Tropical Storm Haima (2004)
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The 2004 Pacific typhoon season was an extremely active season that featured the second-highest ACE ever recorded in a single season, second only to
1997 Events January * January 1 – The Emergency Alert System is introduced in the United States. * January 11 – Turkey threatens Cyprus on account of a deal to buy Russian S-300 missiles, prompting the Cypriot Missile Crisis. * January 1 ...
, which featured 29 named storms, nineteen typhoons, and six super typhoons. It was an event in the annual cycle of
tropical cyclone A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system with a low-pressure area, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depending on its locat ...
formation, in which tropical cyclones form in the western Pacific Ocean. The season ran throughout 2004, though most tropical cyclones typically develop between May and December. The season's first named storm and also the first typhoon, Sudal, developed on April 4, later was reached typhoon status two days later, and became the first super typhoon of the year three days later. The season's last named storm, Noru, dissipated on December 22. The scope of this article is limited to the Pacific Ocean to the north of the equator between 100°E and
180th meridian The 180th meridian or antimeridian is the meridian (geography), meridian 180° both east and west of the prime meridian in a Geographic coordinate system, geographical coordinate system. The longitude at this line can be given as either east ...
. Within the northwestern Pacific Ocean, there are two separate agencies that assign names to tropical cyclones, which can often result in a cyclone having two names. The
Japan Meteorological Agency The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA; ''気象庁, Kishō-chō'') is a division of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism dedicated to the Scientific, scientific observation and research of natural phenomena. Headquartered ...
 (JMA) names a tropical cyclone should it be judged to have 10-minute sustained wind speeds of at least anywhere in the basin, whilst the
Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (, abbreviated as PAGASA , which means "hope" as in the Tagalog word ''pag-asa'') is the National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHS) agency of the P ...
 (PAGASA) assigns names to tropical cyclones which move into or form as a tropical depression in their
area of responsibility Area of responsibility (AOR) is a pre-defined geographic region assigned to Combatant commanders of the Unified Command Plan (UCP), that are used to define an area with specific geographic boundaries where they have the authority to plan and c ...
located between 135°E and 115°E and between 5°N and 25°N, regardless of whether or not a tropical cyclone has already been given a name by the JMA. Tropical depressions that are monitored by the United States'
Joint Typhoon Warning Center The Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) is a joint United States Navy – United States Air Force command in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The JTWC is responsible for the issuing of tropical cyclone warnings in the North-West Pacific Ocean, South P ...
 (JTWC) are given a number with a "W" suffix. __TOC__


Seasonal summary

The activity of the season was extremely high, while the impacts of the typhoons were damaging and deadly, including four consecutive typhoons that struck them in the
Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
. In August,
Typhoon Rananim Typhoon Rananim, known in the Philippines as Typhoon Karen, was the strongest typhoon to make landfall on the Chinese province of Zhejiang since Typhoon Wanda in 1956. It formed on August 6, 2004, intensifying into a tropical storm on Augu ...
struck
Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...
and
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
causing widespread damage, killing 169 people and with an estimated $2.44 billion (USD 2004) in damage. Typhoon Aere also caused heavy damage in China after Rananim killed 107 people there with minimal damage. Typhoon Songda was the costliest typhoon of the season to hit
Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
, with damage estimated at $9.3 billion (US$2004) and 28 people killed. In October, Typhoon Tokage hit Japan as a tropical storm, causing a total of 95 deaths and damage estimated at $2.3 billion (2004 USD).
Tropical Depression Winnie Tropical Depression Winnie was a weak and short lived yet catastrophic tropical cyclone that killed nearly 1,600 people after triggering widespread flooding in the Philippines in late November 2004. It was the second deadliest tropical cyclone of ...
struck the Philippines killing a total of 1,593 people, making Winnie the deadliest storm of the season since
Tropical Storm Thelma Tropical Storm Thelma, known in the Philippines as Tropical Storm Uring, was one of the deadliest tropical cyclones in Philippine history, killing at least 5,081 people. Forming out of a tropical disturbance on November 1, 1991, sever ...
in
1991 It was the final year of the Cold War, which had begun in 1947. During the year, the Soviet Union Dissolution of the Soviet Union, collapsed, leaving Post-soviet states, fifteen sovereign republics and the Commonwealth of Independent State ...
. After the month of November, the seasonal activity onwards decreased. The activity during the month included two typhoons. Muifa struck the Philippines after Winnie, killing 68 people and subsequently bringing heavy rains to
Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...
killing 40 people. The fourth and last consecutive typhoon to hit the Philippines was Nanmadol which made landfall as a Category 4 typhoon in that country, killing a total of 77 people. The
Accumulated Cyclone Energy Accumulated cyclone energy (ACE) is a metric used to compare overall activity of tropical cyclones, utilizing the available records of windspeeds at six-hour intervals to synthesize storm duration and strength into a single index value. The ACE ...
(ACE) index of this season amounted to 60% above the normal level for Pacific typhoon seasons, calculated by Colorado State University using data from the Joint Typhoon Warning Center to be 480.6 units. This makes the season the second-most intense Pacific typhoon season in recorded history, only after
1997 Events January * January 1 – The Emergency Alert System is introduced in the United States. * January 11 – Turkey threatens Cyprus on account of a deal to buy Russian S-300 missiles, prompting the Cypriot Missile Crisis. * January 1 ...
. Broadly speaking, ACE is a measure of the power of a tropical or subtropical storm multiplied by the length of time it existed. It is only calculated for full advisories on specific tropical and subtropical systems reaching or exceeding wind speeds of .


Systems


Tropical Depression 01W (Ambo)

The first tropical storm of the 2004 Pacific typhoon season developed on February 10 west of Chuuk. It tracked to the west, organizing slowly due to persistent
vertical wind shear Wind shear (; also written windshear), sometimes referred to as wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and/or direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere. Atmospheric wind shear is normally described as either vertical o ...
. On February 13 and 14, the depression executed a clockwise loop. When the storm turned to the southwest, the wind shear overcame it, and the cyclone dissipated on February 19. The remnants of Tropical Depression Ambo dissipated, affecting
Luzon Luzon ( , ) is the largest and most populous List of islands in the Philippines, island in the Philippines. Located in the northern portion of the List of islands of the Philippines, Philippine archipelago, it is the economic and political ce ...
by bringing flash floods and heavy rainfall on February 20 until February 22.


Tropical Depression 02W (Butchoy)

The near-equatorial trough spawned a tropical disturbance east of the
Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
late on March 13. It rapidly moved northwest as it became a tropical depression in the afternoon hours of the next day. Due to warm waters and moderate
convection Convection is single or Multiphase flow, multiphase fluid flow that occurs Spontaneous process, spontaneously through the combined effects of material property heterogeneity and body forces on a fluid, most commonly density and gravity (see buoy ...
, it rapidly intensified, with a brief turn to the southwest. On March 17, it reached peak intensity as a tropical storm, with the PAGASA naming it as Butchoy. The system rapidly weakened on March 19, just before the storm was about to hit the Philippines. A weak
trough Trough may refer to: In science * Trough (geology), a long depression less steep than a trench * Trough (meteorology), an elongated region of low atmospheric pressure * Trough (physics), the lowest point on a wave * Trough level (medicine), the l ...
brought it northward, where dry air and vertical shear caused it to dissipate on March 23.


Typhoon Sudal (Cosme)

On April 5, Tropical Depression 03W began its life between Chuuk and
Pohnpei Pohnpei (formerly known as Ponape or Ascension, from Pohnpeian: "upon (''pohn'') a stone altar (''pei'')") is an island of the Senyavin Islands which are part of the larger Caroline Islands group. It belongs to Pohnpei State, one of the fou ...
. As it drifted to the northwest, it strengthened into a tropical storm. Sudal turned to the west, and steadily intensified to become a
typhoon A typhoon is a tropical cyclone that develops between 180° and 100°E in the Northern Hemisphere and which produces sustained hurricane-force winds of at least . This region is referred to as the Northwestern Pacific Basin, accounting for a ...
on April 6. On the April 9, with maximum sustained winds of 115  kn/130 mph, Typhoon Sudal hit the island of
Yap Yap (, sometimes written as , or ) traditionally refers to an island group located in the Caroline Islands of the western Pacific Ocean, a part of Yap State. The name "Yap" in recent years has come to also refer to the state within the Federate ...
. After ravaging the island, Sudal reached a peak of 130 kn/150 mph winds. The typhoon turned to the northeast and became extratropical early on April 16.
Yap Yap (, sometimes written as , or ) traditionally refers to an island group located in the Caroline Islands of the western Pacific Ocean, a part of Yap State. The name "Yap" in recent years has come to also refer to the state within the Federate ...
experienced catastrophic damage, with 90% of buildings destroyed, 1,500 left homeless, but fortunately no fatalities. Sudal is a Korean word meaning otter.


Typhoon Nida (Dindo)

A
monsoon trough The monsoon trough is a convergence zone between the wind patterns of the southern and northern hemispheres. It is a portion of the Intertropical Convergence Zone in the Western Pacific,Bin WangThe Asian Monsoon.Retrieved 2008-05-03. and is dep ...
spawned Tropical Depression 04W east of the Philippines on May 13. The depression quickly strengthened, reaching tropical storm intensity on May 14 and typhoon status just six hours later. On May 15 and 16 while moving northwest towards the Philippine coast, Nida rapidly intensified to a 140 kn/160 mph super typhoon, and crossed the eastern Philippines shortly thereafter. Nida weakened slightly over the islands, and began to move to the north and northeast in response to a break in the
subtropical ridge The horse latitudes are the latitudes about 30 degrees north and south of the Equator. They are characterized by sunny skies, calm winds, and very little precipitation. They are also known as subtropical ridges or highs. It is a high-pressur ...
. It became
extratropical Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are low-pressure areas which, along with the anticyclones of high-pressure areas, drive the weather over much of the Earth. Extratropical cyclones are capable of p ...
on May 21 east of Japan, after causing 31 deaths and about $1.3 million in damage. Nida is a Thai female name. In the Philippines, evacuation centers were opened to accommodate 2,986 people. The typhoon approach canceled ferry operations stranding 15,057 passengers.May 2004 Monthly Global Tropical Cyclone Summary
In
Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...
, forecasters at the
Central Weather Bureau The Central Weather Administration (CWA; ) is the government meteorological research and forecasting institution of Taiwan (the Republic of China). In addition to meteorology, the Central Weather Administration also makes astronomical observation ...
issued a typhoon warning as forecast models predicted a high probability of the typhoon hitting Taiwan.


Tropical Depression 05W

A small tropical disturbance rapidly formed, moving southwest on May 12. The small system rapidly built up on May 13. The next day, the JTWC classified it as Tropical Depression 05W. 05W moved west, affecting
Vietnam Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...
and reached peak intensity as a tropical storm on May 15 and 16. With two other systems in the Western Pacific, Typhoon Nida and Tropical Storm Omais, 05W turned eastwards, weakening on May 17. Dissipating on May 18, and due to the strong pull of the outflow of Typhoon Nida at peak intensity, the remnants of 05W rapidly moved and was located about east of Philippines and was absorbed by a trough on May 20. The circulation fully dissipated on May 25 as it was absorbed by a monsoonal trough.


Severe Tropical Storm Omais (Enteng)

A tropical disturbance southwest of Chuuk organized into a tropical depression on May 16, one of 3 active tropical cyclones in the Western Pacific at the time. The depression developed quickly, reaching tropical storm status later that day and reaching a peak of 60 kn/70 mph winds three days later on May 19. A weakening
ridge A ridge is a long, narrow, elevated geomorphologic landform, structural feature, or a combination of both separated from the surrounding terrain by steep sides. The sides of a ridge slope away from a narrow top, the crest or ridgecrest, wi ...
brought Omais northward, where it became extratropical on May 22. Operationally, Omais was classified as a typhoon, but in post-analysis, it was dropped to a severe tropical storm. Omais is a Palauan word meaning 'wandering around'.


Typhoon Conson (Frank)

In the
South China Sea The South China Sea is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean. It is bounded in the north by South China, in the west by the Indochinese Peninsula, in the east by the islands of Taiwan island, Taiwan and northwestern Philippines (mainly Luz ...
, a stationary area of disturbed weather developed into Tropical Depression 07W on June 4. It tracked eastward then northeastward, becoming a tropical storm on June 5 and a typhoon on June 7. Conson passed between
Luzon Luzon ( , ) is the largest and most populous List of islands in the Philippines, island in the Philippines. Located in the northern portion of the List of islands of the Philippines, Philippine archipelago, it is the economic and political ce ...
and Taiwan, and peaked with 100 kn/115 mph winds on June 9. Conson weakened as it continued northeastward, and became extratropical on June 11 near Japan without causing any reported damage. Conson is an area in
Vietnam Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...
containing many historical monuments.


Severe Tropical Storm Chanthu (Gener)

Originating from an
area of low pressure In meteorology, a low-pressure area (LPA), low area or low is a region where the atmospheric pressure is lower than that of surrounding locations. It is the opposite of a high-pressure area. Low-pressure areas are commonly associated with inclem ...
on June 5, 2004, Chanthu was first declared a tropical depression near southern
Leyte Island Leyte ( ) is an island in the Visayas group of islands in the Philippines. It is eighth-largest and sixth-most populous island in the Philippines, with a total population of 2,626,970 as of 2020 census. Since the accessibility of land has been ...
, in the Philippines, on June 7. Tracking west-northwestward, the depression intensified into a tropical storm over the central Philippines before entering the
South China Sea The South China Sea is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean. It is bounded in the north by South China, in the west by the Indochinese Peninsula, in the east by the islands of Taiwan island, Taiwan and northwestern Philippines (mainly Luz ...
. Once over the warm waters of the sea, the system quickly intensified, attaining its peak 10-minute winds of and 1-minute winds of . On June 12, the storm made
landfall Landfall is the event of a storm moving over land after being over water. More broadly, and in relation to human travel, it refers to 'the first land that is reached or seen at the end of a journey across the sea or through the air, or the fact ...
in Vietnam before quickly weakening over land. By June 13, the system had weakened to a tropical depression and dissipated two days later. During the time Typhoon Chanthu affected Vietnam, the highest sustained wind speed recorded on land was in An Nhơn (Bình Định), and the lowest recorded atmospheric pressure was in
Quy Nhơn Quy Nhon ( ) is a coastal city in Bình Định province in central Vietnam. It is composed of 16 wards and five communes with a total of . Quy Nhon was the capital of the former Bình Định province. As of 2022 its population was 481.110. H ...
. In Vietnam, Chanthu wrought substantial damage and killed 38 people. Damage from the storm was estimated at 125 billion  Vietnam dong (US$7.9 million), mostly from agricultural losses. The remnants of Chanthu also brought heavy rains to
Cambodia Cambodia, officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. It is bordered by Thailand to the northwest, Laos to the north, and Vietnam to the east, and has a coastline ...
, estimated to have exceeded .


Typhoon Dianmu (Helen)

Tropical Depression 09W, which developed from the
monsoon trough The monsoon trough is a convergence zone between the wind patterns of the southern and northern hemispheres. It is a portion of the Intertropical Convergence Zone in the Western Pacific,Bin WangThe Asian Monsoon.Retrieved 2008-05-03. and is dep ...
on June 13, headed north in the open Western Pacific. On the June 15 and 16, Dianmu rapidly intensified from a 70 kn/80 mph
typhoon A typhoon is a tropical cyclone that develops between 180° and 100°E in the Northern Hemisphere and which produces sustained hurricane-force winds of at least . This region is referred to as the Northwestern Pacific Basin, accounting for a ...
to a 155 kn/180 mph super typhoon, one of nine typhoons since 1990 to reach that intensity. It lost some organization on June 18, but re-strengthened on June 19 to a super typhoon while south of
Okinawa most commonly refers to: * Okinawa Prefecture, Japan's southernmost prefecture * Okinawa Island, the largest island of Okinawa Prefecture * Okinawa Islands, an island group including Okinawa itself * Okinawa (city), the second largest city in th ...
. Some dry air weakened Dianmu as it continued its northward movement, and hit southern Japan as a 55 kn/65 mph tropical storm on June 21. Dianmu became extratropical that night after causing 3 deaths. Dianmu is the name of the goddess of thunder and lightning in Chinese folklore.


Typhoon Mindulle (Igme)

The
monsoon trough The monsoon trough is a convergence zone between the wind patterns of the southern and northern hemispheres. It is a portion of the Intertropical Convergence Zone in the Western Pacific,Bin WangThe Asian Monsoon.Retrieved 2008-05-03. and is dep ...
spawned a tropical depression on June 23 near Guam. It tracked westward, becoming a tropical storm that night but slowly strengthening as it continued westward due to vertical wind shear. When the shear abated, Mindulle quickly intensified, reaching typhoon strength on June 27 and peaking at 125 kn/145 mph winds on June 28. Land interaction with
Luzon Luzon ( , ) is the largest and most populous List of islands in the Philippines, island in the Philippines. Located in the northern portion of the List of islands of the Philippines, Philippine archipelago, it is the economic and political ce ...
to its south weakened Mindulle, and the typhoon weakened as it turned northward. On July 1, Mindulle hit eastern Taiwan, and after accelerating to the northeast became extratropical near
South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...
on July 4. Mindulle caused 56 deaths, with $833 million in damage in its path (2004 USD). Mindulle is the Korean word for the
dandelion ''Taraxacum'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae, which consists of species commonly known as dandelions. The scientific and hobby study of the genus is known as taraxacology. The genus has a near-cosmopolitan distribu ...
.


Typhoon Tingting

Tropical Depression 11W, which developed from the
monsoon trough The monsoon trough is a convergence zone between the wind patterns of the southern and northern hemispheres. It is a portion of the Intertropical Convergence Zone in the Western Pacific,Bin WangThe Asian Monsoon.Retrieved 2008-05-03. and is dep ...
on June 25, steadily strengthened as it tracked to the northwest, and reached tropical storm status on June 26. Tingting passed
Saipan Saipan () is the largest island and capital of the Northern Mariana Islands, an unincorporated Territories of the United States, territory of the United States in the western Pacific Ocean. According to 2020 estimates by the United States Cens ...
on June 27, and reached
typhoon A typhoon is a tropical cyclone that develops between 180° and 100°E in the Northern Hemisphere and which produces sustained hurricane-force winds of at least . This region is referred to as the Northwestern Pacific Basin, accounting for a ...
status early on June 28. After maximum sustained winds peaked at 80 kn/90 mph, the typhoon turned to the northeast, where it became extratropical on July 3 after causing 3 deaths on Saipan. Tingting is a pet name for young girls in Chinese.


Tropical Storm Kompasu (Julian)

A non-tropical system formed south of an upper-level vortex on July 3. It moved west until it weakened due to an intensifying high-pressure area north of it on July 8. The next day, it regenerated and strengthened into a tropical disturbance. Late on July 11, it entered in a place of favorable environments until it became a Tropical Depression 12W early on July 12. Area of thunderstorms and convection organized into Tropical Depression 12W on July 13. Under high vertical shear and with a very small circulation, it was not expected to strengthen further. However, as it tracked erratically westward, it intensified, peaking with 40 kn/50 mph winds on July 14. Kompasu turned northward, hit the eastern part of Hong Kong directly as a minimal tropical storm, and dissipated on July 16. Kompasu is the Japanese word for compass, and the name of the
constellation A constellation is an area on the celestial sphere in which a group of visible stars forms Asterism (astronomy), a perceived pattern or outline, typically representing an animal, mythological subject, or inanimate object. The first constellati ...
Circinus Circinus is a small, faint constellation in the southern sky, first defined in 1756 by the French astronomer Nicolas-Louis de Lacaille. Its name is Latin for compass, referring to the drafting tool used for drawing circles (it should not be con ...
.


Typhoon Namtheun

Tropical Storm Namtheun, which formed on July 24, rapidly intensified on July 26 to a 115 kn/135 mph
typhoon A typhoon is a tropical cyclone that develops between 180° and 100°E in the Northern Hemisphere and which produces sustained hurricane-force winds of at least . This region is referred to as the Northwestern Pacific Basin, accounting for a ...
. Dry air approached the system from the south, and it weakened as it tracked northwest towards Japan. On July 31, Namtheun struck southwest Japan as a 55 kn/65 mph tropical storm, and became
extratropical Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are low-pressure areas which, along with the anticyclones of high-pressure areas, drive the weather over much of the Earth. Extratropical cyclones are capable of p ...
in the
Sea of Japan The Sea of Japan is the marginal sea between the Japanese archipelago, Sakhalin, the Korean Peninsula, and the mainland of the Russian Far East. The Japanese archipelago separates the sea from the Pacific Ocean. Like the Mediterranean Sea, it ...
on August 1. The storm caused no deaths or damage, with only 6 injuries. Namtheun is the name of a river in
Laos Laos, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic (LPDR), is the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by Myanmar and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the southeast, and Thailand to the west and ...
.


Tropical Storm Malou

A low-pressure area formed from the outflow of Typhoon Namtheun on July 29. An area of convection under moderate to high vertical wind shear developed into a tropical depression southeast of Japan on August 4. It became a minimal tropical storm before hitting central Japan on the night of August 4. Malou turned to the northeast and became extratropical in the
Sea of Japan The Sea of Japan is the marginal sea between the Japanese archipelago, Sakhalin, the Korean Peninsula, and the mainland of the Russian Far East. The Japanese archipelago separates the sea from the Pacific Ocean. Like the Mediterranean Sea, it ...
on August 5. Malou is the Chinese name for the mineral
agate Agate ( ) is a banded variety of chalcedony. Agate stones are characterized by alternating bands of different colored chalcedony and sometimes include macroscopic quartz. They are common in nature and can be found globally in a large number of d ...
.


Typhoon Meranti

Typhoon Meranti originated out of an
area of low pressure In meteorology, a low-pressure area (LPA), low area or low is a region where the atmospheric pressure is lower than that of surrounding locations. It is the opposite of a high-pressure area. Low-pressure areas are commonly associated with inclem ...
about south of
Wake Island Wake Island (), also known as Wake Atoll, is a coral atoll in the Micronesia subregion of the Pacific Ocean. The atoll is composed of three islets – Wake, Wilkes, and Peale Islands – surrounding a lagoon encircled by a coral reef. The neare ...
on August 2. Little deep
convection Convection is single or Multiphase flow, multiphase fluid flow that occurs Spontaneous process, spontaneously through the combined effects of material property heterogeneity and body forces on a fluid, most commonly density and gravity (see buoy ...
accompanied the weak system despite being situated within an area of moderate diffluence and weak to moderate
wind shear Wind shear (; also written windshear), sometimes referred to as wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and/or direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere. Atmospheric wind shear is normally described as either vertical ...
. Initially, the system was thought to have been much closer to Wake Island; however, following the development of deep convection, the location of the center of circulation was corrected. Around 0000 
UTC Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) is the primary time standard globally used to regulate clocks and time. It establishes a reference for the current time, forming the basis for civil time and time zones. UTC facilitates international communica ...
on August 3, the
Japan Meteorological Agency The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA; ''気象庁, Kishō-chō'') is a division of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism dedicated to the Scientific, scientific observation and research of natural phenomena. Headquartered ...
(JMA), the
Regional Specialized Meteorological Center A Regional Specialized Meteorological Centre (RSMC) is responsible for the distribution of information, advisories, and warnings regarding the specific program they have a part of, agreed by consensus at the World Meteorological Organization as ...
for the western Pacific basin, designated the system as a
tropical depression A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system with a low-pressure area, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depending on its locat ...
. Development continued as the depression moved into an area of divergence near a
tropical upper-tropospheric trough A tropical upper tropospheric trough (TUTT), also known as the mid-oceanic trough, is a trough situated in the upper-level (at about 200 hPa) tropics. Its formation is usually caused by the intrusion of energy and wind from the mid-latitudes into t ...
cell. Several hours after the JMA issued their advisory on the depression, the
Joint Typhoon Warning Center The Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) is a joint United States Navy – United States Air Force command in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The JTWC is responsible for the issuing of tropical cyclone warnings in the North-West Pacific Ocean, South P ...
(JTWC) issued a
Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert A Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert (TCFA) is a bulletin released by the U.S. Navy-operated Joint Typhoon Warning Center in Honolulu, Hawaii or the Fleet Weather Center in Norfolk, Virginia, warning of the possibility of a tropical cyclone formi ...
, stating that the system was likely to develop into a tropical storm within 24 hours. Later on August 3, the JTWC issued their first advisory on the storm, classifying it as Tropical Depression 14W. Located to the west of a mid-level ridge, the depression was steered towards the north. Early the next day, the JTWC upgraded 14W to a tropical storm; the JMA later upgraded it to a tropical storm around 1200 UTC. At that time, the storm received the name ''Meranti'', a name that was contributed by
Malaysia Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...
and refers to a type of tree. Little intensification took place until August 5, at which time convection became increasingly organized and underwent a brief period of
rapid intensification Rapid intensification (RI) is any process wherein a tropical cyclone strengthens very dramatically in a short period of time. Tropical cyclone forecasting agencies utilize differing thresholds for designating rapid intensification events, th ...
. By 1200 UTC, both the JMA and JTWC upgraded Meranti to a typhoon. Several hours later, the storm reached its peak intensity; the JMA assessed it to have had winds of 10-minute winds) while the JTWC assessed it to have attained Category 2 status on the Saffir–Simpson hurricane scale with winds of . Upon attaining typhoon status, Meranti turned towards the northeast in response to a strengthening near-equatorial ridge south of the typhoon. Visible satellite images of the typhoon depicted a small, ragged eye within a well-developed cyclone. Gale-force winds extended at this time. Well-developed
outflow Outflow may refer to: *Capital outflow, the capital leaving a particular economy *Bipolar outflow, in astronomy, two continuous flows of gas from the poles of a star * Outflow (hydrology), the discharge of a lake or other reservoir system *Outflow ...
allowed the storm to maintain its peak intensity for roughly 18 hours before dry air became entrained in the circulation. The combined effects of decreasing
sea surface temperature Sea surface temperature (or ocean surface temperature) is the ocean temperature, temperature of ocean water close to the surface. The exact meaning of ''surface'' varies in the literature and in practice. It is usually between and below the sea ...
s and increasing wind shear caused Meranti to quickly weaken. By 0600 UTC on August 6, the eye was no longer visible on satellite imagery and several hours later deep convection rapidly diminished, leading to both agencies downgrading the typhoon to a tropical storm. Later on August 6, the weakening trend briefly halted as outflow significantly improved due to an area of low pressure north of Meranti. However, wind shear drastically increased, displacing convection to the northwest of the circulation center. By this time, the storm began to undergo an extratropical transition. Due to the influence of a major shortwave trough approaching from the west, Meranti took a sharp northward turn. The JTWC issued their final advisory on the weakening cyclone around 0600 UTC on August 8. The JMA continued to monitor Meranti as a tropical cyclone until August 9. Shortly after becoming extratropical, the remnants of the storm executed a slow, counter-clockwise loop until August 12. Shortly after crossing the
International Date Line The International Date Line (IDL) is the line extending between the South and North Poles that is the boundary between one calendar day and the next. It passes through the Pacific Ocean, roughly following the 180.0° line of longitude and de ...
on August 13, the storm was absorbed by a large non-tropical low over the
Bering Sea The Bering Sea ( , ; rus, Бе́рингово мо́ре, r=Béringovo móre, p=ˈbʲerʲɪnɡəvə ˈmorʲe) is a marginal sea of the Northern Pacific Ocean. It forms, along with the Bering Strait, the divide between the two largest landmasse ...
. As Typhoon Meranti never threatened any land masses, no watches or warnings were issued in response to the storm. Although Meranti passed near Wake Island as a tropical depression, no effects were recorded.


Typhoon Rananim (Karen)

On August 5, the JTWC began monitoring a persistent area of convection to the north-northwest of Guam; accompanied by a low-pressure system, the disturbance developed into a tropical depression the following day. Tracking in a general north-northwest direction, the depression struggled to maintain convection over its center due to wind shear. By August 10, the system intensified into a typhoon, as its outflow became better defined. The following day, a ragged eye began to develop, fueling further strengthening. Rananim reached its peak intensity on August 11 with winds of ; the JTWC estimated the system to be slightly stronger, peaking with winds of . As the storm neared landfall, it began to weaken eventually crossing the Chinese coastline near
Wenling Wenling ( Wenling dialect: Ueng-ling Zy ; ) is a coastal county-level city in the municipal region of Taizhou, in southeastern Zhejiang province, China. It borders Luqiao and Huangyan to the north, Yuhuan to the south, Yueqing to the west, lo ...
,
Zhejiang Province ) , translit_lang1_type2 = , translit_lang1_info2 = ( Hangzhounese) ( Ningbonese) (Wenzhounese) , image_skyline = 玉甑峰全貌 - panoramio.jpg , image_caption = View of the Yandang Mountains , image_map = Zhejiang i ...
with winds of . Rapid weakening ensued as the system moved inland; Rananim eventually dissipated near central China on August 15. Throughout eastern China, Rananim produced torrential rainfall, peaking at in Zhejiang, marking a new daily record rainfall in the province. Wind gusts were recorded up to a local record of . A total of 188 people were killed by the storm, mostly due to collapsed homes and landslides; roughly 1,800 were injured and over 18 million were affected by Rananim. Economic losses in China amounted to about $2.2 billion (USD). Due to the severity of damage wrought by the storm, the name ''Rananim'' was retired the following year.


Tropical Storm Malakas

A reverse-oriented
monsoon trough The monsoon trough is a convergence zone between the wind patterns of the southern and northern hemispheres. It is a portion of the Intertropical Convergence Zone in the Western Pacific,Bin WangThe Asian Monsoon.Retrieved 2008-05-03. and is dep ...
extended from the
Philippine Sea The Philippine Sea is a List of seas#Marginal seas by ocean, marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean, Western Pacific Ocean east of the list of islands of the Philippines, Philippine Archipelago (hence the name) and the List of seas#Largest seas ...
northeastward for hundreds of miles spawned a disturbed area around 22N/150E late on August 8. A weak tropical depression formed out of this area late on August 9. Deep convection was in a cycling mode, and satellite imagery initially indicated that the system was
subtropical The subtropical zones or subtropics are geographical zone, geographical and Köppen climate classification, climate zones immediately to the Northern Hemisphere, north and Southern Hemisphere, south of the tropics. Geographically part of the Ge ...
in nature. The depression was upgraded to Tropical Storm Malakas as it took on a more tropical appearance about 670 miles west-northwest of
Wake Island Wake Island (), also known as Wake Atoll, is a coral atoll in the Micronesia subregion of the Pacific Ocean. The atoll is composed of three islets – Wake, Wilkes, and Peale Islands – surrounding a lagoon encircled by a coral reef. The neare ...
, and it moved northeastward along the northern periphery of the
subtropical ridge The horse latitudes are the latitudes about 30 degrees north and south of the Equator. They are characterized by sunny skies, calm winds, and very little precipitation. They are also known as subtropical ridges or highs. It is a high-pressur ...
. By August 12, satellite imagery indicated that Malakas was becoming extratropical. JMA declared the system extratropical on the August 14, placing the weak 25 kn/30 mph low approximately 575 miles north-northwest of
Midway Island Midway Atoll (colloquial: Midway Islands; ; ) is a atoll in the North Pacific Ocean. Midway Atoll is an insular area of the United States and is an unorganized and unincorporated territory. The largest island is Sand Island, which has housi ...
. Malakas is a Filipino word meaning 'strong' or 'powerful'.Monthly Global Tropical Cyclone Summary August 2004
/ref>


Typhoon Megi (Lawin)

Typhoon Megi was the fourth of eight significant tropical cyclones to form during August. Megi was initially spotted 260 miles west of Guam on August 11, slowly developing into Tropical Depression 18W on the August 14, strengthening into a tropical storm on the August 16, and ultimately into a typhoon on the August 18 to the southwest of Japan. Megi moved northwest through the
Ryūkyū islands The , also known as the or the , are a chain of Japanese islands that stretch southwest from Kyushu to Taiwan: the Ryukyu Islands are divided into the Satsunan Islands ( Ōsumi, Tokara and Amami) and Okinawa Prefecture ( Daitō, Miyako, Y ...
before recurving northeastward towards South Korea and Japan. Megi sped across northern
Honshū , historically known as , is the largest of the four main islands of Japan. It lies between the Pacific Ocean (east) and the Sea of Japan (west). It is the seventh-largest island in the world, and the second-most populous after the Indonesian ...
before completing its transition into a nontropical low off the east coast of
Hokkaidō is the second-largest island of Japan and comprises the largest and northernmost prefecture, making up its own region. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaidō from Honshu; the two islands are connected by railway via the Seikan Tunnel. The ...
. The resultant ocean cyclone moved rapidly eastward, reaching a point near 42N/174E late on the August 22. Despite peaking at only minimal typhoon intensity, Megi had a significant impact on both Japan and South Korea. In Japan, the highest storm total rainfall noted was 610 mm at Tomisato between August 17 and 21, with 398 mm falling in a 24‑hour period. The highest wind gust was 109 mph/48.7 m/s at Izuhara, Nagasaki early on the August 19. The lowest measured pressure was 974.1 mbar at Izuhara. In South Korea, the heaviest 24‑hour rain total was 332.5 mm at Wando between late on the August 17 and 18. News reports indicated that five people were reported dead or missing after Typhoon Megi in South Korea. The number left homeless rose to more than 2400. Typhoon Megi left at least ten dead in Japan. Megi's landfall on northern Japan resulted in large blackouts as 130,000 homes were left in the dark. A group of about 165 primary school students were stranded by a Megi-induced landslide in western Japan, though were successfully rescued by helicopter. Megi is the Korean word for the
catfish Catfish (or catfishes; order (biology), order Siluriformes or Nematognathi) are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Catfish are common name, named for their prominent barbel (anatomy), barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, though not ...
.


Typhoon Chaba

Chaba formed on August 18 in the open Western Pacific. It moved westward, strengthening into a tropical storm on August 19 and a typhoon on August 20. Chaba turned to the northwest, and rapidly intensified to a 155 kn/180 mph super typhoon on the August 22 with an estimated minimum central pressure of 910
mbar The bar is a metric unit of pressure defined as 100,000  Pa (100 kPa), though not part of the International System of Units (SI). A pressure of 1 bar is slightly less than the current average atmospheric pressure on Earth at sea ...
, becoming the strongest typhoon of the year. After fluctuating between 100 kn/115 mph and super typhoon status for several days, Chaba weakened as it turned to the north, and hit the southwestern Japanese island of
Honshū , historically known as , is the largest of the four main islands of Japan. It lies between the Pacific Ocean (east) and the Sea of Japan (west). It is the seventh-largest island in the world, and the second-most populous after the Indonesian ...
. It accelerated to the northeast, and became extratropical on August 31. The storm killed seven people and caused $2 billion in damages. The name "Chaba" was submitted by
Cambodia Cambodia, officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. It is bordered by Thailand to the northwest, Laos to the north, and Vietnam to the east, and has a coastline ...
and refers to the Chinese hibiscus.


Typhoon Aere (Marce)

Aere is the Marshallese word for 'storm'. A tropical disturbance developed into a tropical depression on the 19th about 400 miles west of Guam, and moved northwest at 10 kn/12 mph along the southwestern periphery of a mid-level steering ridge. The system reached tropical storm status on the 20th, gaining the name Aere. Aere subsequently crossed into the Philippine's area of responsibility and was assigned the name Marce. Aere was upgraded to typhoon intensity on the 21st, and its strength leveled off during the 21st and 22nd. On the 23rd, Typhoon Aere was downgraded to a tropical storm briefly due to vertical wind shear while located 200 miles south of Naha, Okinawa. Aere quickly regained typhoon strength and maintained intensity for the rest of the 23rd and developed a 50-mile wide eye. Aere reached its peak intensity of 85 kn/100 mph late on the 24th, when the pressure lowered to 955 mb. As the storm crossed the northern tip of Taiwan it began to weaken. Aere turned southwestward later that day, a trajectory that carried the storm past Xiamen early on the 26th and close to
Shantou Shantou, Chinese postal romanization, alternately romanization of Chinese, romanized as Swatow and sometimes known as Santow, is a prefecture-level city on the eastern coast of Guangdong, China, with a total population of 5,502,031 as of the 20 ...
later that day before weakening into a tropical storm. The remnants of Typhoon Aere remained a tropical depression until the 31st. Early on the 25th, six villages located in Gaoqiao Town, Yinzhou District, Ningbo City, were struck by a tornado triggered by Typhoon Aere. The tornado did cause some economic losses, but no casualties were reported. Preliminary statistics indicated that the typhoon had caused 2.485 billion yuan of direct economic losses and was responsible for two deaths in
Fujian Province Fujian is a province in southeastern China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, Guangdong to the south, and the Taiwan Strait to the east. Its capital is Fuzhou and its largest prefecture city by population is Qua ...
. Aere also affected 3,479,900 residents in 421 towns of 48 counties of 6 cities in Fujian, where three cities were flooded, 10,100 houses were toppled, 236 embankments and thousands of water conservancy facilities were damaged. Thirty-four people were killed in Taiwan as a result of the storm, and fifteen died as a mudslide buried a remote mountain village in the north of the island. Agricultural losses were estimated at 7.7 million New Taiwan dollars ($313,000
USD The United States dollar (symbol: $; currency code: USD) is the official currency of the United States and several other countries. The Coinage Act of 1792 introduced the U.S. dollar at par with the Spanish silver dollar, divided it int ...
). Forty-three deaths in the Philippines were caused by heavy rains induced by the typhoon. Eight provinces in northern and central Luzon were most severely affected with 70% of the provinces under water at one point.


Tropical Depression 21W

On August 24, an area of convection with a possible weak
low-level circulation center The eye is a region of mostly calm weather at the center of a tropical cyclone. The eye of a storm is a roughly circular area, typically in diameter. It is surrounded by the eyewall, a ring of towering thunderstorms where the most severe weath ...
developed approximately east-southeast of Guam, and was moving slowly towards the west-northwest. It was designated as a tropical depression on August 26 by the JMA. Shortly after, the JTWC designated the system as Tropical Depression 21W. The depression gradually intensified and was upgraded to Tropical Storm 21W by the JTWC early on August 27 when located about east of Guam; however, in its post-season analysis, the JTWC would assess 21W peaking as a tropical depression. The depression reached its peak intensity at 0000 UTC on August 27 with winds of and a minimum pressure of 1000 hPa (mbar). By later that day, the center had become fully exposed with the deep convection being displaced westward over Guam, due to strong outflow from Typhoon Chaba to its north. The weakening system would dissipate on the 31st when the weak low was located approximately west of
Saipan Saipan () is the largest island and capital of the Northern Mariana Islands, an unincorporated Territories of the United States, territory of the United States in the western Pacific Ocean. According to 2020 estimates by the United States Cens ...
. No damage or casualties are known to have resulted from the depression.


Typhoon Songda (Nina)

On August 26, a new area low-pressure system developed roughly northeast of Kwajalein. Shortly thereafter, the JMA began monitoring the system as a tropical depression. Light wind shear and favorable diffluence allowed the system to strengthen, prompting the JTWC to issue their first advisory on Tropical Depression 22W the next day. By the morning of August 28, both agencies had upgraded the system to a tropical storm, with the JMA assigning it the name ''Songda'', a branch of the Red River in northern Vietnam. By August 30, the system had intensified into a minimal typhoon. By the following day, the storm had undergone rapid intensification to attain its peak ten-minute sustained and one-minute sustained winds of according to the JMA and JTWC respectively. Over the following days, the powerful storm fluctuated in intensity, during which time it passed through the
Northern Mariana Islands The Northern Mariana Islands, officially the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), is an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territory and Commonwealth (U.S. insular area), commonwealth of the United States consistin ...
. On September 3, the storm briefly entered PAGASA's area of responsibility and was given the local name Nina. Early on September 5, Songda brushed the northern coast of
Okinawa Island , officially , is the largest of the Okinawa Islands and the Ryukyu Islands, Ryukyu (''Nansei'') Islands of Japan in the Kyushu region. It is the smallest and least populated of the five Japanese archipelago, main islands of Japan. The island is ...
, where a barometric pressure of 925 mbar (hPa; ) was recorded. Curving towards the northeast, the storm gradually weakened and made landfall near Nagasaki, Japan as a strong typhoon. Accelerating towards the northeast, the system quickly weakened to a tropical storm by the evening on September 7 before transitioning into an extratropical cyclone shortly thereafter. The remnants of Songda were monitored by the JMA until late on September 10, at which time they crossed the International Date Line near the Aleutian Islands. Throughout Songda's track, several islands were affected;
Enewetak Atoll Enewetak Atoll (; also spelled Eniwetok Atoll or sometimes Eniewetok; , , or , ; known to the Japanese as Brown Atoll or Brown Island; ) is a large coral atoll of 40 islands in the Pacific Ocean and with its 296 people (as of 2021) forms a leg ...
recorded tropical storm-force winds with gusts up to during the storm's passage. In the Mariana Islands, Agrihan sustained widespread damage, with all crops and structures considered a total loss, leaving $500,000 in monetary losses. Throughout Japan, Songda caused catastrophic damage and significant loss of life, mainly due to rain-related events. The heaviest rains fell in
Miyazaki Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyūshū. Miyazaki Prefecture has a population of 1,028,215 as of 1 January 2025 and has a geographic area of 7,735 Square kilometre, km2 (2,986 sq mi). Miyazaki Prefectur ...
, where a station measured during Songda's passage. Losses from the storm reached $9 billion, ranking it as the costliest storm to ever strike the country and one of the most destructive in the western Pacific. Forty-one people were killed by the storm, mainly in
Kyūshū is the third-largest island of Japan's four main islands and the most southerly of the four largest islands (i.e. excluding Okinawa and the other Ryukyu (''Nansei'') Islands). In the past, it has been known as , and . The historical regio ...
.International Disaster Database: Disaster List
. 2010. Retrieved on August 6, 2010.


Severe Tropical Storm Sarika

The name Sarika is originally from a songbird found in Cambodia. JMA classified a tropical depression early on September 4. By the 5th, a typhoon warning was issued for the island of Agrihan. Moving west-northwest along the southern periphery of the subtropical ridge, Tropical Depression 23W was upgraded to Tropical Storm Sarika that day. An upper-level low located to the southeast was providing an efficient eastern outflow channel in addition to the decent equatorial outflow. Rapid intensification ensued for a while with the maximum sustained winds rising to 60 kn/70 mph late on the 5th, which was the peak intensity for Sarika. By the 6th, Tropical Storm Sarika passed 220 miles north of Saipan. Shortly afterward, the system's center made its closest approach to Agrihan, tracking 10 miles south of that island. Near-typhoon conditions occurred on both Agrihan and Pagan while tropical storm-force winds were experienced on Alamagan. At its peak Sarika, possessed a very compact wind field with gales extending no further than 90 miles from the center while the radius of strongest winds never exceeded 15 miles. By the 6th, Sarika had turned westward 100 miles west of Agrihan. Early on the 7th, Sarika began to weaken as it entered a hostile shearing environment associated with Typhoon Songda's outflow. Sarika subsequently turned to the north-northwest at 9 mph/8 kn about 820 miles south of Tokyo, Japan while becoming fully exposed. It slowed as it turned northward late on the 7th. The system remained a tropical storm until the 8th when Sarika weakened back into a depression.Monthly Global Tropical Cyclone Summary September 2004
/ref>


Tropical Storm Haima (Ofel)

Haima is the Chinese word for the
sea horse A seahorse (also written ''sea-horse'' and ''sea horse'') is any of 46 species of small marine bony fish in the genus ''Hippocampus''. The genus name comes from the Ancient Greek (), itself from () meaning "horse" and () meaning "sea monster ...
. Early on September 11, an area of thunderstorms was observed 150 nmi southwest of
Taipei , nickname = The City of Azaleas , image_map = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Taiwan#Asia#Pacific Ocean#Earth , coordinates = , subdivision_type = Country ...
, Taiwan. Later that day, the newly formed tropical depression saw its thunderstorms track across Taiwan, leaving the circulation center behind east of the mountainous isle as it took on a subtropical appearance. The next day, it had strengthened into a tropical storm and was named Haima by the JMA and Ofel by the PAGASA. The JTWC considered the system a tropical depression or subtropical storm, but never a tropical storm. The center track just east of Taiwan on September 12, towards the southeast coast of China. Haima made landfall south of Shanghai on September 13 before turning to the northwest. Haima soon become a completely sheared system due to interaction with the upper-level winds over a frontal zone located to its west, and was declared dissipated the next day. In China, the lowest reported pressure was 998 mb in Yongqiang Town on the 13th and the highest 24‑hour rainfall recorded was 250.8 mm in
Fuzhou City Fuzhou is the capital of Fujian, China. The city lies between the Min River estuary to the south and the city of Ningde to the north. Together, Fuzhou and Ningde make up the Mindong linguistic and cultural region. Fuzhou's population was 8, ...
between September 9 and 10, which set a new September daily rainfall record for the station. In Taiwan, daily rainfall ranged as high as 393 mm in Taipei county, and 611.5 mm in Taipei City. The highest wind gust reported was 80 mph/35.9 m/s at Lanyu on the 11th. The storm damaged 78 square kilometres of farmland in
Zhejiang Province ) , translit_lang1_type2 = , translit_lang1_info2 = ( Hangzhounese) ( Ningbonese) (Wenzhounese) , image_skyline = 玉甑峰全貌 - panoramio.jpg , image_caption = View of the Yandang Mountains , image_map = Zhejiang i ...
, China, where direct economic losses were estimated to have been over 53 million yuan. Torrential rains (Sep 7–10), including those in the monsoonal flow around the pre-Haima depression had caused 54.6 million yuan of direct economic losses in
Pingtan County Pingtan County ( zh, s= ) is a county comprising 126 islands in the Taiwan Strait, it is under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Fuzhou, the capital of Fujian Province, China. Now it is also the subject of Pingtan Comprehensiv ...
and Changle City. In Japan, rainfall and winds were relatively light. In South Korea, the highest 24‑hour rainfall report noted was 104.5 mm at Wando between the 11th and 12th.


Tropical Depression Pablo

This system was considered a tropical depression by JMA, PAGASA, the Central Weather Bureau of Taiwan and the Thai Meteorological Department with PAGASA assigning the name Pablo. JTWC released no warnings, but issued a pair of Tropical Cyclone Formation Alerts (TCFA) early on September 17 and 18. Tropical Depression Pablo formed deep in the Philippine Sea east of
Mindanao Mindanao ( ) is the List of islands of the Philippines, second-largest island in the Philippines, after Luzon, and List of islands by population, seventh-most populous island in the world. Located in the southern region of the archipelago, the ...
, moved westward across that island, thence turning northwestward and emerging into the South China Sea near the Calamian group. After crossing the Philippine Archipelago, the depression began to slowly weaken but limped across the South China Sea to near the central Vietnamese coastline before dissipating on the 18th where it dropped moderate to heavy rainfall. The maximum winds estimated by any agency were 30 kn/35 mph.


Typhoon Meari (Quinta)

Late on September 18, an area of convection was noted 510 miles east of Guam. On the 20th, Tropical Depression 25W organized out of this mass and was located just 35 miles southeast of Guam. 25W turned more westward and began to accelerate as it moved along the southern periphery of a warm-core ridge. On the 21st, the system was upgraded to Tropical Storm Meari. It intensified steadily while moving more northwestward. The system was upgraded to typhoon intensity by late on the 22nd. Typhoon Meari possessed a very asymmetric circulation, elongated somewhat to the north and northeast. Meari became a strong 100-kn/115 mph typhoon by late on the 23rd, and was assigned the name Quinta by PAGASA. After reaching 125 kn/145 mph on the 24th, its strength plateaued for the rest of the day. As it passed 70 miles south of Okinawa early on the 26th, Meari was slowly weakening. The cyclone ceased movement on the 27th about 170 miles west of Okinawa as it became lodged between two anticyclones. A slow northward drift began later that day and vertical wind shear associated with the subtropical jet stream began to take its toll on Meari. By the 29th, Meari was beginning its approach to the Japanese island of Kyūshū. Typhoon Meari made landfall over the southern tip of Kyūshū around midday local time with maximum sustained winds of 70 kn/80 mph. Meari weakened back into a tropical storm late on the 29th. The forward motion began to accelerate as Meari increasingly interacted with the westerlies. The system was followed until the 30th, when it became a nontropical low, which continued tracking eastwards through the north Pacific. The highest wind gust reported was 118 mph/52.7 m/s in
Kagoshima , is the capital Cities of Japan, city of Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 583,966 in 285,992 households, and a population density of 1100 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Etymology While the ...
early on the 29th. The lowest pressure measured during the passage of Meari was 975.5 mb, also at Kagoshima on the 29th. Three tornadoes were spawned in Japan, with two touching down in Okinawa Prefecture and one in
Aichi Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshū. Aichi Prefecture has a population of 7,461,111 () and a geographic area of with a population density of . Aichi Prefecture borders Mie Prefecture to the ...
. The heaviest rains in Japan were saved for Osawe, where 904 mm fell between late on the 24th and the 30th, with 741 mm falling between late on the 28th and 29th. Reports indicate that at least 18 people died with several more reported missing as a result of Typhoon Meari. The worst affected areas were the prefectures of Mie and
Ehime is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Shikoku. Ehime Prefecture has a population of 1,334,841 and a geographic area of 5,676 km2 (2,191 sq mi). Ehime Prefecture borders Kagawa Prefecture to the northeast, Tokushima Prefecture to th ...
in Japan where torrential rains caused widespread flooding and mudslides destroyed several homes. Train and ferry services were suspended, stranding thousands of people. Damages from the storm amounted to $798 million (2004 USD). Meari is also the Korean name for 'Echo'.


Typhoon Ma-on (Rolly)

Ma-on formed from a cluster of thunderstorms in the vicinity of Guam on September 29. The small system eventually trekked west-northwesterly. After days of sputtering across the western Pacific, Tropical Depression 26W formed on October 4, and quickly became named Tropical Storm Ma-on. The system became stationary approximately 650 nmi southeast of Okinawa, Japan. PAGASA named the cyclone Rolly when it passed the
135th meridian 135th meridian may refer to: * 135th meridian east, a line of longitude east of the Greenwich Meridian * 135th meridian west, a line of longitude west of the Greenwich Meridian {{Disambig ...
. On the 5th, a northward drift ensued while well southeast of Okinawa. Upon reaching typhoon intensity late on the 6th, Ma-on turned northwest and ultimately became the sixth super typhoon of the year on the 8th while 250 miles southeast of Okinawa. The typhoon become the worst storm to hit eastern Japan in over ten years, only a week after Typhoon Meari had made landfall in that nation. Ma-on started to accelerate northeastward and its eye began to shrink in diameter and became more ragged. A slow weakening trend materialized as it entered the early stages of extratropical transition. Recurving northeast at a high rate of translation, Ma-on made landfall on the
Izu Peninsula The is a mountainous peninsula with a deeply indented coastline to the west of Tokyo on the Pacific Ocean, Pacific coast of the island of Honshu, Japan, the largest of the four main islands of Japan. Formerly known as Izu Province, Izu peninsu ...
, Japan, late on the 9th with maximum sustained winds of 105 kn/120 mph as a Category 3 typhoon. Ma-on weakened rapidly and was downgraded to a tropical storm by the 10th, and quickly completed its transformation into a nontropical low. The remnant system moved more east-northeastward away from eastern Japan before slowing its motion 1100 miles southeast of Hokkaidō. Ma-on was one of the most powerful storms to strike eastern Japan over the last ten years, along with Faxai. The highest wind gust reported was 151 mph/67.6 m/s in Irōzaki late on the 9th. The lowest pressure was also recorded at Irōzaki; 964 mb late on the 9th. The typhoon left at least six people dead, and three persons were reported missing. Plane, train and ferry services nationwide were disrupted, stranding thousands of travellers. Heavy downpours also disrupted practice and qualifying sessions for
Formula One Formula One (F1) is the highest class of worldwide racing for open-wheel single-seater formula Auto racing, racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The FIA Formula One World Championship has been one ...
's
Japanese Grand Prix The Japanese Grand Prix () is a motor racing event in the calendar of the Formula One World Championship. Historically, Japan has been one of the last races of the season, and as such the Japanese Grand Prix has been the venue for many title-de ...
in Suzuka, with the event featuring qualifying and the race in a single day as a result. The highest storm total amount was noted at
Omaezaki is a city located in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. Omaezaki is located at the tip of Omaezaki Peninsula on Japan's Pacific coast. , the city had an estimated population of 32,422 in 12,095 households and a population density of 490 persons per ...
, where a 413 mm deluge was seen between late on the 6th and 9th, with 360 mm falling in a 24‑hour period. Rescuers on boats plucked dozens of residents from waterlogged homes in Shizuoka Prefecture.Monthly Global Tropical Cyclone Summary October 2004
/ref> Damages from the storm amounted to $603 million (2004 USD).


Typhoon Tokage (Siony)

Tokage is the Japanese word for lizard. On October 12, an area of convection existed 480 miles east-southeast of Guam. The system developed into Tropical Depression 27W later that day, moving in a west-northwesterly at 15 kn about 200 miles east of Guam. On October 13, the system developed into a tropical storm, and was named Tokage, subsequently moving very close to the islands of Rota and Guam. Typhoon intensity was achieved early on October 14 when centered 970 miles southeast of Okinawa. Later that day, Tokage briefly turned to the west-southwest. The storm's path curved back to a northwesterly heading by the October 15. The storm curled towards the north as a major shortwave over weakened the subtropical ridge and by October 17, Tokage reached its peak intensity of 125 kn/145 mph. Weakening began later that day as the storm turned back to a more northwesterly heading towards Okinawa and Japan. On October 18, Typhoon Tokage was 290 miles south of
Kadena Air Base, Okinawa (IATA: DNA, ICAO: RODN) is a United States Air Force base in the towns of Kadena and Chatan and the city of Okinawa, in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. It is often referred to as the "Keystone of the Pacific" because of its highly strategic loca ...
. Recurvature back to the north-northeast towards Japan ensued while the typhoon slowly weakened. Tokage made its closest approach to Okinawa late on October 19 when it was passed just to the south-southeast. The storm turned to the northeast as continued to accelerate as its extratropical transition began. Tokage made landfall over Tosa-Shimizu, near the southern tip of Shikoku, Japan still at typhoon strength. By October 21, the cyclone weakened into a tropical storm 130 nmi west of Tokyo, and later that day, the system completed the transition to a nontropical low. The extratropical remains of Tokage moved rapidly northeastward, crossing the International Date Line around midday on October 23. The highest measured wind gust was 142 mph/63.7 m/s at Unzendake, Nagasaki on October 20. The lowest pressure from a land station was 949.4 mb at
Okinoerabu , also known as Okinoerabu, is one of the Satsunan Islands, classed with the Amami archipelago between Kyūshū and Okinawa. The island, 93.63 km2 in area, has a population of approximately 14,000 persons. Administratively it is divided in ...
, Kagoshima late on October 19. The highest rainfall amount noted in Japan was 550 mm at Fukuharaasahi between late on October 17 and 21, with 470 mm falling within a 24‑hour period. Tokage was regarded as the deadliest storm to strike Japan since Typhoon Bess in
1982 Events January * January 1 – In Malaysia and Singapore, clocks are adjusted to the same time zone, UTC+8 (GMT+8.00). * January 13 – Air Florida Flight 90 crashes shortly after takeoff into the 14th Street Bridge in Washington, D.C. ...
. A total of 95 deaths were attributed to high winds, flooding and mudslides caused by Tokage, with an additional three people reported missing. A total of 18,000 people were forced to evacuate their homes. Damages from the storm amounted to $3.23 billion (2004 USD).


Typhoon Nock-ten (Tonyo)

Typhoon Nock-ten originated from a disturbance that formed amongst the
Marshall Islands The Marshall Islands, officially the Republic of the Marshall Islands, is an island country west of the International Date Line and north of the equator in the Micronesia region of the Northwestern Pacific Ocean. The territory consists of 29 c ...
early on October 13 while 45 miles west of
Kwajalein Atoll Kwajalein Atoll (; Marshallese language, Marshallese: ) is part of the Marshall Islands, Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI). The southernmost and largest island in the atoll is named Kwajalein Island, which its majority English-speaking re ...
. Tropical Depression 28W developed on October 14 about 275 miles east-northeast of Pohnpei and moving westward along the southern periphery of the subtropical ridge. The system assumed a more west-northwesterly track, becoming a tropical storm by late on October 16, and was named Nock-ten. Early on October 18, the storm turned southwest and slowed its forward motion. The system strengthened into a typhoon by noon local time and curved back towards the west. Nock-ten soon accelerated and moved more northwesterly, partially due to the remains of Typhoon Tokage. Typhoon Nock-ten passed 160 miles south of Guam on October 20. Nock-ten reached its peak intensity of 110 kn/125 mph on October 23 as it tracked 480 miles south of Okinawa. Turning to a northerly track, Typhoon Nock-ten passed closest to Taipei during the afternoon of October 25, lying just off the northeastern tip of Taiwan by evening. The storm weakened and by local midnight the track became north-northeast. Nock-ten's motion to the east-northeast accelerated to 26 kn/29 mph, and the typhoon had become a nontropical low by the evening of October 26. Typhoon Nock-ten lashed northern Taiwan with powerful winds and driving rain. The highest 24‑hour rainfall on the island was 322 mm in Taipei City between early October 25 and 27. The highest wind gust measured was 122 mph/54.4 m/s in
Lanyu Orchid Island, known as Pongso no Tao by the indigenous inhabitants, is a volcanic island located off the southeastern coast of Taiwan, the island and the nearby are governed by Taiwan as in Taitung County, which is one of the county's two ...
on October 24. Three fatalities occurred as a result of flash flooding. In Japan, the highest rainfall amount was spotted at
Tanegashima is one of the Ōsumi Islands belonging to Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. The island, in area, is the second largest of the Ōsumi Islands, and has a population of 33,000 people. Access to the island is by ferry, or by air to New Tanegashima Airp ...
which recorded 133.5 mm between midday October 26 and 27.


Typhoon Muifa (Unding)

The name Muifa is taken from the
ume ''Prunus mume'', the Chinese plum or Japanese apricot, is a tree species in the family Rosaceae. Along with bamboo, the plant is intimately associated with art, literature, and everyday life in China, from where it was then introduced to Kor ...
blossom. The disturbance that was to become Typhoon Muifa was noted early on November 14 when located 215 nmi north of
Palau Palau, officially the Republic of Palau, is an island country in the Micronesia subregion of Oceania in the western Pacific Ocean. The Republic of Palau consists of approximately 340 islands and is the western part of the Caroline Islands ...
. It became Tropical Depression 29W later that day and strengthened into a tropical storm by early the 15th when centered 550 miles east-southeast of
Manila Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the Capital of the Philippines, capital and second-most populous city of the Philippines after Quezon City, with a population of 1,846,513 people in 2020. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay on ...
, Philippines. PAGASA assigned the name Unding on the 14th as it passed the
135th meridian 135th meridian may refer to: * 135th meridian east, a line of longitude east of the Greenwich Meridian * 135th meridian west, a line of longitude west of the Greenwich Meridian {{Disambig ...
. On the 16th, the tropical cyclone started drifting north-northeast. Muifa turned back onto a west-northwest heading and intensified. It reached typhoon intensity on the 17th just prior to beginning a two-day clockwise loop. Late on the 18th, Muifa's intensity peaked at 115 kn/130 mph still to the east of the Philippines. Muifa made landfall very late on the 19th near Naga City with maximum winds of 70 kn/80 mph. The system ambled across the Philippine Archipelago, dropping down to tropical storm intensity on the afternoon of the 20th. On the 21st, Muifa regained typhoon intensity in the South China Sea. Now moving west-southwest, early on the 22nd Muifa re-strengthened into a 90-kn/105 mph typhoon 440 miles east of
Ho Chi Minh City Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) ('','' TP.HCM; ), commonly known as Saigon (; ), is the most populous city in Vietnam with a population of around 14 million in 2025. The city's geography is defined by rivers and canals, of which the largest is Saigo ...
, Vietnam. Muifa held onto typhoon status until late on the 23rd when its weakened to a tropical storm once more. On the 25th, Tropical Storm Muifa accelerated westward at a 21 kn/23 mph clip. By early on the 26th, a weakening Tropical Depression Muifa was located 250 nmi south of
Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estim ...
,
Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...
. Later that day Muifa turned northward into an environment of increased wind shear and dissipated 120 nmi south-southwest of Bangkok. The highest 24‑hour rainfall amount from the Philippines was 246.4 mm at
Catanduanes Catanduanes (; ), officially the Province of Catanduanes (), is an island province located in the Bicol Region of Luzon in the Philippines. It is the 12th-largest island in the Philippines, and lies to the east of Camarines Sur, across the M ...
between midday the 15th and 16th. The lowest pressure at Naga City was 986.1 mb early on the 16th. The death toll reported from the Philippines was 68 dead, 160 injured, and 69 unaccounted for. A total of 26,238 houses were destroyed and 76,062 damaged; total damage reached 1.0089 billion pesos. Typhoon Muifa had a destructive impact on Vietnam. The highest 24-hour rainfall amount reported was 251.5 mm at Prachuap Khirikhan between the afternoon of the 25th and 26th. Floods and landslides triggered by the typhoon killed about 40 people, and 40 more people were reported missing. There were also many villages in the mountains which needed urgent relief but which could not be quickly reached.
Hội An Hội An () is a city of approximately 120,000 people in Vietnam's Quảng Nam Province, registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999. Along with the Cù Lao Chàm archipelago, it is part of the Cù Lao Chàm-Hội An Biosphere Reserve ...
, which is the town of world heritage, was hit by the flood, and more than 80 old houses were in danger of collapse.Monthly Global Tropical Cyclone Summary November 2004
/ref>


Tropical Storm Merbok (Violeta)

Merbok is the Malaysian word for the spotted-necked dove. This is the first tropical cyclone recognized by the Japan Meteorological Agency, but not Joint Typhoon Warning Center, since Changmi in 2002. The heaviest rainfall in the Philippines from this cyclone was 185.2 mm at Casiguran between midday the 22nd and 23rd.


Tropical Depression Winnie

Tropical Depression Winnie was a large system which brought torrential rains to Luzon, resulting in deadly flashfloods and landslides. Winnie formed east of the central Philippines on the November 27. JMA and the Central Weather Bureau of Taiwan were the only other agencies classifying Winnie as a tropical depression. The system moved west-northwestward over southeastern Luzon on the 29th. After moving well inland over Luzon, Winnie turned to a more north-northwesterly track up the west side of the island and was last mentioned on the 30th when it was located along the northwestern Luzon coast. According to news reports in the Philippines, 1,404 people were killed or left missing during the passage of Tropical Depression Winnie, primarily due to massive flashfloods and landslides in
Quezon Quezon, officially the Province of Quezon () and historically known as Tayabas, is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Calabarzon Regions of the Philippines, region on Luzon. Lucena, a highly urbanized ci ...
and
Aurora An aurora ( aurorae or auroras), also commonly known as the northern lights (aurora borealis) or southern lights (aurora australis), is a natural light display in Earth's sky, predominantly observed in high-latitude regions (around the Arc ...
provinces triggered by the attendant heavy rains. The highest rainfall report from this system was 157.8 mm from
Cabanatuan Cabanatuan, officially the City of Cabanatuan (; ; kapampangan language, Kapampangan: ''Lakanbalen/Ciudad ning Cabanatuan''), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, component city in the province of Nueva Ecija, Philippines. Acco ...
between midday November 29 and 30. Damages from the storm amounted to $15.8 million.


Typhoon Nanmadol (Yoyong)

The name Nanmadol is from a famous ruin found on Pohnpei. Super Typhoon Nanmadol developed from a cluster of thunderstorms that was first noted early on November 28 when it was located 155 nmi south-southwest of Pohnpei. It developed into Tropical Depression 30W about 690 miles east-southeast of
Yap Yap (, sometimes written as , or ) traditionally refers to an island group located in the Caroline Islands of the western Pacific Ocean, a part of Yap State. The name "Yap" in recent years has come to also refer to the state within the Federate ...
, and into Tropical Storm Nanmadol by midday November 29 as it moved westward south of the subtropical ridge. Nanmadol continued to strengthen, reaching typhoon intensity late that day after passing south of
Satawal Satawal is a solitary coral atoll of one island with about 500 people on just over 1 km2 located in the Caroline Islands in the Pacific Ocean. It forms a legislative district in Yap State in the Federated States of Micronesia. Satawal is the ...
. The storm's track curved to the west-northwest. Late on November 30, the storm passed just north of Yap, bringing typhoon-force gusts and sustained tropical storm strength winds. The tropical cyclone reached its peak intensity of 130 kn/150 mph midday on December 2, then a super typhoon, 220 miles east of Manila, Philippines. Super Typhoon Nanmadol soon arrived at the Luzon coastline. At this time, the system began to lose strength and was downgraded from super typhoon status. Turning northwestward Typhoon Nanmadol took roughly six hours to cross the island of Luzon, and by early on December 3 had re-emerged back over water. The northwesterly turn took Nanmadol into a weakness in the subtropical ridge before being lured away by a major shortwave trough. Nanmadol weakened markedly during December 3 as it gradually veered more towards the north. The cloud pattern became increasingly asymmetrical as Nanmadol moved east-northeastward across southern Taiwan before becoming extratropical during the afternoon of December 4. Nanmadol became the first known December tropical cyclone for 108 years to make landfall on the island. The remnants of Super Typhoon Nanmadol continued to rapidly move to the east-northeast and northeast and ultimately merged with another low-pressure area, forming a powerful extratropical cyclone which brought strong winds and led to unseasonably warm temperatures to Japan. Because Muifa, Merbok, Winnie, and Nanmadol all occurred within a space of two weeks, the exact number of casualties and total cost of damages is difficult to determine. Nanmadol caused at least 70 fatalities and 157 injuries. Nanmadol destroyed 10,457 houses and damaged 57,435. Agriculture also suffered badly as a result of this typhoon with losses amounting to in the Philippines. The maximum rain in the Philippines was 228.1 mm at Daet between midday on December 2 and 3. In Taiwan, as much as 907 mm fell in Hualien county between early December 3 and 4. Puluowan reported the highest storm total accumulation of 1090 mm during the 35-hr period ending on the afternoon of December 4. In China, 106.3 mm fell at Dachen Dao between the morning of December 3 and 4. In Taiwan, 2 deaths were reported, and agricultural losses there were estimated to have been NT$670 million.


Tropical Storm Talas (Zosimo)

Tropical Depression 31W, which formed on December 10 near Kwajalein, became a tropical storm later that day. Talas moved to the west, peaking at 45 kn/50 mph before weakening due to lack of outflow. A break in the subtropical ridge allowed Talas to turn northward, where it reached 45 kn/50 mph winds before dissipating on December 19. Talas is Filipino for 'acuteness' or 'sharpness'. Between December 10 and 11, Talas produced light rainfall, peaked at in Kwajalein with winds reaching and gusting to . After passing Kwajelein, the center of Talas brushed
Ebeye Ebeye ( ; Marshallese: , or in older orthography, ; locally, , , after the English pronunciation) is the most populous island of Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands, and the second most populated island in the Marshall Islands. It is a cen ...
, producing gale-force winds on the island. Little impact was recorded on Ujae as the storm passed south of the island. The most severe damage was on Kwajalein; the newly constructed sandblast shelter was completely destroyed, metal doors at the local high school were blown off and the roof of the school was damaged, several metal buildings throughout the island sustained wind damage. On Ebeye, several homes had their roofs blown off and numerous coconut trees were uprooted. No damage was recorded on Ujae but crop losses were assumed to have occurred. In all, the storm caused $750,000 in damages, mainly due to the sandblast shelter. Following Talas, local governments quickly repaired damages wrought by the storm, costing $300,000.


Tropical Storm Noru

The final storm of the season, Noru, formed on December 17 to the east-southeast of
Saipan Saipan () is the largest island and capital of the Northern Mariana Islands, an unincorporated Territories of the United States, territory of the United States in the western Pacific Ocean. According to 2020 estimates by the United States Cens ...
. After becoming a tropical storm on December 18 Noru moved to the northwest, where it peaked with 55 kn/65 mph winds. Noru turned to the northeast, and became extratropical on December 21. Noru is the Korean word for the roe deer. Between December 19 and 20, Noru brought high winds and heavy rains to the northern
Mariana Islands The Mariana Islands ( ; ), also simply the Marianas, are a crescent-shaped archipelago comprising the summits of fifteen longitudinally oriented, mostly dormant volcanic mountains in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, between the 12th and 21st pa ...
. Upwards of fell on Saipan, resulting in isolated flooding. Winds gusted up to but little or no wind damage resulted from the storm. No structural damage occurred due to Noru.


Storm names

Within the North-western Pacific Ocean, both the
Japan Meteorological Agency The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA; ''気象庁, Kishō-chō'') is a division of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism dedicated to the Scientific, scientific observation and research of natural phenomena. Headquartered ...
(JMA) and the
Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (, abbreviated as PAGASA , which means "hope" as in the Tagalog word ''pag-asa'') is the National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHS) agency of the P ...
assign names to tropical cyclones that develop in the Western Pacific, which can result in a tropical cyclone having two names. The Japan Meteorological Agency's RSMC Tokyo — Typhoon Center assigns international names to tropical cyclones on behalf of the
World Meteorological Organization The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for promoting international cooperation on atmospheric science, climatology, hydrology an ...
's Typhoon Committee, should they be judged to have 10-minute sustained windspeeds of . While the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration assigns names to tropical cyclones which move into or form as a tropical depression in their area of responsibility located between 135°E and 115°E and between 5°N-25°N even if the cyclone has had an international name assigned to it. The names of significant tropical cyclones are retired, by both
PAGASA The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (, abbreviated as PAGASA , which means "hope" as in the Tagalog language, Tagalog word ''pag-asa'') is the National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHS ...
and the Typhoon Committee. Should the list of names for the Philippine region be exhausted then names will be taken from an auxiliary list of which the first ten are published each season. Unused names are marked in .


International names

During the season 29 named tropical cyclones developed in the Western Pacific and were named by the Japan Meteorological Agency, when it was determined that they had become tropical storms. These names were contributed to a list of a 140 names submitted by the fourteen members nations and territories of the ESCAP/WMO Typhoon Committee. Each of the names in this list was used for the first time (and only, in the cases of ''Sudal'', ''Tingting'', and ''Rananim'').


Philippines

The
Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (, abbreviated as PAGASA , which means "hope" as in the Tagalog word ''pag-asa'') is the National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHS) agency of the P ...
(PAGASA) uses its own naming scheme for tropical cyclones in their area of responsibility. PAGASA assigns names to tropical depressions that form within their area of responsibility and any tropical cyclone that might move into their area of responsibility. Should the list of names for a given year prove to be insufficient, names are taken from an auxiliary list, the first 10 of which are published each year before the season starts. As this was the fourth set of a new set of names that was implemented by PAGASA since 2001, each of the names in the main list was used for the first time (and only, in the cases of ''Violeta'' and ''Winnie''), except for ''Unding'', which was carried from the previous lists.


Retirement

The names ''Sudal'', ''Tingting'' and ''Rananim'' were retired by the ESCAP/WMO Typhoon Committee. The names ''Mirinae'', ''Lionrock'' and ''Fanapi'' were chosen to replace ''Sudal'', ''Tingting'' and ''Rananim'' respectively. During the season, PAGASA announced that they are going to remove the names '' Unding'', '' Violeta'' and '' Winnie'' after the said storms caused more than 1 billion in damages or more than 300 deaths. In 2008, they will be replaced with ''Ulysses'', ''Vicky'' and ''Warren'' respectively. Although Typhoon Yoyong caused a substantial amount of damage, the name ''Yoyong'' was not retired following the season.


Season effects

This is a table of the storms in 2004 and their landfalls, if any. Damage and deaths include totals while the storm was extratropical or a wave or low. The information below is mainly from the
Joint Typhoon Warning Center The Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) is a joint United States Navy – United States Air Force command in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The JTWC is responsible for the issuing of tropical cyclone warnings in the North-West Pacific Ocean, South P ...
. Names in parentheses are those assigned by
PAGASA The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (, abbreviated as PAGASA , which means "hope" as in the Tagalog language, Tagalog word ''pag-asa'') is the National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHS ...
. , - , 01W (Ambo) , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , ,
Caroline Islands The Caroline Islands (or the Carolines) are a widely scattered archipelago of tiny islands in the western Pacific Ocean, to the north of New Guinea. Politically, they are divided between the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) in the cen ...
, , None , , None , , , - , 02W (Butchoy) , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , ,
Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
, , None , , None , , , - , Sudal (Cosme) , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Caroline Islands , , , , None , , , - , Nida (Dindo) , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Caroline Islands, Philippines, Japan , , , , , , , - , 05W , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , ,
Vietnam Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...
, , None , , None , , , - , Omais (Enteng) , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Caroline Islands , , None , , None , , , - , Conson (Frank) , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Philippines,
Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...
, Japan , , , , , , , - , Chanthu (Gener) , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Philippines, Vietnam,
Cambodia Cambodia, officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. It is bordered by Thailand to the northwest, Laos to the north, and Vietnam to the east, and has a coastline ...
,
Laos Laos, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic (LPDR), is the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by Myanmar and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the southeast, and Thailand to the west and ...
,
Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...
, , , , , , , - , Dianmu (Helen) , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Caroline Islands, Japan , , , , , , , - , Mindulle (Igme) , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , ,
Mariana Islands The Mariana Islands ( ; ), also simply the Marianas, are a crescent-shaped archipelago comprising the summits of fifteen longitudinally oriented, mostly dormant volcanic mountains in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, between the 12th and 21st pa ...
, Philippines, Taiwan,
East China East China () is a geographical region in the People’s Republic of China, mainly consisting of seven province-level administrative divisions, namely the provinces (from north to south) Shandong, Jiangsu, Anhui, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Fujian, ...
,
Ryukyu Islands The , also known as the or the , are a chain of Japanese islands that stretch southwest from Kyushu to Geography of Taiwan, Taiwan: the Ryukyu Islands are divided into the Satsunan Islands (Ōsumi Islands, Ōsumi, Tokara Islands, Tokara and A ...
,
Korea Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically Division of Korea, divided at or near the 38th parallel north, 3 ...
, , , , , , , - , Tingting , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Caroline Islands, Mariana Islands , , , , , , , - , Kompasu (Julian) , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Philippines, Taiwan,
South China South China ( zh, s=, p=Huá'nán, j=jyut6 naam4) is a geographical and cultural region that covers the southernmost part of China. Its precise meaning varies with context. A notable feature of South China in comparison to the rest of China is ...
, , Unknown , , None , , , - , Namtheun , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Japan , , None , , None , , , - , TD , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , South China , , None , , None , , , - , Malou , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Japan , , Unknown , , None , , , - , Meranti , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , ,
Wake Island Wake Island (), also known as Wake Atoll, is a coral atoll in the Micronesia subregion of the Pacific Ocean. The atoll is composed of three islets – Wake, Wilkes, and Peale Islands – surrounding a lagoon encircled by a coral reef. The neare ...
, , None , , None , , , - , Rananim (Karen) , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Ryukyu Islands, East China, Taiwan , , , , , , , - , TD , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , None , , None , , None , , , - , TD , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , None , , None , , None , , , - , Malakas , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , None , , Unknown , , None , , , - , Megi (Lawin) , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Japan, Korea , , Unknown , , , , , - , Chaba , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Ryukyu Islands,
South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...
, Japan , , , , , , , - , Aere (Marce) , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Caroline Islands, Ryukyu Islands, China, Taiwan , , , , , , , - , 21W , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Mariana Islands , , None , , None , , , - , Songda (Nina) , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , ,
Marshall Islands The Marshall Islands, officially the Republic of the Marshall Islands, is an island country west of the International Date Line and north of the equator in the Micronesia region of the Northwestern Pacific Ocean. The territory consists of 29 c ...
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Malaysia Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...
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Myanmar Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwest Southeast Asia. It is the largest country by area in Mainland Southeast Asia and has ...
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See also

*
Tropical cyclones in 2004 During 2004, tropical cyclones formed within seven different tropical cyclone basins, located within various parts of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. During the year, a total of 132 systems formed with 82 of these developing further a ...
*
List of Pacific typhoon seasons The following is a list of Pacific typhoon seasons. The typhoon seasons are limited to the north of the equator between the 100th meridian east and the 180th meridian (aka Prime Antimeridian). Seasons Pre-1940 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s ...
*
List of wettest tropical cyclones This is a list of the wettest tropical cyclones, listing all tropical cyclones known to have dropped at least of precipitation on a single location. Data is most complete for Australia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Japan, Hong Kong, Mexico, Yap, Chuu ...
* 2004 Pacific hurricane season *
2004 Atlantic hurricane season The 2004 Atlantic hurricane season was a very deadly, destructive, and active Atlantic hurricane season, with over 3,200 deaths and more than $61 billion (2004 USD, $95.77 billion 2022 USD) in damage. More than half of the 16 trop ...
*
2004 North Indian Ocean cyclone season The 2004 North Indian Ocean cyclone season was the first in which tropical cyclones were officially named in the basin. Cyclone Onil, which struck India and Pakistan, was named in late September. The final storm, Cyclone Agni, was also named, ...
* South-West Indian Ocean cyclone seasons: 2003–04, 2004–05 * Australian region cyclone seasons: 2003–04, 2004–05 * South Pacific cyclone seasons: 2003–04, 2004–05


Notes


References


External links


Japan Meteorological Agency

China Meteorological Agency

National Weather Service Guam



Macau Meteorological Geophysical Services

Korea Meteorological Agency

Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration



Joint Typhoon Warning Center

Satellite movie of 2004 Pacific typhoon season
{{DEFAULTSORT:2004 Pacific Typhoon Season Pacific typhoon seasons 2004 WPAC