1986 Pacific typhoon season
Encyclopedia
A total of 32 tropical depressions formed in 1986 in the Western Pacific over an eleven month time span. Of the 32, 30 became tropical storms, 19 storms reached typhoon intensity, and 3 reached super typhoon strength. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center considered Vera as two tropical cyclones, when all the warning centers treated Vera as one in real time, while another, Georgette, originated in the Eastern Pacific. Six of the tropical cyclones formed in August, which was the busiest month of the season. Eight tropical cyclones moved through the Philippines this season. Most of the deaths attributed to typhons in 1986 were caused by Peggy and Wayne

The 1986 Pacific typhoon season has no official bounds; it ran year-round in 1986, but most tropical cyclones tend to form in the northwestern Pacific Ocean between May and December. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the northwestern Pacific Ocean. Tropical Storms formed in the entire west pacific basin were assigned a name by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center
Joint Typhoon Warning Center
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center is a joint United States Navy – United States Air Force task force located at the Naval Maritime Forecast Center in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii...

. 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
Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration is a Philippine national institution dedicated to provide flood and typhoon warnings, public weather forecasts and advisories, meteorological, astronomical, climatological, and other specialized information and...

 or PAGASA. This can often result in the same storm having two names.

.

Summary

Of the thirty tropical storms formed in 1986 in the Western Pacific (from 32 tropical depressions), 19 reached typhoon intensity, and three reached super typhoon strength. Broken down by month, one tropical cyclone formed in February, one in April, two in May, three in June, three in July, seven in August, three in September, four in October, six in November, and two forming in December. Vera was considered two tropical cyclones by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center
Joint Typhoon Warning Center
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center is a joint United States Navy – United States Air Force task force located at the Naval Maritime Forecast Center in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii...

 after the fact, though it was operationally treated as one system, and Georgette, was a former Eastern Pacific cyclone. Eight tropical cyclones moved through the Philippines this season, while three struck mainland China, one struck Korea, and one crossed the Japanese coast. Peggy and Wayne accounted for a majority of the death toll this season. Tropical cyclones accounted for 35 percent of the annual rainfall in Hong Kong this year.

Typhoon Judy (Akang)

The initial disturbance formed within two degrees of the equator within the monsoon trough on January 25. Over succeeding days, the thunderstorm area increased in size. However, it decreased significantly on January 30. As the convective area moved slowly westward, it increased in coverage once more, organizing into a tropical depression on February 1. Moving on a parabolic course east of the Philippines, Judy gained tropical storm status on February 2, and typhoon strength on February 4 after recurving to the northwest of the subtropical ridge
Subtropical ridge
The subtropical ridge is a significant belt of high pressure situated around the latitudes of 30°N in the Northern Hemisphere and 30°S in the Southern Hemisphere. It is characterized by mostly calm winds, which acts to reduce air quality under its axis by causing fog overnight, and haze during...

. As westerly winds increased aloft, vertical wind shear
Wind shear
Wind shear, sometimes referred to as windshear or wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere...

 weakened Judy back into a tropical storm, which lost tropical characteristics on February 6. After drifting slightly more east-northeastward, the low pressure area dissipated.

Typhoon Ken (Bising)

A tropical disturbance formed along the near equatorial trough on April 20 well to the south of Guam. The system slowly increased in organization, becoming a tropical depression on April 26. The system quickly developed thereafter, becoming a typhoon on April 27 while moving northward. The system reached its peak intensity on April 28. The subtropical ridge
Subtropical ridge
The subtropical ridge is a significant belt of high pressure situated around the latitudes of 30°N in the Northern Hemisphere and 30°S in the Southern Hemisphere. It is characterized by mostly calm winds, which acts to reduce air quality under its axis by causing fog overnight, and haze during...

 built to its northwest, steering Ken to the west. South-westerly vertical wind shear
Wind shear
Wind shear, sometimes referred to as windshear or wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere...

 led to a weakening trend to begin on April 29. On April 30, Ken's low level circulation was exposed, no longer having any thunderstorms near the center. The remnant low drifted westward, dissipating by May 3.

Super Typhoon Lola

Forming as a twin cyclone with Namu, which formed in the southern hemisphere, the initial disturbance of Lola developed within the monsoon trough
Monsoon trough
The monsoon trough is that portion of the Intertropical Convergence Zone which extends into or through a monsoon circulation, as depicted by a line on a weather map showing the locations of minimum sea level pressure, and as such, is a convergence zone between the wind patterns of the southern and...

 south of Guam. Moving eastward, the system slowly developed becoming a tropical depression, then a tropical storm, on May 17. Lola moved over Pohnpei
Pohnpei
Not to be confused with Pompeii, the ancient city destroyed by Vesuvius in AD 79.Pohnpei "upon a stone altar " is the name of one of the four states in the Federated States of Micronesia , situated among the Senyavin Islands which are part of the larger Caroline Islands group...

, becoming their most destructive cyclone since 1958. In light of the damage caused by the storm, the island was declared a major disaster
Disaster area
A disaster area is a region or a locale heavily damaged by either natural hazards, such as tornadoes, hurricanes, tsunamis, floods, earthquakes, technological hazards including nuclear and radiation accidents, or sociological hazards like riots, terrorism or war. The population living there often...

 area on June 3 by the Government of the United States. Continuing to intensify, Lola became a typhoon on May 18 and turned northwest. Rapid intensification continued, with Lola becoming a super typhoon on May 19. Peaking in intensity on May 20, Lola recurved to the north and northeast, weakening into a tropical storm on May 23 and evolving into an extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are a group of cyclones defined as synoptic scale low pressure weather systems that occur in the middle latitudes of the Earth having neither tropical nor polar characteristics, and are connected with fronts and...

 later that day.

Tropical Storm Mac (Klaring)

This system moved generally to the east-northeast throughout its life cycle. Forming near Hainan Island on May 21 as a monsoon depression, the initial tropical disturbance moved through the South China sea
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around...

 while slowly organizing. Becoming a tropical depression in the Formosa Strait, Mac quickly became a tropical storm and turned northeast, paralleling the coast of Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...

. On May 27, Mac turned back towards the east-northeast as upper level westerly winds increased, causing vertical wind shear
Wind shear
Wind shear, sometimes referred to as windshear or wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere...

 which led to Mac weakening into a tropical depression before dissipating on May 29.

Typhoon Nancy (Deling)

A broad area of convection formed to the southeast of Pohnpei
Pohnpei
Not to be confused with Pompeii, the ancient city destroyed by Vesuvius in AD 79.Pohnpei "upon a stone altar " is the name of one of the four states in the Federated States of Micronesia , situated among the Senyavin Islands which are part of the larger Caroline Islands group...

 in mid June. The convection formed a tropical depression on June 21 to the east of the Philippines. Tropical Storm Nancy was named the next and quickly strengthened into a typhoon with max winds of 75 kn (147 km/h) before striking northeastern Taiwan. After departing the island Nancy weakened to tropical storm strength while moving north through the East China Sea. Nancy passed through the Korea Straits just before turning extratropical and accelerating northeastward into the Sea of Japan. Torrential rains fell throughout South Korea, as a result of flooding 12 people were killed and 22477 acres (91 km²) of farmland were destroyed.

Tropical Storm Owen (Emang)

Forming as a tropical disturbance southwest of Kosrae
Kosrae
Kosrae , formerly known as Kusaie, is an island in Micronesia. The State of Kosrae is one of four states of the Federated States of Micronesia, and includes, besides the island of Kosrae, about a dozen satellite islands and islets, the most significant of which is Lelu Island.-Geography:With a...

 on June 21. Moving west-northwest, the system gradually became better organized. On June 28, the disturbance had organized into a tropical depression. Recurving east of the Philippines and Taiwan, Owen developed into a tropical storm, reaching its maximum intensity on June 29. Thereafter, east-northeasterly winds aloft led to vertical wind shear
Wind shear
Wind shear, sometimes referred to as windshear or wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere...

 which weakened Owen. While moving north-northeast towards southern Japan, the system devolved into a low level circulation devoid of thunderstorms, and dissipated on July 2.

Super Typhoon Peggy (Gading)

Typhoon Peggy, which developed on July 3 east of the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...

, steadily strengthened to reach a peak of 130 knots (254.8 km/h) super typhoon on July 7. As Peggy continued westward, it slowly weakened, and hit northeastern Luzon
Luzon
Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...

 on July 9 as a 90 kn (176.4 km/h) typhoon. A slight weakening of the subtropical ridge brought Peggy more northward, where it hit southeastern China as a 55 kn (107.8 km/h) tropical storm on the July 11. In Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...

, winds gusted to 78 knots (152.9 km/h) at Tate's Cairn and rainfall totals reached 449 millimetres (17.7 in) at Tai Mo Shan. Peggy's fury resulted in 333 casualties and US$2.5 million (1986 dollars) in damage from torrential flooding.

Typhoon Roger (Heling)

An upper level low retrograded westward across the tropical Pacific ocean beginning on July 4. On July 8, a tropical disturbance formed southeast of the upper low southwest of Enewetak Atoll. The system moved westward, slowly organizing. Becoming a tropical depression on July 13, the small system turned northwest, recurving gradually around a subtropical ridge
Subtropical ridge
The subtropical ridge is a significant belt of high pressure situated around the latitudes of 30°N in the Northern Hemisphere and 30°S in the Southern Hemisphere. It is characterized by mostly calm winds, which acts to reduce air quality under its axis by causing fog overnight, and haze during...

 to its east and northeast. The system strengthened into a tropical storm later on July 13, and a typhoon on July 14 to the south of Japan. After turning to the northeast, the system began to experience northeasterly vertical wind shear
Wind shear
Wind shear, sometimes referred to as windshear or wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere...

 and began to weaken. After passing east of Okinawa, the system began to transition into an extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are a group of cyclones defined as synoptic scale low pressure weather systems that occur in the middle latitudes of the Earth having neither tropical nor polar characteristics, and are connected with fronts and...

, a process which completed on July 17 near the southern coast of Japan.

July Tropical Storm

Forming on the South China sea
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around...

 on July 18, the cyclone moved northwest into mainland China on July 22, maintaining its circulation as it turned westward before dissipating on July 24. This system was recognized by the Japanese Meteorological Agency as a tropical storm.

Tropical Storm Sarah (Iliang)

Developing in the Philippine Sea
Philippine Sea
The Philippine Sea is a marginal sea east and north of the Philippines occupying an estimated surface area of 2 million mi² on the western part of the North Pacific Ocean...

 on July 30, the system developed as it moved westward, becoming a tropical storm on July 31. On August 1, its mid-level circulation center crossed into the South China sea
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around...

 while its surface circulation was left behind east of the Philippines. Sarah's broad circulation center was difficult to locate until it began moving northeast east of Luzon
Luzon
Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...

 on August 2, when it intensified to its peak intensity. As Sarah moved east of Honshu
Honshu
is the largest island of Japan. The nation's main island, it is south of Hokkaido across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyushu across the Kanmon Strait...

, it evolved into an extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are a group of cyclones defined as synoptic scale low pressure weather systems that occur in the middle latitudes of the Earth having neither tropical nor polar characteristics, and are connected with fronts and...

. Fourteen died in Japan due to Sarah.

Typhoon Georgette

From August 3 to August 4, Tropical Storm Georgette existed in the Eastern Pacific, but degraded into a tropical wave while moving rapidly westward. Five days later in the Western Pacific, Georgette regenerated into a tropical storm, and became a typhoon on August 10. At this time, a tropical disturbance was developing to its west, and it became Tropical Storm Tip on the 11th. Tip and Georgette underwent fujiwhara interaction
Fujiwhara effect
The Fujiwhara effect or Fujiwara interaction, named after Sakuhei Fujiwhara, is a type of interaction between two nearby cyclonic vortices, causing them to appear to "orbit" each other.-Description:...

, causing smaller Georgette to loop as the larger storm Tip headed to the north. Georgette weakened to a tropical depression on August 15, and was absorbed by Tip's large inflow band on August 16.

August Tropical Storm

This system formed in the South China sea
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around...

 on August 9, and moved northwest through Hainan Island into mainland China, dissipating on August 12. In Hong Kong, winds gusted to 70 knots (137.2 km/h) at Tate's Cairn and Tai Mo Shan while Tai Po received 343 millimetres (13.5 in) of rainfall from the depression. Extensive flooding occurred on Hainan and western Guangdong Province, killing two people. The Hong Kong Royal Observatory considered this system a tropical depression.

Typhoon Tip

Georgette became a typhoon on August 10 to the east of a tropical disturbance, which developed into Tropical Storm Tip on August 11. Tip and Georgette underwent the Fujiwhara effect
Fujiwhara effect
The Fujiwhara effect or Fujiwara interaction, named after Sakuhei Fujiwhara, is a type of interaction between two nearby cyclonic vortices, causing them to appear to "orbit" each other.-Description:...

, causing smaller Georgette to loop as the larger storm Tip headed to the north. Georgette became absorbed by Tip's large inflow band on August 16. Tip strengthened to a typhoon, and reached a peak intensity of 80 kn (156.8 km/h) winds before vertical wind shear
Wind shear
Wind shear, sometimes referred to as windshear or wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere...

 caused the system to weaken. On August 19, Tip became extratropical, and persisted as a remnant low for six more days.

Typhoon Vera (Loleng)

The most intense and extensive monsoon trough since 1974
1974 Pacific typhoon season
The 1974 Pacific typhoon season has no official bounds; it ran year-round in 1974, but most tropical cyclones tend to form in the northwestern Pacific Ocean between June and December...

 spawned a tropical depression on August 15. It drifted to the southeast, relocating several times in its formative stages. On August 16 it was upgraded to Tropical Storm Vera, and operationally the storm was to continue eastward, continuing to relocate in the broad monsoon trough and becoming a storm again on August 17 after weakening. Post-analysis by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center
Joint Typhoon Warning Center
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center is a joint United States Navy – United States Air Force task force located at the Naval Maritime Forecast Center in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii...

 suggested that the first storm turned to the west and dissipated, and that a new, separate storm formed well to the east on August 17. However, the Japan Meteorological Agency maintained the system as a single storm.

Vera drifted northward until an upper level ridge forced the storm to the east, providing upper level outflow for Vera to strengthen to a typhoon on August 20. On August 22, Vera attained winds of 165 km/h (105 mph) before the weakening ridge forced the typhoon to the west, retracing its path it took days before. The typhoon slowly weakened, and hit Okinawa on August 25 as a 155 km/h (100 mph) typhoon. Vera turned to the northeast, hit South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...

 on August 28 as a minimal typhoon, and became extratropical on August 29 in the Sea of Japan
Sea of Japan
The Sea of Japan is a marginal sea of the western Pacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland, the Japanese archipelago and Sakhalin. It is bordered by Japan, North Korea, Russia and South Korea. Like the Mediterranean Sea, it has almost no tides due to its nearly complete enclosure from the Pacific...

. A total of 23 people were killed from the storm, with moderate to heavy damage in its path as far north as the Soviet Far East. Damage totalled US$22 million (1986 dollars) across South Korea.

Typhoon Wayne (Miding)

The longest lasting Western Pacific system on record began its long life on August 16 in the South China Sea
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around...

, having formed from the monsoon trough. It drifted to the southwest, then looped back to the northwest, becoming a tropical storm on August 18. Wayne turned to the northeast and became a typhoon on August 19. In Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...

, winds gusted to 78 knots (152.9 km/h) at Tate's Cairn. The typhoon passed offshore of southeastern China and hit western Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...

 on August 22. Wayne turned back to the south and southwest. Vertical shear caused Wayne to weaken to a depression on August 25. Wayne turned back to the northeast, rotating around Vera. Once Vera accelerated away, Wayne drifted northeastward through the South China Sea, becoming a tropical storm on August 27.

Wayne turned southward, becoming a typhoon again on August 30. Wayne passed close to northern Luzon
Luzon
Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...

 on September 2 before turning back to the west. Two days later while moving quickly westward through the South China Sea, Wayne reached a peak of 85 knots (166.6 km/h) winds. During its various passages of Hong Kong, a total of 295 millimetres (11.6 in) of rainfall accumulated at Sai Kung. The cyclone hit northern Hainan
Hainan
Hainan is the smallest province of the People's Republic of China . Although the province comprises some two hundred islands scattered among three archipelagos off the southern coast, of its land mass is Hainan Island , from which the province takes its name...

 on September 5, entered the Gulf of Tonkin
Gulf of Tonkin
The Gulf of Tonkin is an arm of the South China Sea, lying off the coast of northeastern Vietnam.-Etymology:The name Tonkin, written "東京" in Hán tự and Đông Kinh in romanised Vietnamese, means "Eastern Capital", and is the former toponym for Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam...

, and made its final landfall on northern Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...

 later that day as a 60 knots (117.6 km/h) tropical storm. The next day, Wayne dissipated over Vietnam, after 85 advisories and being the longest lasting Western Pacific system in history. Wayne brought torrential rains through its path to the Philippines, Taiwan, southeastern China, Hainan Island, and Vietnam. Because of this, 490 fatalities (most in Vietnam), tens of thousands left homeless, and US$399 million (1986 dollars) in damage can be attributed to Typhoon Wayne.

September Tropical Storm

Originating in the subtropical west-central Pacific, this large cyclone moved westward to a point south of Japan before becoming a tropical storm. Soon afterward, the system recurved across central Japan on September 2 and evolved into an extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are a group of cyclones defined as synoptic scale low pressure weather systems that occur in the middle latitudes of the Earth having neither tropical nor polar characteristics, and are connected with fronts and...

 as it returned to the northern Pacific ocean on September 3. This system was recognized by the Japanese Meteorological Agency as a tropical storm, and the Hong Kong Royal Observatory as a tropical depression.

Typhoon Abby (Norming)

Typhoon Abby developed from an area of persistent convection to the southwest of Truk in early August. A tropical depression formed on August 13 to the southeast of Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...

 and was upgraded to a tropical storm a day after passing south of the island. Abby then steadily intensified to a peak of 95 kn (186.2 km/h) but weakened before striking Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...

. Typhoon Abby lashed the island with winds of 85 kn (166.6 km/h) and heavy rains. Flooding on Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...

 killed 13 people, and agricultural damage totalled US$81 million (1986 dollars). After departing Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...

 Abby continued north-northeast before dissipating in the East China Sea
East China Sea
The East China Sea is a marginal sea east of China. It is a part of the Pacific Ocean and covers an area of 1,249,000 km² or 750,000 square miles.-Geography:...

.

Typhoon Ben

The initial tropical disturbance formed near Majuro
Majuro
Majuro , is a large coral atoll of 64 islands in the Pacific Ocean, and forms a legislative district of the Ratak Chain of the Marshall Islands. The atoll itself has a land area of and encloses a lagoon of...

 on September 15. The system moved west-northwest, becoming a tropical depression on September 18 and a tropical storm on September 19. Thirteen perished on a fishing vessel passing by Pagan as Ben passed nearby. Ben turned north-northwest for a day and a half, moving around an upper level cyclone in its vicinity, before resuming a west-northwest track on September 20. Vertical wind shear
Wind shear
Wind shear, sometimes referred to as windshear or wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere...

, caused by strong north-northeast winds aloft, weakened Ben to minimal tropical storm intensity by September 21. Ben entered a more favourable environment, achieving typhoon intensity on September 23 before rounding the southwest portion of the subtropical ridge
Subtropical ridge
The subtropical ridge is a significant belt of high pressure situated around the latitudes of 30°N in the Northern Hemisphere and 30°S in the Southern Hemisphere. It is characterized by mostly calm winds, which acts to reduce air quality under its axis by causing fog overnight, and haze during...

. Ben recurved to the northeast on September 26, moving well to the east of Japan, as vertical wind shear
Wind shear
Wind shear, sometimes referred to as windshear or wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere...

 increased due to strengthening winds aloft from the southwest. Ben subsequently weakened back into a tropical storm on September 30 before transitioning into an extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are a group of cyclones defined as synoptic scale low pressure weather systems that occur in the middle latitudes of the Earth having neither tropical nor polar characteristics, and are connected with fronts and...

 later that day.

Typhoon Carmen

The initial tropical disturbance was first noted to the east-southeast of Majuro
Majuro
Majuro , is a large coral atoll of 64 islands in the Pacific Ocean, and forms a legislative district of the Ratak Chain of the Marshall Islands. The atoll itself has a land area of and encloses a lagoon of...

 on September 27. The system tracked north of due west, before consolidating slowly into a tropical depression on September 30 and a tropical storm on October 2. After passing between Rota
Rota (island)
Rota also known as the "peaceful island", is the southernmost island of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and the second southernmost of the Marianas Archipelago. It lies approximately 40 miles north-northeast of the United States territory of Guam...

 and Saipan
Saipan
Saipan is the largest island of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , a chain of 15 tropical islands belonging to the Marianas archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean with a total area of . The 2000 census population was 62,392...

, Carmen turned northwest and intensified into a typhoon on October 4. Winds at Rota peaked at 53 knots (103.9 km/h) as it passed by the island. Heavy rains fell at Guam, where amounts totalled between 254 millimetres (10 in) and 279 millimetres (11 in). Moving through a break in the subtropical ridge
Subtropical ridge
The subtropical ridge is a significant belt of high pressure situated around the latitudes of 30°N in the Northern Hemisphere and 30°S in the Southern Hemisphere. It is characterized by mostly calm winds, which acts to reduce air quality under its axis by causing fog overnight, and haze during...

, Carmen rapidly strengthened as it turned north, then northeast, on October 6 when maximum sustained wind
Maximum sustained wind
The maximum sustained winds associated with a tropical cyclone are a common indicator of the intensity of the storm. Within a mature tropical cyclone, they are found within the eyewall at a distance defined as the radius of maximum wind, or RMW. Unlike gusts, the value of these winds are...

s reached 100 knots (196 km/h). As vertical wind shear
Wind shear
Wind shear, sometimes referred to as windshear or wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere...

 increased due to strengthening southwest winds aloft, the cyclone weakened into a tropical storm on October 8, evolving into an extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are a group of cyclones defined as synoptic scale low pressure weather systems that occur in the middle latitudes of the Earth having neither tropical nor polar characteristics, and are connected with fronts and...

 by October 9.

Tropical Storm Dom (Oyang)

Initially noted as a tropical disturbance in the Philippine Sea
Philippine Sea
The Philippine Sea is a marginal sea east and north of the Philippines occupying an estimated surface area of 2 million mi² on the western part of the North Pacific Ocean...

 on October 2, the system moved slowly west-northwest to the south of the subtropical ridge
Subtropical ridge
The subtropical ridge is a significant belt of high pressure situated around the latitudes of 30°N in the Northern Hemisphere and 30°S in the Southern Hemisphere. It is characterized by mostly calm winds, which acts to reduce air quality under its axis by causing fog overnight, and haze during...

, becoming a tropical depression on October 4. Crossing the Philippines, the depression caused heavy rainfall and flooding as it emerged into the South China sea
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around...

 and developed into a tropical storm on October 9. Development was slow due to strong upper level winds from the northeast displacing thunderstorms west-southwest of its center. Continuing to track north of due west, Dom made landfall in Vietnam and dissipated as it moved along the Laos/Vietnam border on October 12. A total of 16 perished and damage totalled US$4 million (1986 dollars) in Luzon
Luzon
Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...

.

Typhoon Ellen (Pasing)

The initial tropical disturbance formed just west of the International Dateline within the monsoon trough
Monsoon trough
The monsoon trough is that portion of the Intertropical Convergence Zone which extends into or through a monsoon circulation, as depicted by a line on a weather map showing the locations of minimum sea level pressure, and as such, is a convergence zone between the wind patterns of the southern and...

 on October 3. The system moved westward for nearly a week without significant development. Becoming a tropical depression on October 9 and a tropical storm on October 11, the cyclone turned to the west-northwest, moving through the central Philippines into the South China sea
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around...

. Turning more northerly, Ellen intensified to a typhoon while paralleling the west coast of Luzon
Luzon
Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...

 on October 14. By October 15, Ellen's track became increasingly more westerly due to a building surface high pressure area
High pressure area
A high-pressure area is a region where the atmospheric pressure at the surface of the planet is greater than its surrounding environment. Winds within high-pressure areas flow outward due to the higher density air near their center and friction with land...

 to its north. Weakening began due to westerly winds aloft and land interaction with China, and Ellen dropped back to tropical storm strength on October 17. The cyclone moved south of Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...

 and north of Hainan Island into mainland China on October 19. In Hong Kong, winds gusted to 78 knots (152.9 km/h) at Tai Mo Shan. As it neared the border between Vietnam and China, Ellen dissipated on October 20.

Typhoon Forrest

The initial tropical disturbance formed near the International Dateline on October 10 before moving on a parabolic track well east of Asia. A small system, it moved west-northwest and organized into a tropical depression on October 15, then a tropical storm later in the day. Late on October 16, Forrest intensified into a typhoon. The next day, the typhoon reached its peak intensity of 100 knots (196 km/h) and passed near the island of Agrihan
Agrihan
Agrihan is a stratovolcano which forms an island in the Northern Mariana Islands in the Pacific Ocean. The entire island is a massive volcano which rises over from the ocean floor, and is the fifth largest in the Marianas volcanic arc. At , its summit is the highest point in Micronesia...

 where one building was left standing and communications were eliminated. Forrest then recurved south-southeast of Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima, officially , is an island of the Japanese Volcano Islands chain, which lie south of the Ogasawara Islands and together with them form the Ogasawara Archipelago. The island is located south of mainland Tokyo and administered as part of Ogasawara, one of eight villages of Tokyo...

. As winds aloft increased out of the west, Forrest slowly weakened, becoming a tropical storm once more on October 20 and evolving into an extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are a group of cyclones defined as synoptic scale low pressure weather systems that occur in the middle latitudes of the Earth having neither tropical nor polar characteristics, and are connected with fronts and...

 by October 21.

Tropical Storm Georgia (Ruping)

First noted as a tropical disturbance east of Ulithi
Ulithi
Ulithi is an atoll in the Caroline Islands of the western Pacific Ocean, about 191 km east of Yap. It consists of 40 islets totalling , surrounding a lagoon about long and up to wide—at one of the largest in the world. It is administered by the state of Yap in the Federated States of...

 within the monsoon trough
Monsoon trough
The monsoon trough is that portion of the Intertropical Convergence Zone which extends into or through a monsoon circulation, as depicted by a line on a weather map showing the locations of minimum sea level pressure, and as such, is a convergence zone between the wind patterns of the southern and...

 on October 14, the system moved north of due west. Slowly developing, the system evolved into a tropical depression on October 17 and tropical storm on October 18. The cyclone reached its peak intensity before it crossed the central Philippines on October 19 and emerged into the South China sea
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around...

. On October 22, Georgia made landfall across Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...

 and crossed Laos
Laos
Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...

 into Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...

. The system subsequently dissipated by October 23.

Tropical Storm Herbert (Tering)

Forming as a tropical disturbance near the International Dateline on October 29, the system moved westward at low latitude eventually organizing into a tropical depression on November 3 south of Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...

. The system moved north of due west across the central Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...

 and emerged into the South China sea
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around...

 before strengthening into a tropical storm on November 9. Herbert moved westward, making landfall in Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...

 on November 11 before dissipating in Laos
Laos
Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...

 on November 12.

Tropical Storm Ida (Uding)

Initially a tropical disturbance between Kosrae
Kosrae
Kosrae , formerly known as Kusaie, is an island in Micronesia. The State of Kosrae is one of four states of the Federated States of Micronesia, and includes, besides the island of Kosrae, about a dozen satellite islands and islets, the most significant of which is Lelu Island.-Geography:With a...

 and Enewetak
Enewetak
Enewetak Atoll is a large coral atoll of 40 islands in the Pacific Ocean, and forms a legislative district of the Ralik Chain of the Marshall Islands. Its land area totals less than , surrounding a deep central lagoon, in circumference...

 on November 6, the system moved south of west until November 9, when the system began tracking north of west. The system organized into a tropical depression on November 10, then tropical storm on November 11, while moving towards the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...

. Six days after Herbert, Ida crossed the central portion of the archipelago
Archipelago
An archipelago , sometimes called an island group, is a chain or cluster of islands. The word archipelago is derived from the Greek ἄρχι- – arkhi- and πέλαγος – pélagos through the Italian arcipelago...

 between November 12 and 13. Interaction with the islands weakened the system back into a tropical depression before emerging into the South China sea
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around...

. Strengthening back into a tropical storm on November 14, Ida transcribed an anticyclonic, or clockwise, loop, weakening back into a tropical depression on November 16 while moving to the south due to strong southwest winds aloft. The depression moved south-southwest before dissipating on November 19. Two died when a cargo ship sank near Dongsha.

Typhoon Joe (Weling)

The initial tropical disturbance formed on November 12 south of Guam. Moving west-northwest, the system organized into a tropical depression in the Philippine Sea
Philippine Sea
The Philippine Sea is a marginal sea east and north of the Philippines occupying an estimated surface area of 2 million mi² on the western part of the North Pacific Ocean...

 on November 17, and then a tropical storm on November 20. Joe recurved just east of the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...

 due to a weakness in the subtropical ridge
Subtropical ridge
The subtropical ridge is a significant belt of high pressure situated around the latitudes of 30°N in the Northern Hemisphere and 30°S in the Southern Hemisphere. It is characterized by mostly calm winds, which acts to reduce air quality under its axis by causing fog overnight, and haze during...

, strengthening into a typhoon on November 20. East of Taiwan, Joe weakened back into a tropical storm due to strong southwest winds aloft on November 23 and then a tropical depression on November 24. Turning southeast, the remaining low level circulation continued weakening, dissipating on November 25.

November Tropical Depression

A tropical depression formed in the southern South China sea
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around...

 on November 24, dissipating the following day without making landfall on any neighbouring land mass. This depression was acknowledged by the Hong Kong Royal Observatory in their year end summary.

Super Typhoon Kim (Yaning)

The initial tropical disturbance formed south of Majuro
Majuro
Majuro , is a large coral atoll of 64 islands in the Pacific Ocean, and forms a legislative district of the Ratak Chain of the Marshall Islands. The atoll itself has a land area of and encloses a lagoon of...

 on November 27. The small system developed quickly, becoming a tropical depression later that day, a tropical storm on November 28, and a typhoon on November 29. Kim turned northwest later the day due to a weakness in the subtropical ridge
Subtropical ridge
The subtropical ridge is a significant belt of high pressure situated around the latitudes of 30°N in the Northern Hemisphere and 30°S in the Southern Hemisphere. It is characterized by mostly calm winds, which acts to reduce air quality under its axis by causing fog overnight, and haze during...

, before a strengthening high pressure system to its north forced a more westerly track by December 2, with Kim becoming a super typhoon soon afterward. The cyclone moved just north of Saipan
Saipan
Saipan is the largest island of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , a chain of 15 tropical islands belonging to the Marianas archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean with a total area of . The 2000 census population was 62,392...

, knocking out all electricity and water. Damage on the island totalled US$15 million (1986 dollars). Retaining super typhoon intensity into December 3, the system weakened and turned northwest on December 4 due to another weakness in the subtropical ridge. The high pressure system to its north restrengthened, turning Kim back to the west on December 5. On December 8, Kim made a cyclonic, or counter clockwise, loop due to a strong surface high building to its north, which was completed on December 11. During the loop, Kim weakened back into a tropical storm, with tropical depression status regained by December 12 as Kim moved northwest. The system recurved east of Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...

, dissipating by December 14.

Tropical Storm Lex

The initial tropical disturbance formed on November 30 in the wake of Kim near the International Dateline. The system moved west-northwest, developing into a tropical depression and tropical storm on December 4. Lex remained a tropical storm for one day, before weakening back into a tropical disturbance on December 5 due to vertical wind shear
Wind shear
Wind shear, sometimes referred to as windshear or wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere...

 caused by Typhoon Kim and an upper trough nearby from the northwest. The depression passed between Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...

 and Saipan
Saipan
Saipan is the largest island of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , a chain of 15 tropical islands belonging to the Marianas archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean with a total area of . The 2000 census population was 62,392...

 on December 7. Lex recurved south of Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima, officially , is an island of the Japanese Volcano Islands chain, which lie south of the Ogasawara Islands and together with them form the Ogasawara Archipelago. The island is located south of mainland Tokyo and administered as part of Ogasawara, one of eight villages of Tokyo...

 on December 8 before becoming an extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are a group of cyclones defined as synoptic scale low pressure weather systems that occur in the middle latitudes of the Earth having neither tropical nor polar characteristics, and are connected with fronts and...

 on December 9.

Typhoon Marge (Aning)

A long tracked system, the initial tropical disturbance which led to Marge was noted near the International Dateline on December 10. Moving north of due west the disturbance was slow to organize, becoming a tropical depression on December 14 southwest of Enewetak
Enewetak
Enewetak Atoll is a large coral atoll of 40 islands in the Pacific Ocean, and forms a legislative district of the Ralik Chain of the Marshall Islands. Its land area totals less than , surrounding a deep central lagoon, in circumference...

. The system strengthened into a tropical storm on December 15, and a typhoon by December 17. Early on December 20, Marge peaked in intensity before turning south of due west due to a strong surface high to its north. On December 21, Marge moved into the southern Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...

 which accelerated its weakening trend. On December 22, Marge regained tropical storm status and soon after moving into the South China sea
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around...

, the cyclone weakened into a tropical depression late on December 23. The depression moved westward for another day before dissipating on December 24. Marge's circulation aided the global journey of the Rutan Voyager aircraft, which went on to circle the Earth on one tank of fuel.

Typhoon Norris (Bidang)

The initial tropical disturbance formed near the International Dateline on December 17, and initially moved west-northwest. The system slowly organized, becoming a tropical depression December 21, and then a tropical storm on December 23 as it turned more to the west due to a strengthening ridge of high pressure to its north. The cyclone steadily strengthened over the next four days, initially hampered by strong east winds aloft. As the storm moved south of Guam, wind gusts to 50 knots (98 km/h) were recorded on the island. Norris became a typhoon on December 27. Over the next day and half, intensification continued. On December 28, a strong surface high pressure system turned Norris to the southwest, and led to slow weakening. The cyclone regained tropical storm strength on December 30 while turning more to the west. Norris crossed the southern Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...

 on December 31 and January 1, weakening into a tropical depression as it emerged into the South China sea
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around...

. Strong southeast winds aloft prevented redevelopment of the depression. Norris' remnant circulation turned northwest and dissipated on January 2 well to the south of Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...

.

Other systems

There was one other tropical system acknowledged and named by PAGASA
Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration is a Philippine national institution dedicated to provide flood and typhoon warnings, public weather forecasts and advisories, meteorological, astronomical, climatological, and other specialized information and...

.
  • Tropical Depression Susang — October 30-November 1

1986 storm names

Western North Pacific tropical cyclones were named by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center
Joint Typhoon Warning Center
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center is a joint United States Navy – United States Air Force task force located at the Naval Maritime Forecast Center in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii...

. The first storm of 1986 was named Judy and the final one was named Morris. In post-analysis, Vera was found to have been 2 separate systems.

{|width="90%"
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A total of 32 tropical depressions formed in 1986 in the Western Pacific over an eleven month time span. Of the 32, 30 became tropical storms, 19 storms reached typhoon intensity, and 3 reached super typhoon strength. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center considered Vera as two tropical cyclones, when all the warning centers treated Vera as one in real time, while another, Georgette, originated in the Eastern Pacific. Six of the tropical cyclones formed in August, which was the busiest month of the season. Eight tropical cyclones moved through the Philippines this season. Most of the deaths attributed to typhons in 1986 were caused by Peggy and Wayne

The 1986 Pacific typhoon season has no official bounds; it ran year-round in 1986, but most tropical cyclones tend to form in the northwestern Pacific Ocean between May and December. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the northwestern Pacific Ocean. Tropical Storms formed in the entire west pacific basin were assigned a name by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center
Joint Typhoon Warning Center
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center is a joint United States Navy – United States Air Force task force located at the Naval Maritime Forecast Center in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii...

. 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
Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration is a Philippine national institution dedicated to provide flood and typhoon warnings, public weather forecasts and advisories, meteorological, astronomical, climatological, and other specialized information and...

 or PAGASA. This can often result in the same storm having two names.

.

Summary

Of the thirty tropical storms formed in 1986 in the Western Pacific (from 32 tropical depressions), 19 reached typhoon intensity, and three reached super typhoon strength. Broken down by month, one tropical cyclone formed in February, one in April, two in May, three in June, three in July, seven in August, three in September, four in October, six in November, and two forming in December. Vera was considered two tropical cyclones by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center
Joint Typhoon Warning Center
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center is a joint United States Navy – United States Air Force task force located at the Naval Maritime Forecast Center in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii...

 after the fact, though it was operationally treated as one system, and Georgette, was a former Eastern Pacific cyclone. Eight tropical cyclones moved through the Philippines this season, while three struck mainland China, one struck Korea, and one crossed the Japanese coast. Peggy and Wayne accounted for a majority of the death toll this season. Tropical cyclones accounted for 35 percent of the annual rainfall in Hong Kong this year.

Typhoon Judy (Akang)

The initial disturbance formed within two degrees of the equator within the monsoon trough on January 25. Over succeeding days, the thunderstorm area increased in size. However, it decreased significantly on January 30. As the convective area moved slowly westward, it increased in coverage once more, organizing into a tropical depression on February 1. Moving on a parabolic course east of the Philippines, Judy gained tropical storm status on February 2, and typhoon strength on February 4 after recurving to the northwest of the subtropical ridge
Subtropical ridge
The subtropical ridge is a significant belt of high pressure situated around the latitudes of 30°N in the Northern Hemisphere and 30°S in the Southern Hemisphere. It is characterized by mostly calm winds, which acts to reduce air quality under its axis by causing fog overnight, and haze during...

. As westerly winds increased aloft, vertical wind shear
Wind shear
Wind shear, sometimes referred to as windshear or wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere...

 weakened Judy back into a tropical storm, which lost tropical characteristics on February 6. After drifting slightly more east-northeastward, the low pressure area dissipated.

Typhoon Ken (Bising)

A tropical disturbance formed along the near equatorial trough on April 20 well to the south of Guam. The system slowly increased in organization, becoming a tropical depression on April 26. The system quickly developed thereafter, becoming a typhoon on April 27 while moving northward. The system reached its peak intensity on April 28. The subtropical ridge
Subtropical ridge
The subtropical ridge is a significant belt of high pressure situated around the latitudes of 30°N in the Northern Hemisphere and 30°S in the Southern Hemisphere. It is characterized by mostly calm winds, which acts to reduce air quality under its axis by causing fog overnight, and haze during...

 built to its northwest, steering Ken to the west. South-westerly vertical wind shear
Wind shear
Wind shear, sometimes referred to as windshear or wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere...

 led to a weakening trend to begin on April 29. On April 30, Ken's low level circulation was exposed, no longer having any thunderstorms near the center. The remnant low drifted westward, dissipating by May 3.

Super Typhoon Lola

Forming as a twin cyclone with Namu, which formed in the southern hemisphere, the initial disturbance of Lola developed within the monsoon trough
Monsoon trough
The monsoon trough is that portion of the Intertropical Convergence Zone which extends into or through a monsoon circulation, as depicted by a line on a weather map showing the locations of minimum sea level pressure, and as such, is a convergence zone between the wind patterns of the southern and...

 south of Guam. Moving eastward, the system slowly developed becoming a tropical depression, then a tropical storm, on May 17. Lola moved over Pohnpei
Pohnpei
Not to be confused with Pompeii, the ancient city destroyed by Vesuvius in AD 79.Pohnpei "upon a stone altar " is the name of one of the four states in the Federated States of Micronesia , situated among the Senyavin Islands which are part of the larger Caroline Islands group...

, becoming their most destructive cyclone since 1958. In light of the damage caused by the storm, the island was declared a major disaster
Disaster area
A disaster area is a region or a locale heavily damaged by either natural hazards, such as tornadoes, hurricanes, tsunamis, floods, earthquakes, technological hazards including nuclear and radiation accidents, or sociological hazards like riots, terrorism or war. The population living there often...

 area on June 3 by the Government of the United States. Continuing to intensify, Lola became a typhoon on May 18 and turned northwest. Rapid intensification continued, with Lola becoming a super typhoon on May 19. Peaking in intensity on May 20, Lola recurved to the north and northeast, weakening into a tropical storm on May 23 and evolving into an extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are a group of cyclones defined as synoptic scale low pressure weather systems that occur in the middle latitudes of the Earth having neither tropical nor polar characteristics, and are connected with fronts and...

 later that day.

Tropical Storm Mac (Klaring)

This system moved generally to the east-northeast throughout its life cycle. Forming near Hainan Island on May 21 as a monsoon depression, the initial tropical disturbance moved through the South China sea
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around...

 while slowly organizing. Becoming a tropical depression in the Formosa Strait, Mac quickly became a tropical storm and turned northeast, paralleling the coast of Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...

. On May 27, Mac turned back towards the east-northeast as upper level westerly winds increased, causing vertical wind shear
Wind shear
Wind shear, sometimes referred to as windshear or wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere...

 which led to Mac weakening into a tropical depression before dissipating on May 29.

Typhoon Nancy (Deling)

A broad area of convection formed to the southeast of Pohnpei
Pohnpei
Not to be confused with Pompeii, the ancient city destroyed by Vesuvius in AD 79.Pohnpei "upon a stone altar " is the name of one of the four states in the Federated States of Micronesia , situated among the Senyavin Islands which are part of the larger Caroline Islands group...

 in mid June. The convection formed a tropical depression on June 21 to the east of the Philippines. Tropical Storm Nancy was named the next and quickly strengthened into a typhoon with max winds of 75 kn (147 km/h) before striking northeastern Taiwan. After departing the island Nancy weakened to tropical storm strength while moving north through the East China Sea. Nancy passed through the Korea Straits just before turning extratropical and accelerating northeastward into the Sea of Japan. Torrential rains fell throughout South Korea, as a result of flooding 12 people were killed and 22477 acres (91 km²) of farmland were destroyed.

Tropical Storm Owen (Emang)

Forming as a tropical disturbance southwest of Kosrae
Kosrae
Kosrae , formerly known as Kusaie, is an island in Micronesia. The State of Kosrae is one of four states of the Federated States of Micronesia, and includes, besides the island of Kosrae, about a dozen satellite islands and islets, the most significant of which is Lelu Island.-Geography:With a...

 on June 21. Moving west-northwest, the system gradually became better organized. On June 28, the disturbance had organized into a tropical depression. Recurving east of the Philippines and Taiwan, Owen developed into a tropical storm, reaching its maximum intensity on June 29. Thereafter, east-northeasterly winds aloft led to vertical wind shear
Wind shear
Wind shear, sometimes referred to as windshear or wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere...

 which weakened Owen. While moving north-northeast towards southern Japan, the system devolved into a low level circulation devoid of thunderstorms, and dissipated on July 2.

Super Typhoon Peggy (Gading)

Typhoon Peggy, which developed on July 3 east of the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...

, steadily strengthened to reach a peak of 130 knots (254.8 km/h) super typhoon on July 7. As Peggy continued westward, it slowly weakened, and hit northeastern Luzon
Luzon
Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...

 on July 9 as a 90 kn (176.4 km/h) typhoon. A slight weakening of the subtropical ridge brought Peggy more northward, where it hit southeastern China as a 55 kn (107.8 km/h) tropical storm on the July 11. In Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...

, winds gusted to 78 knots (152.9 km/h) at Tate's Cairn and rainfall totals reached 449 millimetres (17.7 in) at Tai Mo Shan. Peggy's fury resulted in 333 casualties and US$2.5 million (1986 dollars) in damage from torrential flooding.

Typhoon Roger (Heling)

An upper level low retrograded westward across the tropical Pacific ocean beginning on July 4. On July 8, a tropical disturbance formed southeast of the upper low southwest of Enewetak Atoll. The system moved westward, slowly organizing. Becoming a tropical depression on July 13, the small system turned northwest, recurving gradually around a subtropical ridge
Subtropical ridge
The subtropical ridge is a significant belt of high pressure situated around the latitudes of 30°N in the Northern Hemisphere and 30°S in the Southern Hemisphere. It is characterized by mostly calm winds, which acts to reduce air quality under its axis by causing fog overnight, and haze during...

 to its east and northeast. The system strengthened into a tropical storm later on July 13, and a typhoon on July 14 to the south of Japan. After turning to the northeast, the system began to experience northeasterly vertical wind shear
Wind shear
Wind shear, sometimes referred to as windshear or wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere...

 and began to weaken. After passing east of Okinawa, the system began to transition into an extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are a group of cyclones defined as synoptic scale low pressure weather systems that occur in the middle latitudes of the Earth having neither tropical nor polar characteristics, and are connected with fronts and...

, a process which completed on July 17 near the southern coast of Japan.

July Tropical Storm

Forming on the South China sea
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around...

 on July 18, the cyclone moved northwest into mainland China on July 22, maintaining its circulation as it turned westward before dissipating on July 24. This system was recognized by the Japanese Meteorological Agency as a tropical storm.

Tropical Storm Sarah (Iliang)

Developing in the Philippine Sea
Philippine Sea
The Philippine Sea is a marginal sea east and north of the Philippines occupying an estimated surface area of 2 million mi² on the western part of the North Pacific Ocean...

 on July 30, the system developed as it moved westward, becoming a tropical storm on July 31. On August 1, its mid-level circulation center crossed into the South China sea
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around...

 while its surface circulation was left behind east of the Philippines. Sarah's broad circulation center was difficult to locate until it began moving northeast east of Luzon
Luzon
Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...

 on August 2, when it intensified to its peak intensity. As Sarah moved east of Honshu
Honshu
is the largest island of Japan. The nation's main island, it is south of Hokkaido across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyushu across the Kanmon Strait...

, it evolved into an extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are a group of cyclones defined as synoptic scale low pressure weather systems that occur in the middle latitudes of the Earth having neither tropical nor polar characteristics, and are connected with fronts and...

. Fourteen died in Japan due to Sarah.

Typhoon Georgette

From August 3 to August 4, Tropical Storm Georgette existed in the Eastern Pacific, but degraded into a tropical wave while moving rapidly westward. Five days later in the Western Pacific, Georgette regenerated into a tropical storm, and became a typhoon on August 10. At this time, a tropical disturbance was developing to its west, and it became Tropical Storm Tip on the 11th. Tip and Georgette underwent fujiwhara interaction
Fujiwhara effect
The Fujiwhara effect or Fujiwara interaction, named after Sakuhei Fujiwhara, is a type of interaction between two nearby cyclonic vortices, causing them to appear to "orbit" each other.-Description:...

, causing smaller Georgette to loop as the larger storm Tip headed to the north. Georgette weakened to a tropical depression on August 15, and was absorbed by Tip's large inflow band on August 16.

August Tropical Storm

This system formed in the South China sea
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around...

 on August 9, and moved northwest through Hainan Island into mainland China, dissipating on August 12. In Hong Kong, winds gusted to 70 knots (137.2 km/h) at Tate's Cairn and Tai Mo Shan while Tai Po received 343 millimetres (13.5 in) of rainfall from the depression. Extensive flooding occurred on Hainan and western Guangdong Province, killing two people. The Hong Kong Royal Observatory considered this system a tropical depression.

Typhoon Tip

Georgette became a typhoon on August 10 to the east of a tropical disturbance, which developed into Tropical Storm Tip on August 11. Tip and Georgette underwent the Fujiwhara effect
Fujiwhara effect
The Fujiwhara effect or Fujiwara interaction, named after Sakuhei Fujiwhara, is a type of interaction between two nearby cyclonic vortices, causing them to appear to "orbit" each other.-Description:...

, causing smaller Georgette to loop as the larger storm Tip headed to the north. Georgette became absorbed by Tip's large inflow band on August 16. Tip strengthened to a typhoon, and reached a peak intensity of 80 kn (156.8 km/h) winds before vertical wind shear
Wind shear
Wind shear, sometimes referred to as windshear or wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere...

 caused the system to weaken. On August 19, Tip became extratropical, and persisted as a remnant low for six more days.

Typhoon Vera (Loleng)

The most intense and extensive monsoon trough since 1974
1974 Pacific typhoon season
The 1974 Pacific typhoon season has no official bounds; it ran year-round in 1974, but most tropical cyclones tend to form in the northwestern Pacific Ocean between June and December...

 spawned a tropical depression on August 15. It drifted to the southeast, relocating several times in its formative stages. On August 16 it was upgraded to Tropical Storm Vera, and operationally the storm was to continue eastward, continuing to relocate in the broad monsoon trough and becoming a storm again on August 17 after weakening. Post-analysis by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center
Joint Typhoon Warning Center
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center is a joint United States Navy – United States Air Force task force located at the Naval Maritime Forecast Center in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii...

 suggested that the first storm turned to the west and dissipated, and that a new, separate storm formed well to the east on August 17. However, the Japan Meteorological Agency maintained the system as a single storm.

Vera drifted northward until an upper level ridge forced the storm to the east, providing upper level outflow for Vera to strengthen to a typhoon on August 20. On August 22, Vera attained winds of 165 km/h (105 mph) before the weakening ridge forced the typhoon to the west, retracing its path it took days before. The typhoon slowly weakened, and hit Okinawa on August 25 as a 155 km/h (100 mph) typhoon. Vera turned to the northeast, hit South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...

 on August 28 as a minimal typhoon, and became extratropical on August 29 in the Sea of Japan
Sea of Japan
The Sea of Japan is a marginal sea of the western Pacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland, the Japanese archipelago and Sakhalin. It is bordered by Japan, North Korea, Russia and South Korea. Like the Mediterranean Sea, it has almost no tides due to its nearly complete enclosure from the Pacific...

. A total of 23 people were killed from the storm, with moderate to heavy damage in its path as far north as the Soviet Far East. Damage totalled US$22 million (1986 dollars) across South Korea.

Typhoon Wayne (Miding)

The longest lasting Western Pacific system on record began its long life on August 16 in the South China Sea
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around...

, having formed from the monsoon trough. It drifted to the southwest, then looped back to the northwest, becoming a tropical storm on August 18. Wayne turned to the northeast and became a typhoon on August 19. In Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...

, winds gusted to 78 knots (152.9 km/h) at Tate's Cairn. The typhoon passed offshore of southeastern China and hit western Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...

 on August 22. Wayne turned back to the south and southwest. Vertical shear caused Wayne to weaken to a depression on August 25. Wayne turned back to the northeast, rotating around Vera. Once Vera accelerated away, Wayne drifted northeastward through the South China Sea, becoming a tropical storm on August 27.

Wayne turned southward, becoming a typhoon again on August 30. Wayne passed close to northern Luzon
Luzon
Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...

 on September 2 before turning back to the west. Two days later while moving quickly westward through the South China Sea, Wayne reached a peak of 85 knots (166.6 km/h) winds. During its various passages of Hong Kong, a total of 295 millimetres (11.6 in) of rainfall accumulated at Sai Kung. The cyclone hit northern Hainan
Hainan
Hainan is the smallest province of the People's Republic of China . Although the province comprises some two hundred islands scattered among three archipelagos off the southern coast, of its land mass is Hainan Island , from which the province takes its name...

 on September 5, entered the Gulf of Tonkin
Gulf of Tonkin
The Gulf of Tonkin is an arm of the South China Sea, lying off the coast of northeastern Vietnam.-Etymology:The name Tonkin, written "東京" in Hán tự and Đông Kinh in romanised Vietnamese, means "Eastern Capital", and is the former toponym for Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam...

, and made its final landfall on northern Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...

 later that day as a 60 knots (117.6 km/h) tropical storm. The next day, Wayne dissipated over Vietnam, after 85 advisories and being the longest lasting Western Pacific system in history. Wayne brought torrential rains through its path to the Philippines, Taiwan, southeastern China, Hainan Island, and Vietnam. Because of this, 490 fatalities (most in Vietnam), tens of thousands left homeless, and US$399 million (1986 dollars) in damage can be attributed to Typhoon Wayne.

September Tropical Storm

Originating in the subtropical west-central Pacific, this large cyclone moved westward to a point south of Japan before becoming a tropical storm. Soon afterward, the system recurved across central Japan on September 2 and evolved into an extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are a group of cyclones defined as synoptic scale low pressure weather systems that occur in the middle latitudes of the Earth having neither tropical nor polar characteristics, and are connected with fronts and...

 as it returned to the northern Pacific ocean on September 3. This system was recognized by the Japanese Meteorological Agency as a tropical storm, and the Hong Kong Royal Observatory as a tropical depression.

Typhoon Abby (Norming)

Typhoon Abby developed from an area of persistent convection to the southwest of Truk in early August. A tropical depression formed on August 13 to the southeast of Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...

 and was upgraded to a tropical storm a day after passing south of the island. Abby then steadily intensified to a peak of 95 kn (186.2 km/h) but weakened before striking Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...

. Typhoon Abby lashed the island with winds of 85 kn (166.6 km/h) and heavy rains. Flooding on Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...

 killed 13 people, and agricultural damage totalled US$81 million (1986 dollars). After departing Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...

 Abby continued north-northeast before dissipating in the East China Sea
East China Sea
The East China Sea is a marginal sea east of China. It is a part of the Pacific Ocean and covers an area of 1,249,000 km² or 750,000 square miles.-Geography:...

.

Typhoon Ben

The initial tropical disturbance formed near Majuro
Majuro
Majuro , is a large coral atoll of 64 islands in the Pacific Ocean, and forms a legislative district of the Ratak Chain of the Marshall Islands. The atoll itself has a land area of and encloses a lagoon of...

 on September 15. The system moved west-northwest, becoming a tropical depression on September 18 and a tropical storm on September 19. Thirteen perished on a fishing vessel passing by Pagan as Ben passed nearby. Ben turned north-northwest for a day and a half, moving around an upper level cyclone in its vicinity, before resuming a west-northwest track on September 20. Vertical wind shear
Wind shear
Wind shear, sometimes referred to as windshear or wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere...

, caused by strong north-northeast winds aloft, weakened Ben to minimal tropical storm intensity by September 21. Ben entered a more favourable environment, achieving typhoon intensity on September 23 before rounding the southwest portion of the subtropical ridge
Subtropical ridge
The subtropical ridge is a significant belt of high pressure situated around the latitudes of 30°N in the Northern Hemisphere and 30°S in the Southern Hemisphere. It is characterized by mostly calm winds, which acts to reduce air quality under its axis by causing fog overnight, and haze during...

. Ben recurved to the northeast on September 26, moving well to the east of Japan, as vertical wind shear
Wind shear
Wind shear, sometimes referred to as windshear or wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere...

 increased due to strengthening winds aloft from the southwest. Ben subsequently weakened back into a tropical storm on September 30 before transitioning into an extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are a group of cyclones defined as synoptic scale low pressure weather systems that occur in the middle latitudes of the Earth having neither tropical nor polar characteristics, and are connected with fronts and...

 later that day.

Typhoon Carmen

The initial tropical disturbance was first noted to the east-southeast of Majuro
Majuro
Majuro , is a large coral atoll of 64 islands in the Pacific Ocean, and forms a legislative district of the Ratak Chain of the Marshall Islands. The atoll itself has a land area of and encloses a lagoon of...

 on September 27. The system tracked north of due west, before consolidating slowly into a tropical depression on September 30 and a tropical storm on October 2. After passing between Rota
Rota (island)
Rota also known as the "peaceful island", is the southernmost island of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and the second southernmost of the Marianas Archipelago. It lies approximately 40 miles north-northeast of the United States territory of Guam...

 and Saipan
Saipan
Saipan is the largest island of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , a chain of 15 tropical islands belonging to the Marianas archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean with a total area of . The 2000 census population was 62,392...

, Carmen turned northwest and intensified into a typhoon on October 4. Winds at Rota peaked at 53 knots (103.9 km/h) as it passed by the island. Heavy rains fell at Guam, where amounts totalled between 254 millimetres (10 in) and 279 millimetres (11 in). Moving through a break in the subtropical ridge
Subtropical ridge
The subtropical ridge is a significant belt of high pressure situated around the latitudes of 30°N in the Northern Hemisphere and 30°S in the Southern Hemisphere. It is characterized by mostly calm winds, which acts to reduce air quality under its axis by causing fog overnight, and haze during...

, Carmen rapidly strengthened as it turned north, then northeast, on October 6 when maximum sustained wind
Maximum sustained wind
The maximum sustained winds associated with a tropical cyclone are a common indicator of the intensity of the storm. Within a mature tropical cyclone, they are found within the eyewall at a distance defined as the radius of maximum wind, or RMW. Unlike gusts, the value of these winds are...

s reached 100 knots (196 km/h). As vertical wind shear
Wind shear
Wind shear, sometimes referred to as windshear or wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere...

 increased due to strengthening southwest winds aloft, the cyclone weakened into a tropical storm on October 8, evolving into an extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are a group of cyclones defined as synoptic scale low pressure weather systems that occur in the middle latitudes of the Earth having neither tropical nor polar characteristics, and are connected with fronts and...

 by October 9.

Tropical Storm Dom (Oyang)

Initially noted as a tropical disturbance in the Philippine Sea
Philippine Sea
The Philippine Sea is a marginal sea east and north of the Philippines occupying an estimated surface area of 2 million mi² on the western part of the North Pacific Ocean...

 on October 2, the system moved slowly west-northwest to the south of the subtropical ridge
Subtropical ridge
The subtropical ridge is a significant belt of high pressure situated around the latitudes of 30°N in the Northern Hemisphere and 30°S in the Southern Hemisphere. It is characterized by mostly calm winds, which acts to reduce air quality under its axis by causing fog overnight, and haze during...

, becoming a tropical depression on October 4. Crossing the Philippines, the depression caused heavy rainfall and flooding as it emerged into the South China sea
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around...

 and developed into a tropical storm on October 9. Development was slow due to strong upper level winds from the northeast displacing thunderstorms west-southwest of its center. Continuing to track north of due west, Dom made landfall in Vietnam and dissipated as it moved along the Laos/Vietnam border on October 12. A total of 16 perished and damage totalled US$4 million (1986 dollars) in Luzon
Luzon
Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...

.

Typhoon Ellen (Pasing)

The initial tropical disturbance formed just west of the International Dateline within the monsoon trough
Monsoon trough
The monsoon trough is that portion of the Intertropical Convergence Zone which extends into or through a monsoon circulation, as depicted by a line on a weather map showing the locations of minimum sea level pressure, and as such, is a convergence zone between the wind patterns of the southern and...

 on October 3. The system moved westward for nearly a week without significant development. Becoming a tropical depression on October 9 and a tropical storm on October 11, the cyclone turned to the west-northwest, moving through the central Philippines into the South China sea
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around...

. Turning more northerly, Ellen intensified to a typhoon while paralleling the west coast of Luzon
Luzon
Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...

 on October 14. By October 15, Ellen's track became increasingly more westerly due to a building surface high pressure area
High pressure area
A high-pressure area is a region where the atmospheric pressure at the surface of the planet is greater than its surrounding environment. Winds within high-pressure areas flow outward due to the higher density air near their center and friction with land...

 to its north. Weakening began due to westerly winds aloft and land interaction with China, and Ellen dropped back to tropical storm strength on October 17. The cyclone moved south of Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...

 and north of Hainan Island into mainland China on October 19. In Hong Kong, winds gusted to 78 knots (152.9 km/h) at Tai Mo Shan. As it neared the border between Vietnam and China, Ellen dissipated on October 20.

Typhoon Forrest

The initial tropical disturbance formed near the International Dateline on October 10 before moving on a parabolic track well east of Asia. A small system, it moved west-northwest and organized into a tropical depression on October 15, then a tropical storm later in the day. Late on October 16, Forrest intensified into a typhoon. The next day, the typhoon reached its peak intensity of 100 knots (196 km/h) and passed near the island of Agrihan
Agrihan
Agrihan is a stratovolcano which forms an island in the Northern Mariana Islands in the Pacific Ocean. The entire island is a massive volcano which rises over from the ocean floor, and is the fifth largest in the Marianas volcanic arc. At , its summit is the highest point in Micronesia...

 where one building was left standing and communications were eliminated. Forrest then recurved south-southeast of Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima, officially , is an island of the Japanese Volcano Islands chain, which lie south of the Ogasawara Islands and together with them form the Ogasawara Archipelago. The island is located south of mainland Tokyo and administered as part of Ogasawara, one of eight villages of Tokyo...

. As winds aloft increased out of the west, Forrest slowly weakened, becoming a tropical storm once more on October 20 and evolving into an extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are a group of cyclones defined as synoptic scale low pressure weather systems that occur in the middle latitudes of the Earth having neither tropical nor polar characteristics, and are connected with fronts and...

 by October 21.

Tropical Storm Georgia (Ruping)

First noted as a tropical disturbance east of Ulithi
Ulithi
Ulithi is an atoll in the Caroline Islands of the western Pacific Ocean, about 191 km east of Yap. It consists of 40 islets totalling , surrounding a lagoon about long and up to wide—at one of the largest in the world. It is administered by the state of Yap in the Federated States of...

 within the monsoon trough
Monsoon trough
The monsoon trough is that portion of the Intertropical Convergence Zone which extends into or through a monsoon circulation, as depicted by a line on a weather map showing the locations of minimum sea level pressure, and as such, is a convergence zone between the wind patterns of the southern and...

 on October 14, the system moved north of due west. Slowly developing, the system evolved into a tropical depression on October 17 and tropical storm on October 18. The cyclone reached its peak intensity before it crossed the central Philippines on October 19 and emerged into the South China sea
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around...

. On October 22, Georgia made landfall across Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...

 and crossed Laos
Laos
Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...

 into Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...

. The system subsequently dissipated by October 23.

Tropical Storm Herbert (Tering)

Forming as a tropical disturbance near the International Dateline on October 29, the system moved westward at low latitude eventually organizing into a tropical depression on November 3 south of Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...

. The system moved north of due west across the central Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...

 and emerged into the South China sea
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around...

 before strengthening into a tropical storm on November 9. Herbert moved westward, making landfall in Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...

 on November 11 before dissipating in Laos
Laos
Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...

 on November 12.

Tropical Storm Ida (Uding)

Initially a tropical disturbance between Kosrae
Kosrae
Kosrae , formerly known as Kusaie, is an island in Micronesia. The State of Kosrae is one of four states of the Federated States of Micronesia, and includes, besides the island of Kosrae, about a dozen satellite islands and islets, the most significant of which is Lelu Island.-Geography:With a...

 and Enewetak
Enewetak
Enewetak Atoll is a large coral atoll of 40 islands in the Pacific Ocean, and forms a legislative district of the Ralik Chain of the Marshall Islands. Its land area totals less than , surrounding a deep central lagoon, in circumference...

 on November 6, the system moved south of west until November 9, when the system began tracking north of west. The system organized into a tropical depression on November 10, then tropical storm on November 11, while moving towards the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...

. Six days after Herbert, Ida crossed the central portion of the archipelago
Archipelago
An archipelago , sometimes called an island group, is a chain or cluster of islands. The word archipelago is derived from the Greek ἄρχι- – arkhi- and πέλαγος – pélagos through the Italian arcipelago...

 between November 12 and 13. Interaction with the islands weakened the system back into a tropical depression before emerging into the South China sea
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around...

. Strengthening back into a tropical storm on November 14, Ida transcribed an anticyclonic, or clockwise, loop, weakening back into a tropical depression on November 16 while moving to the south due to strong southwest winds aloft. The depression moved south-southwest before dissipating on November 19. Two died when a cargo ship sank near Dongsha.

Typhoon Joe (Weling)

The initial tropical disturbance formed on November 12 south of Guam. Moving west-northwest, the system organized into a tropical depression in the Philippine Sea
Philippine Sea
The Philippine Sea is a marginal sea east and north of the Philippines occupying an estimated surface area of 2 million mi² on the western part of the North Pacific Ocean...

 on November 17, and then a tropical storm on November 20. Joe recurved just east of the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...

 due to a weakness in the subtropical ridge
Subtropical ridge
The subtropical ridge is a significant belt of high pressure situated around the latitudes of 30°N in the Northern Hemisphere and 30°S in the Southern Hemisphere. It is characterized by mostly calm winds, which acts to reduce air quality under its axis by causing fog overnight, and haze during...

, strengthening into a typhoon on November 20. East of Taiwan, Joe weakened back into a tropical storm due to strong southwest winds aloft on November 23 and then a tropical depression on November 24. Turning southeast, the remaining low level circulation continued weakening, dissipating on November 25.

November Tropical Depression

A tropical depression formed in the southern South China sea
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around...

 on November 24, dissipating the following day without making landfall on any neighbouring land mass. This depression was acknowledged by the Hong Kong Royal Observatory in their year end summary.

Super Typhoon Kim (Yaning)

The initial tropical disturbance formed south of Majuro
Majuro
Majuro , is a large coral atoll of 64 islands in the Pacific Ocean, and forms a legislative district of the Ratak Chain of the Marshall Islands. The atoll itself has a land area of and encloses a lagoon of...

 on November 27. The small system developed quickly, becoming a tropical depression later that day, a tropical storm on November 28, and a typhoon on November 29. Kim turned northwest later the day due to a weakness in the subtropical ridge
Subtropical ridge
The subtropical ridge is a significant belt of high pressure situated around the latitudes of 30°N in the Northern Hemisphere and 30°S in the Southern Hemisphere. It is characterized by mostly calm winds, which acts to reduce air quality under its axis by causing fog overnight, and haze during...

, before a strengthening high pressure system to its north forced a more westerly track by December 2, with Kim becoming a super typhoon soon afterward. The cyclone moved just north of Saipan
Saipan
Saipan is the largest island of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , a chain of 15 tropical islands belonging to the Marianas archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean with a total area of . The 2000 census population was 62,392...

, knocking out all electricity and water. Damage on the island totalled US$15 million (1986 dollars). Retaining super typhoon intensity into December 3, the system weakened and turned northwest on December 4 due to another weakness in the subtropical ridge. The high pressure system to its north restrengthened, turning Kim back to the west on December 5. On December 8, Kim made a cyclonic, or counter clockwise, loop due to a strong surface high building to its north, which was completed on December 11. During the loop, Kim weakened back into a tropical storm, with tropical depression status regained by December 12 as Kim moved northwest. The system recurved east of Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...

, dissipating by December 14.

Tropical Storm Lex

The initial tropical disturbance formed on November 30 in the wake of Kim near the International Dateline. The system moved west-northwest, developing into a tropical depression and tropical storm on December 4. Lex remained a tropical storm for one day, before weakening back into a tropical disturbance on December 5 due to vertical wind shear
Wind shear
Wind shear, sometimes referred to as windshear or wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere...

 caused by Typhoon Kim and an upper trough nearby from the northwest. The depression passed between Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...

 and Saipan
Saipan
Saipan is the largest island of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , a chain of 15 tropical islands belonging to the Marianas archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean with a total area of . The 2000 census population was 62,392...

 on December 7. Lex recurved south of Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima, officially , is an island of the Japanese Volcano Islands chain, which lie south of the Ogasawara Islands and together with them form the Ogasawara Archipelago. The island is located south of mainland Tokyo and administered as part of Ogasawara, one of eight villages of Tokyo...

 on December 8 before becoming an extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are a group of cyclones defined as synoptic scale low pressure weather systems that occur in the middle latitudes of the Earth having neither tropical nor polar characteristics, and are connected with fronts and...

 on December 9.

Typhoon Marge (Aning)

A long tracked system, the initial tropical disturbance which led to Marge was noted near the International Dateline on December 10. Moving north of due west the disturbance was slow to organize, becoming a tropical depression on December 14 southwest of Enewetak
Enewetak
Enewetak Atoll is a large coral atoll of 40 islands in the Pacific Ocean, and forms a legislative district of the Ralik Chain of the Marshall Islands. Its land area totals less than , surrounding a deep central lagoon, in circumference...

. The system strengthened into a tropical storm on December 15, and a typhoon by December 17. Early on December 20, Marge peaked in intensity before turning south of due west due to a strong surface high to its north. On December 21, Marge moved into the southern Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...

 which accelerated its weakening trend. On December 22, Marge regained tropical storm status and soon after moving into the South China sea
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around...

, the cyclone weakened into a tropical depression late on December 23. The depression moved westward for another day before dissipating on December 24. Marge's circulation aided the global journey of the Rutan Voyager aircraft, which went on to circle the Earth on one tank of fuel.

Typhoon Norris (Bidang)

The initial tropical disturbance formed near the International Dateline on December 17, and initially moved west-northwest. The system slowly organized, becoming a tropical depression December 21, and then a tropical storm on December 23 as it turned more to the west due to a strengthening ridge of high pressure to its north. The cyclone steadily strengthened over the next four days, initially hampered by strong east winds aloft. As the storm moved south of Guam, wind gusts to 50 knots (98 km/h) were recorded on the island. Norris became a typhoon on December 27. Over the next day and half, intensification continued. On December 28, a strong surface high pressure system turned Norris to the southwest, and led to slow weakening. The cyclone regained tropical storm strength on December 30 while turning more to the west. Norris crossed the southern Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...

 on December 31 and January 1, weakening into a tropical depression as it emerged into the South China sea
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around...

. Strong southeast winds aloft prevented redevelopment of the depression. Norris' remnant circulation turned northwest and dissipated on January 2 well to the south of Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...

.

Other systems

There was one other tropical system acknowledged and named by PAGASA
Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration is a Philippine national institution dedicated to provide flood and typhoon warnings, public weather forecasts and advisories, meteorological, astronomical, climatological, and other specialized information and...

.
  • Tropical Depression Susang — October 30-November 1

1986 storm names

Western North Pacific tropical cyclones were named by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center
Joint Typhoon Warning Center
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center is a joint United States Navy – United States Air Force task force located at the Naval Maritime Forecast Center in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii...

. The first storm of 1986 was named Judy and the final one was named Morris. In post-analysis, Vera was found to have been 2 separate systems.

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A total of 32 tropical depressions formed in 1986 in the Western Pacific over an eleven month time span. Of the 32, 30 became tropical storms, 19 storms reached typhoon intensity, and 3 reached super typhoon strength. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center considered Vera as two tropical cyclones, when all the warning centers treated Vera as one in real time, while another, Georgette, originated in the Eastern Pacific. Six of the tropical cyclones formed in August, which was the busiest month of the season. Eight tropical cyclones moved through the Philippines this season. Most of the deaths attributed to typhons in 1986 were caused by Peggy and Wayne

The 1986 Pacific typhoon season has no official bounds; it ran year-round in 1986, but most tropical cyclones tend to form in the northwestern Pacific Ocean between May and December. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the northwestern Pacific Ocean. Tropical Storms formed in the entire west pacific basin were assigned a name by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center
Joint Typhoon Warning Center
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center is a joint United States Navy – United States Air Force task force located at the Naval Maritime Forecast Center in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii...

. 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
Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration is a Philippine national institution dedicated to provide flood and typhoon warnings, public weather forecasts and advisories, meteorological, astronomical, climatological, and other specialized information and...

 or PAGASA. This can often result in the same storm having two names.

.

Summary

Of the thirty tropical storms formed in 1986 in the Western Pacific (from 32 tropical depressions), 19 reached typhoon intensity, and three reached super typhoon strength. Broken down by month, one tropical cyclone formed in February, one in April, two in May, three in June, three in July, seven in August, three in September, four in October, six in November, and two forming in December. Vera was considered two tropical cyclones by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center
Joint Typhoon Warning Center
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center is a joint United States Navy – United States Air Force task force located at the Naval Maritime Forecast Center in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii...

 after the fact, though it was operationally treated as one system, and Georgette, was a former Eastern Pacific cyclone. Eight tropical cyclones moved through the Philippines this season, while three struck mainland China, one struck Korea, and one crossed the Japanese coast. Peggy and Wayne accounted for a majority of the death toll this season. Tropical cyclones accounted for 35 percent of the annual rainfall in Hong Kong this year.

Typhoon Judy (Akang)

The initial disturbance formed within two degrees of the equator within the monsoon trough on January 25. Over succeeding days, the thunderstorm area increased in size. However, it decreased significantly on January 30. As the convective area moved slowly westward, it increased in coverage once more, organizing into a tropical depression on February 1. Moving on a parabolic course east of the Philippines, Judy gained tropical storm status on February 2, and typhoon strength on February 4 after recurving to the northwest of the subtropical ridge
Subtropical ridge
The subtropical ridge is a significant belt of high pressure situated around the latitudes of 30°N in the Northern Hemisphere and 30°S in the Southern Hemisphere. It is characterized by mostly calm winds, which acts to reduce air quality under its axis by causing fog overnight, and haze during...

. As westerly winds increased aloft, vertical wind shear
Wind shear
Wind shear, sometimes referred to as windshear or wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere...

 weakened Judy back into a tropical storm, which lost tropical characteristics on February 6. After drifting slightly more east-northeastward, the low pressure area dissipated.

Typhoon Ken (Bising)

A tropical disturbance formed along the near equatorial trough on April 20 well to the south of Guam. The system slowly increased in organization, becoming a tropical depression on April 26. The system quickly developed thereafter, becoming a typhoon on April 27 while moving northward. The system reached its peak intensity on April 28. The subtropical ridge
Subtropical ridge
The subtropical ridge is a significant belt of high pressure situated around the latitudes of 30°N in the Northern Hemisphere and 30°S in the Southern Hemisphere. It is characterized by mostly calm winds, which acts to reduce air quality under its axis by causing fog overnight, and haze during...

 built to its northwest, steering Ken to the west. South-westerly vertical wind shear
Wind shear
Wind shear, sometimes referred to as windshear or wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere...

 led to a weakening trend to begin on April 29. On April 30, Ken's low level circulation was exposed, no longer having any thunderstorms near the center. The remnant low drifted westward, dissipating by May 3.

Super Typhoon Lola

Forming as a twin cyclone with Namu, which formed in the southern hemisphere, the initial disturbance of Lola developed within the monsoon trough
Monsoon trough
The monsoon trough is that portion of the Intertropical Convergence Zone which extends into or through a monsoon circulation, as depicted by a line on a weather map showing the locations of minimum sea level pressure, and as such, is a convergence zone between the wind patterns of the southern and...

 south of Guam. Moving eastward, the system slowly developed becoming a tropical depression, then a tropical storm, on May 17. Lola moved over Pohnpei
Pohnpei
Not to be confused with Pompeii, the ancient city destroyed by Vesuvius in AD 79.Pohnpei "upon a stone altar " is the name of one of the four states in the Federated States of Micronesia , situated among the Senyavin Islands which are part of the larger Caroline Islands group...

, becoming their most destructive cyclone since 1958. In light of the damage caused by the storm, the island was declared a major disaster
Disaster area
A disaster area is a region or a locale heavily damaged by either natural hazards, such as tornadoes, hurricanes, tsunamis, floods, earthquakes, technological hazards including nuclear and radiation accidents, or sociological hazards like riots, terrorism or war. The population living there often...

 area on June 3 by the Government of the United States. Continuing to intensify, Lola became a typhoon on May 18 and turned northwest. Rapid intensification continued, with Lola becoming a super typhoon on May 19. Peaking in intensity on May 20, Lola recurved to the north and northeast, weakening into a tropical storm on May 23 and evolving into an extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are a group of cyclones defined as synoptic scale low pressure weather systems that occur in the middle latitudes of the Earth having neither tropical nor polar characteristics, and are connected with fronts and...

 later that day.

Tropical Storm Mac (Klaring)

This system moved generally to the east-northeast throughout its life cycle. Forming near Hainan Island on May 21 as a monsoon depression, the initial tropical disturbance moved through the South China sea
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around...

 while slowly organizing. Becoming a tropical depression in the Formosa Strait, Mac quickly became a tropical storm and turned northeast, paralleling the coast of Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...

. On May 27, Mac turned back towards the east-northeast as upper level westerly winds increased, causing vertical wind shear
Wind shear
Wind shear, sometimes referred to as windshear or wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere...

 which led to Mac weakening into a tropical depression before dissipating on May 29.

Typhoon Nancy (Deling)

A broad area of convection formed to the southeast of Pohnpei
Pohnpei
Not to be confused with Pompeii, the ancient city destroyed by Vesuvius in AD 79.Pohnpei "upon a stone altar " is the name of one of the four states in the Federated States of Micronesia , situated among the Senyavin Islands which are part of the larger Caroline Islands group...

 in mid June. The convection formed a tropical depression on June 21 to the east of the Philippines. Tropical Storm Nancy was named the next and quickly strengthened into a typhoon with max winds of 75 kn (147 km/h) before striking northeastern Taiwan. After departing the island Nancy weakened to tropical storm strength while moving north through the East China Sea. Nancy passed through the Korea Straits just before turning extratropical and accelerating northeastward into the Sea of Japan. Torrential rains fell throughout South Korea, as a result of flooding 12 people were killed and 22477 acres (91 km²) of farmland were destroyed.

Tropical Storm Owen (Emang)

Forming as a tropical disturbance southwest of Kosrae
Kosrae
Kosrae , formerly known as Kusaie, is an island in Micronesia. The State of Kosrae is one of four states of the Federated States of Micronesia, and includes, besides the island of Kosrae, about a dozen satellite islands and islets, the most significant of which is Lelu Island.-Geography:With a...

 on June 21. Moving west-northwest, the system gradually became better organized. On June 28, the disturbance had organized into a tropical depression. Recurving east of the Philippines and Taiwan, Owen developed into a tropical storm, reaching its maximum intensity on June 29. Thereafter, east-northeasterly winds aloft led to vertical wind shear
Wind shear
Wind shear, sometimes referred to as windshear or wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere...

 which weakened Owen. While moving north-northeast towards southern Japan, the system devolved into a low level circulation devoid of thunderstorms, and dissipated on July 2.

Super Typhoon Peggy (Gading)

Typhoon Peggy, which developed on July 3 east of the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...

, steadily strengthened to reach a peak of 130 knots (254.8 km/h) super typhoon on July 7. As Peggy continued westward, it slowly weakened, and hit northeastern Luzon
Luzon
Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...

 on July 9 as a 90 kn (176.4 km/h) typhoon. A slight weakening of the subtropical ridge brought Peggy more northward, where it hit southeastern China as a 55 kn (107.8 km/h) tropical storm on the July 11. In Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...

, winds gusted to 78 knots (152.9 km/h) at Tate's Cairn and rainfall totals reached 449 millimetres (17.7 in) at Tai Mo Shan. Peggy's fury resulted in 333 casualties and US$2.5 million (1986 dollars) in damage from torrential flooding.

Typhoon Roger (Heling)

An upper level low retrograded westward across the tropical Pacific ocean beginning on July 4. On July 8, a tropical disturbance formed southeast of the upper low southwest of Enewetak Atoll. The system moved westward, slowly organizing. Becoming a tropical depression on July 13, the small system turned northwest, recurving gradually around a subtropical ridge
Subtropical ridge
The subtropical ridge is a significant belt of high pressure situated around the latitudes of 30°N in the Northern Hemisphere and 30°S in the Southern Hemisphere. It is characterized by mostly calm winds, which acts to reduce air quality under its axis by causing fog overnight, and haze during...

 to its east and northeast. The system strengthened into a tropical storm later on July 13, and a typhoon on July 14 to the south of Japan. After turning to the northeast, the system began to experience northeasterly vertical wind shear
Wind shear
Wind shear, sometimes referred to as windshear or wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere...

 and began to weaken. After passing east of Okinawa, the system began to transition into an extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are a group of cyclones defined as synoptic scale low pressure weather systems that occur in the middle latitudes of the Earth having neither tropical nor polar characteristics, and are connected with fronts and...

, a process which completed on July 17 near the southern coast of Japan.

July Tropical Storm

Forming on the South China sea
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around...

 on July 18, the cyclone moved northwest into mainland China on July 22, maintaining its circulation as it turned westward before dissipating on July 24. This system was recognized by the Japanese Meteorological Agency as a tropical storm.

Tropical Storm Sarah (Iliang)

Developing in the Philippine Sea
Philippine Sea
The Philippine Sea is a marginal sea east and north of the Philippines occupying an estimated surface area of 2 million mi² on the western part of the North Pacific Ocean...

 on July 30, the system developed as it moved westward, becoming a tropical storm on July 31. On August 1, its mid-level circulation center crossed into the South China sea
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around...

 while its surface circulation was left behind east of the Philippines. Sarah's broad circulation center was difficult to locate until it began moving northeast east of Luzon
Luzon
Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...

 on August 2, when it intensified to its peak intensity. As Sarah moved east of Honshu
Honshu
is the largest island of Japan. The nation's main island, it is south of Hokkaido across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyushu across the Kanmon Strait...

, it evolved into an extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are a group of cyclones defined as synoptic scale low pressure weather systems that occur in the middle latitudes of the Earth having neither tropical nor polar characteristics, and are connected with fronts and...

. Fourteen died in Japan due to Sarah.

Typhoon Georgette

From August 3 to August 4, Tropical Storm Georgette existed in the Eastern Pacific, but degraded into a tropical wave while moving rapidly westward. Five days later in the Western Pacific, Georgette regenerated into a tropical storm, and became a typhoon on August 10. At this time, a tropical disturbance was developing to its west, and it became Tropical Storm Tip on the 11th. Tip and Georgette underwent fujiwhara interaction
Fujiwhara effect
The Fujiwhara effect or Fujiwara interaction, named after Sakuhei Fujiwhara, is a type of interaction between two nearby cyclonic vortices, causing them to appear to "orbit" each other.-Description:...

, causing smaller Georgette to loop as the larger storm Tip headed to the north. Georgette weakened to a tropical depression on August 15, and was absorbed by Tip's large inflow band on August 16.

August Tropical Storm

This system formed in the South China sea
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around...

 on August 9, and moved northwest through Hainan Island into mainland China, dissipating on August 12. In Hong Kong, winds gusted to 70 knots (137.2 km/h) at Tate's Cairn and Tai Mo Shan while Tai Po received 343 millimetres (13.5 in) of rainfall from the depression. Extensive flooding occurred on Hainan and western Guangdong Province, killing two people. The Hong Kong Royal Observatory considered this system a tropical depression.

Typhoon Tip

Georgette became a typhoon on August 10 to the east of a tropical disturbance, which developed into Tropical Storm Tip on August 11. Tip and Georgette underwent the Fujiwhara effect
Fujiwhara effect
The Fujiwhara effect or Fujiwara interaction, named after Sakuhei Fujiwhara, is a type of interaction between two nearby cyclonic vortices, causing them to appear to "orbit" each other.-Description:...

, causing smaller Georgette to loop as the larger storm Tip headed to the north. Georgette became absorbed by Tip's large inflow band on August 16. Tip strengthened to a typhoon, and reached a peak intensity of 80 kn (156.8 km/h) winds before vertical wind shear
Wind shear
Wind shear, sometimes referred to as windshear or wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere...

 caused the system to weaken. On August 19, Tip became extratropical, and persisted as a remnant low for six more days.

Typhoon Vera (Loleng)

The most intense and extensive monsoon trough since 1974
1974 Pacific typhoon season
The 1974 Pacific typhoon season has no official bounds; it ran year-round in 1974, but most tropical cyclones tend to form in the northwestern Pacific Ocean between June and December...

 spawned a tropical depression on August 15. It drifted to the southeast, relocating several times in its formative stages. On August 16 it was upgraded to Tropical Storm Vera, and operationally the storm was to continue eastward, continuing to relocate in the broad monsoon trough and becoming a storm again on August 17 after weakening. Post-analysis by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center
Joint Typhoon Warning Center
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center is a joint United States Navy – United States Air Force task force located at the Naval Maritime Forecast Center in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii...

 suggested that the first storm turned to the west and dissipated, and that a new, separate storm formed well to the east on August 17. However, the Japan Meteorological Agency maintained the system as a single storm.

Vera drifted northward until an upper level ridge forced the storm to the east, providing upper level outflow for Vera to strengthen to a typhoon on August 20. On August 22, Vera attained winds of 165 km/h (105 mph) before the weakening ridge forced the typhoon to the west, retracing its path it took days before. The typhoon slowly weakened, and hit Okinawa on August 25 as a 155 km/h (100 mph) typhoon. Vera turned to the northeast, hit South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...

 on August 28 as a minimal typhoon, and became extratropical on August 29 in the Sea of Japan
Sea of Japan
The Sea of Japan is a marginal sea of the western Pacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland, the Japanese archipelago and Sakhalin. It is bordered by Japan, North Korea, Russia and South Korea. Like the Mediterranean Sea, it has almost no tides due to its nearly complete enclosure from the Pacific...

. A total of 23 people were killed from the storm, with moderate to heavy damage in its path as far north as the Soviet Far East. Damage totalled US$22 million (1986 dollars) across South Korea.

Typhoon Wayne (Miding)

The longest lasting Western Pacific system on record began its long life on August 16 in the South China Sea
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around...

, having formed from the monsoon trough. It drifted to the southwest, then looped back to the northwest, becoming a tropical storm on August 18. Wayne turned to the northeast and became a typhoon on August 19. In Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...

, winds gusted to 78 knots (152.9 km/h) at Tate's Cairn. The typhoon passed offshore of southeastern China and hit western Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...

 on August 22. Wayne turned back to the south and southwest. Vertical shear caused Wayne to weaken to a depression on August 25. Wayne turned back to the northeast, rotating around Vera. Once Vera accelerated away, Wayne drifted northeastward through the South China Sea, becoming a tropical storm on August 27.

Wayne turned southward, becoming a typhoon again on August 30. Wayne passed close to northern Luzon
Luzon
Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...

 on September 2 before turning back to the west. Two days later while moving quickly westward through the South China Sea, Wayne reached a peak of 85 knots (166.6 km/h) winds. During its various passages of Hong Kong, a total of 295 millimetres (11.6 in) of rainfall accumulated at Sai Kung. The cyclone hit northern Hainan
Hainan
Hainan is the smallest province of the People's Republic of China . Although the province comprises some two hundred islands scattered among three archipelagos off the southern coast, of its land mass is Hainan Island , from which the province takes its name...

 on September 5, entered the Gulf of Tonkin
Gulf of Tonkin
The Gulf of Tonkin is an arm of the South China Sea, lying off the coast of northeastern Vietnam.-Etymology:The name Tonkin, written "東京" in Hán tự and Đông Kinh in romanised Vietnamese, means "Eastern Capital", and is the former toponym for Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam...

, and made its final landfall on northern Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...

 later that day as a 60 knots (117.6 km/h) tropical storm. The next day, Wayne dissipated over Vietnam, after 85 advisories and being the longest lasting Western Pacific system in history. Wayne brought torrential rains through its path to the Philippines, Taiwan, southeastern China, Hainan Island, and Vietnam. Because of this, 490 fatalities (most in Vietnam), tens of thousands left homeless, and US$399 million (1986 dollars) in damage can be attributed to Typhoon Wayne.

September Tropical Storm

Originating in the subtropical west-central Pacific, this large cyclone moved westward to a point south of Japan before becoming a tropical storm. Soon afterward, the system recurved across central Japan on September 2 and evolved into an extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are a group of cyclones defined as synoptic scale low pressure weather systems that occur in the middle latitudes of the Earth having neither tropical nor polar characteristics, and are connected with fronts and...

 as it returned to the northern Pacific ocean on September 3. This system was recognized by the Japanese Meteorological Agency as a tropical storm, and the Hong Kong Royal Observatory as a tropical depression.

Typhoon Abby (Norming)

Typhoon Abby developed from an area of persistent convection to the southwest of Truk in early August. A tropical depression formed on August 13 to the southeast of Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...

 and was upgraded to a tropical storm a day after passing south of the island. Abby then steadily intensified to a peak of 95 kn (186.2 km/h) but weakened before striking Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...

. Typhoon Abby lashed the island with winds of 85 kn (166.6 km/h) and heavy rains. Flooding on Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...

 killed 13 people, and agricultural damage totalled US$81 million (1986 dollars). After departing Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...

 Abby continued north-northeast before dissipating in the East China Sea
East China Sea
The East China Sea is a marginal sea east of China. It is a part of the Pacific Ocean and covers an area of 1,249,000 km² or 750,000 square miles.-Geography:...

.

Typhoon Ben

The initial tropical disturbance formed near Majuro
Majuro
Majuro , is a large coral atoll of 64 islands in the Pacific Ocean, and forms a legislative district of the Ratak Chain of the Marshall Islands. The atoll itself has a land area of and encloses a lagoon of...

 on September 15. The system moved west-northwest, becoming a tropical depression on September 18 and a tropical storm on September 19. Thirteen perished on a fishing vessel passing by Pagan as Ben passed nearby. Ben turned north-northwest for a day and a half, moving around an upper level cyclone in its vicinity, before resuming a west-northwest track on September 20. Vertical wind shear
Wind shear
Wind shear, sometimes referred to as windshear or wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere...

, caused by strong north-northeast winds aloft, weakened Ben to minimal tropical storm intensity by September 21. Ben entered a more favourable environment, achieving typhoon intensity on September 23 before rounding the southwest portion of the subtropical ridge
Subtropical ridge
The subtropical ridge is a significant belt of high pressure situated around the latitudes of 30°N in the Northern Hemisphere and 30°S in the Southern Hemisphere. It is characterized by mostly calm winds, which acts to reduce air quality under its axis by causing fog overnight, and haze during...

. Ben recurved to the northeast on September 26, moving well to the east of Japan, as vertical wind shear
Wind shear
Wind shear, sometimes referred to as windshear or wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere...

 increased due to strengthening winds aloft from the southwest. Ben subsequently weakened back into a tropical storm on September 30 before transitioning into an extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are a group of cyclones defined as synoptic scale low pressure weather systems that occur in the middle latitudes of the Earth having neither tropical nor polar characteristics, and are connected with fronts and...

 later that day.

Typhoon Carmen

The initial tropical disturbance was first noted to the east-southeast of Majuro
Majuro
Majuro , is a large coral atoll of 64 islands in the Pacific Ocean, and forms a legislative district of the Ratak Chain of the Marshall Islands. The atoll itself has a land area of and encloses a lagoon of...

 on September 27. The system tracked north of due west, before consolidating slowly into a tropical depression on September 30 and a tropical storm on October 2. After passing between Rota
Rota (island)
Rota also known as the "peaceful island", is the southernmost island of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and the second southernmost of the Marianas Archipelago. It lies approximately 40 miles north-northeast of the United States territory of Guam...

 and Saipan
Saipan
Saipan is the largest island of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , a chain of 15 tropical islands belonging to the Marianas archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean with a total area of . The 2000 census population was 62,392...

, Carmen turned northwest and intensified into a typhoon on October 4. Winds at Rota peaked at 53 knots (103.9 km/h) as it passed by the island. Heavy rains fell at Guam, where amounts totalled between 254 millimetres (10 in) and 279 millimetres (11 in). Moving through a break in the subtropical ridge
Subtropical ridge
The subtropical ridge is a significant belt of high pressure situated around the latitudes of 30°N in the Northern Hemisphere and 30°S in the Southern Hemisphere. It is characterized by mostly calm winds, which acts to reduce air quality under its axis by causing fog overnight, and haze during...

, Carmen rapidly strengthened as it turned north, then northeast, on October 6 when maximum sustained wind
Maximum sustained wind
The maximum sustained winds associated with a tropical cyclone are a common indicator of the intensity of the storm. Within a mature tropical cyclone, they are found within the eyewall at a distance defined as the radius of maximum wind, or RMW. Unlike gusts, the value of these winds are...

s reached 100 knots (196 km/h). As vertical wind shear
Wind shear
Wind shear, sometimes referred to as windshear or wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere...

 increased due to strengthening southwest winds aloft, the cyclone weakened into a tropical storm on October 8, evolving into an extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are a group of cyclones defined as synoptic scale low pressure weather systems that occur in the middle latitudes of the Earth having neither tropical nor polar characteristics, and are connected with fronts and...

 by October 9.

Tropical Storm Dom (Oyang)

Initially noted as a tropical disturbance in the Philippine Sea
Philippine Sea
The Philippine Sea is a marginal sea east and north of the Philippines occupying an estimated surface area of 2 million mi² on the western part of the North Pacific Ocean...

 on October 2, the system moved slowly west-northwest to the south of the subtropical ridge
Subtropical ridge
The subtropical ridge is a significant belt of high pressure situated around the latitudes of 30°N in the Northern Hemisphere and 30°S in the Southern Hemisphere. It is characterized by mostly calm winds, which acts to reduce air quality under its axis by causing fog overnight, and haze during...

, becoming a tropical depression on October 4. Crossing the Philippines, the depression caused heavy rainfall and flooding as it emerged into the South China sea
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around...

 and developed into a tropical storm on October 9. Development was slow due to strong upper level winds from the northeast displacing thunderstorms west-southwest of its center. Continuing to track north of due west, Dom made landfall in Vietnam and dissipated as it moved along the Laos/Vietnam border on October 12. A total of 16 perished and damage totalled US$4 million (1986 dollars) in Luzon
Luzon
Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...

.

Typhoon Ellen (Pasing)

The initial tropical disturbance formed just west of the International Dateline within the monsoon trough
Monsoon trough
The monsoon trough is that portion of the Intertropical Convergence Zone which extends into or through a monsoon circulation, as depicted by a line on a weather map showing the locations of minimum sea level pressure, and as such, is a convergence zone between the wind patterns of the southern and...

 on October 3. The system moved westward for nearly a week without significant development. Becoming a tropical depression on October 9 and a tropical storm on October 11, the cyclone turned to the west-northwest, moving through the central Philippines into the South China sea
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around...

. Turning more northerly, Ellen intensified to a typhoon while paralleling the west coast of Luzon
Luzon
Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...

 on October 14. By October 15, Ellen's track became increasingly more westerly due to a building surface high pressure area
High pressure area
A high-pressure area is a region where the atmospheric pressure at the surface of the planet is greater than its surrounding environment. Winds within high-pressure areas flow outward due to the higher density air near their center and friction with land...

 to its north. Weakening began due to westerly winds aloft and land interaction with China, and Ellen dropped back to tropical storm strength on October 17. The cyclone moved south of Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...

 and north of Hainan Island into mainland China on October 19. In Hong Kong, winds gusted to 78 knots (152.9 km/h) at Tai Mo Shan. As it neared the border between Vietnam and China, Ellen dissipated on October 20.

Typhoon Forrest

The initial tropical disturbance formed near the International Dateline on October 10 before moving on a parabolic track well east of Asia. A small system, it moved west-northwest and organized into a tropical depression on October 15, then a tropical storm later in the day. Late on October 16, Forrest intensified into a typhoon. The next day, the typhoon reached its peak intensity of 100 knots (196 km/h) and passed near the island of Agrihan
Agrihan
Agrihan is a stratovolcano which forms an island in the Northern Mariana Islands in the Pacific Ocean. The entire island is a massive volcano which rises over from the ocean floor, and is the fifth largest in the Marianas volcanic arc. At , its summit is the highest point in Micronesia...

 where one building was left standing and communications were eliminated. Forrest then recurved south-southeast of Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima, officially , is an island of the Japanese Volcano Islands chain, which lie south of the Ogasawara Islands and together with them form the Ogasawara Archipelago. The island is located south of mainland Tokyo and administered as part of Ogasawara, one of eight villages of Tokyo...

. As winds aloft increased out of the west, Forrest slowly weakened, becoming a tropical storm once more on October 20 and evolving into an extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are a group of cyclones defined as synoptic scale low pressure weather systems that occur in the middle latitudes of the Earth having neither tropical nor polar characteristics, and are connected with fronts and...

 by October 21.

Tropical Storm Georgia (Ruping)

First noted as a tropical disturbance east of Ulithi
Ulithi
Ulithi is an atoll in the Caroline Islands of the western Pacific Ocean, about 191 km east of Yap. It consists of 40 islets totalling , surrounding a lagoon about long and up to wide—at one of the largest in the world. It is administered by the state of Yap in the Federated States of...

 within the monsoon trough
Monsoon trough
The monsoon trough is that portion of the Intertropical Convergence Zone which extends into or through a monsoon circulation, as depicted by a line on a weather map showing the locations of minimum sea level pressure, and as such, is a convergence zone between the wind patterns of the southern and...

 on October 14, the system moved north of due west. Slowly developing, the system evolved into a tropical depression on October 17 and tropical storm on October 18. The cyclone reached its peak intensity before it crossed the central Philippines on October 19 and emerged into the South China sea
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around...

. On October 22, Georgia made landfall across Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...

 and crossed Laos
Laos
Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...

 into Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...

. The system subsequently dissipated by October 23.

Tropical Storm Herbert (Tering)

Forming as a tropical disturbance near the International Dateline on October 29, the system moved westward at low latitude eventually organizing into a tropical depression on November 3 south of Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...

. The system moved north of due west across the central Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...

 and emerged into the South China sea
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around...

 before strengthening into a tropical storm on November 9. Herbert moved westward, making landfall in Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...

 on November 11 before dissipating in Laos
Laos
Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...

 on November 12.

Tropical Storm Ida (Uding)

Initially a tropical disturbance between Kosrae
Kosrae
Kosrae , formerly known as Kusaie, is an island in Micronesia. The State of Kosrae is one of four states of the Federated States of Micronesia, and includes, besides the island of Kosrae, about a dozen satellite islands and islets, the most significant of which is Lelu Island.-Geography:With a...

 and Enewetak
Enewetak
Enewetak Atoll is a large coral atoll of 40 islands in the Pacific Ocean, and forms a legislative district of the Ralik Chain of the Marshall Islands. Its land area totals less than , surrounding a deep central lagoon, in circumference...

 on November 6, the system moved south of west until November 9, when the system began tracking north of west. The system organized into a tropical depression on November 10, then tropical storm on November 11, while moving towards the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...

. Six days after Herbert, Ida crossed the central portion of the archipelago
Archipelago
An archipelago , sometimes called an island group, is a chain or cluster of islands. The word archipelago is derived from the Greek ἄρχι- – arkhi- and πέλαγος – pélagos through the Italian arcipelago...

 between November 12 and 13. Interaction with the islands weakened the system back into a tropical depression before emerging into the South China sea
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around...

. Strengthening back into a tropical storm on November 14, Ida transcribed an anticyclonic, or clockwise, loop, weakening back into a tropical depression on November 16 while moving to the south due to strong southwest winds aloft. The depression moved south-southwest before dissipating on November 19. Two died when a cargo ship sank near Dongsha.

Typhoon Joe (Weling)

The initial tropical disturbance formed on November 12 south of Guam. Moving west-northwest, the system organized into a tropical depression in the Philippine Sea
Philippine Sea
The Philippine Sea is a marginal sea east and north of the Philippines occupying an estimated surface area of 2 million mi² on the western part of the North Pacific Ocean...

 on November 17, and then a tropical storm on November 20. Joe recurved just east of the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...

 due to a weakness in the subtropical ridge
Subtropical ridge
The subtropical ridge is a significant belt of high pressure situated around the latitudes of 30°N in the Northern Hemisphere and 30°S in the Southern Hemisphere. It is characterized by mostly calm winds, which acts to reduce air quality under its axis by causing fog overnight, and haze during...

, strengthening into a typhoon on November 20. East of Taiwan, Joe weakened back into a tropical storm due to strong southwest winds aloft on November 23 and then a tropical depression on November 24. Turning southeast, the remaining low level circulation continued weakening, dissipating on November 25.

November Tropical Depression

A tropical depression formed in the southern South China sea
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around...

 on November 24, dissipating the following day without making landfall on any neighbouring land mass. This depression was acknowledged by the Hong Kong Royal Observatory in their year end summary.

Super Typhoon Kim (Yaning)

The initial tropical disturbance formed south of Majuro
Majuro
Majuro , is a large coral atoll of 64 islands in the Pacific Ocean, and forms a legislative district of the Ratak Chain of the Marshall Islands. The atoll itself has a land area of and encloses a lagoon of...

 on November 27. The small system developed quickly, becoming a tropical depression later that day, a tropical storm on November 28, and a typhoon on November 29. Kim turned northwest later the day due to a weakness in the subtropical ridge
Subtropical ridge
The subtropical ridge is a significant belt of high pressure situated around the latitudes of 30°N in the Northern Hemisphere and 30°S in the Southern Hemisphere. It is characterized by mostly calm winds, which acts to reduce air quality under its axis by causing fog overnight, and haze during...

, before a strengthening high pressure system to its north forced a more westerly track by December 2, with Kim becoming a super typhoon soon afterward. The cyclone moved just north of Saipan
Saipan
Saipan is the largest island of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , a chain of 15 tropical islands belonging to the Marianas archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean with a total area of . The 2000 census population was 62,392...

, knocking out all electricity and water. Damage on the island totalled US$15 million (1986 dollars). Retaining super typhoon intensity into December 3, the system weakened and turned northwest on December 4 due to another weakness in the subtropical ridge. The high pressure system to its north restrengthened, turning Kim back to the west on December 5. On December 8, Kim made a cyclonic, or counter clockwise, loop due to a strong surface high building to its north, which was completed on December 11. During the loop, Kim weakened back into a tropical storm, with tropical depression status regained by December 12 as Kim moved northwest. The system recurved east of Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...

, dissipating by December 14.

Tropical Storm Lex

The initial tropical disturbance formed on November 30 in the wake of Kim near the International Dateline. The system moved west-northwest, developing into a tropical depression and tropical storm on December 4. Lex remained a tropical storm for one day, before weakening back into a tropical disturbance on December 5 due to vertical wind shear
Wind shear
Wind shear, sometimes referred to as windshear or wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere...

 caused by Typhoon Kim and an upper trough nearby from the northwest. The depression passed between Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...

 and Saipan
Saipan
Saipan is the largest island of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , a chain of 15 tropical islands belonging to the Marianas archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean with a total area of . The 2000 census population was 62,392...

 on December 7. Lex recurved south of Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima, officially , is an island of the Japanese Volcano Islands chain, which lie south of the Ogasawara Islands and together with them form the Ogasawara Archipelago. The island is located south of mainland Tokyo and administered as part of Ogasawara, one of eight villages of Tokyo...

 on December 8 before becoming an extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are a group of cyclones defined as synoptic scale low pressure weather systems that occur in the middle latitudes of the Earth having neither tropical nor polar characteristics, and are connected with fronts and...

 on December 9.

Typhoon Marge (Aning)

A long tracked system, the initial tropical disturbance which led to Marge was noted near the International Dateline on December 10. Moving north of due west the disturbance was slow to organize, becoming a tropical depression on December 14 southwest of Enewetak
Enewetak
Enewetak Atoll is a large coral atoll of 40 islands in the Pacific Ocean, and forms a legislative district of the Ralik Chain of the Marshall Islands. Its land area totals less than , surrounding a deep central lagoon, in circumference...

. The system strengthened into a tropical storm on December 15, and a typhoon by December 17. Early on December 20, Marge peaked in intensity before turning south of due west due to a strong surface high to its north. On December 21, Marge moved into the southern Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...

 which accelerated its weakening trend. On December 22, Marge regained tropical storm status and soon after moving into the South China sea
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around...

, the cyclone weakened into a tropical depression late on December 23. The depression moved westward for another day before dissipating on December 24. Marge's circulation aided the global journey of the Rutan Voyager aircraft, which went on to circle the Earth on one tank of fuel.

Typhoon Norris (Bidang)

The initial tropical disturbance formed near the International Dateline on December 17, and initially moved west-northwest. The system slowly organized, becoming a tropical depression December 21, and then a tropical storm on December 23 as it turned more to the west due to a strengthening ridge of high pressure to its north. The cyclone steadily strengthened over the next four days, initially hampered by strong east winds aloft. As the storm moved south of Guam, wind gusts to 50 knots (98 km/h) were recorded on the island. Norris became a typhoon on December 27. Over the next day and half, intensification continued. On December 28, a strong surface high pressure system turned Norris to the southwest, and led to slow weakening. The cyclone regained tropical storm strength on December 30 while turning more to the west. Norris crossed the southern Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...

 on December 31 and January 1, weakening into a tropical depression as it emerged into the South China sea
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around...

. Strong southeast winds aloft prevented redevelopment of the depression. Norris' remnant circulation turned northwest and dissipated on January 2 well to the south of Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...

.

Other systems

There was one other tropical system acknowledged and named by PAGASA
Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration is a Philippine national institution dedicated to provide flood and typhoon warnings, public weather forecasts and advisories, meteorological, astronomical, climatological, and other specialized information and...

.
  • Tropical Depression Susang — October 30-November 1

1986 storm names

Western North Pacific tropical cyclones were named by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center
Joint Typhoon Warning Center
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center is a joint United States Navy – United States Air Force task force located at the Naval Maritime Forecast Center in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii...

. The first storm of 1986 was named Judy and the final one was named Morris. In post-analysis, Vera was found to have been 2 separate systems.

{|width="90%"
|
  • Andy
  • Brenda
  • Cecil
  • Dot
  • Ellis
  • Faye
  • Gordon
  • Hope
  • Irving
  • Judy 1W
  • Ken 2W
  • Lola 3W
  • Mac 4W
  • Nancy 5W
  • Owen 6W
  • Peggy 7W
  • Roger 8W
  • Sarah 9W
  • Tip 10W
  • Vera 11W
  • Wayne 12W

|
  • Abby 13W
  • Ben 14W
  • Carmen 15W
  • Dom 16W
  • Ellen 17W
  • Forrest 18W
  • Georgia 19W
  • Herbert 20W
  • Ida 21W
  • Joe 22W
  • Kim 23W
  • Lex 24W
  • Marge 25W
  • Norris 26W
  • Orchid
  • Percy
  • Ruth
  • Sperry
  • Thelma
  • Vernon
  • Wynn

|
  • Alex
  • Betty
  • Cary
  • Dinah
  • Ed
  • Freda
  • Gerald
  • Holly
  • Ian
  • June
  • Kelly
  • Lynn
  • Maury
  • Nina
  • Ogden
  • Phyllis
  • Roy
  • Susan
  • Thad
  • Vanessa
  • Warren

|
  • Agnes
  • Bill
  • Clara
  • Doyle
  • Elsie
  • Fabian
  • Gay
  • Hal
  • Irma
  • Jeff
  • Kit
  • Lee
  • Mamie
  • Nelson
  • Odessa
  • Pat
  • Ruby
  • Skip
  • Tess
  • Val
  • Winona

|}

One eastern Pacific storm, Tropical Storm Georgette, crossed into this basin, keeping its original name and "E" suffix.

See also

  • List of Pacific typhoon seasons
  • 1986 Pacific hurricane season
    1986 Pacific hurricane season
    The 1986 Pacific hurricane season was less active than the 1985 Pacific hurricane season. It officially started May 15, 1986 in the eastern Pacific, and June 1, 1986 in the central Pacific, and lasted until November 30, 1986. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when almost...

  • 1986 Atlantic hurricane season
    1986 Atlantic hurricane season
    The 1986 Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1, 1986, and lasted until November 30, 1986. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin...

  • 1986 North Indian Ocean cyclone season
  • Southern Hemisphere tropical cyclone seasons: 1985-86, 1986-87

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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