1999 Pacific typhoon season
Encyclopedia
The 1999 Pacific typhoon season has no official bounds; it ran year-round in 1999, but most tropical cyclones tend to form in the northwestern Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...

 between May and November. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the northwestern Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...

.

The scope of this article is limited to the Pacific Ocean, north of the equator and west of the international date line
International Date Line
The International Date Line is a generally north-south imaginary line on the surface of the Earth, passing through the middle of the Pacific Ocean, that designates the place where each calendar day begins...

. Storms that form east of the date line and north of the equator are called hurricanes; see 1999 Pacific hurricane season
1999 Pacific hurricane season
The 1999 Pacific hurricane season officially started on May 15, 1999 in the eastern Pacific, and on June 1, 1999 in the central Pacific, and lasted until November 30, 1999. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the northeastern Pacific...

. 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 in this basin have the "W" suffix added to their number. Tropical depressions that enter or form in the Philippine area of responsibility are assigned a name by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
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.

Tropical Storm Hilda (Auring)

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...

 (JTWC) issued a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert
Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert
A Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert is a bulletin released by the U.S. Navy-operated Joint Typhoon Warning Center in Honolulu, Hawaii or the Naval Maritime Forecast Center in Norfolk, Virginia, warning of the possibility of a tropical cyclone forming from a tropical disturbance that has been...

 for a developing broad circulation which stretched out from the northwest Borneo
Borneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....

 coast early on January 4. This developed into a tropical depression and moved slowly to the north away from the Borneo coast, becoming Tropical Storm Hilda early on January 6. Soon after reaching its peak strength of 65 km/h (40 mph) Hilda drifted further north into an area of increased wind shear, which caused the storm to dissipate the next day. Both Japan Meteorological Agency
Japan Meteorological Agency
The or JMA, is the Japanese government's weather service. Charged with gathering and reporting weather data and forecasts in Japan, it is a semi-autonomous part of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport...

 and 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...

 tracked this system, but considered it a tropical depression. PAGASA named the storm Auring.

Malaysia reported to the Typhoon Committee that Tropical Storm Hilda brought heavy rain to Sabah
Sabah
Sabah is one of 13 member states of Malaysia. It is located on the northern portion of the island of Borneo. It is the second largest state in the country after Sarawak, which it borders on its southwest. It also shares a border with the province of East Kalimantan of Indonesia in the south...

. This rain caused flooding and landslides, and was responsible for six deaths. The mudslides caused about $1.3 million in damage (1999 USD, 15 million 1999 MYR
Myr
The symbol myr was formerly used in English-language geology, and remains as the standard usage in astronomy, as a unit of one million years.It is an abbreviation for 'million years' and lower case is used in geology, while upper case is used in astronomy....

) to roads throughout the country.

Tropical Storm Iris (Bebeng)

A monsoon depression began to develop between 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...

 and Chuuk
Chuuk
Chuuk — formerly Truk, Ruk, Hogoleu, Torres, Ugulat, and Lugulus — is an island group in the south western part of the Pacific Ocean. It comprises one of the four states of the Federated States of Micronesia , along with Kosrae, Pohnpei, and Yap. Chuuk is the most populous of the FSM's...

 on February 10 as it moved west. The JTWC issued a TCFA as the depression passed near Palau
Palau
Palau , officially the Republic of Palau , is an island nation in the Pacific Ocean, east of the Philippines and south of Tokyo. In 1978, after three decades as being part of the United Nations trusteeship, Palau chose independence instead of becoming part of the Federated States of Micronesia, a...

 on February 13. The storm slowly consolidated as it moved towards the Philippines, becoming Tropical Storm Iris on February 17, but did not intensify any further. As the storm turned northwards under the influence of a subtropical ridge to the east it entered a high shear environment and rapidly degenerated, dissipating on February 19 220 km (136.7 mi) to the east of Luzon.

PAGASA considered this storm to have been a tropical depression and named it Bebeng. Tropical Storm Iris had no effects on land.

Tropical Storm Jacob (Karing)

A low pressure area 220 km (136.7 mi) to the west of Yap
Yap
Yap, also known as Wa'ab by locals, is an island in the Caroline Islands of the western Pacific Ocean. It is a state of the Federated States of Micronesia. Yap's indigenous cultures and traditions are still strong compared to other neighboring islands. The island of Yap actually consists of four...

 developed into a tropical depression on April 6. It gradually developed as it moved to the west, becoming a strong depression with 55 km/h (35 mph) winds. It then began to accelerate to the northwest, becoming a minimal tropical storm as it did so. However, this northwards motion brought it into a region of increased shear, which weakened it back into a tropical depression. The low level circulation became completely exposed and the weakening system made landfall on southern 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 April 10. PAGASA named the system Karing and considered it a tropical depression.

The rainfall from Jacob ranged from 80 mm (3 inches) up to 400 mm (16 inches) in some places, but only minor damage was recorded on land.

Severe Tropical Storm Kate (Diding)

On April 22, a tropical disturbance which had developed 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...

 moved over Mindanao
Mindanao
Mindanao is the second largest and easternmost island in the Philippines. It is also the name of one of the three island groups in the country, which consists of the island of Mindanao and smaller surrounding islands. The other two are Luzon and the Visayas. The island of Mindanao is called The...

 and intensified into a tropical depression whilst it was still overland. The depression soon moved overwater again as it tracked north to the east of the Philippines, becoming Tropical Storm Kate the next day. The JTWC initially forecast that the storm would only intensify slightly, as they predicted it to move north-northeast into an unfavorable environment. However, Kate instead moved on a more northerly route and entered an area with minimal wind shear. On April 26 Kate became a typhoon, the first of the season, and reached its peak strength with 140 km/h (85 mph) soon after. Later that day, the typhoon's motion acclerated to the northeast and it passed 9 km (5.6 mi) to the north 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...

. Kate then began to lose its convection and became an extratropical on April 28 to the northeast of Iwo Jima.

Both JMA and PAGASA considered Kate to have been a tropical storm at its peak, in both cases considering this the first tropical storm of the season. PAGASA named the depression Diding soon after it formed and upgraded it to a tropical storm before the JTWC. Kate brought torrential rain to the north-east of the country, with amounts as high as 260 mm (14 inches) falling in places. The peak winds recorded on Iwo Jima were 95 km/h (60 mph), with gusts of up to 126 km/h (78 mph). There were no available damage reports following Kate for the Philippines or Iwo Jima.

Typhoon Leo

In late April a circulation began to develop within a monsoon depression 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...

, forming into a tropical depression on April 27 when it was 710 km (441.2 mi) to the west of Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...

. It strengthened as it moved to the west and became Tropical Storm Leo the next day. The storm then performed a cyclonic loop off the Vietnamese coast and began to intensify, becoming a typhoon as it moved to the northeast. As it moved towards China under a high-level ridge Typhoon Leo rapidly intensified to its peak with 205 km/h (125 mph) winds. However, it did not sustain this for long as it then moved northeast into a high shear environment and it weakened as it moved to the north. Leo made landfall on May 2 as a tropical depression, after the convection had become separated from the circulation of the storm and soon dissipated overland.

As Typhoon Leo was developing, its outer rainbands brought up to 130 mm (5 inches) to regions of Vietnam. High waves caused by the typhoon sank a ship to the south of Hong Kong and only 7 of the 21 people on board were rescued. Peak sustained winds of 90 km/h (55 mph) were recorded on Waglan Island
Waglan Island
Waglan Island is a member of the Po Toi group of islands in Hong Kong. It hosts a ground of meteorological observation and recording.-Waglan Lighthouse:...

 as Typhoon Leo passed 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...

 and the storm dropped over 100 mm (4 inches) of rain on the territory. There was only light damage in Hong Kong as a result of Typhoon Leo, but the rainfall was responsible for 14 injuries, mostly in traffic accidents.

Typhoon Maggie (Etang)

The sixth tropical depression of the season formed in the monsoon trough to the east of the Philippines on June 1. The system intensified as it moved to the north, becoming Typhoon Maggie 36 hours after it had formed. The typhoon intensified further as it began to head to the northwest into the Luzon Strait
Luzon Strait
The Luzon Strait is the strait between the island country of Taiwan and Luzon island of the Philippines. The strait thereby connects the Philippine Sea to the South China Sea in the western Pacific Ocean....

 and it reached its peak with 195 km/h (120 mph) winds on June 5. The typhoon turned further to the west as it began to interact with 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...

 and started to weaken slowly. Maggie made landfall as a 150 km/h (90 mph) typhoon in southeastern China, to the east of Hong Kong on June 6. The storm then moved along the Chinese coast weakening as it did so. Maggie passed just to the north of Hong Kong before it turned into the mouth of the Pearl River
Pearl River (China)
The Pearl River or less commonly, the "Guangdong River" or "Canton River" etc., , is an extensive river system in southern China. The name Pearl River is usually used as a catchment term to refer to the watersheds of the Xi Jiang , the Bei Jiang , and the Dong Jiang...

 and dissipated inland on June 8. Both the JMA and PAGASA considered Maggie a typhoon, and PAGASA named this storm Etang.

The rainfall from Typhoon Maggie caused landslides in the Philippines that killed three people. The storm killed at two with another 5 people reported missing on Taiwan. The electricity supply to over 100,000 homes was cut off and there was over $18 million of agricultural damage on the island. Maggie brought sustained winds of up to 80 km/h (50 mph) and 85 mm (3.3 inches) of rain to Hong Kong. Two oil barges docked in the territory sank, one fully laden with oil which polluted a nearby beach. There were 5 injuries resulting from Maggie in the territory and the total damages were approximately $100,000. The typhoon killed four people and damaged over 3000 homes in Guangdong
Guangdong
Guangdong is a province on the South China Sea coast of the People's Republic of China. The province was previously often written with the alternative English name Kwangtung Province...

. At least 120 vessels were also damaged and there was more than $150 million of direct economic damage in the province. Maggie also brought rain of up to 100 mm (4 inches) to northern Vietnam, causing some localised flooding.

Unnamed Tropical Storm (07W)

An area of disturbed weather to the northeast 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...

 slowly developed as it moved to the west, becoming a tropical depression on July 15. Soon after it formed the depression reached its peak strength with 55 km/h (35 mph) winds which it maintained for two days as it moved towards Honshū
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...

. Increased wind shear began to expose the low level circulation and the depression began to weaken as it turned to the northeast. The depression dissipated on July 18 to the southeast of Honshū, having posed no threat to land.

Tropical Depression 08W

A tropical disturbance moving north to the east of Okinawa gradually developed as it moved to the north towards the Japanese mainland. On July 21 it began to intensify, becoming Tropical Depression 08W to the northeast of Okinawa. The depression strengthened slightly 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:...

 before it made landfall near Changhung, 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 July 22. The storm became extratropical
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 moved over the Korean peninsula and it entered 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...

, where it dissipated. The effects of Tropical Depression 08W are unknown.

Severe Tropical Storm Neil (Helming)

On July 23, a disturbance began to form in the Philippine Sea within the monsoon trough. The convection gradually consolidated as the disturbance moved north and the ninth tropical despression of the season formed on July 25 south of Okinawa. The depression passed near to the Japanese island and soon strengthened into Tropical Storm Neil. The storm turned slightly westward towards the Korean peninsula and reached its peak strength with 75 km/h (45 mph) winds on July 26. Neil made landfall to the southwest of Suncheon the next day as a minimal tropical storm and soon reemerged over the Yellow Sea
Yellow Sea
The Yellow Sea is the name given to the northern part of the East China Sea, which is a marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean. It is located between mainland China and the Korean Peninsula. Its name comes from the sand particles from Gobi Desert sand storms that turn the surface of the water golden...

 as a tropical depression. There it interacted with a mid-latitude trough, that redirected back towards South Korea and it made a second landfall 35 km (21.7 mi) southwest of Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...

 on July 28. Neil then quickly dissipated overland.

Both the JMA and PAGASA considered Neil a tropical storm, with PAGASA naming it Helming. Unusually, PAGASA assessed the storm as having reached a peak on July 22, when the JTWC still considered it a developing disturbance. This difference was due to a difference in opinion between the two centers as to where the storm's center was. There were reports of damage from flooding and winds gusts from Tropical Storm Neil in Japan, with a ferry running aground near Kannoura. Neil caused a fishing boat off the Korean coast to capsize, killing its crew of eight. There were wind gusts of up to 95 km/h (60 mph) on Cheju Island and the peak rainfall reported from the storm was over 200 mm (8 inches). As the storm dissipated over Korea, it caused flash floods that killed at least 7 and left 7,000 homeless.

Unnamed Tropical Storm (10W)

A tropical disturbance began to develop in the South China Sea on July 23 within the same monsoon trough that Tropical Storm Neil would develop from to the east. The disturbance became a tropical depression late on July 25 as it turned to the north towards the Chinese coast. It did not strengthen any further and made landfall near Shanwei
Shanwei
Shanwei is a prefecture-level city in Guangdong province of Southern China, People's Republic of China. It borders Jieyang to the east, Meizhou and Heyuan to the north, Huizhou to the west, and looks out to the South China Sea to the south...

 as a minimal tropical depression on July 27. The depression then moved inland and dissipated, with no known effects. The JMA considered Tropical Depression 10W to be a tropical storm, with peak 10-minute winds of 75 km/h (45 mph), making 10W the second storm in 1999 that the JMA considered a tropical storm but the JTWC considered a depression.

As the depression passed near Hong Kong, it dropped 31 mm (1.2 inches) of rain on the territory and sustained winds of 72 km/h (45 mph) were recorded on Waglan Island
Waglan Island
Waglan Island is a member of the Po Toi group of islands in Hong Kong. It hosts a ground of meteorological observation and recording.-Waglan Lighthouse:...

. There was no significant damage over land in the territory, though 18 swimmers were injured in the strong seas associated with the storm.

Typhoon Olga (Ising)

On July 26, a disturbance began to develop at the eastern end of a well-defined monsoon trough well to the east of the Philippines. The convection within the disturbance increased as it moved to the north and Tropical Depression 11W formed on July 29. The system continued to intensify, becoming Typhoon Olga two days later as it approached Okinawa
Okinawa Island
Okinawa Island is the largest of the Okinawa Islands and the Ryukyu Islands of Japan, and is home to Naha, the capital of Okinawa Prefecture. The island has an area of...

. On August 1 Olga made landfall on the Japanese island as a typhoon, weakening slightly as it passed over the island. As it moved to the north-northwest it intensified to its peak with 150 km/h (90 mph) winds as it approached Korea. The storm was beginning to weaken as it passed to the west of Cheju Island on August 3 and it made a second brief landfall on the T'aean Peninsula before moving north in the Yellow Sea
Yellow Sea
The Yellow Sea is the name given to the northern part of the East China Sea, which is a marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean. It is located between mainland China and the Korean Peninsula. Its name comes from the sand particles from Gobi Desert sand storms that turn the surface of the water golden...

. The storm made its final landfall in North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...

 as a strong tropical storm later that day with 100 km/h (65 mph) winds and became extratropical soon after. Both the JMA and PAGASA considered Olga a typhoon, with PAGASA naming the storm Ising before the JTWC issued its first warning on the developing system.

Although Typhoon Olga never approached the Philippines closely, it was responsible for heavy rains over much 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...

 that killed 160 people and displaced 80,000. Olga passed over Okinawa, with winds of 80 km/h (50 mph) recorded at Kadena Air Base
Kadena Air Base
, is a United States Air Force base in the towns of Kadena and Chatan and the city of Okinawa, in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. Kadena Air Base is the hub of U.S. airpower in the Pacific, and home to the USAF's 18th Wing and a variety of associate units.-Units:The 18th Wing is the host unit at Kadena...

 although damages on the island are unknown. Torrential rain of up to 600 mm (24 inches) fell on the Korean Peninsula
Korean Peninsula
The Korean Peninsula is a peninsula in East Asia. It extends southwards for about 684 miles from continental Asia into the Pacific Ocean and is surrounded by the Sea of Japan to the south, and the Yellow Sea to the west, the Korea Strait connecting the first two bodies of water.Until the end of...

, with the highest totals falling near the border between North and South Korea. The resulting floods and landslides caused 64 fatalities in South Korea and wind gusts of 96 km/h (60 mph) were reported near Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...

. The flooding in South Korea destroyed about 400 square kilometres (154.4 sq mi) of rice paddies and 8,500 homes, leaving 25,000 people homeless. The Red Cross reported a further 42 deaths and 40,000 were made homeless from flooding in North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...

 and that the flooding worsened the ongoing food shortages in the country. Typhoon Olga brought the heaviest rains recorded in Korea for 25 years and caused a total of $657 million of damage in South Korea.

Tropical Storm Paul

Early in August, a low-level circulation center within a monsoon gyre
Gyre
A gyre in oceanography is any large system of rotating ocean currents, particularly those involved with large wind movements. Gyres are caused by the Coriolis Effect; planetary vorticity along with horizontal and vertical friction, which determine the circulation patterns from the wind curl...

 to the southwest of Guam. On August 2 the JTWC issued a TCFA for the devleoping disturbance as it moved to the northwest, and it became Tropical Depression 12W the next day. On August 4 the depression became Tropical Storm Paul and began to merge with the gyre from which it had formed. As it merged with the gyre Paul strengthened to its peak with 95 km/h (60 mph) winds, to the east of Okinawa. After the two systems had merged, Paul turned briefly to the northeast and weakened to back into a tropical depression. The depression moved to the west brushing the south coast of Kyūshū on August 6 before dissipating in the Yellow Sea
Yellow Sea
The Yellow Sea is the name given to the northern part of the East China Sea, which is a marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean. It is located between mainland China and the Korean Peninsula. Its name comes from the sand particles from Gobi Desert sand storms that turn the surface of the water golden...

.

Tropical Storm Paul was highly unusual in that it formed from a monsoon gyre and then merged with it. Mergers of such systems rarely occur, it is much more common for tropical cyclones which form in this manner to move independently of the non-tropical system. Paul was also considered a tropical storm by the JMA, who reported that the rainfall from the storm caused landslides and flooding in western Japan.

Tropical Storm Rachel

A tropical disturbance formed within a monsoon trough just of the Chinese coast on August 6. The disturbance strengthened and became Tropical Storm Rachel as it moved east towards Taiwan. Rachel weakened back into a depression before it made landfall on the island and it dissipated over the Chungyang mountains on August 7. The remnants moved northeast into 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:...

 and the system redeveloped into a tropical depression the next day as it approached Okinawa. Rachel briefly became a minimal tropical storm for a second time as it approached the Japanese island, before it turned to the northwest. The storm entered an increasingly unfavorable environment and rapidly weakened on August 9. Damage from Tropical Storm Rachel is unknown.

Tropical Depression 14W

Tropical Depression 14W formed 120 km (74.6 mi) to the north 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 August 8. The depression, which had an exposed circulation center, moved to the north under the influence of a subtropical ridge over northern Japan. On August 9 it turned to the northwest and accelerated before its landfall near Owase the next day, with 45 km/h (30 mph) winds. The depression weakened as it passed north over Honshū and dissipated shortly after moving over the Sea of Japan.

Tropical Depression 15W

A tropical disturbance developed 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:...

 on August 15 and gradually drifted towards Kyūshū. It intensified as it did so, becoming Tropical Depression 15W the next day. The fourth warning from the JTWC repositioned the cyclone much closer to the Kyūshū coast, where it made landfall near Ushibuka on August 17. The depression then drifted over Kyūshū and entered the Sea of Japan later that day, where it weakened. The storm dissipated on August 18 but its remnants were recognisable for a further two days. The depression's effects are unknown.

Severe Tropical Storm Sam (Luding)

On August 17, an area of circulation within the monsoon trough located 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...

 became more organized and the JTWC issued a TCFA. The developing cyclone slowly moved to the northwest, becoming Tropical Depression 16W nine hours after the TCFA was first issued. As the cyclone continued to intensify becoming Tropical Storm Sam on August 19, 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...

 to the north shifted its track in a westwards direction towards Luzon. The storm passed over the north of the island on August 20 and entered 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...

 reaching typhoon strength the next day. Sam gradually intensified further as it approached the Chinese coast and it made landfall about 19 km (11.8 mi) to the northeast 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...

 at its peak with 140 km/h (85 mph) winds on August 22. Sam continued to move to the northwest over China dissipating about 24 hours later. PAGASA named the developing storm Luding shortly before the JTWC began to issue advisories.

Typhoon Sam was responsible for 7 deaths in the Philippines and flooding from its rainfall displaced over 4000 people and landslides closed many major roads near Baguio City
Baguio City
The City of Baguio is a highly urbanized city in northern Luzon in the Philippines. Baguio City was established by Americans in 1900 at the site of an Ibaloi village known as Kafagway...

. Sam became the wettest tropical cyclone to affect Hong Kong since records began in 1884, dropping over 616 mm (24.2 inches) of rain; exceeding the previous record set in 1926. Peak sustained winds of 96 km/h (60 mph) were recorded on Waglan Island
Waglan Island
Waglan Island is a member of the Po Toi group of islands in Hong Kong. It hosts a ground of meteorological observation and recording.-Waglan Lighthouse:...

 as the typhoon passed over the territory. The heavy rain led to many instances of flooding and over 150 landslides throughout Hong Kong, killing 1 person and forcing the evacuation of about 1,000. A total of 328 people were injured in various incidents relating to the storm and total damage in Hong Kong totalled approximately $17 million. In addition to the direct casualties from the storm, China Airlines Flight 642, using an MD-11 aircraft, crashed while attempting to land at Hong Kong International Airport
Hong Kong International Airport
Hong Kong International Airport is the main airport in Hong Kong. It is colloquially known as Chek Lap Kok Airport , being built on the island of Chek Lap Kok by land reclamation, and also to distinguish it from its predecessor, the closed Kai Tak Airport.The airport opened for commercial...

, killing 3 on board and injuring 219. At the time of the crash wind gusts in excess of 65 km/h (40 mph) were recorded at the airport. After moving into China, Sam killed at least 17 and injured 100 people in Guangdong
Guangdong
Guangdong is a province on the South China Sea coast of the People's Republic of China. The province was previously often written with the alternative English name Kwangtung Province...

. Direct economic losses in the province were about $18 million.

Severe Tropical Storm Tanya

On August 19, Tropical Depression 17-W formed at a usually high latitude of over 30°N
30th parallel north
The 30th parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 30 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane. It stands one-third of the way between the equator and the North Pole and crosses Africa, Asia, the Pacific Ocean, North America and the Atlantic Ocean....

 from a westwards moving low pressure area. The compact system intensified as it moved west under the influence of the subtropical ridge to the north, with the JTWC upgrading it to Tropical Storm Tanya early the next day. Tanya continued to slowly intensify, reaching its peak as a 130 km/h (80 mph) typhoon on August 22. The next day Tanya began to recurve through a weakness in the ridge to its north and increasing wind shear weakened the storm. The storm weakened further as it began to transition into an extratropical storm and the JTWC issued the final warning on the cyclone on August 24.

The JMA also monitored Tanya and made it a severe tropical storm at its peak. Post-season analysis increased the initial intensity of the system, making it a tropical storm before the JTWC began to issue full advisories on Tanya. Typhoon Tanya had no effects on land.

Severe Tropical Storm Dora

Hurricane Dora, the strongest storm of the 1999 Pacific hurricane season
1999 Pacific hurricane season
The 1999 Pacific hurricane season officially started on May 15, 1999 in the eastern Pacific, and on June 1, 1999 in the central Pacific, and lasted until November 30, 1999. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the northeastern Pacific...

, crossed the International Date Line
International Date Line
The International Date Line is a generally north-south imaginary line on the surface of the Earth, passing through the middle of the Pacific Ocean, that designates the place where each calendar day begins...

 and entered the western Pacific on August 20. The final advisory from the Central Pacific Hurricane Center
Central Pacific Hurricane Center
The Central Pacific Hurricane Center of the United States National Weather Service is the official body responsible for tracking and issuing tropical cyclone warnings, watches, advisories, discussions, and statements for the Central North Pacific Basin...

, while Dora was still in the eastern Pacific was for a minimal hurricane. As the storm crossed the Date Line, the JTWC assumed responsibility for the storm and downgraded it to a tropical storm on its first advisory. Once in the West Pacific, Tropical Storm Dora turned towards the northwest and weakened further as wind shear increased. Dora weakened to a tropical depression on August 22 well to the north of Wake Island
Wake Island
Wake Island is a coral atoll having a coastline of in the North Pacific Ocean, located about two-thirds of the way from Honolulu west to Guam east. It is an unorganized, unincorporated territory of the United States, administered by the Office of Insular Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior...

 and drifted to the north before dissipating the next day.

Dora became the first storm since 1994's John
Hurricane John (1994)
Hurricane John formed during the 1994 Pacific hurricane season and became both the longest-lasting and the farthest-traveling tropical cyclone ever observed...

 to have existed in all three Pacific basins and no significant damage was caused by the system anywhere along its path.

Tropical Depression 18W

On August 21, a small tropical cyclone developed at the southern end of a westward moving shearline about 1200 km (745.6 mi) to the east of Tokyo. The depression strengthened slightly to its peak with 55 km/h (35 mph) the next day, before increasing vertical shear took its toll on the system. The increasingly exposed low level circulation of the storm accelerated to the north, towards the frontal system from which it had formed. Tropical Depression 18W became extratropical on August 24 to the east of Japan, having never approached land closely.

Typhoon Virgil

A tropical disturbance developed at the end of a shear line to the north 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 August 23. Vertical shear began to weaken and the JTWC began to issue advisories on Tropical Depression 19W the next day. The storm turned to the southwest and rapidly intensified on August 25, strengthening from a tropical depression to its peak as a 130 km/h (80 mph) typhoon in 12 hours. Virgil maintained typhoon strength for over a day before it entered a highly sheared environment in which it began to weaken again. Under the influence of a passing frontal system, the motion of the dissipating cyclone turned clockwise to the northeast. The storm dissipated on August 29 over water having never approached land. The JMA monitored Typhoon Virgil and made it a minimal severe tropical storm at its peak.

Tropical Storm Wendy (Mameng)

Late in August, a broad area of convection developed over a low pressure area in the Philippine Sea to the east of Luzon. The JTWC issued a TCFA for the developing system on August 31 and it developed into Tropical Depression 20W on September 1 as it moved to the west. The depression did not intensify as it moved to the northwest brushing the northeast tip of Luzon on September 2. After entering the South China Sea the storm turned more to the west and reached its peak as a 75 km/h (45 mph) tropical storm. It maintained this intensity until it made landfall in China 220 km (136.7 mi) east-northeast of Hong Kong the next day. The storm moved inland and dissipated soon after. Both the JMA and PAGASA monitored Tropical Storm Wendy, with PAGASA naming this storm Mameng. PAGASA considered Wendy to have stronger winds than the JTWC, despite the fact that PAGASA uses a 10 minute averaging period to measure sustained winds, which generally results in a lower speed.

Tropical Storm Wendy fuelled severe rain over much of southern China in the week after it made landfall, with amounts as high as 500 mm (20 inches) recorded in northern Jiangxi
Jiangxi
' is a southern province in the People's Republic of China. Spanning from the banks of the Yangtze River in the north into hillier areas in the south, it shares a border with Anhui to the north, Zhejiang to the northeast, Fujian to the east, Guangdong to the south, Hunan to the west, and Hubei to...

 and southern Zhejiang
Zhejiang
Zhejiang is an eastern coastal province of the People's Republic of China. The word Zhejiang was the old name of the Qiantang River, which passes through Hangzhou, the provincial capital...

. At least 133 people were killed and over 2,600 people were injured, with Wenzhou
Wenzhou
Wenzhou is a prefecture-level city in southeastern Zhejiang province, People's Republic of China. The area under its jurisdiction, which includes two satellite cities and six counties, had a population of 9,122,100 as of 2010....

 being particularly badly hit. Over 500,000 people had to be evacuated, over 2.2 million people had been affected by the storm and a local government spokesman called it "the most serious storm in a century". The direct economic damage in the region exceeded $275 million. Whilst mainland China was severely affected by Wendy, the storm only had a minimal impact in Hong Kong.

Typhoon York (Neneng)

A tropical disturbance developed on September 10, in the western 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...

 but initially failed to develop as it interacted with 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...

. The disturbance passed over Luzon and entered 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...

, where it became more organized and developed into Tropical Depression 21W late on September 11. The system gradually strengthened as it moved northwest towards the Chinese
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...

 coastline, reaching its peak as a 130 km/h (80 mph) typhoon as it turned towards 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...

 on September 16. York made landfall to the west of Hong Kong soon after and dissipated into a low pressure area over China the next day. Both the JMA and PAGASA monitored York as a tropical storm, with PAGASA naming the system Neneng.

As the developing depression was crossing the Philippines, it brought heavy showers of up to 400 mm (16 inches), which caused some flooding in the Cagayan Valley
Cagayan Valley
Cagayan Valley is a region of the Philippines, also designated as Region II or Region 02. It is composed of five provinces, namely: Batanes, Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, and Quirino...

 18 people were killed in landslides in northern Luzon. As Typhoon York approached Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Observatory
Hong Kong Observatory
Hong Kong Observatory is a department of the Hong Kong government. The Observatory forecasts weather and issues warnings on weather-related hazards...

 raised the No. 10
Hong Kong Tropical Cyclone Warning Signals
The Hong Kong tropical cyclone warning signals or informally typhoon signals are a set of signals used to indicate the threat or effects of a tropical cyclone. The Hong Kong Observatory issues the warning signal if a tropical cyclone is centred within of Hong Kong and may affect Hong Kong later...

 warning for the first time since 1983
1983 Pacific typhoon season
When Tropical Storm Sarah formed in the South China Sea on June 24, it became the latest start of a western Pacific season since 1973. The initial tropical disturbance formed south of Guam on June 16. By June 19, a low level circulation formed as the system moved westward. As a tropical...

 and maintained it for 11 hours, the longest this level had ever been maintained. The peak sustained winds of 150 km/h (95 mph) were recorded on Waglan Island
Waglan Island
Waglan Island is a member of the Po Toi group of islands in Hong Kong. It hosts a ground of meteorological observation and recording.-Waglan Lighthouse:...

 and the peak gusts of 234 km/h (146 mph) were the highest on record there. A total of 300 mm (12 inches) of rain fell on the territory as York passed directly over it and the resulting floods had a severe effect on agriculture throughout Hong Kong. Two people died in the storm and over 500 were injured, 11 seriously. Some 18,000 homes lost power in the wake of the storm and 4,000 trees were uprooted. Damage from the storm exceeded $10 million (USD
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....

) and direct economic losses were several billion Hong Kong Dollars. Transport in the territory was severely disrupted, with 470 flights cancelled and 80,000 passengers affected.

Two ships ran aground and a cargo ship sank, but all the crew were successfully rescued. One person was injured in Macau
Macau
Macau , also spelled Macao , is, along with Hong Kong, one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China...

 and 120 incidents related to the storm were reported there. After passing over Hong Kong, York killed 15 and injured 700 in Guangdong
Guangdong
Guangdong is a province on the South China Sea coast of the People's Republic of China. The province was previously often written with the alternative English name Kwangtung Province...

, with economic losses there exceeding $24 million (USD). 10,000 people were left stranded by flooding in China after the storm and more than 10,000 trees were uprooted in Shenzhen
Shenzhen
Shenzhen is a major city in the south of Southern China's Guangdong Province, situated immediately north of Hong Kong. The area became China's first—and one of the most successful—Special Economic Zones...

.

Tropical Storm Zia

The JTWC began to track a disturbance in a monsoon trough to the west of the Marianas Islands on September 11. The disturbance moved to the north without any significant development until September 13, when the outflow of the system markedly improved and it soon developed into a tropical depression to the east of Okinawa
Okinawa Island
Okinawa Island is the largest of the Okinawa Islands and the Ryukyu Islands of Japan, and is home to Naha, the capital of Okinawa Prefecture. The island has an area of...

. The depression strengthened further becoming Tropical Storm Zia later that day as approached Kyūshū
Kyushu
is the third largest island of Japan and most southwesterly of its four main islands. Its alternate ancient names include , , and . The historical regional name is referred to Kyushu and its surrounding islands....

. Zia peaked with 85 km/h (50 mph) winds as it made landfall on the island on September 14. The storm turned to the northeast and tracked over Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

 and dissipated over central Honshū
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...

 the next day.

Tropical Storm Zia brought heavy rain to western Japan, which exceeded 500 mm (7.9 inches) in places. The resulting flood
Flood
A flood is an overflow of an expanse of water that submerges land. The EU Floods directive defines a flood as a temporary covering by water of land not normally covered by water...

ing and landslides prompted evacuations of over 14,000 people and stranded over 1,300 tourists in a Japanese mountain resort. Nine people died in Japan as a result of Tropical Storm Zia.

Tropical Storm Ann

Tropical Depression 23W formed about 165 km (102.5 mi) to the east of Okinawa
Okinawa Island
Okinawa Island is the largest of the Okinawa Islands and the Ryukyu Islands of Japan, and is home to Naha, the capital of Okinawa Prefecture. The island has an area of...

 on September 15, from a disturbance moving to the northwest under the influence of a subtropical high. As the system developed it turned first to the northwest and then to the west, becoming Tropical Storm Ann a day after forming. As Ann approached the Chinese coast to the north of Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...

 on September 18, it reached its peak with 85 km/h (50 mph) winds and began to recurve to the northwest. The storm started to weaken as it entered a higher shear environment. Ann captured by a mid-level trough moving through the region and turned to the east, rapidly weakening as it crossed the Yellow Sea
Yellow Sea
The Yellow Sea is the name given to the northern part of the East China Sea, which is a marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean. It is located between mainland China and the Korean Peninsula. Its name comes from the sand particles from Gobi Desert sand storms that turn the surface of the water golden...

. The system dissipated just off the 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...

n coast near Mokpo
Mokpo
Mokpo is a city in South Jeolla Province, South Korea, on the southwestern tip of the Korean Peninsula. Mokpo has frequent train service to Seoul and is the terminus for a number of ferry routes serving islands in the adjacent Yellow Sea...

 early on September 20.

Tropical Storm Ann brought moderate rain of up to 100 mm (4 inches) to Anhui
Anhui
Anhui is a province in the People's Republic of China. Located in eastern China across the basins of the Yangtze River and the Huai River, it borders Jiangsu to the east, Zhejiang to the southeast, Jiangxi to the south, Hubei to the southwest, Henan to the northwest, and Shandong for a tiny...

, Jiangsu
Jiangsu
' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located along the east coast of the country. The name comes from jiang, short for the city of Jiangning , and su, for the city of Suzhou. The abbreviation for this province is "苏" , the second character of its name...

 and Shandong
Shandong
' is a Province located on the eastern coast of the People's Republic of China. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history from the beginning of Chinese civilization along the lower reaches of the Yellow River and served as a pivotal cultural and religious site for Taoism, Chinese...

 on September 18. Rains of up to 200 mm (8 inches) from Ann and Typhoon Bart saturated South Korea and southwestern Japan, causing flooding and damage to rice paddies.

Super Typhoon Bart (Oniang)

Tropical Depression 24W developed on September 17, to the east of Taiwan. The storm drifted to the northwest, becoming Tropical Storm Bart on September 19 and reaching typhoon strength the next day. Bart intensified further as it turned to the northeast under the influence of upper-level winds. Typhoon Bart reached its peak on September 22 with 260 km/h (160 mph) winds when it passed 75 km (46.6 mi) to the west of Okinawa, becoming the only Super Typhoon during 1999. Bart began to weaken slowly as it continued north towards Kyūshū
Kyushu
is the third largest island of Japan and most southwesterly of its four main islands. Its alternate ancient names include , , and . The historical regional name is referred to Kyushu and its surrounding islands....

, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

, which it struck on September 23 with 185 km/h (115 mph) winds. After crossing Kyūshū and westernmost Honshū
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...

 the storm accelerated to the northeast 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...

, becoming extratropical shortly before it reached northern Hokkaidō
Hokkaido
, formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japan's second largest island; it is also the largest and northernmost of Japan's 47 prefectural-level subdivisions. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaido from Honshu, although the two islands are connected by the underwater railway Seikan Tunnel...

. As Typhoon Bart formed in PAGASA's area of responsibility, it was named Oniang by PAGASA before moving to the north.

Typhoon Bart claimed at least two lives on Okinawa and brought over 710 mm (28 inches) of rain to the island. Kadena Air Base
Kadena Air Base
, is a United States Air Force base in the towns of Kadena and Chatan and the city of Okinawa, in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. Kadena Air Base is the hub of U.S. airpower in the Pacific, and home to the USAF's 18th Wing and a variety of associate units.-Units:The 18th Wing is the host unit at Kadena...

 was badly damaged by the typhoon with over $5 million of damage on the base. Heavy flooding and landslides led to total of a 30 deaths and over 1,000 injuries in Japan. Over 800,000 homes lost power and 80,000 damaged in the aftermath of the storm. The worst damage was in Kumamoto Prefecture
Kumamoto Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on Kyushu Island. The capital is the city of Kumamoto.- History :Historically the area was called Higo Province; and the province was renamed Kumamoto during the Meiji Restoration. The creation of prefectures was part of the abolition of the feudal system...

 on Kyūshū
Kyushu
is the third largest island of Japan and most southwesterly of its four main islands. Its alternate ancient names include , , and . The historical regional name is referred to Kyushu and its surrounding islands....

, where 16 people died and over 45,000 homes were damaged. Bart affected the whole of Japan, with some minor damages occurring in Hokkaidō
Hokkaido
, formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japan's second largest island; it is also the largest and northernmost of Japan's 47 prefectural-level subdivisions. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaido from Honshu, although the two islands are connected by the underwater railway Seikan Tunnel...

 shortly after the storm became extratropical. A large crane in Hiroshima
Hiroshima
is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture, and the largest city in the Chūgoku region of western Honshu, the largest island of Japan. It became best known as the first city in history to be destroyed by a nuclear weapon when the United States Army Air Forces dropped an atomic bomb on it at 8:15 A.M...

 collapsed killing 3 and injuring 4 people in the Mitsubishi plant there and the Itsukushima Shrine
Itsukushima Shrine
Itsukushima Shrine is a Shinto shrine on the island of Itsukushima in the city of Hatsukaichi in Hiroshima Prefecture in Japan...

 was also damaged. Typhoon Bart was the costliest storm of the season, with total damages of $3.5 billion and further $5 million of damage to the Japanese economy.

Tropical Storm Cam

A disturbed area of weather 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...

 in the South China Sea became more organized early on September 23, and the JTWC issued a TCFA for the system. It developed into the 25th depression of the season a few hours later and began to track to the northeast, under the influence of a mid-level ridge to the east. The depression gradually intensified becoming Tropical Storm Cam on September 24 and reaching its peak with 75 km/h (45 mph) later that day, as its motion gradually turned towards the north. As it neared the Chinese coast a strong ridge to the north turned Cam abruptly to the west, towards Hong Kong and it began to weaken. The JTWC issued its last warning while the storm was still at sea, shortly before it made landfall over Hong Kong with 35 km/h (25 mph) winds. The storm dissipated over China on September 26.

As Tropical Storm Cam approached Hong Kong, the HKO hoisted the No. 8 Signal
Hong Kong Tropical Cyclone Warning Signals
The Hong Kong tropical cyclone warning signals or informally typhoon signals are a set of signals used to indicate the threat or effects of a tropical cyclone. The Hong Kong Observatory issues the warning signal if a tropical cyclone is centred within of Hong Kong and may affect Hong Kong later...

 for the fifth time in the year, the last time this had occurred was in 1964. The highest gust recorded on land was 121 km/h (75 mph) on Tai Mo Shan
Tai Mo Shan
Tai Mo Shan has the highest peak in Hong Kong, with an altitude of 957 m. It is located approximately at the geographical centre of the New Territories....

, and 41 mm (1.6 inches) of rain fell on Hong Kong. Cam was responsible for 23 injuries in Hong Kong and one death in a ship off Stonecutters Island
Stonecutters Island
Stonecutters Island or Ngong Shuen Chau is a former island in Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong. Following land reclamation, it is now annexed to the Kowloon peninsula.-Fauna:...

. There was limited flooding in the region and about 150 people were evacuated to emergency shelters. There was some disruption to flights into the territory, with 100 flights cancelled or delayed.

Typhoon Dan (Pepang)

Tropical Depression 26W developed over the Philippine Sea on October 1 about 750 km (466 mi) to the 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...

. The system intensified as it moved west-northwest, becoming Tropical Storm Dan on October 3 before reaching typhoon-strength the next day. Typhoon Dan reached its peak with 205 km/h (125 mph) early on October 5 and hit northern Luzon at that strength. The typhoon weakened as it entered the South China Sea, but re-intensified as it turned towards the north. Typhoon Dan made its second landfall near Xiamen
Xiamen
Xiamen , also known as Amoy , is a major city on the southeast coast of the People's Republic of China. It is administered as a sub-provincial city of Fujian province with an area of and population of 3.53 million...

, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...

 on October 9 and weakened overland. Dan turned to the northeast and weakened to a tropical depression before it moved over the Yellow Sea
Yellow Sea
The Yellow Sea is the name given to the northern part of the East China Sea, which is a marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean. It is located between mainland China and the Korean Peninsula. Its name comes from the sand particles from Gobi Desert sand storms that turn the surface of the water golden...

 late on October 10. The depression was absorbed by a frontal system over the Yellow Sea early the next day. Both the JMA and PAGASA treated this storm as a typhoon, with PAGASA naming it Pepang.

Typhoon Dan brought torrential rain of up to 500 mm (20 inches) to both northern Luzon and southern 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...

. Flooding in the Philippines affected 2,600 homes and killed at least five people. There was more than $2 million of damage to agriculture in the Philippines. Southern Taiwan was still recovering from the Chi-Chi earthquake of the previous month and Dan set these back efforts back. The typhoon burst a dike in Kaohsiung
Kaohsiung
Kaohsiung is a city located in southwestern Taiwan, facing the Taiwan Strait on the west. Kaohsiung, officially named Kaohsiung City, is divided into thirty-eight districts. The city is one of five special municipalities of the Republic of China...

 and another in Tainan, that had been damaged by the earthquake. Dan damaged a large number of trees on Kinmen
Kinmen
Kinmen , also known as Quemoy , is a small archipelago of several islands administered by the Republic of China : Greater Kinmen, Lesser Kinmen, and some islets. Administratively, it is Kinmen County of Fujian Province, ROC. The county is claimed by the People's Republic of China as part of its...

, which led to the disruption of 70% of the island's power supply. Several fishing boats were sunk and house damaged on Penghu. 34 died and 1,400 people were injured as a result of the storm in Fujian
Fujian
' , formerly romanised as Fukien or Huguing or Foukien, is a province on the southeast coast of mainland China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, and Guangdong to the south. Taiwan lies to the east, across the Taiwan Strait...

. 1,500 houses were destroyed and $240 million of damage occurred in the province. Dan was the worst typhoon to hit Xiamen
Xiamen
Xiamen , also known as Amoy , is a major city on the southeast coast of the People's Republic of China. It is administered as a sub-provincial city of Fujian province with an area of and population of 3.53 million...

 in 46 years, killing 5 and injuring over 100 in the city.

Tropical Storm Eve (Rening)

A broad area of convection to the northeast of Mindanao
Mindanao
Mindanao is the second largest and easternmost island in the Philippines. It is also the name of one of the three island groups in the country, which consists of the island of Mindanao and smaller surrounding islands. The other two are Luzon and the Visayas. The island of Mindanao is called The...

 over 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...

 began to develop on October 15 as it moved to the west, becoming Tropical Depression 27W. The depression made landfall on Samar Island
Samar Island
Samar is an island in the Visayas, within the central Philippines. The island is divided into three provinces: Samar province, Northern Samar, and Eastern Samar. These three provinces, along with the provinces on the nearby islands of Leyte and Biliran are part of the Eastern Visayas region...

 the same day and moved to the northwest 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...

 throughout October 6. The depression turned to the west after 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 turned to the southwest on October 18 in response to increasing mid-level ridging over southeastern China. As it neared the 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 –...

ese coast the depression strengthened slightly and became Tropical Storm Eve. Eve made landfall 110 km (68.4 mi) southeast of Da Nang
Da Nang
Đà Nẵng , occasionally Danang, is a major port city in the South Central Coast of Vietnam, on the coast of the South China Sea at the mouth of the Han River. It is the commercial and educational center of Central Vietnam; its well-sheltered, easily accessible port and its location on the path of...

 as a minimal tropical storm on October 19 and quickly dissipated overland. Both the JMA and PAGASA considered Eve a tropical storm, with PAGASA naming it Rening.

Tropical Storm Eve brought torrential rain to much of central Vietnam, with about 290 mm (13 inches) falling on Hue City and as much as 470 mm (18.5 inches) of rain falling in parts of Ha Tinh Province. Eve was the first in a series of storms to bring torrential rain to the region, and the resulting floods
1999 Vietnamese floods
The 1999 Vietnamese floods affected Vietnam in late 1999 and were the worst floods the country had experienced in a century. The floods were caused by a series of storms that brought heavy rain to the central part of the country in October and November...

 killed 793 people and made over 55,000 homeless. The floods also caused nearly $300 million of damage directly.

Tropical Depression 28W

A tropical disturbance began to develop 45 km (28 mi) to the southeast 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...

 early on November 5, from the tail-end of shearline connected to a front that ran to Japan. It strengthened into Tropical Depression 28W early the next day and moved to the northeast along the shearline, reaching its peak with 55 km/h (25 mph) winds. The depression did not develop further, but its motion accelerated and it became an extratropical low 18 hours after forming. The depression had no effects on land.

Tropical Storm Frankie (Sendang)

A disturbance to the northeast of Koror
Koror
Koror is the state comprising the main commercial centre of the Republic of Palau. It consists of several islands, the most prominent being Koror Island ....

 in the Philippine Sea developed as it moved to the west on November 6, becoming Tropical Depression 29W. The depression moved rapidly to the west under the influence 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...

 to the north, crossing Samar
Samar Island
Samar is an island in the Visayas, within the central Philippines. The island is divided into three provinces: Samar province, Northern Samar, and Eastern Samar. These three provinces, along with the provinces on the nearby islands of Leyte and Biliran are part of the Eastern Visayas region...

 early on November 8. The system strengthened over the central Philippines, becoming Tropical Storm Frankie. The influence of a developing ridge to the southeast led to Frankie becoming quasi-stationary over the Sibuyan Sea
Sibuyan Sea
The Sibuyan Sea is a small sea in the Philippines that separates the Visayas from the northern Philippine island of Luzon.-Description:It is bounded by the island of Panay to the south, Mindoro to the west, Masbate to the east, and to the north Marinduque and the Bicol Peninsula of Luzon Island.The...

. The storm soon weakened due to increasing wind shear and interaction with land, and it dissipated on November 11. PAGASA tracked Frankie as a tropical storm, naming it Sendang. The JMA considered this storm to have been a tropical depression.

Tropical Storm Frankie brought heavy rain of up to 300 mm (12 inches) to the central Philippines, that disrupted the rice harvest. Flooding from the storm forced the evacuation of 300 families in Calbayog.

Typhoon Gloria (Trining)

In mid-November, a persistent area of circulation developed at the end of a shear line to the east of Samar. It began to become more organized as it moved to the north on November 12 and became a tropical depression the next day. The cyclone continued to slowly intensify, becoming Tropical Storm Gloria as it turned the northeast, when it was well to the east of Luzon. Gloria began to accelerate to the northeast under the influence of an upper level flow and maintained its strength. The storm passed east of Okinawa on November 15, when the shear markedly reduced and allowed a rapid intensification to typhoon strength. Gloria briefly peaked as a 120 km/h (75 mph) typhoon later that day, before weakening as it started to become extratropical. Typhoon Gloria became fully extratropical on November 16, having weakened back into a tropical storm.

Both the JMA and PAGASA monitored Gloria, with PAGASA naming the storm Trining. The JMA assessed Gloria as being a severe tropical storm at its peak strength on November 15. Typhoon Gloria did not approach land closely.

Tropical Depression 31W

A suspect area of low pressure just of Palawan
Palawan
Palawan is an island province of the Philippines located in the MIMAROPA region or Region 4. Its capital is Puerto Princesa City, and it is the largest province in the country in terms of total area of jurisdiction. The islands of Palawan stretch from Mindoro in the northeast to Borneo in the...

 became more organized as it moved to the northwest, away from the island, becoming Tropical Depression 31W early on December 1. A subtropical ridge to the north of the system determined the motion of the storm as it moved southwest 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...

 off the 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 –...

ese coast, with winds peaking at 55 km/h (35 mph). Early on, December 3, when the storm was to the south of Vietnam, it turned to the northwest and headed towards the Malay Peninsula
Malay Peninsula
The Malay Peninsula or Thai-Malay Peninsula is a peninsula in Southeast Asia. The land mass runs approximately north-south and, at its terminus, is the southern-most point of the Asian mainland...

. The depression made landfall in 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...

 to the northeast of Phuket
Phuket City
Phuket is a city located in the southeast of Phuket Island, Thailand. It is the capital of the Phuket Province, covering all of the island. As of 2007 the city has a population of 75,573 people...

 on December 4 and the JTWC ceased advisories as the storm weakened overland. The remnants entered the Andaman Sea
Andaman Sea
The Andaman Sea or Burma Sea is a body of water to the southeast of the Bay of Bengal, south of Burma, west of Thailand and east of the Andaman Islands, India; it is part of the Indian Ocean....

 but redevelopment did not occur.

Tropical Depression 32W

Tropical Depression 32W developed on December 9 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...

, between Palawan
Palawan
Palawan is an island province of the Philippines located in the MIMAROPA region or Region 4. Its capital is Puerto Princesa City, and it is the largest province in the country in terms of total area of jurisdiction. The islands of Palawan stretch from Mindoro in the northeast to Borneo in the...

 and Borneo
Borneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....

 and slowly moved to the west. After the depression reached its peak with 55 km/h (35 mph) winds it began to accelerate to the west. By December 11, when the storm was to the south of 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 –...

, it became more sheared and the low-level circulation became exposed. The system dissipated soon afterwards, having never approached land.

Tropical Depression 33W

On December 14, Tropical Depression 33W formed within a persistent trough about 425 km (264.1 mi) to the east of Cam Ranh Bay
Cam Ranh Bay
Cam Ranh Bay is a deep-water bay in Vietnam in the province of Khánh Hòa. It is located at an inlet of the South China Sea situated on the southeastern coast of Vietnam, between Phan Rang and Nha Trang, approximately 290 kilometers / 180 miles northeast of Hồ Chí Minh City / Saigon.Cam Ranh is...

, 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 –...

. A high level of wind shear restricted the storm's strength to 55 km/h (35 mph), which it maintained as it moved west towards Vietnam. The storm turned to the north shortly before it made landfall on December 16 and dissipated soon after over Vietnam under the influence of increased wind shear and interaction with land. It is unknown if the storm had any effects on land.

1999 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...

 until the end of the 1999 season. This was the last year the following lists were used. The first storm of 1999 was named Hilda and the final one was named Gloria. Basin suffix included to show for example Tropical Storm 01W Hilda and Auring are the same storm.
  • Ann 23W
  • Bart
    Typhoon Bart (1999)
    Super Typhoon Bart was a powerful and destructive typhoon of the 1999 Pacific typhoon season. It was the only super typhoon of the year. It was the costliest storm of the year, causing $5 billion dollars in damage. Tropical Depression 24W developed on September 17, to the east of Taiwan...

     24W
  • Cam 25W
  • Dan 26W
  • Eve 27W
  • Frankie 29W
  • Gloria 30W
  • Hilda 01W
  • Iris 02W
  • Jacob 03W
  • Kate 04W
  • Leo 05W
  • Maggie 06W
  • Neil 09W
  • Olga 11W
  • Paul 12W
  • Rachel 13W
  • Sam 16W
  • Tanya 17W
  • Virgil 19W
  • Wendy 20W
  • York 21W
  • Zia 22W


  • One Eastern Pacific storm, Dora
    Hurricane Dora (1999)
    Hurricane Dora was the longest-lasting tropical cyclone of the 1999 Pacific hurricane season. The fourth named storm, third hurricane, and second major hurricane of the season, Dora developed on August 6 from a tropical wave to the south of Mexico...

     07E, crossed into the Central Pacific and then into this basin. It became Tropical Storm Dora.

    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...

     

    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...

     (PAGASA) uses its own naming scheme for tropical cyclones within its area of responsibility. Lists are recycled every four years. This is the same list used for the 1995 season
    1995 Pacific typhoon season
    -Typhoon Faye:On July 19, Tropical Storm Faye became the first typhoon of the season, tied for the second latest date of the first typhoon with 1977, only behind Otto of 1998. It tracked northwestward and reached a peak of 120 mph winds 2 days later. Faye turned northward, and after...

    , with the exception of Rening, which replaces Rosing.
    • Auring 01W
    • Bebeng 02W
    • Karing 03W
    • Diding 04W
    • Etang 06W
  • Gening
  • Helming 09W
  • Ising 11W
  • Luding 16W
  • Mameng 20W
  • Neneng 21W
  • Oniang 24W
  • Pepang 26W
  • Rening 27W
  • Sendang 29W
  • Trining 30W

  • See also

    • 1999 Pacific hurricane season
      1999 Pacific hurricane season
      The 1999 Pacific hurricane season officially started on May 15, 1999 in the eastern Pacific, and on June 1, 1999 in the central Pacific, and lasted until November 30, 1999. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the northeastern Pacific...

    • 1999 Atlantic hurricane season
      1999 Atlantic hurricane season
      The 1999 Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1, 1999, and lasted until November 30, 1999. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin....

    • 1999-00 Southern Hemisphere tropical cyclone season
      1999-00 Southern Hemisphere tropical cyclone season
      The 1999-2000 Southern Hemisphere tropical cyclone season was made up of three different basins and respective seasons; the*1999-00 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season west of 90°E,*1999-00 Australian cyclone season between 90°E and 160°E, and...


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