The 2004 Pacific typhoon season has no official bounds; it ran year-round in 2004, but
most tropical cyclones tend to form in the northwestern Pacific Ocean between May and November.[1] These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the
northwestern Pacific Ocean.
The scope of this article is limited to the Pacific Ocean, north of the equator and west of the international date line. Storms that form east of the date line and north of the equator are
called hurricanes; see 2004 Pacific hurricane season. Tropical Storms
formed in the entire west pacific basin are assigned a name by the Tokyo Typhoon 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.
Storms
Typhoon Sudal (Cosme)
On April 4, Tropical Depression 03W began its life between Chuuk and Pohnpei. As it drifted to the northwest, it strengthened into a
tropical storm. Sudal turned to the west, and steadily intensified to become a typhoon
on April 6. On the April 9, with maximum sustained winds of 115
kt/130 mph, Typhoon Sudal hit the island of Yap. After ravaging the island, Sudal reached a peak of
125 kt/150 mph winds. The typhoon turned to the northeast and became extratropical on the April
15. Yap experienced catastrophic damage, with 90% of buildings destroyed, 1,500 left homeless, and one fatality. Sudal is
a Korean word meaning otter.
Typhoon Nida (Dindo)
|
Typhoon Nida (Dindo)
Super Typhoon 04W |
5 |
|
|
|
| Duration |
May 14—May
21 |
| Intensity |
95 kt
(10-min), 935 hPa |
The monsoon trough spawned Tropical Depression 04W east of the Philippines on May 13. The depression quickly strengthened, reaching
tropical storm intensity on May 14 and typhoon status
just six hours later. On May 15 and May 16 while moving northwest
towards the Philippine coast, Nida rapidly intensified to a 135 kt/160 mph super typhoon,
and crossed the eastern Philippines shortly thereafter. Nida weakened slightly over the
islands, and began to move to the north and northeast in response to a break in the subtropical ridge. It became extratropical on
May 21 east of Japan, after causing 31 deaths and about $1.3 million in damage. Nida is a Thai
female name.
In the Philippines, evacuation centers were opened to accommodate 2,986 people. The
typhoon approach canceled ferry operations stranding 15,057 passengers.[2] In Taiwan, forecasters at the
Central Weather Bureau issued a typhoon warning as forecast models predicted a
high probability of the typhoon hitting Taiwan.[3]
Severe Tropical Storm Omais (Eteng)
|
Severe Tropical Storm Omais (Eteng)
Typhoon 06W |
1 |
|
|
|
| Duration |
May 18—May
21 |
| Intensity |
50 kt
(10-min), 985 hPa |
A tropical disturbance southwest of Chuuk organized into a tropical depression on
May 16, one of 3 active tropical cyclones in the Western Pacific at the time. The depression
developed quickly, reaching tropical storm status later that day and reaching a peak of 60 kt/70 mph winds three days later on
May 19. A weakening ridge brought Omais northward, where it became extratropical on
May 22. Operationally, Omais was classified as a typhoon, but in post-analysis, it was dropped to a tropical storm. Omais is a Palauan word meaning
'wandering around'.
Typhoon Conson (Frank)
In the South China Sea, a stationary area of disturbed weather developed into
Tropical Depression 07W on June 4. It tracked eastward then northeastward, becoming a tropical
storm on June 5 and a typhoon on June 7. Conson passed between
Luzon and Taiwan, and peaked with 100 kt/115 mph winds on
June 9. Conson weakened as it continued northeastward, and became extratropical on June 11 near Japan without causing any reported damage. Conson is an area in Vietnam
containing many historical monuments.
Severe Tropical Storm Chanthu (Gener)
|
Severe Tropical Storm Chanthu (Gener)
Typhoon 08W |
1 |
|
|
|
| Duration |
June 10—June
13 |
| Intensity |
60 kt
(10-min), 975 hPa |
A westward moving disturbance was immediately upgraded to Tropical Storm Chanthu on June 9,
just east of the Philippines. It crossed the islands, and strengthened in the
South China Sea to a typhoon on
June 12. After peaking with 75 kt/85 mph winds, Chanthu hit central Vietnam on June 12, and dissipated the next day. Seven people were killed in
the heavy flooding. Chanthu is a type of flower found in Cambodia.
Typhoon Dianmu (Helen)
|
Typhoon Dianmu (Helen)
Super Typhoon 09W |
5 |
|
|
|
| Duration |
June 13—June
21 |
| Intensity |
100 kt
(10-min), 915 hPa |
- Main article: Typhoon Dianmu (2004)
Tropical Depression 09W, which developed from the monsoon trough on June 13, headed north in the open Western Pacific. On the June 15 and
June 16, Dianmu rapidly intensified from a 70 kt/80 mph
typhoon to a 155 kt/180 mph super typhoon, one of nine typhoons since 1990 to reach
that intensity. It lost some organization on June 18, but re-strengthened on June 19 to a super typhoon while south of Okinawa. Some dry air
weakened Dianmu as it continued its northward movement, and hit southern Japan as a 55 kt/65 mph
tropical storm on June 21. Dianmu became extratropical that night after causing 3 deaths. Dianmu is the name of the goddess of thunder and
lightning in Chinese folklore.
Typhoon Mindulle (Igme)
|
Typhoon Mindulle (Igme)
Typhoon 10W |
4 |
|
|
|
| Duration |
June 23—July
4 |
| Intensity |
95 kt
(10-min), 940 hPa |
The monsoon trough spawned a tropical depression on June
23 near Guam. It tracked westward, becoming a tropical storm that night but slowly
strengthening as it continued westward due to vertical wind shear. When the shear abated, Mindulle quickly intensified, reaching
typhoon strength on June 27 and peaking at 125 kt/145 mph winds on June 28. Land interaction with Luzon to its south weakened Mindulle, and the
typhoon weakened as it turned northward. On July 1
Mindulle hit eastern Taiwan, and after accelerating to the northeast became extratropical near South Korea on July 4. Mindulle caused 56 deaths, with $317.2 million in damage in its path (2004 USD). Mindulle is the Korean
word for the dandelion.
Typhoon Tingting
Tropical Depression 11W, which developed from the monsoon trough on June 25, steadily strengthened as it tracked to the northwest, and reached tropical storm status on
June 26. Tingting passed Saipan on June 27, and reached typhoon status early on June 28. After maximum sustained winds peaked at 80 kts/90 mph, the typhoon turned to the northeast, where it became extratropical on July 3 after causing 3 deaths on Saipan. Tingting is a pet name for young girls in Chinese.
Tropical Storm Kompasu (Julian)
|
Tropical Storm Kompasu (Julian)
Tropical Storm 12W |
TS |
|
|
|
| Duration |
July 14—July
16 |
| Intensity |
45 kt
(10-min), 992 hPa |
An area of thunderstorms and convection organized into Tropical Depression 12W on July 13.
Under high vertical shear and with a very small circulation, it was not expected to strengthen further. However, as it tracked
erratically westward, it intensified, peaking with 40 kt/50 mph winds on July 14. Kompasu turned
northward, hit the eastern part of Hong Kong directly as a minimal tropical storm, and
dissipated on July 16. Kompasu is the Japanese word for compass,
and the name of the constellation Circinus.
Typhoon Namtheun
Tropical Storm Namtheun, which formed on July 25, rapidly intensified on July 26 to a 115 kt/135 mph typhoon. Dry air approached the system
from the south, and it weakened as it tracked northwest towards Japan. On July 31, Namtheun hit southwest Japan as a 55 kt/65 mph tropical storm, and
became extratropical in the Sea of Japan on
August 1. The storm caused no deaths or damage, with only 6 injuries. Namtheun is the name of a
river in Laos.
Tropical Storm Malou
An area of convection under moderate to high vertical wind shear developed into a tropical depression southeast of Japan on
August 4. It became a minimal tropical storm before hitting central Japan on the night of August 4. Malou turned to the northeast and became
extratropical in the Sea of Japan on
August 5. Malou is the Chinese name for the mineral agate.
Typhoon Meranti
Meranti formed near Wake Island on August 2 and reached
its peak intensity of 90 kts/105 mph on August 5 before dissipating on August 8. Meranti was the only one of the six August typhoons which did not affect any populated areas. Meranti is a
type of tree found in Malaysia.
Typhoon Rananim (Karen)
Rananim formed on August 7 and reached its maximum intensity of 90 kts/105 mph on
August 12 before making landfall in the Zhejiang Province of China later that day. In advance of the storm, 415,000 people were evacuated. Rananim caused as much as 686 mm/27"
of rain in parts of Zhejiang, killing 115 people, injuring 1800 and causing US$4 billion in direct economic losses. It was the
worst typhoon to hit China since Winnie in 1997. Rananim is the Chuukese word for 'hello'.
Tropical Storm Malakas
A reverse-oriented monsoon trough extended from the Philippine Sea northeastward for hundreds of miles spawned a disturbed area around 22N/150E late on
August 8. A weak tropical depression formed out of this area late on August 9. Deep convection was in a cycling mode, and satellite imagery initially indicated that the system was
subtropical in nature. The depression was upgraded to Tropical Storm Malakas as it took on a more tropical appearance about 670
miles west-northwest of Wake Island, and it moved northeastward along the northern periphery
of the subtropical ridge. By August 12, satellite
imagery indicated that Malakas was becoming extratropical. JMA declared the system
extratropical on the August 14, placing the
weak 25 kt/30 mph low approximately 575 miles north-northwest of Midway Island. Malakas is
a Filipino word meaning 'strong' or 'powerful'.[4]
Typhoon Megi (Lawin)
Typhoon Megi was the fourth of eight significant tropical cyclones to form during August. Megi
was initially spotted 260 miles west of Guam on August 11,
slowly developing into Tropical Depression 18W on the August 14, strengthening into a tropical
storm on the August 16, and ultimately into a typhoon on the August 18 to the southwest of Japan. Megi moved northwest through the Ryukyu islands before recurving
northeastward towards South Korea and Japan. Megi sped across
northern Honshū before completing its transition into a nontropical low off the east coast of
Hokkaidō. The resultant ocean cyclone moved rapidly eastward, reaching a point near 42N/174E
late on the August 22.
Despite peaking at only minimal typhoon intensity, Megi had a significant impact on both Japan
and South Korea. In Japan, the highest storm total rainfall
noted was 610 mm at Tomisato between August 17 and August
21, with 398 mm falling in a 24 hour period. The highest wind gust was 109 mph/48.7 m/s at Izuhara, Nagasaki early on the August 19. The lowest measured pressure was 974.1 mb
at Isuhara. In South Korea, the heaviest 24 hour rain total was 332.5 mm at Wando between
late on the August 17 and August 18. News reports indicated
that five people were reported dead or missing after Typhoon Megi in South Korea. The number
left homeless rose to more than 2400. Typhoon Megi left at least ten dead in Japan. Megi's
landfall on northern Japan resulted in large blackouts as 130,000 homes were left in the dark. A
group of about 165 primary school students were stranded by a Megi-induced landslide in western Japan, though were successfully rescued by helicopter. Megi is the Korean word for
the catfish.[4]
Typhoon Chaba
Chaba formed on August 18 in the open Western Pacific. It moved westward, strengthening
into a tropical storm on the August 19 and a typhoon on August
20. Chaba turned to the northwest, and rapidly intensified to a 155 kt/180 mph super typhoon on the August 22 with an estimated minimum central pressure of 879 mbar, among
the lowest on record. After fluctuating between 100 kt/115 mph and super typhoon status for several days, Chaba weakened as it
turned to the north, and hit the southwestern Japanese island of Honshū. It accelerated to the northeast, and became extratropical on August
31. The storm killed seven people and brought extensive flooding to Honshū. Chaba is a
type of tropical flower.
Typhoon Aere (Marce)
- Main article: Typhoon Aere (2004)
Aere is the Marshallese word for 'storm'. A tropical disturbance developed into a tropical depression on the 19th about 400
miles west of Guam, and moved northwest at 10 kts/12 mph along the southwestern periphery of a mid-level steering ridge. The
system reached tropical storm status on the 20th, gaining the name Aere. Aere subsequently crossed into the Philippine's area of
responsibility and was assigned the name Marce. Aere was upgraded to typhoon intensity on the 21st, and its strength leveled off
during the 21st and 22nd. On the 23rd, Typhoon Aere was downgraded to a tropical storm briefly due to vertical wind shear while
located 200 miles south of Naha, Okinawa. Aere quickly regained typhoon strength and maintained intensity for the rest of the
23rd and developed a 50-mile wide eye. Aere reached its peak intensity of 85 kts/100 mph late on the 24th, when the pressure
lowered to 955 mb. As the storm crossed the northern tip of Taiwan it began to weaken. Aere turned southwestward later that day,
a trajectory that carried the storm past Xiamen early on the 26th and close to Shantou later that day before weakening into a
tropical storm. The remnants of Typhoon Aere remained a tropical depression until the 31st.
Early on the 25th, six villages located in Gaoqiao Town, Yinzhou District, Ningbo City, were struck by a tornado triggered by
Typhoon Aere. The tornado did cause some economic losses, but no casualties were reported. Preliminary statistics indicated that
the typhoon had caused 2.485 billion yuan of direct economic losses and was responsible for two deaths in Fujian province. Aere
also affected 3,479,900 residents in 421 towns of 48 counties of 6 cities in Fujian, where three cities were flooded, 10,100
houses were toppled, 236 embankments and thousands of water conservancy facilities were damaged. Thirty-four people were killed
in Taiwan as a result of the storm, and fifteen died as a mudslide buried a remote mountain village in the north of the island.
Agricultural losses were estimated at 7.7 million New Taiwan dollars ($US 313,000). Forty-three deaths in the Philippines were
caused by heavy rains induced by the typhoon. Eight provinces in northern and central Luzon were most severely affected with 70%
of the provinces under water at one point.[4]
Typhoon Songda (Nina)
The name Songda is from a branch of the Red River in Vietnam. Songda was the
second super typhoon to affect the Marianas and Japan in a week, soon after Super Typhoon Chaba passed through the same area.
Tropical Depression 22W underwent rapid strengthening and was soon upgraded to tropical storm intensity on August 28th, and was
on the verge of typhoon intensity by local midnight. Sustained winds of tropical storm force and gusts to typhoon force were seen
in Eniwetak as the cyclone passed by to the north. Continuing on its west-northwesterly heading, Songda reached typhoon intensity
late on the 29th approximately 760 miles east of Saipan. By the 1st, Songda became the fifth super typhoon of 2004. Typhoon-force
wind gusts were observed on Pagan and Agrihan as the eyewall of Songda approached. Songda weakened slight below super typhoon
force quickly after achieving the intensity and turned northwest. The center of Songda passed 17 miles north-northeast of Agrihan
on the 1st. The cyclone then turned westward and headed for Okinawa. On the 3rd, Typhoon Songda gained the name Nina after
entering PAGASA's area of warning responsibility. Typhoon Songda's strength began to wane as it neared Okinawa. Typhoon Songda
passed a short distance north of the island by late on the 5th with the lowest SLP of 924 mb recorded on the island. Weakening
continued as the storm tracked to the northwest. Songda turned north-northwestward on the 6th and headed towards Japan. Songda
came ashore near the city of Nagasaki with winds (10-min avg) of 80 kts/90 mph on the 7th. The tropical cyclone accelerated
northeastwards at 34 kts/39 mph as it moved across southwestern Japan. Weakening continued, with winds below typhoon strength at
by early on the 8th. Its forward speed increased to 50 kts/58 mph, and Songda became a nontropical low later that day. The
extratropical gale continued eastward as it slowly weakened, and by late on the 10th it had crossed the Dateline into the Bering
Sea.
Storm total rainfall amounts in Japan ranged as high as 905 mm at Morotsuka between the 4th and 9th, with 358 mm falling
between the early morning of the 6th and 7th. The highest wind gust of 135 mph/60.2 m/s was measured at Hiroshima. The lowest
pressure measured in Japan was 944.3 mb at Saga. In the Republic of Korea, Ulleungdo measured 112.0 mm between the 6th and 7th.
News reports indicated that Typhoon Songda killed 20 people and injured 700 others in Japan. In addition, 15 crew members of a
vessel were reported missing. Songda arrived shortly after three earthquakes had struck the country a few days prior.[4]
Severe Tropical Storm Sarika
The name Sarika is originally from a songbird found in Cambodia. JMA classified a tropical depression early on September 4th.
By the 5th, a typhoon warning was issued for the island of Agrihan. Moving west-northwest along the southern periphery of the
subtropical ridge, Tropical Depression 23W was upgraded to Tropical Storm Sarika that day. An upper-level LOW located to the
southeast was providing an efficient eastern outflow channel in addition to the decent equatorial outflow. Rapid intensification
ensued for awhile with the MSW rising to 60 kts/70 mph late on the 5th, which was the peak intensity for Sarika. By the 6th,
Tropical Storm Sarika passed 220 miles north of Saipan. Shortly afterward, the system's centre made its closest approach to
Agrihan, tracking 10 miles south of that island. Near-typhoon conditions occurred on both Agrihan and Pagan while tropical
storm-force winds were experienced on Alamagan. At its peak Sarika possessed a very compact wind field with gales extending no
further than 90 miles from the centre while the radius of strongest winds never exceeded 15 miles. By the 6th, Sarika had turned
westward 100 miles west of Agrihan. Early on the 7th, Sarika began to weaken as it entered a hostile shearing environment
associated with Typhoon Songda's outflow. Sarika subsequently turned to the north-northwest at 9 mph/8 kts about 820 miles south
of Tokyo, Japan while becoming fully-exposed. It slowed as it turned northward late on the 7th. The system remained a tropical
storm until the 8th when Sarika weakened back into a depression.[5]
Tropical Storm Haima (Ofel)
Haima is the Chinese word for the sea horse. Early on September 11th, an area of
thunderstorms was observed 150 nm southwest of Taipei, Taiwan. Later that day, the newly-formed tropical depression saw its
thunderstorms track across Taiwan, leaving the circulation center behind east of the mountainous isle as it took on a subtropical
appearance. By the 12th, it had strengthened into a tropical storm named Haima by Japan and Ofel by the Philippines...the Joint
Typhoon Warning Center considered the system a tropical depression or subtropical storm, but never a tropical storm. The center
track just east of Taiwan on the 12th, towards the southeast coast of China. Haima made landfall south of Shanghai on the 13th
before turning to the northwest. Haima soon become a completely sheared system due to interaction with the upper level winds over
a frontal zone located to its west, and was declared dissipated on the 14th.
In China, the lowest reported pressure was 998 mb in Yongqiang Town on the 13th and the highest 24 hour rainfall recorded was
250.8 mm at Pingtan in Fuzhou City between the 09th and 10th, which set a new September daily rainfall record for the station. In
Taiwan, daily rainfall ranged as high as 393 mm in Taipei county, and 611.5 mm in Taipei City. The highest wind gust reported was
80 mph/35.9 m/s at Lanyu on the 11th. The storm damaged 78 square kilometres of farmland in Zhejiang Province, China, where
direct economic losses were estimated to have been over 53 million yuan. Torrential rains (Sep 7-10), including those in the
monsoonal flow around the pre-Haima depression had caused 54.6 million yuan of direct economic losses in Pingtan County and
Changle City. In Japan, rainfall and winds were relatively light. In South Korea, the highest 24 hour rainfall report noted was
104.5 mm at Wando between the 11th and 12th.[5]
Typhoon Meari (Quinta)
Meari is Korean for 'echo'. Late on September 18th, an area of convection was spotted 510 miles east of Guam. On the 20th,
Tropical Depression 25W organized out of this mass and was located just 35 miles southeast of Guam. Tropical Depression 25W
turned more westward and began to accelerate as it moved along the southern periphery of a warm-core ridge. On the 21st, the
system was upgraded to Tropical Storm Meari. It intensified steadily while moving more northwestward. The system was upgraded to
typhoon intensity by late on the 22nd. Typhoon Meari possessed a very asymmetric circulation, elongated a bit to the north and
northeast. Meari became a strong 100-kt/115 mph typhoon by late on the 23rd, and was assigned the name Quinta by PAGASA. After
reaching 120 kts/140 mph on the 24th, its strength plateaued for the rest of the day. As it passed 70 miles south of Okinawa
early on the 26th, Meari was slowly weakening. The cyclone ceased movement on the 27th about 170 miles west of Okinawa as it
became lodged between two anticyclones. A slow northward drift began later that day and vertical wind shear associated with the
subtropical jet stream began to take its toll on Meari. By the 29th, Meari was beginning its approach to the Japanese island of
Kyūshū. Typhoon Meari made landfall over the southern tip of Kyūshū around midday local time with maximum sustained winds of 70
kts/80 mph. Meari weakened back into a tropical storm late on the 29th. The forward motion began to accelerate as Meari
increasingly interacted with the westerlies. The system was followed until the 30th, when it became a nontropical low, which
continued tracking eastwards through the north Pacific.
The highest wind gust reported was 118 mph/52.7 m/s in Kagoshima early on the 29th. The lowest pressure measured during the
passage of Meari was 975.5 mb, also at Kagoshima on the 29th. Three tornadoes were spawned in Japan, with two touching down in
Okinawa Prefecture and one in Aichi Prefecture. The heaviest rains in Japan were saved for Osawe, where 904 mm fell between late
on the 24th and the 30th, with 741 mm falling between late on the 28th and 29th. Reports indicate that at least 18 people died
with several more reported missing as a result of Typhoon Meari. The worst affected areas were the prefectures of Mie and Ehime
in Japan where torrential rains caused widespread flooding and mudslides destroyed several homes. Train and ferry services were
suspended, stranding thousands of people.[5]
Typhoon Ma-on (Rolly)
Ma-on is the name of a mountain in Hong Kong. Ma-on formed from a cluster of thunderstorms
in the vicinity of Guam on September 29th. The small system eventually trekked west-northwesterly. After days of sputtering
across the western Pacific, Tropical Depression 26W formed on October 4th, and quickly became named Tropical Storm Ma-on. The
system became stationary approximately 650 nm southeast of Okinawa, Japan. PAGASA named the cyclone Rolly when it passed the
135th meridian. On the 5th, a northward drift ensued while well southeast of Okinawa. Upon reaching typhoon intensity late on the
06th, Ma-on turned northwest and ultimately became the sixth super typhoon of the year on the 8th while 250 miles southeast of
Okinawa. The typhoon become the worst storm to hit eastern Japan in over ten years, only a week after Typhoon Meari had made
landfall in that nation. Ma-on started to accelerate northeastward and its eye began to shrink in diameter and became more
ragged. A slow weakening trend materialized as it entered the early stages of extratropical transition. Recurving northeast at a
high rate of translation, Ma-on made landfall on the Izu Peninsula, Honshū, Japan, late on the 9th with maximum sustained winds
of 90 kts/105 mph. Ma-on weakened rapidly and was downgraded to a tropical storm by the 10th, and quickly completed its
transformation into a nontropical low. The remnant system moved more east-northeastward away from eastern Japan before slowing
its motion 1100 miles southeast of Hokkaidō.
Ma-on was one of the most powerful storms to strike eastern Japan over the last ten years. The highest wind gust reported was
151 mph/67.6 m/s in Irouzaki late on the 9th. The lowest pressure was also recorded at Irouzaki; 964 mb late on the 9th. The
typhoon left at least six people dead, and three persons were reported missing. Plane, train and ferry services nationwide were
disrupted, stranding thousands of travellers. Heavy downpours also disrupted practice sessions for Formula One's Japanese Grand Prix in Suzuka. The highest storm
total amount was noted at Omaezaki, where a 413 mm deluge was seen between late on the 6th and 9th, with 360 mm falling in a 24
hour period. Rescuers on boats plucked dozens of residents from waterlogged homes in Shizuoka Prefecture.[6]
Typhoon Tokage (Siony)
Tokage is the Japanese word for lizard. On October 12th, an area of convection existed 480 miles east-southeast of Guam. The
system developed into Tropical Depression 27W at late that day, moving in a west-northwesterly at 15 kts about 200 miles east of
Guam. On the October 13, the system developed into a tropical storm, and was named Tokage,
subsequently moving very close to the islands of Rota and Guam. Typhoon intensity was achieved early on October 14 when centered 970 miles southeast of Okinawa. Later that day, Tokage briefly turned to the
west-southwest. The storm's path curved back to a northwesterly heading by the October 15.
The storm curled towards the north as a major shortwave over weakened the subtropical ridge and by October 17 Tokage reached its peak intensity of 125 kts/145 mph. Weakening began later that day as the storm
turned back to a more northwesterly heading towards Okinawa and Japan. On October 18, Typhoon
Tokage was 290 miles south of Kadena Air Base, Okinawa. Recurvature back to the north-northeast towards Japan ensued while the
typhoon slowly weakened. Tokage made its closest approach to Okinawa late on October 19 when
it was passed just to the south-southeast. The storm turned to the northeast as continued to accelerate as its extratropical
transition began. Tokage made landfall over Tosa-Shimizu, near the southern tip of Shikoku, Japan still at typhoon strength. By
October 21, the cyclone weakened into a tropical storm 130 nm west of Tokyo, and later that
day, the system completed the transition to a nontropical low. The extratropical remains of Tokage moved rapidly northeastward,
crossing the International Dateline around midday on October 23.
The highest measured wind gust was 142 mph/63.7 m/s at Unzendake, Nagasaki on October 20.
The lowest pressure from a land station was 949.4 mb at Okinoerabu, Kagoshima late on October
19. The highest rainfall amount noted in Japan was 550 mm at Fukuharaasahi between late on October 17 and October 21, with 470 mm falling within a 24 hour period.
News reports indicated Tokage was the worst storm to strike Japan since Typhoon Mireille thirteen years before. A total of 69
deaths were attributed to high winds, flooding and mudslides caused by Tokage. A total of 18,000 people were forced to evacuate
their homes.[6]
Typhoon Nock-ten (Tonyo)
|
Typhoon Nock-ten (Tonyo)
Typhoon 28W |
3 |
|
|
|
