The 1982 Pacific typhoon season was an average season in terms of total tropical storms, though it featured a very high amount of typhoons. It ran year-round in 1982, but most tropical cyclones formed between May and November. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the northwestern Pacific Ocean. A total of 37 tropical depressions formed this year, of which 25 became tropical storms and were assigned a name by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. Additionally, tropical depressions that enter or form in the Philippine area of responsibility are assigned a name by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration or PAGASA. This can often result in the same storm having two names. This year, a total of 23 storms were named this way.
Of the 25 named storms, 19 storms reached typhoon intensity, of which only 2 reached super typhoon strength. During this season, the first tropical cyclone formed on March 16, and the last one dissipated on December 12. Two-thirds of the tropical cyclones formed between July and October. Typhoon Pamela was the longest-lived tropical cyclone of the season. Sixteen of the cyclones struck land during their life cycles, with eight moving through the Philippines. Tropical cyclones accounted for 35 percent of the 1982 rainfall across Hong Kong, their fifth wettest tropical cyclone contribution on record at the time. Nearly half of the deaths during the season were the result of Typhoon Nancy moving through the Philippines and Vietnam in October.
Seasonal activity
A total of 37 tropical depressions formed this year in the Western Pacific, of which 26 became tropical storms. 19 storms reached typhoon intensity, of which 2 reached super typhoon strength. Three tropical cyclones formed in March (most active since 1967,) one in May, three in June, four in July, five in August, six in September, four in October, one in November, and one in December. Typhoon Pamela (Aning) was the longest-lived tropical cyclone of the season. Sixteen tropical cyclones made landfall, with eight moving through the Philippines, four striking China, three impacting Vietnam, and three crossing Japan. Tropical cyclones accounted for 35 percent of the 1982 rainfall across Hong Kong, their fifth wettest tropical cyclone contribution on record at the time.
Tropical Storm Mamie moved across the tropical western Pacific Ocean, striking the Philippines and Vietnam during mid to late March. Nelson formed soon after Mamie, becoming the first typhoon of the season which subsequently moved westward through the southern Philippines before dissipating shy of Vietnam in late March. Odessa formed well out to sea, wandering across the western Pacific before dissipating in early April, ending the most active March since 1967. Pat formed in mid May, approaching the Philippines before becoming an extratropical cyclone offshore Japan late in the month. Ruby wandered around the Marianas in late June, becoming an extratropical cyclone east of Japan.
Tess became the first tropical cyclone of the season to form in the South China Sea during late June, weakening before reaching Taiwan in early July. The Japanese Meteorological Agency states that Val was a continuation of Tess, which moved east-northeast from Taiwan to the south of Japan in early July.Digital Typhoon (2008). Typhoon 198206 (TESS/VAL). Digital Typhoon. Retrieved on 2008-10-31. Skip formed ahead of Tess, moving east-northeast well to the south of Japan in late June and early July. Winona moved west-northwest through the northern Philippines across Hainan Island into southern China before dissipating in mid July. Andy formed south of Guam, moving west-northwest across Taiwan into southern China in late July. Bess formed within the same monsoon trough which spawned Andy, moving generally northwest into Japan early in August.
Cecil formed northeast of the Philippines, moving northward offshore Taiwan and eastern China before moving ashore North Korea in mid-August. Dot formed east of Cecil, moving west-northwest into southern Taiwan and southeast China in mid-August. Ellis formed well east of the Philippines in mid-August, recurving northward into southern Japan late in the month. Faye wandered aimlessly between the central Philippines and Taiwan during late August and early September, steered partially by Gordon to its east-northeast. Gordon recurved offshore Japan during late August and early September.
Tropical Storm Hope moved through the South China Sea into Vietnam in early September. Irving moved across the central Philippines and Hainan Island before dissipating in southeast China in mid-September. Judy formed in the same monsoon trough which spawned Irving, recurving across central Japan during mid-September. Ken formed northeast of the Philippines in mid-September, recurving across southern Japan in late September. Tropical Storm Lola formed and recurved well east of Asia in mid-September. Tropical Depression 22 was a short lived system which moved northwestward east of the Philippines and south of Japan on September 21 and 22. Mac was the first super typhoon to form during the season, recurving southeast of Japan in early October.
Nancy was a straight-running typhoon which moved steadily westward across the northern Philippines south of Hainan Island into northern Vietnam. Tropical Depression 25 behaved similarly to Tropical Depression 22, moving northwest well east of the Philippines and south of Japan in mid October. Typhoon Owen meandered well to the southeast of Japan in mid and late October. Pamela moved generally westward across the central Philippines as a typhoon in early December. Roger was the last tropical cyclone of the season, and it moved northward along the northeast side of the Philippines in mid December before dissipating southeast of Taiwan.
Systems
Severe Tropical Storm Mamie (Akang)
The first system of the season was first noted in the Philippine Sea on March 7 just south of the equator. Over the next five days, the system drifted northward across the equator until a convective disturbance organized near Truk Atoll. On March 15, the JMA designated the system as a tropical depression, and a day later upgraded it to a tropical storm. The JTWC named it Tropical Storm Mamie based on reports from the hurricane hunters. Mamie moved westward for its duration due to a strong ridge to the north. On March 19, the storm strengthened and briefly developed an eyewall just before moving ashore the eastern Philippines in Mindanao. The JMA and JTWC estimated peak winds of respectively. Mamie weakened over land and emerged into the South China Sea on March 21. Mamie failed to re-intensify as it turned northwest and back to the west. Midday on March 24, Mamie made landfall in Nha Trang and subsequently weakened rapidly inland over mountainous terrain. The JMA stopped tracking its remnants that evening, with the JTWC following suit at 00:00 UTC on March 25.
The Philippine province of Surigao del Sur bore the brunt of the tropical storm, and 117 people died throughout the country, while eight others were injured. Floods killed 13 people in Bukidnon, In Surigao, 28 people were killed and 41 were reported missing, including 14 aboard a speedboat offshore Bislig. Most of the deaths were due to falling debris. Throughout the archipelago, eight people were injured by the tropical storm. Nationwide, the cyclone damaged 11,147 homes and demolished 1,880 others, and leaving 15,654 people displaced from their home, most of whom ended up in evacuation centers. Power lines were knocked down, which left many communities isolated. Property damage totaled $100 million 1982 USD, including $40 million from private and government buildings.
Typhoon Nelson (Bising)
This storm was the second of three early season, low latitude systems to form to the southeast of Guam. Nelson intensified rapidly from a tropical disturbance into a tropical storm. This was due to very strong divergence aloft. Strong low level easterlies and rapid westward movement led to slower development thereafter. After March 22, forward motion began to slow and intensification resumed. Maximum intensity was reached on March 25. On March 27, Nelson moved through the south-central Philippines and rapidly weakened. Fifty-six perished across the Philippines from this typhoon.
Slight intensification resumed as the center emerged into the South China Sea. By March 30, upper level wind shear led to significant weakening, with the low level center becoming exposed and eventually dissipating on April 1 about east of Nha Trang, Vietnam.Joint Typhoon Warning Center (1983). Typhoon Nelson. United States Navy. Retrieved on 2007-01-05.
Typhoon Odessa
An area of disorganized thunderstorms was noted near 2N 159E on March 26. Moving northwest due to significant cyclogenesis offshore Japan, a circulation center developed within this convective cluster over the next few days. By the afternoon of March 29, it had matured into a tropical storm. A mid-level trough extended southwest towards the cyclone. Combined with strong ridging building in north to northwest of the storm, Odessa ceased moving northwest and turned east at around during March 30 and March 31. As the mid-level trough continued moving east, Odessa turned back to the north, and eventually west-northwest, as ridging built in north of the cyclone. After the change in course to west, intensification resumed, and the system reached typhoon strength in the afternoon of April 2. As Odessa peaked in strength a weakness in the subtropical ridge lured its convection northeast, shearing the thunderstorms away from the center. Rapid weakening ensued, and the cyclone dissipated on the afternoon of April 4.
The occurrence of this cyclone ended the most active March for tropical cyclone formation in the northwest Pacific Ocean since 1967. Odessa was unique from a climatological standpoint, moving east and west in an area normally known for northward moving tropical cyclones in March.Joint Typhoon Warning Center (1983). Typhoon Odessa. United States Navy. Retrieved on 2007-01-05.
Typhoon Pat (Klaring)
Typhoon Pat became the lone tropical cyclone in the western Pacific basin during the two-month interval between Odessa's dissipation and the formation of Ruby. The disturbance which led to Pat's formation developed southwest of Guam on May 14. By May 17 the system had organized sufficiently to become a tropical depression. Moving westward until the afternoon of May 18, Pat abruptly changed course to the north through a break in the subtropical ridge parallel and close to the Philippines. Rapid intensification ensued, with Pat reaching its maximum intensity late on May 21. As the cyclone turned to the northeast, vertical wind shear began to weaken the cyclone. Its wind field broadened as it began extratropical transition. By midday on May 23, Pat had evolved into an extratropical cyclone along a frontal boundary with cool, dry air wrapping into its center. The cyclone became absorbed by a larger system near Japan on May 24.Joint Typhoon Warning Center (1983). Typhoon Pat. United States Navy. Retrieved on 2007-01-05.
Typhoon Ruby