The 1994 Pacific typhoon season was the seventh and final consecutive to have above average tropical cyclone activity. It was an extremely active season, becoming the second most active season ever recorded in the basin, only behind 1964. With a total of 36 tropical storms, where 20 of them reached typhoon strength and 6 further strengthening into super typhoons, during the course of the season, much like the Pacific hurricane season. The season had no official bounds and it ran year-round in 1994, but most tropical cyclones tend to form in the northwestern Pacific Ocean between May and October. Tropical storms that formed west of the date line were assigned a name by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. The World Meteorological Organization-designated Regional Specialized Meteorological Centre for tropical cyclones for the region is the Japan Meteorological Agency. Tropical depressions that entered or formed in the Philippine area of responsibility were assigned a name by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration or PAGASA. This can result in some storms having two names.
The season started on January 4 with the formation of Tropical Depression 01W to the west of Yap, with the first tropical storm developing a few months later on April 1, and ended near the end of the year when Tropical Storm Bobbie dissipated in the open Pacific on December 25. During the season, 25 systems either threatened land or made landfall, killing over 2,400 people. The strongest storm of the season was Super Typhoon Doug, which affected Taiwan, South Korea and mainland China, while the deadliest storm was Super Typhoon Fred, which killed over 1,000 people in China. Earlier in the season, the combined effects of two tropical storms —Russ and Sharon —caused flooding in China that killed over 1,400. The season also saw two storms, Li and John, cross into the Western North Pacific from the east, while one storm, Tropical Storm Yuri, formed from a precursor low that had similarly crossed the International Date Line. This season, PAGASA named 25 systems and had to use an auxiliary list to name some of them after running out of names from their standard list. Of the 25, three systems were not tracked by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center.
Systems
Tropical Depression 01W (Akang)
The first tropical depression of the year was first observed as a poorly organized area of clouds, within a trough of low pressure near the Caroline Islands during January 1. The system subsequently moved towards the north-northwest, while atmospheric convection surrounding the system organized further. As a result of this organization and a weather station on Chuuk island reporting wind speeds of 55 km/h (35 mph), the JTWC issued a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert on the system during January 2. However the system did not become a significant tropical cyclone during January 3, as it was not able to sustain its convective organization. The system was subsequently classified as a tropical depression on January 4 while the system was about 600 km (370 mi), west of Yap.
Tropical Depression 01W made landfall on Samar Island in the Philippines on the evening of January 5, following which the depression started to weaken. The final warning was issued early on January 6 after the system lost all its deep convection. A total of 35 to 45 deaths were reported, with over 69 million Philippine pesos (1994 pesos) or $2.4 million (1994 USD) in damage reported. It caused a major flood event in the Philippines. A total of at least 16,000 people had to take refuge in government-run shelters during and after the storm.
Typhoon Owen (Bising)
Typhoon Owen formed from a tropical disturbance which was originally identified within a near-equatorial trough over Micronesia. The disturbance was first mentioned by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center on March 29. By March 31, a distinct area within the trough showing signs of cyclonic spin appeared, and the JTWC initiated advisories on Tropical Depression 02W soon afterwards. Meanwhile, the Japan Meteorological Agency classified the system as a tropical storm, Tropical Storm 9401. It was located about 420 kilometres (260 mi) west-northwest of Yap.
Owen continued to strengthen, with the JMA classifying it a severe tropical storm on April 3. According to the JTWC, Owen reached typhoon intensity at the same time the JMA classified it a severe tropical storm. The storm tracked southwest to west-southwestward, and reached its peak intensity of 75 knots (139 km/h) from the JTWC (60 knots (110 km/h) from the JMA) on April 4, shortly before landfall between Leyte and Mindanao. A reading taken late on April 3 at Guiuan on Samar reported sustained winds of 45 knots (83 km/h). It weakened to a tropical storm overland, before it restrengthened slightly after emerging into the South China Sea. A drilling rig reported 50 knots (93 km/h) sustained winds. Soon afterwards, the cyclone dissipated over water northwest of Luzon on April 9.
Owen's west-southwestward track shortly before landfall was rare. Owen was one of just two April typhoons in the previous 36 years — the other being Typhoon Wanda of the 1971 season – to make landfall while moving west-southwestward. Owen's later recurvature in the South China Sea was also unusual; it recurved at a latitude of only about 13°N, about 3° south of the average latitude for recurvature in the South China Sea in April.
Owen's impact on the Philippines was widespread, with nine provinces being declared under a "state of calamity" by President of the Philippines Fidel Ramos. At least 10 people were killed with 5 others missing, and a further 14 fishermen feared drowned. A total of 33 were reported wounded. Over 9000 families were affected by Owen.
In Okinawa, heavy rains were reported on Yonaguni, with a total reported precipitation amount of 313 millimetres (12.3 in). The peak winds measured at Yonaguni in association with Typhoon Owen were 32.4 kilometres per hour (17.5 kn).
Typhoon Page (Klaring)
On May 8, a large increase in deep convection associated with near-equatorial troughs was noted in the eastern Caroline Islands. By the next morning, visible satellite imagery showed an increase in organization of the deep convection associated with the system, and synoptic reports from buoys confirmed that a low-level circulation centre was present near 5°N 153°E / 5°N 153°E. Slow development ensued, and the system was upgraded to a tropical depression on May 12. At the same time, the Japan Meteorological Agency began tracking the system, about 510 kilometres (320 mi) west-southwest of Guam.
Page moved on a northwestward track for the next couple days while slowly strengthening. Page was upgraded to a tropical storm by the JTWC late on May 12, when it was located 500 kilometres (310 mi) north of Yap, while the JMA first considered the system a tropical storm on May 13. Late on May 13, Page suddenly slowed in forward speed and began turning to the northeast. On May 14, Page became a typhoon. However, the JMA did not follow suit until 30 hours later. Page reached its maximum intensity of 90 knots (170 km/h) and minimum pressure of 965 hectopascals (28.5 inHg) thirty hours after passing the point of recurvature. Final warnings were issued by both the JTWC and the JMA early on May 18, as it began extratropical transition around 960 kilometres (600 mi) east-southeast of Tokyo.
Page had the largest average track forecast errors of all the typhoons in 1994, mainly due to failures in expecting its recurvature. Furthermore, Page's late attainment of maximum intensity, at 30 hours after point of recurvature, is not common. Between 1978 and 1993, only seven of 77 typhoons attained peak intensity more than 24 hours after recurving.
Large waves and high tides generated by Page affected the western Mariana Islands. A few tourists had to be rescued from high surf and strong currents on Guam. Minimal rainfall was recorded in Japan, the highest recorded total was 29 millimetres (1.1 in) in Kumagaya, Saitama. At Mount Tsukuba, a maximum sustained wind speed of 58 kilometres per hour (31 kn) was recorded.
Tropical Depression 04W (Deling)
On May 14, an area of deep convection associated with a weak cyclonic circulation near Kosrae was mentioned in the JTWC's 0600 UTC Significant Tropical Weather Advisory. For the next five days, this weak circulation tracked west-northwestward in the direction of Guam, before turning to the west-southwest, but convection failed to consolidate near the centre during this time. After passing close to Palau on May 21, it turned northwest and entered the Philippine Sea, and was named Deling by PAGASA early on May 23 local time. Shortly after, SSM/I imagery indicated the presence of a well-defined low-level circulation centre, and visible and infrared satellite images indicated an increase in organisation of the system and a consolidation of deep convection near the centre. Based on this, a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert was issued by the JTWC at 0600 UTC.
The first warning was issued a day later when the amount of deep convection near the centre increased as the depression neared the Philippines. While over the Philippine islands, a large mesoscale convective system (MCS) developed near the centre of the tropical depression, something that would occur again later while the system was west of Luzon. Soon after the second MCS weakened, the system made landfall in central Vietnam on May 26, and quickly dissipated when inland. The Hong Kong Observatory tracked this system as a weak tropical depression from May 25 UTC when it was about 520 km (320 mi) southeast of Xisha for about 24 hours before it dissipated.
According to press reports, over 2,000 people were forced to evacuate from Davao City, despite no reports of significantly high winds or low pressures, as the system caused heavy rainfall that produced heavy flooding that killed five people and left at least one person missing.
Tropical Storm Russ (Emang)
Tropical Storm Russ was one of just three storms to cause the Hong Kong Observatory to raise Tropical Cyclone Signal #3 in the 1994 season. Russ was first spotted on June 2, about 140 kilometres (87 mi) east of Hainan Island as a tropical disturbance. Deep convection over the circulation center soon improved, and the Hong Kong Observatory had declared it a tropical depression on June 3 when it was located about 290 kilometres (180 mi) south of Hong Kong.
The system initially moved east to northeast while slowly strengthening. Russ became a tropical storm on the evening of June 4, passing just south of Dongsha that night. PAGASA then named the system Emang, shortly before it made a clockwise loop and started to move back towards the west-southwest, intensifying. Russ made landfall on June 8 on the northeastern Luichow Peninsula, and weakened inland. The extratropical remnants continued east-northeast toward Japan before dissipating.
The maximum wind gust in Hong Kong was reported at Tai Mo Shan, where a gust to 56 knots (104 km/h) was recorded on June 7. Maximum daily rainfall in the territory was recorded at Yuen Long on June 8, when 41.0 millimetres (1.61 in) was reported. Russ killed at least 74 people in Hainan, Guangdong and Guangxi Provinces and injured another 726 people. 16 others were reported missing. 702,430 hectares (7,024.3 square kilometres; 2,712.1 square miles) of farmland in the three provinces were destroyed by floods from Russ. Around 725,000 houses were destroyed. Total damage was estimated at 6.3 billion RMB (1994 RMB), or $727.5 million (1994 USD).
Tropical Storm Sharon (Gading)
In mid-June, not long after Tropical Storm Russ had made landfall, an area of convection south of Chuuk within the near-equatorial trough began to consolidate. The system moved west-northwest as it began to organize on June 20. Acquiring tropical depression strength on June 21, intensification halted due to vertical wind shear. Subsequent weakened led to its dissipation as a tropical depression by June 22.
PAGASA named the system Gading as it neared the Philippines, and twelve hours after the final warning was issued, convection once again built up, and a new warning was issued. The Japan Meteorological Agency issued their first warning on Tropical Storm 9404 a day later. As it crossed Luzon, Sharon caused flooding and released mudflows from Mount Pinatubo, killing two people. Traffic on two main highways near Manila was disrupted by the mud.
After crossing Luzon, Sharon reached its peak, with vertical shear inhibiting further intensification. It made landfall on June 25 around 140 metres (0.087 mi) east-northeast of Zhanjiang, or 110 kilometres (68 mi) east of where Tropical Storm Russ had made landfall just weeks before. Winds gusted to 52 knots (96 km/h) at Tai Mo Shan in Hong Kong. Sharon claimed 11 lives in the seas off Hong Kong, and the combined flooding effects of Russ and Sharon reportedly left more than 1,400 people dead, and caused over $6 billion (1994 USD) in damage.
Tropical Depression 07W
Tropical Depression 07W developed in the monsoon trough on June 29, well east of the Philippines. Warnings were initiated at 0000 UTC June 3 when the system was approximately 250 km (160 mi) southeast of Dongsha. It reached its maximum intensity shortly before landfall on July 4. Flooding associated with Tropical Depression 07W in western Guangdong Province killed four people and left two others missing, and destroyed over 6,700 houses while leaving another 50,000 damaged. 120,000 hectares (1,200 square kilometres; 460 square miles) of farmland were ruined, and irrigation facilities were damaged. Total losses from the storm in Guangdong were estimated to be $114 million (1994 USD). In Guangxi Province, the storm killed six others, and left over 30,000 people homeless.
Typhoon Tim (Iliang)
A tropical disturbance formed in the Caroline Islands on July 5 south of a tropical upper tropospheric trough. The system organized into a tropical depression on the morning on July 6. Moving northwest, the depression strengthened into a tropical storm as it approached 130°E on the morning of July 8. Rapid intensification ensued, with Tim reaching typhoon intensity late on July 8, peaking at 125 knots (232 km/h) on July 10.