2018 Pacific typhoon season

2018 Pacific typhoon season
Season summary map
Seasonal boundaries
First system formed	December 29, 2017
Last system dissipated	Season ongoing
Strongest storm
Name	Jelawat
• Maximum winds	175 km/h (110 mph) (10-minute sustained)
• Lowest pressure	935 hPa (mbar)
Seasonal statistics
Total depressions	3
Total storms	3
Typhoons	1
Super typhoons	1 (unofficial)
Total fatalities	17 total
Total damage	$14.3 million (2018 USD)
Related articles
2018 Atlantic hurricane season 2018 Pacific hurricane season 2018 North Indian Ocean cyclone season
Pacific typhoon seasons 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020

The 2018 Pacific typhoon season is an ongoing event in the annual cycle of tropical cyclone formation, in which tropical cyclones form in the western Pacific Ocean. The season runs throughout 2018, though most tropical cyclones typically develop between May and October. The season's first named storm, Bolaven, developed on January 3. The season's first typhoon, Jelawat, reached typhoon status on March 30, and shortly thereafter became the first super typhoon of the year.

The scope of this article is limited to the Pacific Ocean, to the north of the equator between 100°E and the 180th meridian. 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, one from the JMA and one from PAGASA. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) will name a tropical cyclone should it be judged to have 10-minute sustained wind speeds of at least 65 km/h (40 mph) anywhere in the basin, whilst the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) 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 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 (JTWC) are given a number with a "W" suffix.

Seasonal forecasts[]

During the year several national meteorological services and scientific agencies forecast how many tropical cyclones, tropical storms, and typhoons will form during a season and/or how many tropical cyclones will affect a particular country. These agencies included the Tropical Storm Risk (TSR) Consortium of University College London, PAGASA and Taiwan's Central Weather Bureau. The first forecast of the year was released by PAGASA during January 15, within its seasonal climate outlook for the period January – June.^[1] The outlook noted that one to three tropical cyclones were expected between January and March, while two to four were expected to develop or enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility between April and June.^[1] PAGASA also mentioned that the La Niña would be short-lived, predicting that it would last until February or April. ^[1]

On March 21, the Vietnamese National Center for Hydro Meteorological forecasts (VNCHMF) predicted that roughly twelve to thirteen tropical cyclones would affect Vietnam during 2018, which is above average.^[2] On March 23, the Hong Kong Observatory predicted that five to eight tropical cyclones would come within 500 kilometres of Hong Kong, which is normal to above normal, with the first tropical cyclone affecting Hong Kong in June or earlier.^[3]

Season summary[]

2018 opened with Tropical Depression Agaton active to the east of the Philippines. Over the course of two days, the system moved over to the South China Sea and intensified into the first named storm, Bolaven. A month later, Tropical Storm Sanba developed and affected the southern Philippines. About another month later, Tropical Depression 03W formed in the open Pacific and was named Jelawat. Jelawat intensified into the season's first typhoon on March 30, and then the season's first super typhoon.

Systems[]

Tropical Storm Bolaven (Agaton)[]

Tropical storm (JMA)
Tropical depression (SSHWS)
Duration	December 29, 2017 – January 4, 2018
Peak intensity	65 km/h (40 mph) (10-min)  1002 hPa (mbar)

A low-pressure area developed into a tropical depression northeast of Palau early on December 30, 2017.^[4] The system moved generally westward and on the first day of 2018, the PAGASA began issuing advisories on the system and locally named it Agaton.^[5] Both the JMA and the JTWC followed suit, with the latter designating the system as 01W.^[6] By January 3, the system had intensified into a tropical storm according to the JMA and was named Bolaven, thus becoming the first named storm of the season. However, several hours later, Bolaven started to weaken and rapidly deteriorate.^[7] The system was last tracked by the JMA to the east of Vietnam on January 4.

The impact caused by Bolaven (Agaton) was moderate but not as significant as the previous two systems, Kai-tak and Tembin, with about 2,000 passengers stranded in ports in the Visayas.^[8] As of January 22, three people have been reported killed by the storm, while total damages were up to 554.7 million pesos (US$10.9 million).^[9]

Tropical Storm Sanba (Basyang)[]

Tropical storm (JMA)
Tropical storm (SSHWS)
Duration	February 8 – February 16
Peak intensity	65 km/h (40 mph) (10-min)  1004 hPa (mbar)

A low-pressure system developed into a tropical depression north of Chuuk early on February 8. It developed into a tropical storm on February 11, receiving the international name Sanba by the JMA. Shortly afterwards, Sanba entered the Philippine area of responsibility and received the name Basyang by PAGASA.^[10] On February 13, Sanba made landfall in Cortes, Philippines,^[11] causing it to weaken to a tropical depression. The next day, the system weakened into a remnant low as it made another landfall in Surigao del Sur.^[12]

Approximately 17,000 people were affected by the storm and there were 14 fatalities. Total damages were at PHP 167.955 million (US$3.36 million).^[13]

Typhoon Jelawat (Caloy)[]

Typhoon (JMA)
Category 4 super typhoon (SSHWS)
Duration	March 24 – April 2
Peak intensity	175 km/h (110 mph) (10-min)  935 hPa (mbar)

On March 24, a tropical depression formed to the south of the Mariana Islands,^[14] and the JTWC assigned it the numerical identifier 03W.^[15] On March 25, the system intensified into a tropical storm and was named Jelawat by the JMA.^[16] Due to strong southwesterly wind shear, the cyclone remained poorly organized, with disorganized convection near an exposed low-level circulation.^[17] Conditions gradually became more favorable for further development, resulting in Jelawat steadily strengthening and organization to a severe tropical storm at 18:00 UTC on March 28.^[18] Later on March 29, an eye began to emerge within a growing central dense overcast, leading to the JMA classifying it as a typhoon at 00:00 UTC on March 30.^[19] Explosive intensification then ensued over the following 12 hours as the eye became sharply defined, and Jelawat attained its peak intensity later that morning, with estimated 10-minute sustained winds of 175 km/h (110 mph) and a central pressure of 935 hPa (27.61 inHg).^[20] At the same time, the JTWC assessed it as peaking with 1-minute sustained winds of 240 km/h (150 mph), making it a Category 4 super typhoon.^[21]

Immediately after peaking in intensity, Jelawat began weakening rapidly, due to a sharp increase in wind shear and dry air, and the storm fell below typhoon strength late on March 31. During the next couple of days, Jelawat drifted to the northwest, and then turned westward, before dissipating on April 2.

The storm brought minor impacts to Palau, the Caroline Islands, and the Northern Mariana Islands.^{[citation needed]}

Storm names[]

Within the Northwest Pacific Ocean, both the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) and the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) assign names to tropical cyclones that develop in the Western Pacific, which can result in a tropical cyclone having two names.^[22] The Japan Meteorological Agency's RSMC Tokyo — Typhoon Center assigns international names to tropical cyclones on behalf of the World Meteorological Organization's Typhoon Committee, should they be judged to have 10-minute sustained windspeeds of 65 km/h (40 mph).^[23] PAGASA 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 and 25°N even if the cyclone has had an international name assigned to it.^[22] The names of significant tropical cyclones are retired, by both PAGASA and the Typhoon Committee.^[23] 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 gray.

International names[]

A tropical cyclone is named when it is judged to have 10-minute sustained windspeeds of 65 km/h (40 mph).^[24] The JMA selected the names from a list of 140 names, that had been developed by the 14 members nations and territories of the ESCAP/WMO Typhoon Committee.^[25] The next 28 names on the naming list are listed here along with their international numeric designation, if they are used.

Philippines[]

PAGASA uses its own naming scheme to name tropical cyclones that either develop within or move into their self-defined area of responsibility.^[26] The list of names for this season was last used during 2014 and are scheduled to be used again during 2022.^[26] All of the names are the same except for Gardo, Josie, Maymay, Rosita and Samuel, which replaced the names Glenda, Jose, Mario, Ruby and Seniang after they were retired.^[26]

Season effects[]

This table summarizes all the systems that developed within or moved into the North Pacific Ocean, to the west of the International Date Line during 2018. The tables also provide an overview of a systems intensity, duration, land areas affected and any deaths or damages associated with the system.

See also[]

• 2018 Atlantic hurricane season
• 2018 Pacific hurricane season
• 2018 North Indian Ocean cyclone season
• South-West Indian Ocean cyclone seasons: 2017–18, 2018–19
• Australian region cyclone seasons: 2017–18, 2018–19
• South Pacific cyclone seasons: 2017–18, 2018–19

Notes[]

References[]

External links[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to 2018 Pacific typhoon season.

• Japan Meteorological Agency
• China Meteorological Agency
• Digital Typhoon
• Hong Kong Observatory
• Joint Typhoon Warning Center
• Korea Meteorological Administration
• National Weather Service Guam
• Malaysian Meteorological Department
• Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
• Taiwan Central Weather Bureau
• TCWC Jakarta (in Indonesian)
• Thai Meteorological Department (in Thai)
• Typhoon2000
• Vietnam's National Hydro-Meteorological Service