Tropical Storm Nancy (1979)

The 1979 Pacific typhoon season featured the largest and most intense tropical cyclone recorded globally, Typhoon Tip. The season also experienced slightly above-average tropical cyclone activity. The season had no official bounds; it ran year-round in 1979, but most tropical cyclones tend to form in the northwestern Pacific Ocean between June and December. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the northwestern Pacific Ocean.

The scope of this article is limited to the Pacific Ocean, north of the equator and west of the international date line. Storms that form east of the date line and north of the equator are called hurricanes; see 1979 Pacific hurricane season. Tropical storms formed in the entire west Pacific basin were assigned a name by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. Tropical depressions in this basin have the "W" suffix added to their number. Tropical depressions that enter or form in the Philippine area of responsibility are assigned a name by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration or PAGASA. This can often result in the same storm having two names.

Seasonal summary

54 tropical depressions formed this year in the Western Pacific, of which 24 became tropical storms. 13 storms reached typhoon intensity, of which 4 reached super typhoon strength.

Systems

Typhoon Alice

On December 31, a tropical depression developed over the low latitudes of the open West Pacific. It tracked northwestward, reaching tropical storm strength that night and typhoon strength on the 5th. Alice turned to the west, and continued to intensify with generally favorable conditions to a peak of 125 mph winds on the 8th.1979 ATCR TABLE OF CONTENTS
Cooler, drier air to the north caused Alice to weaken to a minimal typhoon, but as the typhoon turned to the northwest it briefly re-strengthened to a 115 mph typhoon on January 11. Upper level winds, combined with the dry air, weakened Alice for good, causing it to dissipate on the 14th after stalling for three days. Alice caused extensive damage in the Marshall Islands.

Typhoon Bess (Auring)

Typhoon Bess was the third typhoon since 1959 to develop in the month of March. Bess began as a weak surface circulation on March 16. The circulation intensified into a tropical depression on March 19. Bess then reached tropical storm strength on March 21. Slow intensification occurred for 18 hours, before Bess reached its peak intensity of 105 mph (165 km/h) early on March 23. Bess held on to its peak intensity for 18 hours before vertical wind shear caused Bess to rapidly dissipate on March 25. Typhoon Bess remained away from land, and therefore caused no deaths or damage.

Typhoon Cecil (Bebeng)

Typhoon Cecil formed on the 10th from an easterly wave in early April. The storm then reached its maximum intensity as a category 1 typhoon on the 14th. Typhoon Cecil then dissipated on April 20. Typhoon Cecil stuck Leyte on April 15, causing 18 deaths, damage of $10 million and leaving 8,900 homeless. Cecil was also the first tropical cyclone in the Western Pacific to be given a male name.

Tropical Storm Dot (Karing)

A tropical disturbance developed on May 6. By May 10, the disturbance was upgraded to a tropical depression. It then was upgraded to a tropical storm on May 11. Dot then reached its peak intensity as a weak tropical storm the next day. Dot was downgraded to a tropical depression late on the 14th. The storm dissipated on May 17.

Tropical Storm 05W (Diding)

Initially, TD 05 drifted southwestward east of the Paracel Islands. TD 05 was not forecast to intensify significantly, but it merged with an extratropical frontal boundary near 22.N 124.8E and produced an improved satellite signature which included a banding-type eye.

Typhoon Ellis (Etang)

A tropical disturbance was first noted on satellite and synoptic data on June 25. The disturbance was upgraded to a tropical depression about 670 nautical miles east of Manila on July 1. It rapidly intensified into a tropical storm and moved west-northwest. Ellis was in a favorable position at that time and steady intensification occurred over the next 2 days. Ellis intensified into a typhoon on July 2 and reached its peak intensity of 100 mph on later that day. Continued intensification was anticipated at that time, but a slow weakening trend was actually observed. The storm passed close to the northern tip of Luzon on July 4 and caused damage to tobacco-rich regions of the Philippines. Ellis then entered the South China Sea and weakened to a severe tropical storm while still moving west-northwest. Ellis made landfall on the Chinese coast on July 6 about 164 nautical miles southwest of Hong Kong and dissipated rapidly over land thereafter. Damage caused by Ellis in Hong Kong was minimal.

Severe Tropical Storm Faye (Gening)

A closed surface circulation was detected on June 28 about 920 mil (1480 km) southeast of Guam. The associated convective activity remained disorganized until July 1. A few hours later, the disturbance intensified into a tropical depression. On July 3, it was upgraded to a tropical storm and was named Faye. Faye was forecast to reach typhoon status in the next 18 hours. However, Faye weakened. Faye was then downgraded to a tropical depression on July 4. Faye then dissipated on July 7 at 17N, 129.60E.

Tropical Depression 08W

A storm that tracked into open waters.

Super Typhoon Hope (Ising)

A tropical depression formed southeast of Guam on July 24.1979 ATCR TABLE OF CONTENTS
It headed to the west-northwest, but upper level shear from the TUTT caused the depression to dissipate on the 27th. It turned northward then westward, where it regenerated on the 28th. Intensification became more steady, with the depression reaching storm strength on the 28th and typhoon strength on the 29th. On the 31st, Hope reached a peak of 150 mph, but land interaction with Taiwan to the north weakened the storm. On August 2, Typhoon Hope struck southern China, about 10 miles east of Hong Kong. It weakened over the country while moving westward, but retained its satellite signature. Upon reaching the Bay of Bengal on the 7th, Hope restrengthened to a tropical storm, but moved over India and dissipated on the 8th. In Guangdong Province in China, the typhoon was responsible for around 100 deaths or missing people. Twelve people died along with 260 injured in Hong Kong. Hope was the strongest tropical cyclone to hit Hong Kong since Typhoon Rose in 1971.

Severe Tropical Storm Gordon (Herming)

Gordon brushed southern Taiwan.

Tropical Depression 11W (Luding)

11W was tracked by PAGASA.

Typhoon Irving (Mameng)

The monsoon trough spawned a tropical depression on August 7 to the east of the Philippines. It tracked to the north then to the west. Steering currents weakened, causing the depression to loop to the north. It was able to strengthen there, reaching tropical storm status on the 11th and typhoon status on the 13th. Irving continued to the north, attaining a peak of 100 mph winds on the 15th.1979 ATCR TABLE OF CONTENTS
Its broad, loose wind field prevented it from strengthening further, and Irving weakened as it continued northward. On the 17th, Irving hit southwest South Korea as a minimal typhoon, and merged with a frontal boundary over extreme eastern Russia on the 18th. Torrential rains led to 150 fatalities, with damage at $10–$20 million (1979 USD).

Super Typhoon Judy (Neneng)

A tropical disturbance organized into a tropical storm on August 15. It tracked to the northwest, becoming a tropical storm on the 17th. Judy rapidly intensified, reaching typhoon status on the 18th and a peak of 155 mph winds on the 20th. It also had an eye temperature of 34.0 °C (93.2 °F) at 700 hPa height, making it the warmest eye of a tropical cyclone on record.
The super typhoon began to weaken as it passed south of Okinawa, and neared the Chinese coast on the 23rd and 24th. Judy turned to the northeast, and brushed past South Korea as a tropical depression on the 26th, shortly before dissipating. Judy passed through Guam and other Pacific islands, but damage was reported light there. However, the storm brought heavy rain to Korea as a tropical depression, killing 111 and causing more damage to an area hit by Irving just weeks before.

Tropical Depression 14W

14W lasted three days from August 18–20 producing only minimal winds.

Tropical Storm Ken (Oniang)

A tropical disturbance developed on August 30 and became a tropical depression later that day. The depression was upgraded to a tropical storm and was named Ken. Ken reached peak winds of 70 mph (110 km/h) on September 3. The storm moved north and turned north-northeast, striking Shikoku late on the 3rd. Ken weakened over Japan and dissipated on September 4.

Typhoon Lola

Around the same time the precursor to Tropical Storm Ken developed, a tropical disturbance developed south of Marcus Island