1985 Pacific typhoon season

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

1985 Pacific typhoon season

First storm formed:	January 6
Last storm dissipated:	December 24
Strongest storm:	Dot - 897 hPa (mbar), 280 km/h (175 mph)
Total storms:	26
Typhoons:	17
Super Typhoons:	1
Total fatalities:	1255
Total damage:	Unknown
Pacific typhoon seasons 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987

The 1985 Pacific typhoon season has no official bounds; it ran year-round in 1985, but most tropical cyclones tend to form in the northwestern Pacific Ocean between ay 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 1985 Pacific hurricane season. Tropical Storms formed in the entire west pacific basin were assigned a name by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. Tropical depressions in this basin have the "W" suffix added to their number. Tropical depressions that enter or form in the Philippine area of responsibility are assigned a name by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration or PAGASA. This can often result in the same storm having two names.

Contents 1 Storms 1.1 Tropical Storm Elsie 1.2 Typhoon Gay 1.3 Typhoon Hal 1.4 Typhoon Irma 1.5 Typhoon Jeff 1.6 Typhoon Kit 1.7 Tropical Storm Lee 1.8 Typhoon Mamie 1.9 Typhoon Nelson 1.10 Typhoon Odessa 1.11 Typhoon Cecil 1.12 Super Typhoon Dot/Saling 1.13 Typhoon Hope 1.14 Tropical Storm Irving 2 1985 storm names 3 See also 4 References 5 External links

[edit] Storms

27 tropical depressions formed this year in the Western Pacific, of which 26 became tropical storms. 17 storms reached typhoon intensity, of which 1 reached super typhoon strength.

[edit] Tropical Storm Elsie

Tropical Storm Elsie TS
Duration	January 6—January 9
Intensity	40 kts (1-min), 995 mbar

This was the first tropical cyclone to form in the northwest Pacific basin in January in six years. Forming along the near equatorial trough, two circulations formed on either side of Guam. Elsie formed from the eastern circulation, appearing southwest of Pohnpei on January 4. On January 5, further convective development occurred which formed a low level circulation on January 6. Becoming a tropical depression late that day and a tropical storm on January 7, the system moved northwest, reaching its peak intensity late in the day. Thereafter, strong southerly winds aloft arrested development, and weakening began. Tropical depression status was regained on January 8, and its circulation dissipated early January 9.^[2]

[edit] Typhoon Gay

Typhoon Gay TC
[[Image:|150px|]]
Duration	May 20—May 26
Intensity	100 kts (1-min), 951 mbar

Gay was the third tropical cyclone and first typhoon of the 1985 Pacific typhoon season. After over four months of inactivity, on May 16, a strong atmospheric circulation formed 380 nautical miles (700 km) west of Koror, now part of Palau. The circulation began to develop convection and by May 20 had organized into a depression. Heading north, the storm took two days to gain tropical storm strength, likely because a TUTT (Tropical Upper Tropospheric Trough) was so close to the north, restricting outflow. However, the trough soon weakened and outflow improved and the storm began to intensify faster. Gay became a typhoon early on May 23, continuing to intensify, Gay came under influence of a frontal boundary to the northwest and began to recurve to the northeast, through a weakness in the subtropical ridge created by the trough associated with the frontal boundary. This trough began to build and dig southeastward, pouring fuel into Gay's engine. Typhoon Gay reached its peak intensity of 100 knots (115 mph, 185 km/h) on May 24. As Gay started to suck in cool air, it began to weaken. Gay underwent extratropical transition as it interacted with the frontal boundary. Gay became extratropical shortly after weakening to a tropical storm early on May 26.

[edit] Typhoon Hal

Typhoon Hal 3
Duration	June 19—June 25
Intensity	100 kts (1-min), 942 mbar

Typhoon Hal, which formed on June 19 east of the Philippines, passed just north of Luzon on the 22nd as a 95 mph typhoon. After briefly weakening Hal restrengthened to a peak of 115 mph before weakening back to a minimal typhoon. The 75 mph typhoon hit 75 nautical miles east-southeast of Hong Kong in southeastern China on the 24th, and dissipated the next day. Heavy rain associated with the typhoon caused 38 deaths (with 14 missing) and widespread crop and structural damage.^[3]

[edit] Typhoon Irma

Typhoon Irma 2
Duration	June 25—July 1
Intensity	90 kts (1-min), 957 mbar

First noted southwest of Ponape on June 17, the tropical disturbance moved westward for the next several days without significant development. As it turned northwest on June 25, the system strengthened rapidly into a tropical storm, reaching typhoon intensity on June 27 as it turned more poleward. The system recurved just offshore the southern islands of Japan before striking southwest of Tokyo, Japan as a typhoon on July 1. Weakening as it acclerated northeast, Irma regained tropical storm intensity later that day and became an extratropical cyclone that night.^[4]

[edit] Typhoon Jeff

Typhoon Jeff 1
Duration	July 22—August 2
Intensity	75 kts (1-min), 967 mbar

The monsoon trough spawned a tropical depression in northwest of Guam on July 21. It tracked northward, becoming a tropical storm on the 22nd and reaching its first peak of 70 mph winds on the 23rd. An upper level trough outran the system, forcing Jeff westward into a shearing environment and weakening it to a depression on the 26th. The shear abated, and Jeff was able to restrengthen, becoming a storm on the 27th and a typhoon on the 29th. The 85 mph typhoon hit eastern China on the 30th. Jeff weakened rapidly to a depression, but upon reaching the Yellow Sea, it again restrengthened to a tropical storm on the 1st. Jeff reached a third peak of 60 mph winds before becoming extratropical on the 2nd. 180 people were killed from this storm, with moderate to heavy damage to crops.^[5]

[edit] Typhoon Kit

Typhoon Kit TC
[[Image:|150px|]]
Duration	August 2—August 11
Intensity	85 kts (1-min),  959 mbar

Typhoon Kit was the first of seven tropical cyclones to form in the West Pacific in August. It formed from a disturbance at the north end of a monsoon trough. The disturbance quickly gained organization and formed into a tropical depression on August 2. The storm continued its steady northwest motion and its steady intensification. The depression became Tropical Storm Kit on August 4 and didn't slow. The storm became a typhoon as it made a temporary jog to the north before continuing its northwest motion. The typhoon, small in size, reached its peak intensity of 85 knots (90 mph, 157 km/h) while south of Kyushu on August 8. Kit recurved in the East China Sea in the face of an approaching trough through a weakness in the subtropical ridge. Kit made landfall on the southwestern tip of South Korea as a borderline typhoon. Despite its weakened state, it killed ten people and caused significant property damage in the area of landfall. Kit continued to weaken and became extratropical in the Sea of Japan.

[edit] Tropical Storm Lee

Tropical Storm Lee TS
Duration	August 11—August 14
Intensity	60 kts (1-min), 980 mbar

Lee formed within the monsoon trough, and was initially influenced by Kit to its north. Kit's movement to the north reoriented the trough into a more north-south orientation, and a broad circulation formed 890 km south of Okinawa. Moving north-northeast, convection around the system began to organize into a more consolidated tropical storm. The system turned northwest, but development was halted by northerly vertical wind shear. Its circulation center remained fairly broad while it continued to deepen, more like a monsoon depression than a tropical cyclone. As the system passed close to Okinawa, winds remained fairly light. However, winds increased as it pulled away, due to the pressure gradient/strongest winds being well removed from the center. Continuing to move north into a break in the subtropical ridge, Lee moved through the East China Sea to about 445 km west of Kyushu and stayed about 220 km offshore the western Korean peninsula. By this time, the system was evolving into a more typical tropical cyclone, with stronger winds closer to the center. Accelerating across the Yellow Sea on August 14, Lee began to recurve across North Korea and subsequently weakened rapidly across the mountainous terrain.^[6]

[edit] Typhoon Mamie

Typhoon Mamie 1
Duration	August 16—August 20
Intensity	70 kts (1-min), 975 mbar

On August 15 a tropical depression formed from the monsoon trough a short distance of northern Taiwan. It headed northeastward, becoming a tropical storm later that day. The building of the subtropical ridge to its east forced Mamie northwestward, where it became a typhoon on the 17th. On the 18th, the typhoon hit near Shanghai, China, and paralleled the east coast of China. The storm turned to the northeast, hit near Dairen, China, and dissipated on the 20th. Mamie was responsible for 35 fatalities and heavy crop damage.^[7]

[edit] Typhoon Nelson

Typhoon Nelson 2
Duration	August 17—August 24
Intensity	95 kts (1-min), 961 mbar

Typhoon Nelson, which developed on August 16, brushed northern Taiwan on the 23rd as a 90 mph typhoon. Later that day, it made landfall on eastern China, and it dissipated on the 24th. Nelson caused 52 deaths and heavy damage across eastern China. In addition, the remnants of the storm stalled over the area, killing an additional 147 people.^[8]

[edit] Typhoon Odessa

Typhoon Odessa 2
Duration	August 23—September 1
Intensity	90 kts (1-min), 957 mbar

Typhoon Odessa was a tropical system that was active from August 23 through the 1st of September in the Western Pacific Ocean. Odessa was one of three tropical cyclones to to exist in the area of Japan at around the same time. Odessa and Pat would pass very close together with Ruby impacting Tokyo. Odessa formed from an area of disturbed weather that persisted on the eastern end of a monsoon trough. The disturbance organized into a depression on August 23 and continued to develop and it was a tropical storm before the day was over. Odessa assumed a northerly track as it continued to strengthen, reaching typhoon intensity late on October 24. Odessa had become a compact storm with a very symmetrical structure. Its eye was very well defined, despite its peak intensity of 90 knots (100 mph, 165 km/h). Odessa was observed by STS 51 as they passed overhead. Odessa was one of the most powerful, circular tropical cyclone patterns ever seen by spacecraft crew. After moving westward and stalling southwest of Japan, it turned the northeast, travelling along the southwestern coast of Japan, weakening along the way, before becoming extratropical on September 1. ^[9]

[edit] Typhoon Cecil

Typhoon Cecil 3
Duration	October 12—October 16
Intensity	100 kts (1-min), 944 mbar

An area of convection organized into a tropical depression on October 12 in the southeastern South China Sea. It tracked to the west-northwest, becoming a tropical storm later that day and a typhoon on the 13th. Cecil continued to intensify, and reached a peak of 115 mph winds before hitting north-central Vietnam and dissipating on the 16th. Torrential flooding and wind damage to the area caused 702 casualties, with widespread structural and crop damage.^[10]

[edit] Super Typhoon Dot/Saling

Super Typhoon Dot/Saling 5
Duration	October 13—October 22
Intensity	150 kts (1-min), 897 mbar

Main article: Typhoon Dot (1985)

The monsoon trough spawned a tropical depression over the open West Pacific on October 11. It headed west-northwestward, strengthening to a tropical storm on the 13th and a typhoon on the 14th. Dot rapidly intensified to a 175 mph Super Typhoon on the 16th, the only one of the year, and steadily weakened until hitting eastern Luzon as a 130 mph typhoon on the 18th. It crossed the South China Sea, hit southern Hainan Island, and made its final landfall on northern Vietnam on the 21st as a 70 mph tropical storm.^[11] Dot caused 101 fatalities and 2.13 billion Philippine Pesos (1987 pesos) in damage.^[12]

[edit] Typhoon Hope

Typhoon Hope 3
Duration	December 17—December 24
Intensity	100 kts (1-min), 944 mbar

A tropical disturbance formed along the near-equatorial trough on December 13 between Truk and Pohnpei. The system moved westward, and slowly developed. By early on December 18, a tropical depression had formed, and intensification continued for the next couple days as Hope became an intense typhoon on the afternoon of December 20. Weakening was seen later that day, and its eye disappeared. The system moved west-northwest, threatening Luzon for a time. Just before landfall, Hope recurved north and eastward, sparing the Philippines, and becoming an extratropical cyclone on December 24. ^[13]

[edit] Tropical Storm Irving

Tropical Storm Irving TS
Duration	December 18—December 21
Intensity	60 kts (1-min), 994 mbar

This system formed at the west end of the near-equatorial trough. Winter gales in the South China Sea masked this system's existence. The cyclong was first noted just west of the Philippines on December 18 and moved westward, becoming a tropical storm on December 19. As it approached southern Vietnam, the cyclone turned southwest and weakened, dissipating as it made landfall along the Malay peninsula.^[14]

[edit] 1985 storm names

Western North Pacific tropical cyclones were named by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. The first storm of 1985 was named Elsie and the final one was named Irving.

Andy 18W Brenda 19W Cecil 20W Dot 21W Ellis 22W Faye 23W Gordon 24W Hope 25W Irving 26W Judy Ken Lola Mac Nancy Owen Peggy Roger Sarah Tip Vera Wayne

Abby Ben Carmen Dom Ellen Forrest Georgia Herbert Ida Joe Kim Lex Marge Norris Orchid Percy Ruth Sperry Thelma Vernon Wynn

Alex Betty Cary Dinah Ed Freda Gerald Holly Ian June Kelly Lynn Maury Nina Ogden Phyllis Roy Susan Thad Vanessa Warren

Agnes Bill Clara Doyle Elsie 1W Fabian 2W Gay 3W Hal 5W Irma 6W Jeff 7W Kit 8W Lee 9W Mamie 10W Nelson 11W Odessa 12W Pat 13W Ruby 14W Skip 2C Tess 15W Val 16W Winona 17W

One central Pacific system, Tropical Depression Two-C, crossed into this basin, keeping its "C" suffix but earning a West Pacific name.

[edit] See also

• 1985 Pacific hurricane season
• 1985 Atlantic hurricane season
• 1985 North Indian cyclone season

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Typhoon2000 Philippine typhoon website.
• Philippine Area of Responsibility.
• Joint Typhoon Warning Center.
• Meaning of Tokyo Typhoon Centre names.