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
. Based on satellite imagery estimates, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center
Joint Typhoon Warning Center
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center is a joint United States Navy – United States Air Force task force located at the Naval Maritime Forecast Center in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii...
upgraded it to Tropical Storm Hannah six hours after first forming. The deep convection quickly organized into well-defined cyclonic bands, and early on January 20 Hannah attained its peak intensity of 60 mph near the island of Yap
Yap
Yap, also known as Wa'ab by locals, is an island in the Caroline Islands of the western Pacific Ocean. It is a state of the Federated States of Micronesia. Yap's indigenous cultures and traditions are still strong compared to other neighboring islands. The island of Yap actually consists of four...
. Increased southeasterly wind shear
Wind shear
Wind shear, sometimes referred to as windshear or wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere...
weakened the storm, leaving its dwindling convection situated along the northern portion of the circulation. Interaction with a large and powerful extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are a group of cyclones defined as synoptic scale low pressure weather systems that occur in the middle latitudes of the Earth having neither tropical nor polar characteristics, and are connected with fronts and...
left the storm moving erratically, and on January 22 Hannah weakened to tropical depression status. Its motion turned to a steady southwestward motion, and on January 27 Hannah dissipated a short distance east of the Philippine
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
island of Mindanao
Mindanao
Mindanao is the second largest and easternmost island in the Philippines. It is also the name of one of the three island groups in the country, which consists of the island of Mindanao and smaller surrounding islands. The other two are Luzon and the Visayas. The island of Mindanao is called The...
.
Near the end of its duration, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration is a Philippine national institution dedicated to provide flood and typhoon warnings, public weather forecasts and advisories, meteorological, astronomical, climatological, and other specialized information and...
began issuing warnings on Hannah when was a tropical depression; the institution named the storm Tropical Depression Atring. Hannah was not considered a tropical storm by the Japan Meteorological Agency
Japan Meteorological Agency
The or JMA, is the Japanese government's weather service. Charged with gathering and reporting weather data and forecasts in Japan, it is a semi-autonomous part of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport...
. There were no reports of significant damage or injuries.
Typhoon Isa
Isa developed from a disturbance in the monsoon troughMonsoon trough
The monsoon trough is that portion of the Intertropical Convergence Zone which extends into or through a monsoon circulation, as depicted by a line on a weather map showing the locations of minimum sea level pressure, and as such, is a convergence zone between the wind patterns of the southern and...
near the Caroline Islands
Caroline Islands
The Caroline Islands are a widely scattered archipelago of tiny islands in the western Pacific Ocean, to the north of New Guinea. Politically they are divided between the Federated States of Micronesia in the eastern part of the group, and Palau at the extreme western end...
on April 12. It moved erratically at first, though after attaining tropical storm status it curved westward due to the subtropical ridge
Subtropical ridge
The subtropical ridge is a significant belt of high pressure situated around the latitudes of 30°N in the Northern Hemisphere and 30°S in the Southern Hemisphere. It is characterized by mostly calm winds, which acts to reduce air quality under its axis by causing fog overnight, and haze during...
to its north. Isa very gradually intensified, and on April 20 the typhoon reached peak 1-min winds of 270 km/h (165 mph), as reported by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center; Japan Meteorological Agency reported maximum 10-min winds of 155 km/h (100 mph). After turning northward, it accelerated to the northeast, and merged with a larger extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are a group of cyclones defined as synoptic scale low pressure weather systems that occur in the middle latitudes of the Earth having neither tropical nor polar characteristics, and are connected with fronts and...
on April 24.
Early in its duration, Isa caused light rainfall and moderate winds on Pohnpei
Pohnpei
Not to be confused with Pompeii, the ancient city destroyed by Vesuvius in AD 79.Pohnpei "upon a stone altar " is the name of one of the four states in the Federated States of Micronesia , situated among the Senyavin Islands which are part of the larger Caroline Islands group...
. Later, a stationary rainband from the typhoon dropped heavy precipitation on Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
during its dry season. Damage in the Guam National Weather Service
National Weather Service
The National Weather Service , once known as the Weather Bureau, is one of the six scientific agencies that make up the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States government...
area of responsibility totaled $1 million (1997 USD, $1.3 million 2006 USD), the majority of it from crop damage. No deaths were reported.
Tropical Storm Jimmy
A low-level equatorEquator
An equator is the intersection of a sphere's surface with the plane perpendicular to the sphere's axis of rotation and containing the sphere's center of mass....
ial westerly wind system developed an area of convection on April 18, the same system that previously developed Typhoon Isa. It drifted west-northwestward, and on April 21 separated from the westerly wind system. At 0400 UTC on April 22, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center
Joint Typhoon Warning Center
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center is a joint United States Navy – United States Air Force task force located at the Naval Maritime Forecast Center in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii...
(JTWC) issued a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert
Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert
A Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert is a bulletin released by the U.S. Navy-operated Joint Typhoon Warning Center in Honolulu, Hawaii or the Naval Maritime Forecast Center in Norfolk, Virginia, warning of the possibility of a tropical cyclone forming from a tropical disturbance that has been...
on the system, and two hours later the JTWC issued the first warning on Tropical Storm Jimmy about 1360 km (845 mi) southeast of Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
. Coinciding with its first warning, the Japan Meteorological Agency
Japan Meteorological Agency
The or JMA, is the Japanese government's weather service. Charged with gathering and reporting weather data and forecasts in Japan, it is a semi-autonomous part of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport...
(JMA) classified it as a tropical depression.
Jimmy continued northwestward through a break in the subtropical ridge
Ridge (meteorology)
A ridge is an elongated region of relatively high atmospheric pressure, the opposite of a trough....
caused by Isa, and it steadily intensified as it tracked through an area of light vertical wind shear
Wind shear
Wind shear, sometimes referred to as windshear or wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere...
. It recurved to the northeast, and shortly after reaching its westernmost point Jimmy attained its peak intensity of 55 mph on April 24. Conversely, JMA assessed Jimmy as remaining a minimal tropical storm throughout its duration. After maintaining peak winds for about 18 hours, to increased southwesterly winds aloft quickly weakened the storm, and late on April 25 JTWC issued its final advisory on Jimmy after its low-level circulation center became completely exposed from the deep convection. On April 26, Jimmy was absorbed by an approaching frontal trough
Surface weather analysis
Surface weather analysis is a special type of weather map that provides a view of weather elements over a geographical area at a specified time based on information from ground-based weather stations...
over the open Pacific Ocean. The storm had little effects on land.
Tropical Storm Kelly
A low-level equatorEquator
An equator is the intersection of a sphere's surface with the plane perpendicular to the sphere's axis of rotation and containing the sphere's center of mass....
ial trough developed an area of convection on May 4. The low strengthened as it became more organized over the next two days. Late on May 6, the JTWC issued a TCFA
Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert
A Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert is a bulletin released by the U.S. Navy-operated Joint Typhoon Warning Center in Honolulu, Hawaii or the Naval Maritime Forecast Center in Norfolk, Virginia, warning of the possibility of a tropical cyclone forming from a tropical disturbance that has been...
and the system was declared Tropical Depression 04W shortly after. The depression slowly intensified and was upgraded to a Tropical Storm early on May 8 and was named Kelly. Kelly was able to intensify slightly before strong vertical wind shear displaced the center, weakening Kelly. Kelly was downgraded to a Tropical Depression on May 10 and the remnant circulation dissipated the next day.
Tropical Storm Levi (Bining)
Tropical Depression 5W drifted eastward through the PhilippinesPhilippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
in late May. The depression continued northeastward, becoming a tropical storm, and transitioning to an extratropical storm on May 30. In the Philippines, Levi killed 53 people and displaced 210,000 others.
From May 26–29, Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration is a Philippine national institution dedicated to provide flood and typhoon warnings, public weather forecasts and advisories, meteorological, astronomical, climatological, and other specialized information and...
tracked the storm, and named it Bining.
Typhoon Opal (Kuring)
From June 15–18, Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services AdministrationPhilippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration is a Philippine national institution dedicated to provide flood and typhoon warnings, public weather forecasts and advisories, meteorological, astronomical, climatological, and other specialized information and...
tracked the storm, and named it Kuring.
In preparation for Opal, Japanese airlines cancelled 107 domestic flights and port officials halted all ferry traffic. Throughout Japan, 6,750 schools were closed due to the typhoon. One person drowned after being knocked off his boat by rough seas while trying to secure it at port. Heavy rains flooded streets throughout the region. The storm triggered 14 landslides, flooded 50 homes and cut power to 800 residences. In all, three people were killed in Japan by Typhoon Opal.
Typhoon Peter (Daling)
From June 22–26, PAGASAPhilippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration is a Philippine national institution dedicated to provide flood and typhoon warnings, public weather forecasts and advisories, meteorological, astronomical, climatological, and other specialized information and...
tracked the storm, and named it Daling.
Ahead of the storm, international and domestic flights were cancelled throughout Japan and ferry service was suspended. Heavy rains produced by the storm triggered landslides throughout Japan, resulting in three fatalities. A landslide caused a train derailment that left 28 people injured after covering the tracks. One of the fatalities from the storm was that of a United States soldier stationed in Iwakuni. The JMA estimated that upwards of 14 in (355.6 mm) of rain fell due to Typhoon Peter.
Typhoon Rosie (Elang)
On July 18, Tropical Depression 10W formed near Caroline IslandsCaroline Islands
The Caroline Islands are a widely scattered archipelago of tiny islands in the western Pacific Ocean, to the north of New Guinea. Politically they are divided between the Federated States of Micronesia in the eastern part of the group, and Palau at the extreme western end...
. 10W was upgraded to Tropical Storm Rosie and became a Category 5 Super Typhoon on July 22. Rosie moved northward and began to weaken. Rosie made a landfall as a Category 1 typhoon at Shikoku, Japan on July 26. In Japan, five people were killed and 1,200 were displaced by the storm.
From July 22–26, Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration is a Philippine national institution dedicated to provide flood and typhoon warnings, public weather forecasts and advisories, meteorological, astronomical, climatological, and other specialized information and...
tracked the storm, and named it Elang.
Tropical Storm Scott
In the middle of July, a mid-level circulation formed within the Tropical Upper Tropospheric TroughTropical Upper Tropospheric Trough
A tropical upper tropospheric trough , also known as the mid-oceanic trough, is a trough situated in upper-level tropics. Its formation is usually caused by the intrusion of energy and wind from the mid-latitudes into the tropics. It can also develop from the inverted trough adjacent to an upper...
. The circulation built toward the surface, and by July 20 the system developed a low-level circulation with scattered associated convection. Based on its organization, the Japan Meteorological Agency
Japan Meteorological Agency
The or JMA, is the Japanese government's weather service. Charged with gathering and reporting weather data and forecasts in Japan, it is a semi-autonomous part of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport...
(JMA) classified the system as a weak tropical depression early on July 20 while located about 820 km (510 mi) northeast of Farallon de Pajaros
Farallon de Pajaros
Farallón de Pájaros , also known as Urracas , is an uninhabited volcanic island, the northernmost island in the Northern Mariana Islands chain....
, the northernmost island in the Northern Mariana Islands
Northern Mariana Islands
The Northern Mariana Islands, officially the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , is a commonwealth in political union with the United States, occupying a strategic region of the western Pacific Ocean. It consists of 15 islands about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to the Philippines...
. Early development was impeded by the outflow from Typhoon Rosie; after drifting northwestward for 2 days the system turned to the northeast, and by July 24 the influence from Rosie greatly diminished. Accordingly, the organization of the depression quickly increased, and on July 24 the Joint Typhoon Warning Center
Joint Typhoon Warning Center
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center is a joint United States Navy – United States Air Force task force located at the Naval Maritime Forecast Center in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii...
(JTWC) classified it as Tropical Depression 11W.
A building anticyclone
Anticyclone
An anticyclone is a weather phenomenon defined by the United States' National Weather Service's glossary as "[a] large-scale circulation of winds around a central region of high atmospheric pressure, clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere, counterclockwise in the Southern Hemisphere"...
to its northwest forced the depression southeastward. It became steadily less organized, and on July 26 JTWC issued a final warning on the system, believing it to be dissipating. Shortly thereafter, however, the system began re-organizing, and on July 27 the system developed into Tropical Storm Scott. The storm tracked northwestward, then westward, and finally turned to the northeast. Scott gradually strengthened to attain peak winds of 105 km/h (65 mph) on July 29. JMA had upgraded the depression to tropical storm status on July 28, and assessed its peak intensity at 75 km/h (45 mph). Scott maintained its peak intensity for about 12 hours before slowly weakening as it accelerated northeastward. On August 2, the storm merged with an approaching frontal trough
Surface weather analysis
Surface weather analysis is a special type of weather map that provides a view of weather elements over a geographical area at a specified time based on information from ground-based weather stations...
, and the following day JMA considered Scott dissipated while located near the Alaskan island of Gareloi
Gareloi Island
Gareloi is a volcanic island in the Delarof Islands of the Aleutian Islands of Alaska. It is located between the Tanaga Pass and the Amchitka Pass....
. Tropical Storm Scott never affected land. The storm was the only tropical cyclone during the season to not form from the monsoon trough
Monsoon trough
The monsoon trough is that portion of the Intertropical Convergence Zone which extends into or through a monsoon circulation, as depicted by a line on a weather map showing the locations of minimum sea level pressure, and as such, is a convergence zone between the wind patterns of the southern and...
.
Typhoon Tina (Huling)
From July 31-August 6, Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services AdministrationPhilippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration is a Philippine national institution dedicated to provide flood and typhoon warnings, public weather forecasts and advisories, meteorological, astronomical, climatological, and other specialized information and...
tracked the storm, and named it Huling.
Severe Tropical Storm Victor (Goring)
From July 30–31, Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services AdministrationPhilippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration is a Philippine national institution dedicated to provide flood and typhoon warnings, public weather forecasts and advisories, meteorological, astronomical, climatological, and other specialized information and...
tracked the storm, and named it Goring. In China, Victor killed 65 people and caused $241 million in damages.
Typhoon Winnie (Ibiang)
On August 5, a tropical depression formed near the Marshall IslandsMarshall Islands
The Republic of the Marshall Islands , , is a Micronesian nation of atolls and islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, just west of the International Date Line and just north of the Equator. As of July 2011 the population was 67,182...
. It headed northwestward, slowly strengthening to a tropical storm on the 9th. Intensification became more rapid as conditions became more favorable, and Winnie reached typhoon strength on the 10th. 2 days later, it became the 4th Super Typhoon of the season with peak winds of 160 mph. Soon after, the eye became ragged and large, with an outer eyewall reaching 200 miles in diameter. On the 18th, a minimal Typhoon Winnie passed north of Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
and hit eastern China, where it winded down until dissipating on the 19th. The remnant continued northeastward, bringing heavy rain and damage across China until the 23rd. In all, Winnie killed 212 people, displaced over 1 million, and caused $4.1 billion in damages.
Severe Tropical Storm Yule
Typhoon Yule merged with Tropical Depression 16W early in its life. It briefly held typhoon strengthTropical Depression 16W
Tropical Depression 16W developed out of a weak tropical disturbance on August 13. The disturbance was relatively close to another disturbance which would eventually become Typhoon Yule. By August 17, the disturbance had developed sufficient convection to be declared a tropical depression. However, upon being classified a depression, it was already beginning to be influenced by the nearby Yule. 16W eventually was overcome by Yule and a merger of the two systems took place on August 19, leading to the dissipation of the depression.Severe Tropical Storm Zita (Luming)
Originating from a tropical disturbance over the South China Sea on August 19, Zita tracked westward as it quickly strengthened within a region of light wind shear, attaining winds of 140 km/h (85 mph) as it made landfall along the Leizhou Peninsula early on August 22. Maintaining this intensity, the storm made a second landfall in northern Vietnam later that day before rapidly weakening over land. The remnants of Zita were last noted over extreme northwestern Vietnam on August 24. Early in its existence, the storm was monitored by PAGASA and was designated with the local name Luming. Throughout Zita's path, seven people were killed and $438 million was wrought in damage, nearly all of which took place in China.Typhoon Amber (Miling)
Typhoon Amber was the eighteenth tropical cyclone of the season. The tropical depression initially tracked slowly west-northwest between the subtropical ridgeSubtropical ridge
The subtropical ridge is a significant belt of high pressure situated around the latitudes of 30°N in the Northern Hemisphere and 30°S in the Southern Hemisphere. It is characterized by mostly calm winds, which acts to reduce air quality under its axis by causing fog overnight, and haze during...
and Typhoon Zita and developed at a faster than normal pace. By August 26, Tropical Storm Cass formed to the west-southwest, which accelerated Amber's forward motion to the northwest due to a fujiwara interaction. It underwent eyewall replacement cycles
Eyewall replacement cycle
Eyewall replacement cycles, also called concentric eyewall cycles, naturally occur in intense tropical cyclones, generally with winds greater than 185 km/h , or major hurricanes...
from August 25 through August 27, and tracked across Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
/Taipei with maximum sustained winds of 95 knots, then through the Formosa Strait into China as a minimal typhoon. Damages from Typhoon Amber amounted to $52 million.
Throughout much of its duration, Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration is a Philippine national institution dedicated to provide flood and typhoon warnings, public weather forecasts and advisories, meteorological, astronomical, climatological, and other specialized information and...
tracked the storm, and named it Miling.
Typhoon Bing
As a tropical storm, Bing tracked through the Mariana IslandsMariana Islands
The Mariana Islands are an arc-shaped archipelago made up by the summits of 15 volcanic mountains in the north-western Pacific Ocean between the 12th and 21st parallels north and along the 145th meridian east...
and produced torrential rains. Following previous heavy rains earlier in the month, a maximum of 6.17 in (156.7 mm) at Andersen Air Force Base
Andersen Air Force Base
Andersen Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately northeast of Yigo in the United States territory of Guam....
on Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
and 5.19 in (131.8 mm) on Tiyan. A landslide in Santa Rita
Santa Rita, Guam
Santa Rita is a village located on the southwest coast of the United States territory of Guam with hills overlooking Apra Harbor. According to the 2000 census it has a population of 7,500, down from 11,857 in 1990....
caused significant structural damage. By September 1, Bing bypassed the Bonin Islands. Sustained winds reached 55 km/h (34.2 mph) and gusts peaked at 75 km/h (46.6 mph). The extratropical remnants of Bing brought heavy rain to the Aleutian Islands between September 6 and 7. Winds also gusted in excess of 95 km/h (60 mph) in some areas.
Typhoon Oliwa
On August 28, the monsoon formed into Tropical Depression 2C in the Central Pacific. It headed slowly westward, becoming a tropical storm on September 3. It crossed the International Date LineInternational Date Line
The International Date Line is a generally north-south imaginary line on the surface of the Earth, passing through the middle of the Pacific Ocean, that designates the place where each calendar day begins...
, and continued to slowly strengthen to become a typhoon on September 8. Oliwa rapidly strengthened on September 9 to reach a peak of 160 mph winds; the sixth Super Typhoon of the year. Oliwa slowly weakened as it moved westward, and hit Japan on September 15 and September 16. It turned to the northeast, and dissipated on September 17. In Japan, severe flooding from the typhoon killed 17 people and displaced 30,000 others.
Typhoon David
Large swells produced by Typhoon David resulted in beach erosion in HawaiiHawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
.
Severe Tropical Storm Fritz
During mid-September, a monsoonMonsoon
Monsoon is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea...
al trough
Trough (meteorology)
A trough is an elongated region of relatively low atmospheric pressure, often associated with fronts.Unlike fronts, there is not a universal symbol for a trough on a weather chart. The weather charts in some countries or regions mark troughs by a line. In the United States, a trough may be marked...
developed in the South China Sea
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around...
. Deep convection developed near the periphery of the low level circulation before rapidly consolidating near the center on September 20. At this time, the JTWC classified the system as Tropical Depression 22W while situated near the coast of Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
. Due to the proximity to land, the system struggled to develop until it turned sharply to the east on September 22.
In Vietnam, Fritz killed 28 people and caused $5.1 million in damages.
Typhoon Ginger
Typhoon Ginger originated from a low-latitude tropical disturbanceTropical wave
Tropical waves, easterly waves, or tropical easterly waves, also known as African easterly waves in the Atlantic region, are a type of atmospheric trough, an elongated area of relatively low air pressure, oriented north to south, which move from east to west across the tropics causing areas of...
near the International Date Line
International Date Line
The International Date Line is a generally north-south imaginary line on the surface of the Earth, passing through the middle of the Pacific Ocean, that designates the place where each calendar day begins...
on September 21. The following day, deep convection
Atmospheric convection
Atmospheric convection is the result of a parcel-environment instability, or temperature difference, layer in the atmosphere. Different lapse rates within dry and moist air lead to instability. Mixing of air during the day which expands the height of the planetary boundary layer leads to...
consolidated around a low-level circulation center
Low pressure area
A low-pressure area, or "low", is a region where the atmospheric pressure at sea level is below that of surrounding locations. Low-pressure systems form under areas of wind divergence which occur in upper levels of the troposphere. The formation process of a low-pressure area is known as...
and banding features
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 imagery, this precipitation elongation is referred to as...
formed around the system. At 0530 UTC, the JTWC issued a tropical cyclone formation alert for the system. Later that day, the system was designated as Tropical Depression 24W. Tracking in a more northerly direction, the depression intensified into a tropical storm the next day, at which time it was given the name Ginger. Continued strengthening occurred at a climatological rate until it was upgraded to a typhoon on September 25. Upon becoming a typhoon, Ginger underwent a period of explosive development
Rapid deepening
Rapid deepening, also known as rapid intensification, is a meteorological condition that occurs when the minimum sea-level atmospheric pressure of a tropical cyclone decreases drastically in a short period of time. The National Weather Service describes rapid deepening as a decrease of...
.
During this period, the storm intensified into a Category 5 super typhoon, with winds reaching 265 km/h (165 mph) by 0000 UTC on September 27. At this time, Ginger featured a small, well-defined eye surrounded by a smooth central dense overcast and large convective feeder bands. The general cloudless environment surrounding the system allowed outflow
Outflow (meteorology)
Outflow, in meteorology, is air that flows outwards from a storm system. It is associated with ridging, or anticyclonic flow. In the low levels of the troposphere, outflow radiates from thunderstorms in the form of a wedge of rain-cooled air, which is visible as a thin rope-like cloud on weather...
to cover a large area. Shortly after peaking, the storm began to recurve towards the northeast and weaken. Gradually accelerating, the storm began to undergo an extratropical transition. The JTWC issued their final advisory on the typhoon at 0600 UTC on September 30. Several hours later, the extratropical system weakened below typhoon intensity. The remnants of Ginger persisted for two more days as it rapidly tracked towards the Western United States
Western United States
.The Western United States, commonly referred to as the American West or simply "the West," traditionally refers to the region comprising the westernmost states of the United States. Because the U.S. expanded westward after its founding, the meaning of the West has evolved over time...
. By October 2, the storm impacted the region and dissipated shortly thereafter.
The remnants of Typhoon Ginger brought strong winds and heavy rain to the Western United States. Winds along the Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
coastline gusted up to 69 mph (111 km/h). The highest rainfall total was recorded in Felida, Washington
Felida, Washington
Felida is a census-designated place in Clark County, Washington, United States. The population was 5,683 at the 2000 census.Based on per capita income, one of the more reliable measures of affluence, Felida ranks 51st of 522 areas in the state of Washington to be ranked.-Geography:Felida is...
at 1.3 in (33 mm). Power was also briefly cut to 450 people by the high winds.
Tropical Depression 26W
Tropical Depression 26W developed out of an area of disturbed weather located near the Mariana IslandsMariana Islands
The Mariana Islands are an arc-shaped archipelago made up by the summits of 15 volcanic mountains in the north-western Pacific Ocean between the 12th and 21st parallels north and along the 145th meridian east...
on September 29. While passing near Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
, the disturbance was designated a tropical depression. Shortly after, the depression became disorganized as wind shear
Wind shear
Wind shear, sometimes referred to as windshear or wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere...
displaced the convection
Atmospheric convection
Atmospheric convection is the result of a parcel-environment instability, or temperature difference, layer in the atmosphere. Different lapse rates within dry and moist air lead to instability. Mixing of air during the day which expands the height of the planetary boundary layer leads to...
associated with the storm. Over the next 24 hours, the depression stalled in response to weak steering currents before a subtropical ridge developed to the north and caused the system to move quickly to the west. The low became separated from almost all of its convection on October 6 before being absorbed into a frontal system
Weather front
A weather front is a boundary separating two masses of air of different densities, and is the principal cause of meteorological phenomena. In surface weather analyses, fronts are depicted using various colored lines and symbols, depending on the type of front...
the next day.
Tropical Storm Hank
Tropical Storm Hank originated out of an area of low pressure over the South China Sea in late September. Minimal convection was associated with the system and only light winds were recorded. Over the following days, the system gradually organized and by October 3, the JTWC issued a TCFA for the system. However, in post-storm analysis, it was found that Hank was already a tropical storm by this time. By the time the TCFA was issued, Hank reached its peak intensity with winds of 75 km/h (45 mph) before succumbing to strong wind shear. Late on October 3, Hank weakened to a tropical depression and was initially thought to have made landfall; however, satellite analysis showed that the center did not cross land until October 5, shortly before dissipating. There were no reports of damage in relation to the storm.Typhoon Ivan (Narsing)
Forming out of an area of disturbed weather on October 13, Ivan gradually intensified into a typhoon as it tracked steadily to the west-northwest. On October 15, the storm underwent rapid intensification and reached an intensity corresponding to Category 5 status on the Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale. Late on October 17, Ivan reached its peak strength with winds of 295 km/h (185 mph) and a barometric pressure of 905 hPa (mbar). Shortly thereafter, the typhoon began to weaken as it approached the Philippines. Ivan eventually made landfall in northern Luzon with winds of 220 km/h (140 mph) on October 20 before weakening to a tropical storm the next day. The storm then curved northeastward and became extratropical on October 25, dissipating the following day. During its existence, Ivan was monitored by PAGASA and designated with the local name Narsing.Although Ivan was a powerful storm at landfall, its effects were relatively minor compared to the storm's intensity; however, 14 people were killed during the storm and two others were listed as missing. Agricultural industries sustained the most severe damage, as thousands of animals drowned in the storm. Throughout the Philippines, damage amounted to $9.6 million (1997 USD; $13.1 million 2009 USD). A total of 1,779 homes were destroyed, 13,771 others were damaged and 4,600 hectares of farmland were flooded by the storm.
Typhoon Joan
Typhoon Joan caused significant damage throughout the Marshall IslandsMarshall Islands
The Republic of the Marshall Islands , , is a Micronesian nation of atolls and islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, just west of the International Date Line and just north of the Equator. As of July 2011 the population was 67,182...
. The most severe damage occurred on Anatahan
Anatahan
Anatahan is one of the most active volcanoes of the Northern Mariana Islands. The island of Anatahan is 9 kilometers long and has a land area of . Formerly inhabited, it now has no population because of the always-present danger of volcanic eruptions...
where 37 homes were destroyed. Three people were injured during preparations for the storm when a wind gust blew a sheet of plywood into residents. Damages from the storm amounted to $200,000, mainly on Anatahan.
Typhoon Keith
The tenth of eleven tropical cycloneTropical cyclone
A tropical cyclone is a storm system characterized by a large low-pressure center and numerous thunderstorms that produce strong winds and heavy rain. Tropical cyclones strengthen when water evaporated from the ocean is released as the saturated air rises, resulting in condensation of water vapor...
s to attain super typhoon intensity in the western North Pacific during 1997, Keith formed at low latitudes in the Marshall Islands
Marshall Islands
The Republic of the Marshall Islands , , is a Micronesian nation of atolls and islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, just west of the International Date Line and just north of the Equator. As of July 2011 the population was 67,182...
. It was one of ten TCs which formed east of 160°E
160th meridian east
The meridian 160° east of Greenwich is a line of longitude that extends from the North Pole across the Arctic Ocean, Asia, the Pacific Ocean, the Southern Ocean, and Antarctica to the South Pole....
and south of 20°N
20th parallel north
The 20th parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 20 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane. It crosses Africa, Asia, the Indian Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, North America, the Caribbean and the Atlantic Ocean....
— within the "El Niño". Keith was a recurving TC which passed between the Islands of Rota and Tinian (only 50 nmi (92.6 km) apart) on the west-bound leg of its recurving track. NEXRAD imagery from Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
indicated the eye wall cloud of Keith never touched land as it threaded the narrow channel between these two islands. As such, the Mariana Islands
Mariana Islands
The Mariana Islands are an arc-shaped archipelago made up by the summits of 15 volcanic mountains in the north-western Pacific Ocean between the 12th and 21st parallels north and along the 145th meridian east...
were spared the full force of Keith. Keith's compact wind and cloud structure were revealed by Guam's NEXRAD Equatorial westerly winds bounded by twin near-equatorial troughs preceded the formation of Keith and a Southern Hemisphere
Southern Hemisphere
The Southern Hemisphere is the part of Earth that lies south of the equator. The word hemisphere literally means 'half ball' or "half sphere"...
twin.
Severe Tropical Storm Linda (Openg)
Typhoon Linda, after moving through the Philippines and the South China Sea, hit the Malay PeninsulaMalay Peninsula
The Malay Peninsula or Thai-Malay Peninsula is a peninsula in Southeast Asia. The land mass runs approximately north-south and, at its terminus, is the southern-most point of the Asian mainland...
on November 3. It restrengthened in the Bay of Bengal, but vertical shear caused Linda to dissipate on the 9th.
On the 2nd of November, Linda hit the southern tip of Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
, the Ca Mau province
Ca Mau Province
Cà Mau is a province of Vietnam, named after its capital city. It is located in the Mekong Delta of southern Vietnam, and is the southernmost of Vietnam's 58 provinces...
, causing unprecedented havoc with 1,292 people being killed in Vietnam, most of which drowned at sea. Nearly 80,000 houses are reported as destroyed and almost 140,000 as badly damaged. Infrastructure (roads, schools and hospitals) also suffered heavily and huge swathes of rice paddy were swamped. The hardest hit provinces were Kien Giang, Ca Mau, Bac Lieu, Soc Trang, Tra Vinh, Ben Tre and Vung Tau. It was the worst typhoon to strike the area in 100 years. Damages from the storm amounted to VND 7 trillion (US$409 million).
Elsewhere in Thailand and the Philippines , Linda caused further deaths from flooding and heavy damage.
Tropical Storm Mort (Pining)
From November 12–16, Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services AdministrationPhilippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration is a Philippine national institution dedicated to provide flood and typhoon warnings, public weather forecasts and advisories, meteorological, astronomical, climatological, and other specialized information and...
tracked the storm, and named it Pining.
The remnants of Tropical Storm Mort brought locally heavy rainfall to areas of northern Luzon
Luzon
Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...
, resulting in minor flooding.
Super Typhoon Paka (Rubing)
The final super typhoon of the year developed in the Central Pacific on November 28. It moved westward, strengthening into a tropical storm before crossing the International Date Line on December 7. Conditions were marginally favorable for development, and Paka remained a tropical storm until December 10, when it was able to become a typhoon. Five days later, Paka reached Super Typhoon strength, the eleventh of the year. The next day it crossed over GuamGuam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
, and on December 18, Paka reached a peak of 185 mph winds. After causing major damage across the smaller Western Pacific island groups, Paka rapidly weakened and dissipated on December 22.
Typhoon Paka first impacted the Marshall Islands
Marshall Islands
The Republic of the Marshall Islands , , is a Micronesian nation of atolls and islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, just west of the International Date Line and just north of the Equator. As of July 2011 the population was 67,182...
, where it dropped heavy rainfall and left $80 million in damage (1997 USD, $109 million 2009 USD). Later, it passed just north of Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
, where strong winds destroyed about 1,500 buildings and damaged 10,000 more; 5,000 people were left homeless, and the island experienced a complete power outage following the typhoon. Damage on the island totaled $500 million (1997 USD, $680 million 2009 USD), which warranted the retirement of its name. Paka also caused light damage in the Northern Mariana Islands
Northern Mariana Islands
The Northern Mariana Islands, officially the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , is a commonwealth in political union with the United States, occupying a strategic region of the western Pacific Ocean. It consists of 15 islands about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to the Philippines...
, and overall the typhoon caused no reported fatalities.
Accumulated Cyclone Energy (ACE) Ranking
{|class="wikitable" border="1" style="float:right; margin-left:1em;"|-
!colspan=6|ACE (104 kt2)
|-
! 1
| 65.8375 || Paka
Typhoon Paka
Typhoon Paka was the last tropical cyclone in the 1997 Pacific Ocean hurricane and typhoon season, and was among the strongest Pacific typhoons in the month of December. Paka, which is the Hawaiian name for Pat, developed on November 28 from a trough well to the southwest of Hawaii...
! 17
| 10.295 || Marie
|-
! 2
| 57.955 || Joan
! 18
| 9.9525 || Peter
|-
! 3
| 52.12 || Keith
Typhoon Keith (1997)
Typhoon Keith was the tenth of a record eleven super typhoons to develop during the unusually intense 1997 Pacific typhoon season. Originating from a near-equatorial trough on October 26, the precursor depression to Keith slowly organized into a tropical storm...
! 19
| 5.12 || Mort
|-
! 4
| 43.44 || Isa
! 20
| 4.59 || Fritz
|-
! 5
| 42.68 || Oliwa
Typhoon Oliwa (1997)
Typhoon Oliwa was one of a record eleven super typhoons in the 1997 Pacific typhoon season. It formed in the central Pacific Ocean on September 2 to the southwest of Hawaii, but it became a typhoon in the western Pacific. Oliwa explosively deepened on September 8, increasing its winds...
! 21
| 4.3925 || Scott
|-
! 6
| 42.225 || Ivan
Typhoon Ivan (1997)
Typhoon Ivan was an intense tropical cyclone that existed simultaneously with another storm of the same intensity. Forming out of an area of disturbed weather on October 13, Ivan gradually intensified into a typhoon as it tracked steadily to the west-northwest...
! 22
| 4.135 || Zita
Tropical Storm Zita (1997)
Severe Tropical Storm Zita was a short-lived tropical cyclone that killed seven people throughout southern China. Originating from a tropical disturbance over the South China Sea on August 19, Zita tracked westward as it quickly strengthened within a region of light wind shear, attaining winds...
|-
! 7
| 40.5575 || Winnie
! 23
| 4.0875 || Linda
|-
! 8
| 31.0525 || Nestor
! 24
| 3.3575 || Levi
|-
! 9
| 26.1125 || Rosie
! 25
| 2.9675 || Jimmy
|-
! 10
| 24.9825 || Ginger
! 26
| 2.5975 || Victor
|-
! 11
| 24.8025 || Bing
! 27
| 2.435 || Hannah
|-
! 12
| 24.37 || Amber
! 28
| 1.1175 || Ella
|-
! 13
| 19.7325 || David
! 29
| 1.0925 || Kelly
|-
! 14
| 17.4575 || Tina
! 30
| 0.89 || Cass
|-
! 15
| 11.082 || Yule
! 31
| 0.565 || Hank
|-
! 16
| 11.06 || Opal
!
| ||
|-
!colspan=6|Total=594.11
|}
The table on the right shows the Accumulated Cyclone Energy
Accumulated cyclone energy
Accumulated cyclone energy is a measure used by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to express the activity of individual tropical cyclones and entire tropical cyclone seasons, particularly the North Atlantic hurricane season. It uses an approximation of the energy used by a...
for each storm in the season. The ACE is, broadly speaking, a measure of the power of the typhoon multiplied by the length of time it existed for, so typhoons that lasted a long time (like Typhoon Paka
Typhoon Paka
Typhoon Paka was the last tropical cyclone in the 1997 Pacific Ocean hurricane and typhoon season, and was among the strongest Pacific typhoons in the month of December. Paka, which is the Hawaiian name for Pat, developed on November 28 from a trough well to the southwest of Hawaii...
) have higher ACEs. The total ACE for the 1997 season was 594.11, which is the highest ACE for any tropical cyclone season in recorded history. This was because 11 of the 33 storms in the season reached super typhoon status. ACE for Linda, Paka, and Oliwa only include ACE during the time they were in the Western Pacific Basin.
1997 storm names
Western North Pacific tropical cyclones were named by the Joint Typhoon Warning CenterJoint Typhoon Warning Center
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center is a joint United States Navy – United States Air Force task force located at the Naval Maritime Forecast Center in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii...
. The first storm of 1997 was named Hannah and the final one was named Mort.
{|width="90%"
|
- AnnBartCamDanEveFrankieGloriaHerbIanJoyKirkLisaMartyNikiOrsonPiperRickSallyTomVioletWillieYatesZane
|- AbleBethCarloDaleErnieFernGreg
- Hannah 1W
- Isa 2W
- Jimmy 3W
- Kelly 4W
- Levi 5W
- Marie 6W
- Nestor 7W
- Opal 8W
- Peter 9W
- Rosie 10W
- Scott 11W
- Tina 12W
- Victor 13W
- Winnie 14W
- Yule 15W
- Zita 17W
|- Amber 18W
- Bing 19W
- Cass 20W
- David 21W
- Ella 23W
- Fritz 22W
- Ginger 24W
- Hank 25W
- Ivan 27W
- Joan 28W
- Keith 29W
- Linda 30W
- Mort 31W
- NicholeOttoPennyRexStellaToddVickiWaldoYanniZeb
|- AlexBabsChipDawnElvisFaithGilHildaIrisJacobKateLeoMaggieNeilOlgaPaulRachelSamTanyaVirgilWendyYorkZia
|}
Two central pacific storms, Tropical Storms Oliwa and PakaTyphoon PakaTyphoon Paka was the last tropical cyclone in the 1997 Pacific Ocean hurricane and typhoon season, and was among the strongest Pacific typhoons in the month of December. Paka, which is the Hawaiian name for Pat, developed on November 28 from a trough well to the southwest of Hawaii...
, crossed into this basin. They became Typhoons Oliwa and PakaTyphoon PakaTyphoon Paka was the last tropical cyclone in the 1997 Pacific Ocean hurricane and typhoon season, and was among the strongest Pacific typhoons in the month of December. Paka, which is the Hawaiian name for Pat, developed on November 28 from a trough well to the southwest of Hawaii...
, keeping their original name and "C" suffix.
Philippines
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services AdministrationPhilippinesThe Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services AdministrationThe Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration is a Philippine national institution dedicated to provide flood and typhoon warnings, public weather forecasts and advisories, meteorological, astronomical, climatological, and other specialized information and...
(PAGASA) uses its own naming scheme for tropical cyclones within its area of responsibility. Lists are recycled every four years. This is the same list used for the 1993 season1993 Pacific typhoon seasonOn July 29, PAGASA initiated advisories on a poorly organised tropical depression. The depression moved slowly towards the north-west before it dissipated during the next day.-Typhoon Robyn :...
.
{| style="width:90%;"
|- Atring 01W
- Bining 05W
- Kuring 08W
- Daling 09W
- Elang 10W
|- Goring 13W
- Huling 12W
- Ibiang 14W
- Luming 17W
- Miling 18W
|- Narsing 27W
- Openg 30W
- Pining 31W
- RubingTyphoon PakaTyphoon Paka was the last tropical cyclone in the 1997 Pacific Ocean hurricane and typhoon season, and was among the strongest Pacific typhoons in the month of December. Paka, which is the Hawaiian name for Pat, developed on November 28 from a trough well to the southwest of Hawaii...
05C - Saling
|- TasingUnsingWaldingYeyengAnding
|- BinangKadiangDinangEpangGundang
|}
See also
- 1997 Pacific hurricane season1997 Pacific hurricane seasonThe 1997 Pacific hurricane season was a very active hurricane season. With hundreds of deaths and billions of dollars in damage, this season was the costliest and one of the deadliest Pacific hurricane seasons. This was due to a strong El Niño...
- 1997 Atlantic hurricane season1997 Atlantic hurricane seasonThe 1997 Atlantic hurricane season is the most recent Atlantic hurricane season to feature no tropical cyclones in August. The season officially began on June 1, 1997, and lasted until November 30, 1997...
- 1997-98 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season1997-98 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone seasonThe 1997–98 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season was an event in the annual cycle of tropical cyclone formation. It ran from November 15, 1997 to April 30, 1998, except for Mauritius and the Seychelles, where it ran until May 15. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when...
- 1997-98 Australian region cyclone season1997-98 Australian region cyclone seasonThe 1997–98 Australian region cyclone season was an event in the ongoing cycle of tropical cyclone formation. It ran from 1 November 1997 to 30 April 1998...
- 1997-98 South Pacific cyclone season1997-98 South Pacific cyclone seasonThe 1997–98 South Pacific cyclone season was one of the most active and the longest tropical cyclone seasons on record, with 16 tropical cyclones occurring within the South Pacific Ocean basin between 160°E and 120°W...
- 1997 North Indian Ocean cyclone season1997 North Indian Ocean cyclone seasonThe 1997 North Indian Ocean cyclone season had no bounds, but cyclones tend to form between April and December, with peaks in May and November. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the northern Indian Ocean.-Season summary:Five tropical...
External links
- Japan Meteorological Agency
- Joint Typhoon Warning Center.
- China Meteorological Agency
- National Weather Service Guam
- Hong Kong Observatory
- Macau Meteorological Geophysical Services
- Korea Meteorological Agency
- Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
- Taiwan Central Weather Bureau
- Satellite movie of 1997 Pacific typhoon season
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