Track: | 1978 Pacific typhoon season summary map.png |
Basin: | WPac |
Year: | 1978 |
First Storm Formed: | January 6, 1978 |
Last Storm Dissipated: | December 19, 1978 |
Strongest Storm Pressure: | 880 |
Strongest Storm Winds: | 120 |
Average Wind Speed: | 10 |
Total Depressions: | 63 |
Total Storms: | 30 |
Total Hurricanes: | 16 |
Total Intense: | 1 (unofficial) |
Fatalities: | >371 |
Damages: | 100 |
Damagespre: | > |
Atlantic Season: | 1978 Atlantic hurricane season |
East Pacific Season: | 1978 Pacific hurricane season |
North Indian Season: | 1978 North Indian Ocean cyclone season |
The 1978 Pacific typhoon season was a very active season that produced 31 tropical storms, 16 typhoons and one intense typhoon. It ran year-round in 1978, but most tropical cyclones tend to form in the northwestern Pacific Ocean between June and December. 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. Tropical storms that formed in the basin were assigned a name by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center while systems that were active in the Philippine area of responsibility were assigned a name by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA). This often results in the same storm having two names.
33 tropical depressions formed this year in the Western Pacific, of which 29 became tropical storms. 15 storms reached typhoon intensity, of which 1 reached super typhoon strength. Many of the storms either remained at sea or failed to do any damage.
Basin: | WPac |
Track: | Nadine 1978 track.png |
Formed: | January 6 |
Dissipated: | January 13 |
10-Min Winds: | 55 |
1-Min Winds: | 50 |
Pressure: | 970 |
Nadine stayed at sea and was the first severe tropical storm of the season. It lived at least 1 week.
See main article: Typhoon Olive (1978).
Basin: | WPac |
Track: | Olive 1978 track.png |
Formed: | April 15 |
Dissipated: | April 26 |
10-Min Winds: | 80 |
1-Min Winds: | 85 |
Pressure: | 955 |
On 12:00 UTC on April 11, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) began to monitor a surface circulation which had formed within the trough. Five days later, the JTWC issued their first warning on the system as it began coalescing.[1] On April 18, the system entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility, resulting in PAGASA naming the system Atang.[2] Later that day, the system intensified into a tropical storm, resulting in it being named Olive.
Olive would steadily intensify after it entered the South China Sea on April 20, being in an environment with good outflow aloft and warm Sea surface temperatures, resulting in it intensifying into a typhoon on April 22. Olive would recurve due to a break in the subtropical ridge, peaking with sustained winds of 100mph the next day. It accelerated to the east-northeast, steadily weakening due to intruding cool and dry air, resulting in the system becoming extratropical early on April 26.[3]
As Olive passed the Philippines, it would affect nearly 370,000 people in the nation, leaving 3,500 homeless.[4] [5] The MV Leyte, a lengthened ship of the Compania Maritima was caught in it, being wrecked in the southwestern portion of Sibuyan Island as she was on a Manila-Cebu voyage.[6] The Hong Kong Observatory would hoist its Stand-By Signal No. 1 for Hong Kong on April 24 as Oliver was at its closest to the island.[7]
Basin: | WPac |
Track: | Polly 1978 track.png |
Formed: | June 13 |
Dissipated: | June 20 |
10-Min Winds: | 45 |
1-Min Winds: | 50 |
Pressure: | 985 |
Polly was the first of three weak June systems.
Basin: | WPac |
Track: | Rose 1978 track.png |
Formed: | June 21 |
Dissipated: | June 24 |
10-Min Winds: | 45 |
1-Min Winds: | 40 |
Pressure: | 990 |
Rose was the second of three weak June systems.
Basin: | WPac |
Track: | Shirley 1978 track.png |
Formed: | June 26 |
Dissipated: | June 30 |
10-Min Winds: | 45 |
1-Min Winds: | 35 |
Pressure: | 992 |
Shirley hit Vietnam as a tropical storm.
Basin: | WPac |
Track: | Trix 1978 track.png |
Formed: | July 11 |
Dissipated: | July 23 |
10-Min Winds: | 70 |
1-Min Winds: | 70 |
Pressure: | 965 |
Trix did a loop.
Basin: | WPac |
Track: | Virginia 1978 track.png |
Formed: | July 22 |
Dissipated: | August 2 |
10-Min Winds: | 70 |
1-Min Winds: | 70 |
Pressure: | 975 |
Virginia stayed largely at sea.
Basin: | WPac |
Track: | Wendy 1978 track.png |
Formed: | July 22 |
Dissipated: | August 3 |
10-Min Winds: | 70 |
1-Min Winds: | 80 |
Pressure: | 960 |
Wendy ultimately hit Japan.
Basin: | WPac |
Track: | Agnes 1978 track.png |
Formed: | July 24 |
Dissipated: | July 30 |
10-Min Winds: | 55 |
1-Min Winds: | 50 |
Pressure: | 980 |
Agnes formed on July 24, made a complete loop, and struck China on July 29 with winds of 55 mph after peaking at 65 mph.[8] It dissipated the 30th. In Hong Kong Tropical Storm Agnes killed 3 people.[9]
Basin: | WPac |
Track: | Bonnie 1978 track.png |
Formed: | August 8 |
Dissipated: | August 12 |
10-Min Winds: | 40 |
1-Min Winds: | 40 |
Pressure: | 985 |
Bonnie hit Vietnam.
Basin: | WPac |
Track: | Carmen 1978 track.png |
Formed: | August 10 |
Dissipated: | August 20 |
10-Min Winds: | 75 |
1-Min Winds: | 70 |
Pressure: | 970 |
Carmen affected South Korea.
Basin: | WPac |
Track: | Della 1978 track.png |
Formed: | August 10 |
Dissipated: | August 13 |
10-Min Winds: | 45 |
1-Min Winds: | 45 |
Pressure: | 985 |
Della landed in Taiwan and China.
Basin: | WPac |
Formed: | August 13 |
Dissipated: | August 17 |
Warningcenter: | PAGASA |
10-Min Winds: | 30 |
Pressure: | 1000 |
Only recognized by PAGASA.
Basin: | WPac |
Track: | 13-W 1978 track.png |
Formed: | August 14 |
Dissipated: | August 20 |
10-Min Winds: | 40 |
1-Min Winds: | 30 |
Pressure: | 999 |
13W was weak but hit Japan.
Basin: | WPac |
Track: | Elaine 1978 track.png |
Formed: | August 18 |
Dissipated: | August 28 |
10-Min Winds: | 65 |
1-Min Winds: | 65 |
Pressure: | 965 |
Elaine struck the Northern Philippines and the Chinese province of Guangdong.
Basin: | WPac |
Track: | Faye 1978 track.png |
Formed: | August 25 |
Dissipated: | September 7 |
10-Min Winds: | 90 |
1-Min Winds: | 105 |
Pressure: | 935 |
Faye stayed at sea.
Basin: | WPac |
Track: | Gloria 1978 track.png |
Formed: | August 28 |
Dissipated: | August 31 |
10-Min Winds: | 40 |
1-Min Winds: | 40 |
Pressure: | 992 |
Gloria stayed at sea.
Basin: | WPac |
Track: | Hester 1978 track.png |
Formed: | August 28 |
Dissipated: | September 1 |
10-Min Winds: | 45 |
1-Min Winds: | 50 |
Pressure: | 990 |
Hester stayed away from land.
Basin: | WPac |
Track: | Irma Pacific 1978 track.png |
Formed: | September 9 |
Dissipated: | September 15 |
10-Min Winds: | 65 |
1-Min Winds: | 65 |
Pressure: | 970 |
Irma, the eighth typhoon of the 1978 season, developed in the monsoon trough southeast of Taiwan.[10] It made landfall in Honshu, Japan. With winds of up to 120 km/h, Typhoon Irma killed at least 6 people and made about 3,000 homeless. Four people were missing and about 100 were injured by floods and landslides in southwestern Japan.[11] It destroyed or damaged 1,597 homes and left 6,266 homes flooded.[12] Irma smashed windows, overturned cars, and capsized several fishing boats. Several athletes at the Japan-China Friendship Track and Field Meet in Kitakyushu were injured when a freak gust blew them ten feet in the air. A Liberian-registered tanker was swept from its moorings off the port of Kure and drifted for nearly 5 kilometers before running aground off a small island in the Inland Sea. Irma remained a typhoon for only 12 hours becoming the shortest-lived typhoon of the season.
Basin: | WPac |
Track: | Judy 1978 track.png |
Formed: | September 9 |
Dissipated: | September 17 |
10-Min Winds: | 80 |
1-Min Winds: | 90 |
Pressure: | 950 |
Judy did not impact land.
Basin: | WPac |
Track: | Kit 1978 track.png |
Formed: | September 20 |
Dissipated: | September 26 |
10-Min Winds: | 50 |
1-Min Winds: | 50 |
Pressure: | 990 |
Kit hit Vietnam and The Philippines.
Basin: | WPac |
Track: | Lola 1978 track.png |
Formed: | September 20 |
Dissipated: | October 2 |
10-Min Winds: | 70 |
1-Min Winds: | 75 |
Pressure: | 965 |
Lola hit China and the Philippines.
Basin: | WPac |
Track: | Mamie 1978 track.png |
Formed: | September 29 |
Dissipated: | October 4 |
10-Min Winds: | 70 |
1-Min Winds: | 70 |
Pressure: | 960 |
Mamie recurved out to sea.
Basin: | WPac |
Track: | Nina 1978 track.png |
Formed: | October 6 |
Dissipated: | October 16 |
10-Min Winds: | 60 |
1-Min Winds: | 60 |
Pressure: | 975 |
According to the official reports, 59 people died and more than 500,000 were in evacuation centers in the Philippines.[13]
Basin: | WPac |
Track: | Ora 1978 track.png |
Formed: | October 8 |
Dissipated: | October 15 |
10-Min Winds: | 80 |
1-Min Winds: | 85 |
Pressure: | 940 |
Ora brushed Taiwan.
Basin: | WPac |
Track: | 25-W 1978 track.png |
Formed: | October 8 |
Dissipated: | October 12 |
1-Min Winds: | 30 |
10-Min Winds: | 30 |
Warningcenter: | PAGASA |
Pressure: | 999 |
25W did not affect land.
Basin: | WPac |
Track: | Bidang 1978 track.png |
Formed: | October 10 |
Dissipated: | October 16 |
1-Min Winds: | 20 |
10-Min Winds: | 30 |
Warningcenter: | PAGASA |
Pressure: | 1002 |
26W followed 25W.
Basin: | WPac |
Track: | Phyllis 1978 track.png |
Formed: | October 13 |
Dissipated: | October 22 |
10-Min Winds: | 80 |
1-Min Winds: | 95 |
Pressure: | 955 |
Phyllis recurved from Japan.
See main article: Typhoon Rita (1978).
Basin: | WPac |
Track: | Rita 1978 path.png |
Formed: | October 15 |
Dissipated: | October 29 |
10-Min Winds: | 120 |
1-Min Winds: | 150 |
Pressure: | 880 |
Tropical Depression 28 developed October 15. Three and a half days later, it strengthened into a tropical storm. Rita became a typhoon late on October 19. Rita reached Category 5 status on October 23, reaching a minimum central pressure of 878 millibars on October 25, only 8 milibars higher than Typhoon Tip's record set in 1979. After spending over three consecutive days at that intensity, Rita weakened to a Category 4 and smashed ashore on Luzon. Rita stayed a typhoon during its entire passage over the Philippines and emerged into the South China Sea as a minimal typhoon. Rita then decayed slowly and dissipated as a depression near the coast of Vietnam. The typhoon caused considerable damage and loss of life in the Philippines, though exact numbers are unknown.
Basin: | WPac |
Formed: | October 30 |
Dissipated: | November 3 |
10-Min Winds: | 35 |
Pressure: | 994 |
Tropical Storm 27 was weak and short-lived.
Basin: | WPac |
Track: | Tess 1978 track.png |
Formed: | October 31 |
Dissipated: | November 6 |
10-Min Winds: | 60 |
1-Min Winds: | 60 |
Pressure: | 975 |
A tropical depression developed on October 31. The depression was upgraded to a tropical storm on November 2. Tess continued to intensify and reached its peak intensity as a 70mph storm; just short of typhoon status. The storm became extratropical on November 7.
Basin: | WPac |
Track: | Delang 1978 track.png |
Formed: | November 15 |
Dissipated: | November 20 |
1-Min Winds: | 25 |
10-Min Winds: | 30 |
Warningcenter: | PAGASA |
Pressure: | 1002 |
30W came close to land.
Basin: | WPac |
Track: | Viola 1978 track.png |
Formed: | November 16 |
Dissipated: | November 24 |
10-Min Winds: | 105 |
1-Min Winds: | 125 |
Pressure: | 910 |
Increased convective activity in the monsoon trough was first noticed on satellite data on November 14 about 690miles southeast of Truk. On November 16, the disturbance was upgraded to Tropical Depression 33. Based on an improved satellite signature, TD 33 was upgraded to Tropical Storm Viola at 1200 UTC November 17. Viola continued to intensify as the storm moved on a northwestward track.[14] Late on November 19 reconnaissance aircraft confirmed that Viola's surface pressure had fallen to 977 mb; and, that an eye was beginning to form. Early on November 20, Viola was upgraded to a typhoon. Viola then started to rapidly intensify and reached peak intensity on November 21 with winds of 145mph. Viola recurved away from Luzon on November 22. By the next day, the storm had already weakened to a category 1 and further weakened to a tropical storm. Viola dissipated on November 24.
Basin: | WPac |
Track: | Winnie 1978 track.png |
Formed: | November 25 |
Dissipated: | November 30 |
10-Min Winds: | 55 |
1-Min Winds: | 55 |
Pressure: | 980 |
A tropical depression developed on November 25. It started to intensify while moving on a north-northwestward track. By November 28, it was upgraded to a tropical storm and was named Winnie. On the 29th, Winnie reached its peak intensity as severe tropical storm with (10-min) winds of 65mph. Winnie became extratropical early on November 30.
Basin: | WPac |
Formed: | December 13 |
Dissipated: | December 19 |
10-Min Winds: | 30 |
Pressure: | 1004 |
The last system of the season, Tropical Depression 63W (Garding) was named by PAGASA.
See also: Lists of tropical cyclone names and Tropical cyclone naming. During the season 28 named tropical cyclones developed in the Western Pacific and were named by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center, when it was determined that they had become tropical storms. These names were contributed to a revised list from late 1950. However the JTWC changed their naming scheme by the next year, now including both female and male names.
Nadine | Olive | Polly | Rose | Shirley | Trix | Virginia | Wendy | Agnes | Bonnie | Carmen | Della | Elaine | Faye | |
Gloria | Hester | Irma | Judy | Kit | Lola | Mamie | Nina | Ora | Phyllis | Rita | Tess | Viola | Winnie |
One name, Susan, developed over the Central Pacific and was named from this list. The storm never became a part of the West Pacific basin.
Akang | Bising | Klaring | Deling | Emang |
Gading | Heling | Iliang | Loleng | Miding |
Norming | Oyang | Pasing | Ruping | Susang |
Tering | Uding | Weling | Yaning | |
Auxiliary list | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Aning | Bidang | Kading | Delang | Esang |
Garding |
Due to extreme damages and death toll caused by Typhoon Rita (Kading), PAGASA retired the name Kading in its auxiliary list. The name replaced was Katring.
This table will list all the storms that developed in the northwestern Pacific Ocean west of the International Date Line and north of the equator during 1978. It will include their intensity, duration, name, areas affected, deaths, missing persons (in parentheses), and damage totals. Classification and intensity values will be based on estimations conducted by the JMA. All damage figures will be in 1978 USD. Damages and deaths from a storm will include when the storm was a precursor wave or an extratropical low.
|-| Nadine || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || Marshall Islands || None || None |||-| Olive (Atang) || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || Palau, Philippines, Taiwan || Unknown || |||-| TD || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || Philippines || None || None |||-| TD || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || Philippines || None || None |||-| TD || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || Philippines || None || None |||-| Polly (Bising) || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || Ryukyu Islands, Japan || None || None |||-| Rose (Klaring) || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || Philippines, Taiwan || None || None |||-| Shirley (Deling) || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia || Unknown || None |||-| TD || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || Japan || None || None |||-| Trix || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || Ryukyu Islands, China || Unknown || Unknown |||-| TD || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || None || None || None |||-| Wendy (Emang) || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || Ryukyu Islands, Japan || None || None |||-| Virginia || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || Japan || None || None |||-| Agnes || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || South China || None || |||-| TD || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || None || None || None |||-| TD || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || Taiwan || None || None |||-| Gading || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || Taiwan || None || None |||-| Bonnie || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || South China, Vietnam || None || None |||-| Carmen (Iliang) || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || Ryukyu Islands, East China, Korea || Unknown || None |||-| Della (Heling) || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || Philippines, Taiwan, China || None || None |||-| Loleng || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || Philippines, South China || None || None |||-| TD || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || Taiwan || None || None |||-| 13W || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || Japan || None || None |||-| TD || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || Palau || None || None |||-| TD || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || Taiwan || None || None |||-| Elaine (Miding) || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || Philippines, South China || Unknown || Unknown |||-| TD || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || Korean Peninsula || None || None |||-| TD || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || Ryukyu Islands || None || None |||-| Faye || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || Mariana Islands, Taiwan || None || None |||-| Gloria (Norming) || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || Ryukyu Islands || None || None |||-| Hester || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || Japan || None || None |||-| Oyang || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || Philippines || None || None |||-| TD || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || None || None || None |||-| TD || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || Ryukyu Islands, Taiwan || None || None |||-| Irma (Ruping) || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || Taiwan, Ryukyu Islands, Japan|| None || |||-| Pasing || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || Vietnam || None || None |||-| Judy || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || None || None || None |||-| TD || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || Taiwan || None || None |||-| Susang || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || Palau, Philippines, Vietnam || None || None |||-| TD || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || Palau || None || None |||-| Kit (Uding) || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || Philippines, South China, Vietnam || Unknown || Unknown |||-| Tering || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || Philippines || None || None |||-| TD || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || Ryukyu Islands || None || None |||-| Lola (Weling) || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || Philippines, South China || Unknown || Unknown |||-| Mamie || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || None || None || None |||-| TD || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || None || None || None |||-| Nina (Yaning) || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || Philippines, South China, Vietnam || Unknown || |||-| Ora (Aning) || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || Taiwan, Ryukyu Islands || None || None |||-| 25W || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || None || None || None |||-| 26W (Bidang) || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || Caroline Islands, Philippines || None || None |||-| Phyllis || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || None || None || None |||-| Rita (Kading) || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || Caroline Islands, Mariana Islands, Philippines || || > |||-| Twenty-seven || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || Philippines, Vietnam || None || None |||-| Tess || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || Philippines, South China, Vietnam || None || None |||-| TD || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || Vietnam || None || None |||-| TD || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || Philippines || None || None |||-| TD || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || Vietnam || None || None |||-| 30W (Delang) || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || Philippines || None || None |||-| Viola (Esang) || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || Caroline Islands || None || None |||-| TD || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || Malaysia || None || None |||-| Winnie || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || Mariana Islands || None || None |||-| TD || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || None || None || None |||-| Garding || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || Philippines || Unknown || None |||-