Typhoon

Three different tropical cyclones spinning over the western Pacific Ocean on 7 A
ugust 2006. The cyclone on the lower right has intensified into a typhoon.
A typhoon is a mature tropical cyclone that develops in the western part of the
North Pacific Ocean between 180 and 100E. This region is referred to as the northw
est Pacific basin.[1] For organisational purposes, the northern Pacific Ocean is
divided into three regions: the eastern (North America to 140W), central (140W to
180), and western (180 to 100E). The Regional Specialized Meteorological Center (R
SMC) for tropical cyclone forecasts is in Japan, with other tropical cyclone war
ning centers for the northwest Pacific in Honolulu (the Joint Typhoon Warning Ce
nter), the Philippines and Hong Kong. While the RSMC names each system, the main
name list itself is coordinated amongst 18 countries that have territories thre
atened by typhoons each year. The Philippines use their own naming list for syst
ems which approach the country.
Within the northwestern Pacific there are no official typhoon seasons as tropica
l cyclones form throughout the year. Like any tropical cyclone, there are six ma
in requirements for typhoon formation and development: sufficiently warm sea sur
face temperatures, atmospheric instability, high humidity in the lower to middle
levels of the troposphere, enough Coriolis force to develop a low pressure cent
er, a pre-existing low level focus or disturbance, and low vertical wind shear.
The majority of storms form between June and November whilst tropical cyclone fo
rmation is at a minimum between December and May. On average, the northwestern P
acific features the most numerous and intense tropical cyclones globally. Like o
ther basins, they are steered by the subtropical ridge towards the west or north
west, with some systems recurving near and east of Japan. The Philippines receiv
e a brunt of the landfalls, with China and Japan being impacted slightly less. S
ome of the deadliest typhoons in history have struck China. Southern China has t
he longest record of typhoon impacts for the region, with a thousand year sample
via documents within their archives. Taiwan has received the wettest known typh
oon on record for the northwest Pacific tropical cyclone basin.
Contents [hide]
1 Nomenclature
1.1 Etymology and usage
1.2 Intensity classifications
2 Genesis
3 Frequency
4 Paths
5 Basin monitoring
5.1 Name sources
6 Records
7 See also
8 References
9 External links
Nomenclature[edit]
Etymology and usage[edit]
The English word typhoon originates from the Japanese word (??, pronounced taifu
). Other possible, but incorrect, theories include that it could have originated
from Persian ????? tufan (storm), (which is pronounced "tufoon" in the Bandari
dialect of Persian, spoken on the shores of the Persian Gulf [2] from the verb t
ufidan (Persian: ??????/??????? means "to roar", "to blow furiously"[3]) - a cyc
lonic storm, a cognate of Sanskrit "tanun" meaning high or agitated winds. It al
so appears to have contributed to the Chinese word ?? (pinyin: dfeng) meaning "gr
eat wind" as spoken in southern Chinese dialects such as Hakka and Cantonese. Th
e modern way of writing typhoon in Chinese (simplified Chinese: ??; traditional
Chinese: ??; pinyin: tifeng) uses a different first character, however, and may h
ave come about based on the re-importing of the word from English. (Another theo
ry is that the initial tai syllable of the word was a reference to Taiwan, where
, from the point of view of mainland China, the winds came from.) Another possib
le etymology of typhoon is from the Greek word t?fe?? (tphein), meaning "to smoke
" (see also Typhon), to describe the cyclonic storms of the Indian Ocean.[4] Typ
hoon is the regional name in the northwest Pacific for a severe (or mature) trop
ical cyclone,[5] whereas hurricane is the regional term in the northeast Pacific
and northern Atlantic. Elsewhere this is called a tropical cyclone, severe trop
ical cyclone, or severe cyclonic storm.[6]
Intensity classifications[edit]
RSMC Tokyo's
Tropical Cyclone Intensity Scale
Category Sustained winds
Typhoon =64 kt
=118 km/h
Severe
Tropical Storm 4863 kt
89117 km/h
Tropical Storm 3447 kt
6288 km/h
Tropical
Depression =33 kt
=61 km/h
See also: Tropical cyclone scales
A tropical depression is the lowest category that the Japan Meteorological Agenc
y uses and is the term used for a tropical system that has wind speeds not excee
ding 33 knots (38 mph; 61 km/h).[7] A tropical depression is upgraded to a tropi
cal storm should its sustained wind speeds exceed 34 knots (39 mph; 63 km/h). Tr
opical storms also receive official names from RSMC Tokyo.[7] Should the storm i
ntensify further and reach sustained wind speeds of 48 knots (55 mph; 89 km/h) t
hen it will be classified as a severe tropical storm.[7] Once the system's maxim
um sustained winds reach wind speeds of 64 knots (74 mph; 119 km/h), the JMA wil
l designate the tropical cyclone as a typhoonthe highest category on its scale.[7
]
From 2009 the Hong Kong Observatory started to further divide typhoons into thre
e different classifications: typhoon, severe typhoon and super typhoon.[8] A typ
hoon has wind speed of 64-79 knots (73-119 mph; 118-149 km/h), a severe typhoon
has winds of at least 80 knots (92 mph; 150 km/h), and a super typhoon has winds
of at least 100 knots (120 mph; 190 km/h).[8] The United States' Joint Typhoon
Warning Center (JTWC) unofficially classifies typhoons with wind speeds of at le
ast 130 knots (67 m/s; 150 mph; 241 km/h)the equivalent of a strong Category 4 st
orm in the Saffir-Simpson scaleas super typhoons.[9] However, the maximum sustain
ed wind speed measurements that the JTWC uses are based on a 1-minute averaging
period, akin to the U.S.' National Hurricane Center and Central Pacific Hurrican
e Center. As a result, the JTWC's wind reports are higher than JMA's measurement
s, as the latter are based on a 10-minute averaging interval.[10]
Genesis[edit]
Depth of 26 C isotherm on October 1, 2006
See also: Tropical cyclogenesis
There are six main requirements for tropical cyclogenesis: sufficiently warm sea
surface temperatures, atmospheric instability, high humidity in the lower to mi
ddle levels of the troposphere, enough Coriolis force to develop a low pressure
center, a pre-existing low level focus or disturbance, and low vertical wind she
ar. While these conditions are necessary for tropical cyclone formation, they do
not guarantee that a tropical cyclone will form. Normally, an ocean temperature
of 26.5 C (79.7 F) spanning through a depth of at least 50 metres (160 ft) is con
sidered the minimum to maintain the special mesocyclone that is the tropical cyc
lone.[citation needed] These warm waters are needed to maintain the warm core th
at fuels tropical systems. A minimum distance of 500 km (300 mi) from the equato
r is normally needed for tropical cyclogenesis.[11]
Whether it be a depression in the intertropical covergence zone (ITCZ) or monsoo
n trough, a broad surface front, or an outflow boundary, a low level feature wit
h sufficient vorticity and convergence is required to begin tropical cyclogenesi
s. About 85 to 90 percent of Pacific typhoons form within the monsoon trough.[12
] Even with perfect upper level conditions and the required atmospheric instabil
ity, the lack of a surface focus will prevent the development of organized conve
ction and a surface low. Vertical wind shear of less than 10 m/s (20 kn, 33 ft/s
) between the ocean surface and the tropopause is required for tropical cyclone
development.[11] Typically with Pacific typhoons, there are two outflow jets: on
e to the north ahead of an upper trough in the Westerlies, and a second towards
the equator.[12]
In general, westerly wind increases associated with the Madden-Julian Oscillatio
n lead to increased tropical cyclogenesis in all tropical cyclone basins. As the
oscillation propagates from west to east, it leads to an eastward march in trop
ical cyclogenesis with time during that hemisphere's summer season.[13] On avera
ge, twice per year twin tropical cyclones will form in the western Pacific ocean
, near the 5th parallel north and the 5th parallel south, along the same meridia
n, or line of longitude.[14] There is an inverse relationship between tropical c
yclone activity in the western Pacific basin and the north Atlantic basin, howev
er. When one basin is active, the other is normally quiet, and vice versa. The m
ain reason for this appears to be the phase of the Madden-Julian oscillation, or
MJO, which is normally in opposite modes between the two basins at any given ti
me.[15]
Frequency[edit]
Storm Frequency
Tropical storms and Typhoons by month,
for the period 19592011 (Northwest Pacific)
Month Count Average
Jan 25 0.5
Feb 12 0.2
Mar 23 0.4
Apr 34 0.6
May 63 1.2
Jun 90 1.7
Jul 205 3.9
Aug 296 5.6
Sep 262 4.9
Oct 210 4.0
Nov 133 2.5
Dec 66 1.2
Annual 1419 26.8
Source: JTWC[16]
Nearly one-third of the world's tropical cyclones form within the western Pacifi
c. This makes this basin the most active on Earth.[17] Pacific typhoons have for
med year round, with peak months from August to October. The peak months corresp
ond to that of the Atlantic hurricane seasons. Along with a high storm frequency
, this basin also features the most globally intense storms on record. One of th
e most recent busy seasons was 2004. Tropical cyclones form in any month of the
year across the northwest Pacific ocean, and concentrate around June and Novembe
r in the northern Indian ocean. The area just northeast of the Philippines is th
e most active place on Earth for tropical cyclones to exist. Across the Philippi
nes themselves, activity reaches a minimum in February, before increasing steadi
ly through June, and spiking from July through October, with September being the
most active month for tropical cyclones across the archipelago. Activity falls
off significantly in November.[18] The most frequently impacted areas of the Phi
lippines by tropical cyclones are northern and central Luzon and eastern Visayas
.[19] A ten-year average of satellite determined precipitation showed that at le
ast 30 percent of the annual rainfall in the northern Philippines could be trace
d to tropical cyclones, while the southern islands receive less than 10 percent
of their annual rainfall from tropical cyclones.[20]
Paths[edit]
Tracks of all tropical cyclones in the northernwestern Pacific Ocean between 198
0 and 2005. The vertical line to the right is the International Date Line.
Most tropical cyclones form on the side of the subtropical ridge closer to the e
quator, then move poleward past the ridge axis before recurving north and northe
ast into the main belt of the Westerlies.[21] When the subtropical ridge positio
n shifts due to El Nio, so will the preferred tropical cyclone tracks. Areas west
of Japan and Korea tend to experience much fewer SeptemberNovember tropical cycl
one impacts during El Nio and neutral years. During El Nio years, the break in the
subtropical ridge tends to lie near 130E which would favor the Japanese archipel
ago.[22] During La Nia years, the formation of tropical cyclones, along with the
subtropical ridge position, shifts westward across the western Pacific ocean, wh
ich increases the landfall threat to China and greater intensity to Philippines.
[22] Those that form near the Marshall Islands find their way to Jeju Island, Ko
rea.[23]
Typhoon paths follow three general directions.[17]
Straight track (or straight runner). A general westward path affects the Philipp
ines, southern China, Taiwan, and Vietnam.
A parabolic, recurving track. Storms recurving affect eastern Philippines, easte
rn China, Taiwan, Korea, and Japan.
Northward track. From point of origin, the storm follows a northerly direction,
only affecting small islands.
A rare few storms, like Hurricane John, were redesignated as typhoons as its tra
ck originated from the Eastern/Central Pacific and moved its way into the wester
n Pacific.
See also: Hurricane belt
Basin monitoring[edit]
Within the Western Pacific, RSMC Tokyo-Typhoon Center, part of the Japan Meteoro
logical Agency has had the official warning responsibility for the whole of the
Western Pacific since 1989,[24] and the naming responsibility for systems of tro
pical storm strength or greater since 2000.[8] However each National Meteorologi
cal and Hydrological Service within the western Pacific has the responsibility f
or issuing warnings for land areas about tropical cyclones affecting their count
ry, such as the Joint Typhoon Warning Center for United States agencies,[25] the
Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (P
AGASA) for interests in the island archipelago nation,[8] and the Hong Kong Obse
rvatory for storms which come close enough to cause the issuance of warning sign
als.[26]
Name sources[edit]
The list of names consists of entries from 17 Southeast and East Asian nations a
nd the United States who have territories directly affected by typhoons. The sub
mitted names are arranged into five lists; and each list is cycled with each yea
r. Unlike tropical cyclones in other parts of the world, typhoons are not named
after people. Instead, they generally refer to animals, flowers, astrological si
gns, and a few personal names. However, PAGASA retains its own naming list, whic
h does consist of human names.[27] Therefore, a typhoon can possibly have two na
mes. Storms that cross the date line from the central Pacific retain their origi
nal name, but the designation of hurricane becomes typhoon. In Japan, typhoons a
re also given a numerical designation according to the sequence of their occurre
nce in the calendar year.[24]
Records[edit]
Total
Storms Year Tropical
Storms Typhoons Super
Typhoons
39 1964 13 19 7
35 1965
1967
1971 14
15
11 10
16
16 11
4
4
34 1994 14 14 6
33 1996 12 15 6
32 1974 16 16 0
31 1989
1992
2013 10
13
18 15
17
8 6
5
5
30 1962
1966
1972
1990
2004 7
10
8
9
10
17
17
20
17
13 6
3
2
4
7
The most active Western Pacific typhoon season was in 1964,[citation needed] whe
n 39 storms of tropical storm strength formed. The least activity seen in the no
rthwest Pacific ocean was during the 2010 Pacific typhoon season, when only 14 t
ropical storms and seven typhoons formed. In the Philippines, the most active se
ason, since 1945, for tropical cyclone strikes was 1993 when nineteen tropical c
yclones moved through the country.[28] There was only one tropical cyclone which
moved through the Philippines in 1958.[29] The 2004 Pacific typhoon season was
the busiest for Okinawa since 1957.[30] Within Guangdong in southern China, duri
ng the past thousand years, the most active decades for typhoon strikes were the
1660s and 1670s.[31]
The highest sustained tropical cyclone winds on record were recorded during Typh
oon Haiyan at 195 miles per hour (314 km/h) shortly before making landfall in th
e central Philippines on Nov. 8, 2013.[32] The most intense storm based on minim
um pressure was Typhoon Tip in the northwestern Pacific Ocean in 1979, which rea
ched a minimum pressure of 870 hectopascals (26 inHg) and maximum sustained wind
speeds of 165 knots (85 m/s, 190 mph, 310 km/h).[33] The deadliest typhoon of t
he 20th century was Typhoon Nina which killed nearly 100,000 in China in 1975 du
e to a flood that caused 12 reservoirs to fail.[34] After Typhoon Morakot landed
in Taiwan at midnight on August 8, 2009, almost the entire southern region of T
aiwan (Chiayi County/Chiayi City, Tainan County/Tainan City (now merged as Taina
n), Kaohsiung County/Kaohsiung City (now merged as Kaohsiung), and Pingtung Coun
ty) and parts of Taitung County and Nantou County were flooded by record-breakin
g heavy rain. The rainfall in Pingtung County reached 2,327 millimeters (91.6 in
),[35] breaking all rainfall records of any single place in Taiwan induced by a
single typhoon,[36] and making the cyclone the wettest known typhoon.