Typhoon Cimaron was a typhoon that caused minimal impacts in the

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 ...

and

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 ...

in mid-August 2018. The twenty-third depression, twenty-first named storm, eleventh severe tropical storm, and seventh typhoon of the

2018 Pacific typhoon season The 2018 Pacific typhoon season was at the time, the costliest Pacific typhoon season on record, until the record was beaten by the following year. The season was well above-average, producing twenty-nine storms (including one that crossed over ...

, Cimaron developed from a tropical depression near 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 ...

on August 16. The depression soon became Tropical Storm Cimaron on August 18. Cimaron gradually intensified into a typhoon on August 21, and rapidly reached its peak intensity the next day. Cimaron then weakened before making two landfalls in

as a Category 1 typhoon on August 23. Cimaron continued to weaken until it became an extratropical cyclone and dissipated on August 24. Cimaron brought flash flooding to the

, namely Saipan. The storm then hit southern Japan as a Category 1 typhoon causing major travel disruptions along with minimal structural damage. About 33 people were injured and 3 people swept out to sea died. Agricultural damage in the country totaled

JP¥ The is the official currency of Japan. It is the third-most traded currency in the foreign exchange market, after the United States dollar and the euro. It is also widely used as a third reserve currency after the US dollar and the euro. T ...

3.41 billion (US$30.6 million). However, this damage was soon overshadowed by

Typhoon Jebi Typhoon Jebi, known in the Philippines as Typhoon Maymay, was the costliest typhoon in Japan's history in terms of insured losses. Jebi formed from a tropical disturbance south-southwest of Wake Island on August 26 and became the twenty-fi ...

nearly two weeks later.

Meteorological history

At 12:00 UTC on August 16, 2018, a tropical depression formed near the

according to the JMA. The depression gradually intensified, with the JMA upgraded it into a tropical storm by 12:00 UTC on August 18, while located north of Chuuk. That same day, the

JTWC 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 ...

began to monitor the system as a tropical depression, giving it the tag ''23W''. On August 20, the JTWC began to note that the storm was growing banding features around an exposed center. Cimaron turned northwestward as it became a Category 1 typhoon on August 21. As it did so, thunderstorms began to spiral through the center. The storm strengthened into a Category 2 typhoon at 18:00 UTC that day, and a Category 3 typhoon, just a few hours later. Cimaron then quickly intensified into a Category 4 typhoon as it reached its peak intensity with 1-minute sustained winds of and a barometric pressure of at 6:00 UTC the next day, while located west of the

Ogasawara Islands The Bonin Islands, also known as the , is a Japanese archipelago of over 30 subtropical and tropical islands located around SSE of Tokyo and northwest of Guam. The group as a whole has a total area of but only two of the islands are permanen ...

.JMA Best Track for Cimaron
/ref> Soon, Cimaron shifted northward and began weakening. The storm had weakened into a Category 1 typhoon as it made its first landfall in the southern portion of

Tokushima Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located on the island of Shikoku. Tokushima Prefecture has a population of 682,439 (1 February 2025) and has a geographic area of 4,146 Square kilometre, km2 (1,601 sq mi). Tokushima Prefecture b ...

, at 12:00 UTC then a second landfall in

Himeji 260px, Himeji City Hall is a city located in Hyōgo Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 525,682 in 227,099 households and a population density of 980 persons per km2. The total area of the city is ...

, Hyogo Prefecture around 14:30 UTC on August 23. Cimaron continued weakening as it turned north-northeastward, transitioning into an extratropical cyclone over 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 ...

at 12:00 UTC on August 24. Just 6 hours later, the extratropical remnants dissipated.

Preparations and impact

Cimaron caused heavy rainfall and flash flooding in the

, namely on

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 ...

. Cimaron then moved across southern

as a Category 1 typhoon bringing major travel disruptions, widespread power outages, and numerous injuries. Agricultural damage in Japan reached

3.41 billion (US$30.6 million). Cimaron was the 12th typhoon to make landfall in Japan during 2018.

Mariana Islands

In the

, a tropical storm warning was put in effect for the islands

and

Tinian Tinian () is one of the three principal islands of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). Together with uninhabited neighboring Aguiguan, it forms Tinian Municipality, one of the four constituent municipalities of the Northern ...

. Meanwhile, a hurricane warning was issued for the islands of

Agrihan Agrihan (also spelled Agrigan) is an island in the Northern Mariana Islands in the Pacific Ocean. The island has mostly been uninhabited, but had 4 permanent residents in the 2020 U.S. census. Agrihan is located to the north of Pagan. History ...

Pagan Paganism (, later 'civilian') is a term first used in the fourth century by early Christians for people in the Roman Empire who practiced polytheism, or ethnic religions other than Christianity, Judaism, and Samaritanism. In the time of the ...

, and Alamagan. 18 people stayed at 4 shelters in Saipan and Tinian, while a liaison officer was sent to the former to help response efforts. Public schools and government offices were forced to shut down on the islands of Saipan and Tinian. However, schools remained open on Rota. As Cimaron dumped several inches of rainfall over 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 ...

, a flash flood watch was put in place for Saipan, Tinian, Alamagan, Pagan, and Agrihan. Widespread flash flooding was reported with the worst being in Saipan where numerous roads were flooded. Heavy rainfall peaked at in Saipan. A couple of days after Cimaron affected the Mariana Islands, the clearing of floodwaters began in Saipan.

Japan

Ahead of the storm, the JMA issued windstorm warnings in parts of Hyogo,

Okayama is the prefectural capital, capital Cities of Japan, city of Okayama Prefecture in the Chūgoku region of Japan. The Okayama metropolitan area, centered around the city, has the largest urban employment zone in the Chugoku region of western J ...

Wakayama Wakayama may refer to: * Wakayama Prefecture, a prefecture of Japan * Wakayama (city), the capital city of Wakayama Prefecture, Japan * Wakayama Station, a train station in Wakayama, Wakayama * Wakayama University, a national university in Wakayama, ...

, Tottori, Kagawa,

Tokushima is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located on the island of Shikoku. Tokushima Prefecture has a population of 682,439 (1 February 2025) and has a geographic area of 4,146 Square kilometre, km2 (1,601 sq mi). Tokushima Prefecture b ...

Kochi Kochi ( , ), List of renamed Indian cities and states#Kerala, formerly known as Cochin ( ), is a major port city along the Malabar Coast of India bordering the Laccadive Sea. It is part of the Ernakulam district, district of Ernakulam in the ...

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 ...

Oita, Miyazaki, and

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 ...

prefectures. Meanwhile, strong wind warnings were put in effect for the prefectures of

Osaka is a Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan, designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the List of cities in Japan, third-most populous city in J ...

Nara The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is an independent agency of the United States government within the executive branch, charged with the preservation and documentation of government and historical records. It is also task ...

Hiroshima is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture in Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 1,199,391. The gross domestic product (GDP) in Greater Hiroshima, Hiroshima Urban Employment Area, was US$61.3 billion as of 2010. Kazumi Matsui has b ...

, Yamaguchi,

Shimane is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region of Honshu. Shimane Prefecture is the second-least populous prefecture of Japan at 665,205 (February 1, 2021) and has a geographic area of 6,708.26 km2. Shimane Prefecture borders Yamagu ...

Fukuoka is the List of Japanese cities by population, sixth-largest city in Japan and the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. The city is built along the shores of Hakata Bay, and has been a center of international commerce since ancient times. ...

Nagasaki , officially , is the capital and the largest Cities of Japan, city of Nagasaki Prefecture on the island of Kyushu in Japan. Founded by the Portuguese, the port of Portuguese_Nagasaki, Nagasaki became the sole Nanban trade, port used for tr ...

, and

Saga Sagas are prose stories and histories, composed in Iceland and to a lesser extent elsewhere in Scandinavia. The most famous saga-genre is the (sagas concerning Icelanders), which feature Viking voyages, migration to Iceland, and feuds between ...

. The British Embassy in Japan and the

Japanese Ministry of Defense The is an executive department of the Government of Japan responsible for preserving the peace and independence of Japan, and maintaining the country's national security and the Japan Self-Defense Forces. The ministry is headed by the Minist ...

announced that a beach landing drill would be cancelled due to the storm. Evacuations were ordered in Hyogo,

, and Wakayama prefectures. In

Kobe Kobe ( ; , ), officially , is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. With a population of around 1.5 million, Kobe is Japan's List of Japanese cities by population, seventh-largest city and the third-largest port city after Port of Toky ...

, around 103,550 people were ordered to evacuate. Some public transportation services were suspended on August 23. 76 flights were cancelled at the

Osaka International Airport , often referred to as , is the primary domestic airport for the Kansai region of Japan, including its major cities of Osaka, Kyoto, and Kobe. It is the airport closest to Osaka, being 11 km (7 mi) north of Ōsaka Station, Osaka Stati ...

while 52 flights were cancelled at the

Kansai International Airport Kansai International Airport (), commonly known as Kankū (; ), is the primary international airport in the Keihanshin, Greater Osaka Area of Japan and the closest international airport to the cities of Osaka, Kyoto, and Kobe. It is located on ...

. Ferry services connecting

Shikoku is the smallest of the List of islands of Japan#Main islands, four main islands of Japan. It is long and between at its widest. It has a population of 3.8 million, the least populated of Japan's four main islands. It is south of Honshu ...

and

Kansai The or the lies in the southern-central region of Japan's main island Honshū. The region includes the prefectures of Nara, Wakayama, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyōgo and Shiga, often also Mie, sometimes Fukui, Tokushima and Tottori. The metropoli ...

were mostly suspended on August 23. As Cimaron made landfall in

on August 23, a peak wind gust of was reported in Tomogashima. A peak precipitation amount of was recorded in the village of Kamikitayama. Heavy rainfall from the storm in Wakayama Prefecture caused the

Kumano River The is a river in the Kii Peninsula of central Japan, located in Nara, Wakayama and Mie Prefectures. It is long and has a watershed of . The river rises from Mount Ōmine in the Yoshino-Kumano National Park in Tenkawa, Nara and follows a general ...

to overflow, causing fields and rice paddies to flood. On the

Akashi Kaikyo Bridge The is a suspension bridge that links the city of Kobe on the Japanese island of Honshu and on Awaji Island. It is part of the Kobe-Awaji-Naruto Expressway, and crosses the busy and turbulent Akashi Strait (''Akashi Kaikyō'' in Japanese). ...

in Hyogo Prefecture, 5 vehicles were blown over by gusty winds. A 60 meter tall wind turbine was toppled in Awaji. The roof of an apartment was blown away with part of it landing on a parking lot in

Nishinomiya 270px, Nishinomiya City Hall 270px, Aerial view of Nishinomiya city center 1985 270px, Hirota Shrine is a city located in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 484,368 in 218,948 households and a population density ...

. At the

Narita International Airport , also known as Tokyo-Narita International Airport or simply Narita Airport, formerly and originally known as , is the secondary international airport serving the Greater Tokyo Area, the only other one being Haneda Airport (HND). It is about e ...

Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

, a plane went into a nosedive while making a rough landing during the storm. Roughly 138,000 households lost electricity because of the storm. Five homes were damaged by the storm and seven other were flooded due to Cimaron. 33 people were injured due to wind-related incidents in the prefectures of Hyogo and

Kyoto Kyoto ( or ; Japanese language, Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan's largest and most populous island of Honshu. , the city had a population of 1.46 million, making it t ...

. 3 college students in Shizuoka died after being swept out to sea, with their belongings being found on the beach. 22 people were also injured. Agricultural damage in Kyoto, Wakayama, and

Shiga is a landlocked prefecture of Japan in the Kansai region of Honshu. Shiga Prefecture has a population of 1,398,972 as of 1 February 2025 and has a geographic area of . Shiga Prefecture borders Fukui Prefecture to the north, Gifu Prefecture to t ...

prefectures totaled

3.41 billion (US$30.6 million). * *

References

External links