1998 Pacific typhoon season.html



1998 Pacific typhoon season

Season summary map
First storm formed:	July 6, 1998
Last storm dissipated:	December 22, 1998
Strongest storm:	Zeb - 872 hPa (mbar), 285 km/h (180 mph)
Total storms:	18
Typhoons:	9
Super typhoons:	3
Total fatalities:	459+
Total damage:	≤ $1 billion (1998 USD) ≤ $1.3 billion (2008 USD)
Pacific typhoon seasons 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000

The 1998 Pacific typhoon season has no official bounds, 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 1998 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.

The 1998 Pacifc Typhoon season was inactive with only 18 storms, but was very damaging with up to 1 billion dollars in damage and hundreds of deaths. Typhoon Zeb was the most notable storm of this season with up to 100 deaths and 834 million dollars of damage. Zeb was also one of the strongest typhoons in the West Pacific; its lowest measured pressure was 872 milibars, making it one of 6 typhoons with a pressure reading this low.

Storms

Tropical Depression 01W (Akang)

Tropical depression (SSHS)
Duration	July 6—July 11
Intensity	55 km/h (35 mph) (1-min), 1000 hPa (mbar)

When the first tropical depression of the season developed on July 6, it became the latest start in Western Pacific history. The late start can be attributed to the La Niña of 1998.

Tropical Storm Nichole

Tropical storm (SSHS)
Duration	July 7—July 12
Intensity	95 km/h (60 mph) (1-min), 987 hPa (mbar)

Tropical Storm 03W

Tropical storm (SSHS)
Duration	July 22—July 26
Intensity	85 km/h (50 mph) (1-min), 991 hPa (mbar)

Typhoon Otto (Bising)

Category 3 typhoon (SSHS)
Duration	August 1—August 5
Intensity	185 km/h (115 mph) (1-min), 944 hPa (mbar)

When Tropical Storm Otto reached typhoon strength on August 2, it became the latest date for the first typhoon in history. Otto later hit Taiwan as a Category 3 typhoon.

Tropical Storm Penny (Klaring)

Tropical storm (SSHS)
Duration	August 5—August 12
Intensity	110 km/h (70 mph) (1-min), 980 hPa (mbar)

Typhoon Rex (Deling)

Category 4 typhoon (SSHS)
Duration	August 22—September 9
Intensity	215 km/h (130 mph) (1-min), 927 hPa (mbar)

An active Tropical Upper Tropospheric Trough allowed for the development of Tropical Depression 6W on August 22, east of Luzon. It moved westward initially, but as the trough weakened a ridge to the east, it moved northeastward where it became a tropical storm on the 23rd. Rex slowly intensified to become a typhoon on the 26th, followed by reaching a peak of 135 mph winds on the 28th south of Japan. As it moved northward, it brought heavy flooding to Honshū, Japan, amounting to 13 deaths and moderate damage from mudslides across the island. Another trough pulled the storm eastward, saving Japan from a direct hit, and Rex continued northeastward to an unusually high latitude near 50º, when it became extratropical on the 9th near the Aleutian Islands, east of the International Date Line.

Tropical Depression 07W

Tropical depression (SSHS)
Duration	August 31—September 6
Intensity	55 km/h (35 mph) (1-min), 1000 hPa (mbar)

Typhoon Stella

Category 1 typhoon (SSHS)
Duration	September 10—September 16
Intensity	120 km/h (75 mph) (1-min), 976 hPa (mbar)

Tropical Depression 09W

Tropical depression (SSHS)
Duration	September 12—September 14
Intensity	55 km/h (35 mph) (1-min), 1002 hPa (mbar)

Super Typhoon Todd (Emang)

Category 4 super typhoon (SSHS)
Duration	September 14—September 20
Intensity	240 km/h (150 mph) (1-min), 910 hPa (mbar)

Typhoon Vicki (Gading)

Category 2 typhoon (SSHS)
Duration	September 16—September 23
Intensity	165 km/h (105 mph) (1-min), 954 hPa (mbar)

100 mph Typhoon Vicki, while moving eastward through northern Luzon, dropped torrential rainfall, killing 9 people and affecting more than 300,000 people. The ferry "Princess of the Orient" sunk during the storm's onslaught, killing dozens. Vicki continued northeastward, and hit southern Japan, disrupting train and passenger service and canceling over 60 domestic flights in the country.

Tropical Depression 12W

Tropical depression (SSHS)
Duration	September 16—September 19
Intensity	55 km/h (35 mph) (1-min), 1000 hPa (mbar)

Tropical Storm Waldo

Tropical storm (SSHS)
Duration	September 18—September 21
Intensity	85 km/h (50 mph) (1-min), 991 hPa (mbar)

Typhoon Yanni (Heling)

Category 1 typhoon (SSHS)
Duration	September 24—October 2
Intensity	150 km/h (90 mph) (1-min), 963 hPa (mbar)

Tropical Depression 15W

Tropical depression (SSHS)
Duration	October 2—October 5
Intensity	55 km/h (35 mph) (1-min), 1000 hPa (mbar)

Tropical Depression 16W

Tropical depression (SSHS)
Duration	October 4—October 7
Intensity	55 km/h (35 mph) (1-min), 1000 hPa (mbar)

Tropical Depression 17W

Tropical depression (SSHS)
Duration	October 5—October 7
Intensity	55 km/h (35 mph) (1-min), 1000 hPa (mbar)

Super Typhoon Zeb (Iliang)

Category 5 super typhoon (SSHS)
Duration	October 7—October 18
Intensity	285 km/h (180 mph) (1-min), 872 hPa (mbar)

Main article: Typhoon Zeb

The monsoon trough near Guam developed a tropical depression on October 7. It moved westward, strengthening to a tropical storm on the 10th. The large inflow of the storm developed another tropical storm on the 10th; Tropical Storm Alex. The two moved westward, and as Zeb strengthened to a typhoon on the 11th, it absorbed the short-lived Tropical Storm Alex. It continued west-northwestward, rapidly intensifying to a 180 mph super typhoon on the 13th with a minimum central pressure of 872 millibars; tied for the second lowest on record. Zeb maintained this intensity until hitting Luzon in the Philippines on the 14th. After weakening over the archipelago Zeb moved northward to hit Taiwan as a minimal typhoon on the 15th. It maintained this intensity until hitting Japan on the 17th, after which it became extratropical on the 18th. Zeb was responsible for 99 casualties in its path.²

Tropical Storm Alex

Tropical storm (SSHS)
Duration	October 10—October 12
Intensity	95 km/h (60 mph) (1-min), 987 hPa (mbar)

Super Typhoon Babs (Loleng)

Category 4 super typhoon (SSHS)
Duration	October 11—October 17
Intensity	250 km/h (155 mph) (1-min), 904 hPa (mbar)

Main article: Typhoon Babs (1998)

A tropical disturbance in association with the TUTT (Tropical Upper Tropospheric Trough) formed into a tropical depression on October 11 near Guam. It moved westward under the influence of the Subtropical Ridge, and became a tropical storm on the 15th. Babs slowly intensified due to little upper level outflow, but when the outflow became more pronounced, it strengthened to a typhoon on the 19th and a super typhoon with a peak of 155 mph winds on the 20th. Babs hit the central Philippines as a Category 4, and flooded an area just hit by another super typhoon, Zeb, only 7 days before. Babs weakened over the islands, and turned north where upper level shear caused it to dissipate on the 27th. Super Typhoon Babs caused heavy mudslides in the Philippines, resulting in 156 deaths and heavy flooding.

Tropical Storm Chip

Tropical storm (SSHS)
Duration	November 10—November 15
Intensity	95 km/h (60 mph) (1-min), 987 hPa (mbar)

Tropical Storm Dawn

Tropical storm (SSHS)
Duration	November 16—November 20
Intensity	85 km/h (50 mph) (1-min), 991 hPa (mbar)

Tropical Storm Elvis (Miding)

Tropical storm (SSHS)
Duration	November 23—November 26
Intensity	85 km/h (50 mph) (1-min), 991 hPa (mbar)

Typhoon Faith (Norming)

Category 2 typhoon (SSHS)
Duration	December 7—December 14
Intensity	165 km/h (105 mph) (1-min), 954 hPa (mbar)

Tropical Storm Faith moved westward across the northwestern Pacific. It strengthened to a typhoon just as it crossed over the Philippines, an area hit by several typhoons this season. After reaching a peak of 100 mph winds over the South China Sea, Faith weakened to a tropical storm on December 14 just before making landfall on eastern Vietnam. It dissipated later that day, after causing a total of 57 deaths and $33 million in damage (1998 dollars) in its path.

Tropical Storm Gil

Tropical storm (SSHS)
Duration	December 8—December 13
Intensity	65 km/h (40 mph) (1-min), 997 hPa (mbar)

Tropical Depression 26W

Tropical depression (SSHS)
Duration	December 17—December 19
Intensity	45 km/h (30 mph) (1-min), 1002 hPa (mbar)

Tropical Depression 27W

Tropical depression (SSHS)
Duration	December 18—December 22
Intensity	55 km/h (35 mph) (1-min), 1000 hPa (mbar)

Storm names

In 1998, western North Pacific tropical cyclones were named by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. The first storm of 1998 was named Nichole and the final one was named Gil. Basin suffix included to show for example Tropical Storm 04W Otto and Bising are the same storm.

Philippines

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) uses its own naming scheme for tropical cyclones within its area of responsibility. Lists are recycled every four years. This is the same list used for the 1994 season.

References

See also

Tropical cyclones portal

• 1998 Pacific hurricane season
• 1998 Atlantic hurricane season
• 1998-99 Southern Hemisphere tropical cyclone season

External links

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

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