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1977 Pacific typhoon season

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1977 Pacific typhoon season
Season summary map
Seasonal boundaries
First system formedJanuary 10, 1977
Last system dissipatedJanuary 3, 1978
Strongest storm
NameBabe
 • Maximum winds205 km/h (125 mph)
(10-minute sustained)
 • Lowest pressure905 hPa (mbar)
Seasonal statistics
Total depressions26
Total storms20
Typhoons11
Super typhoons1
Total fatalities143 direct, 47 indirect
Total damageUnknown
Pacific typhoon seasons
1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979

The 1977 Pacific typhoon season was one of the least active Pacific typhoon seasons on record, with only 19 tropical storms forming. It was also the second of the known typhoon season during the satellite era (since 1960) to not produce a Category 5 equivalent super typhoon.(After the 1974 season.) The season's first storm, Severe Tropical Storm Patsy, formed on March 23 and the last, Typhoon Mary, dissipated on January 2, 1978. With Mary spanning two calendar years, it became the fourth typhoon to do so since 1945. Since then, two other typhoons have achieved this feat.

The scope of this article is limited to the Pacific Ocean, north of the equator and west of the international date line. Storms that form east of the date line and north of the equator are called hurricanes; see 1977 Pacific hurricane season. Tropical Storms formed in the entire west pacific basin were assigned a name by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. Tropical depressions in this basin have the "W" suffix added to their number. Tropical depressions that enter or form in the Philippine area of responsibility are assigned a name by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration or PAGASA. This can often result in the same storm having two names.

Storms

A total of 26 tropical depressions were recognized by the various warning agencies this year in the Western Pacific, of which 20 became tropical storms. Eleven storms reached typhoon intensity, of which one reached super typhoon strength.[1]

Tropical Depression Atring

Tropical depression (PAGASA)
 
DurationJanuary 10 – January 13
Peak intensity55 km/h (35 mph) (10-min);

Severe Tropical Storm Patsy

Severe tropical storm (JMA)
Tropical storm (SSHWS)
 
DurationMarch 23 – March 31
Peak intensity95 km/h (60 mph) (10-min);
990 hPa (mbar)

Tropical Depression 02W (Bining)

Tropical depression (SSHWS)
 
DurationMay 26 – May 27
Peak intensity55 km/h (35 mph) (1-min);
1000 hPa (mbar)

Severe Tropical Storm Ruth (Kuring)

Severe tropical storm (JMA)
Tropical storm (SSHWS)
 
DurationJune 14 – June 17
Peak intensity110 km/h (70 mph) (10-min);
975 hPa (mbar)

Tropical Depression 04W (Daling)

Tropical depression (SSHWS)
 
DurationJuly 5 – July 6
Peak intensity55 km/h (35 mph) (1-min);
995 hPa (mbar)

Typhoon Sarah (Elang)

Typhoon (JMA)
Category 1 typhoon (SSHWS)
 
DurationJuly 16 – July 21
Peak intensity130 km/h (80 mph) (10-min);
970 hPa (mbar)

Typhoon Thelma (Goring)

Typhoon (JMA)
Category 2 typhoon (SSHWS)
 
DurationJuly 21 – July 26
Peak intensity130 km/h (80 mph) (10-min);
950 hPa (mbar)

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

Typhoon Vera (Huling)

Violent typhoon (JMA)
Category 3 typhoon (SSHWS)
 
DurationJuly 28 – August 1
Peak intensity205 km/h (125 mph) (10-min);
925 hPa (mbar)

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

Tropical Storm Wanda

Tropical storm (JMA)
Tropical storm (SSHWS)
 
DurationJuly 31 – August 4
Peak intensity75 km/h (45 mph) (10-min);
985 hPa (mbar)

Severe Tropical Storm Amy (Ibiang)

Severe tropical storm (JMA)
Tropical storm (SSHWS)
 
DurationAugust 20 – August 23
Peak intensity110 km/h (70 mph) (10-min);
985 hPa (mbar)

August Tropical Storm

Tropical storm (JMA)
 
DurationAugust 21 – August 22
Peak intensity75 km/h (45 mph) (10-min);
988 hPa (mbar)

Super Typhoon Babe (Miling)

Violent typhoon (JMA)
Category 4 super typhoon (SSHWS)
 
DurationSeptember 2 – September 12
Peak intensity205 km/h (125 mph) (10-min);
905 hPa (mbar)
Main article: Typhoon Babe (1977)

Developing as a tropical depression on September 2, Babe initially tracked west-northwestward as it intensified. On September 5, an abrupt shift in steering currents caused the system to turn north-northwestward. Over the following two days, Babe quickly intensified, ultimately attaining its peak intensity early on September 8 with winds of 240 km/h (150 mph) and a barometric pressure of 905 mbar (hPa; 26.72 inHg). Not long after reaching this strength, another shift in the steering patterns caused the typhoon to execute a prolonged counter-clockwise arc, causing it to track through the Ryukyu Islands, as it interacted with a low pressure originating from the Korean Peninsula. During this time, the system gradually weakened and eventually it made landfall near Shanghai, China on September 11 as a minimal typhoon before dissipating inland the following day.[2][3]

Passing through the Ryukyu Islands as a powerful typhoon, Babe caused considerable damage in the region. More than 1,000 homes were destroyed and nearly 7,000 more were damaged or flooded. One person was killed on Amami Ōshima and 77 others were injured throughout the country.[4] Total losses reached ¥6.1 billion (US$23 million).[5] Offshore, over 100 vessels were affected by the storm, including a Panamanian freighter where 13 people lost their lives.[2] In China, more than 24,000 homes were destroyed and nine people were killed.[6]

Tropical Storm Carla (Luming)

Tropical storm (JMA)
Tropical storm (SSHWS)
 
DurationSeptember 3 – September 5
Peak intensity65 km/h (40 mph) (10-min);
990 hPa (mbar)

Typhoon Dinah (Openg)

Typhoon (JMA)
Category 1 typhoon (SSHWS)
 
DurationSeptember 14 – September 23
Peak intensity130 km/h (80 mph) (10-min);
965 hPa (mbar)

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

Dinah brought heavy rain and flooding to Luzon that killed 54 people and left 11 others missing.[7]

Tropical Depression Narsing

Tropical depression (JMA)
Tropical depression (SSHWS)
 
DurationSeptember 11 – September 13
Peak intensity55 km/h (35 mph) (10-min);

Severe Tropical Storm Emma

Severe tropical storm (JMA)
Tropical storm (SSHWS)
 
DurationSeptember 15 – September 20
Peak intensity110 km/h (70 mph) (10-min);
965 hPa (mbar)

Severe Tropical Storm Freda (Pining)

Severe tropical storm (JMA)
Tropical storm (SSHWS)
 
DurationSeptember 23 – September 25
Peak intensity100 km/h (65 mph) (10-min);
980 hPa (mbar)

Tropical Storm Freda struck Hong Kong killing one person.[8]

Typhoon Gilda

Typhoon (JMA)
Category 1 typhoon (SSHWS)
 
DurationOctober 3 – October 10
Peak intensity120 km/h (75 mph) (10-min);
965 hPa (mbar)

Tropical Depression Rubing

Tropical depression (JMA)
Tropical depression (SSHWS)
 
DurationOctober 14 – October 16
Peak intensity55 km/h (35 mph) (10-min);

Tropical Storm Harriet (Saling)

Severe tropical storm (JMA)
Tropical storm (SSHWS)
 
DurationOctober 16 – October 20
Peak intensity100 km/h (65 mph) (10-min);
980 hPa (mbar)

Typhoon Ivy

Typhoon (JMA)
Category 2 typhoon (SSHWS)
 
DurationOctober 21 – October 27
Peak intensity150 km/h (90 mph) (10-min);
940 hPa (mbar)

Typhoon Jean

Typhoon (JMA)
Category 1 typhoon (SSHWS)
 
DurationOctober 28 – November 3
Peak intensity120 km/h (75 mph) (10-min);
970 hPa (mbar)

Tropical Depression Tasing

Tropical depression (JMA)
Tropical depression (SSHWS)
 
DurationNovember 3 – November 5
Peak intensity55 km/h (35 mph) (10-min);

Typhoon Kim (Unding)

Violent typhoon (JMA)
Category 4 typhoon (SSHWS)
 
DurationNovember 6 – November 17
Peak intensity205 km/h (125 mph) (10-min);
920 hPa (mbar)

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

Typhoon Lucy (Walding)

Violent typhoon (JMA)
Category 4 typhoon (SSHWS)
 
DurationNovember 28 – December 7
Peak intensity205 km/h (125 mph) (10-min);
920 hPa (mbar)

Typhoon Mary (Yeyeng)

Very strong typhoon (JMA)
Category 2 typhoon (SSHWS)
 
DurationDecember 20, 1977 – January 3, 1978
Peak intensity155 km/h (100 mph) (10-min);
945 hPa (mbar)

1977 storm names

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

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

See also

References

  1. ^ 1977 ATCR TABLE OF CONTENTS
  2. ^ a b "Annual Tropical Cyclone Report: Typhoon Babe" (PDF). Joint Typhoon Warning Center. United States Navy. 1978. pp. 27–29. Retrieved April 17, 2013.
  3. ^ "1977 Babe (1977243N05156)". International Best Track Archive. 2013. Retrieved April 17, 2013.[permanent dead link‍]
  4. ^ Associated Press (September 11, 1977). "Typhoon Rakes Japan". The Spokesman-Review. Tokyo, Japan. p. A5. Retrieved April 17, 2013.
  5. ^ "台風197709号 (Babe) [沖永良部台風] - 災害情報". Digital Typhoon (in Japanese). National Institute of Informatics. 2013. Retrieved April 17, 2013.
  6. ^ Yongqiang Zong and Xiqing Chen (March 1999). "Typhoon Hazards in the Shanghai Area" (PDF). Disasters. 23 (1): 66–80. doi:10.1111/1467-7717.00105. Retrieved April 17, 2013. (subscription required)
  7. ^ "Destructive Typhoons 1970-2003". National Disaster Coordinating Council. November 9, 2004. Archived from the original on November 9, 2004. Retrieved April 22, 2013.
  8. ^ Historical Information
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