The 2022 Pacific typhoon season was the third consecutive season to have below average tropical cyclone activity, with twenty-five named storms forming. Of the tropical storms, ten became typhoons, and three storms would intensify into super typhoons. The season saw near-average activity by named storm count, although many of the storms were weak and short-lived, particularly towards the end of the season. This low activity was caused by an unusually strong La Niña that had persisted from 2020. The season's first named storm, Malakas, developed on April 6, while the last named storm, Pakhar, dissipated on December 12. The season's first typhoon, Malakas, reached typhoon status on April 12. The season ran throughout 2022, though most tropical cyclones typically develop between May and October. Tropical storms Megi and Nalgae were responsible for more than half of the casualties, while typhoons Hinnamnor and Nanmadol, and Tropical Storm Talas both caused $1 billion in damages.
The scope of this article is limited to the Pacific Ocean to the north of the equator between 100°E and 180th meridian. Within the northwestern Pacific Ocean, there are two separate agencies that assign names to tropical cyclones which can often result in a cyclone having two names. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) named tropical cyclones that were judged to have 10-minute sustained wind speeds of at least 65 km/h (40 mph) anywhere in the basin, whilst the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) assigned names to tropical cyclones which moved into or formed as a tropical depression in the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) located between 135°E and 115°E and between 5°N and 25°N regardless of whether or not a tropical cyclone has already been given a name by the JMA. Tropical depressions that were monitored by the United States' Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) were given a number with a "W" suffix.
Seasonal forecasts
During the year, several national meteorological services and scientific agencies forecast how many tropical cyclones, tropical storms, and typhoons will form during a season and/or how many tropical cyclones will affect a particular country. These agencies included the Tropical Storm Risk (TSR) Consortium of University College London, PAGASA and Taiwan's Central Weather Bureau. The first forecast was released by PAGASA on December 22, 2021, in their monthly seasonal climate outlook predicting the first half of 2022. They predicted that only 0–3 tropical cyclones were expected to form or enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility between January and March, while 1–4 tropical cyclones are expected to form between April and June. PAGASA also stated that ongoing La Niña conditions could last until it transitions back into ENSO-neutral conditions by the second quarter of 2022.
On May 5, Tropical Storm Risk (TSR) issued its first forecast for the 2022 season with ongoing La Niña still anticipated until roughly the third quarter of the year, TSR predicted that tropical activity for 2022 will be slightly below average predicting 23 named storms, 13 typhoons and 7 intense typhoons. TSR remained constant with their prediction in their second forecast in July. On August 9, TSR released their third and final forecast for the season, with the only changes is increasing their typhoon numbers by 14, and decreasing the intense typhoon numbers down to 6. The ACE Index forecast was significantly lowered to 166, and was based on the then-current index as of early August and the reduction of cyclonic activity in the month of June.
Systems
Tropical Depression 01W
A tropical disturbance formed after crossing Palawan on late March. The disturbance would develop into a low-pressure area southeast of Da Nang, Vietnam, where it would intensify into the first tropical depression of the season, at 18:00 UTC on March 29. At 21:00 UTC at the same day, the JTWC issued a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert (TCFA) for the system after its development of a tropical depression. On the next day, the agency upgraded to a tropical depression, assigning it the designation 01W. Shortly after, the agency issued their final advisory on the system after it made landfall in the southeastern part of Vietnam on March 30, shortly after dissipating.
In Vietnam, floods caused by the storm have killed six people. The storm left one missing and eight injured. Flooding also caused two houses to collapse. Overall damages reach 3.52 trillion VND (US$148.95 million).
In real-time, the JTWC assessed that the system had peaked as a tropical depression, however in the JTWC's post-analysis of 2023, 01W would be recognized as a tropical storm.
Typhoon Malakas (Basyang)
The JTWC first noted the existence of a tropical disturbance on April 3. Favorable conditions near the system helped it develop, with the JMA recognizing the system as a tropical depression on April 6. Later in the day, the JTWC issued a TCFA for the system. The following day, the JTWC recognized the system as a tropical depression and gave it the designation 02W. At 21:00 UTC, the JTWC then upgraded it to a tropical storm. On April 8, the system developed into a tropical storm and was named Malakas by the JMA. Malakas continued traveling over the Pacific Ocean, and began to slowly intensify, becoming a severe tropical storm on the April 11, then a typhoon by April 12. At around the same time, it entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR), receiving the local name of Basyang from the PAGASA at 03:00 UTC. Malakas then lingered for a while at the border of the PAR before eventually exiting 5 hours later, while intensifying into a Category 2-equivalent typhoon. Malakas then continued its intensification, reaching Category 3-equivalent status later that day, and into a Category 4-equivalent typhoon with 210 km/h (130 mph) 1-minute sustained winds on April 13, reaching its peak intensity. The following day, Malakas weakened to a Category 3-equivalent typhoon as its eye structure degraded. It further weakened to Category 1-equivalent status later in the day. By April 15, it began its transition into an extratropical cyclone, with its structure rapidly deteriorating. The JTWC gave their final warning on the system at 09:00 UTC of the same day, while the JMA did the same around 18:00 UTC.
Malakas did not affect any major land areas. However, due to its name being nearly homophonous to a vulgar Greek slang term (μαλάκας means "wanker"), the name Malakas was retired and will never be used again for a Pacific typhoon name. In 2024, it was announced to be replaced with Amuyao (a mountain in Mountain Province) for future seasons.
Tropical Storm Megi (Agaton)
On April 8, the JTWC noted an area of convection persisting around 359 nautical miles (665 km; 413 mi) west-northwest of Palau. Since the disturbance was in an environment favorable for development, the JMA recognized the system as a tropical depression east of Visayas later that day. Around the same time, the PAGASA announced that the system had developed into a tropical depression, resulting in it being named Agaton by the agency. PAGASA would begin issuing Tropical Cyclone Bulletins (TCBs) for the storm later that day. On the next day, the JTWC later issued a TCFA for the system. At 03:00 UTC, the agency upgraded it to a tropical depression and assigned it the identifier 03W. On April 10, the JMA upgraded it to a tropical storm, naming it Megi. Megi would make its first landfall in Calicoan Island, Guiuan at 07:30 PHT (23:30 UTC). Megi then stalled in the Leyte Gulf for hours before making its second landfall in Basey, Samar.
Megi then weakened into a tropical depression after lingering over the islands of Samar and Leyte, resulting in PAGASA removing all warning signals for the system before it dissipated into a remnant low on the midnight of April 13.
From April 8 to April 10, the storm meandered along the Eastern Visayas region, dumping heavy rain on the region. PAGASA raised storm signals up to Signal No. 2 during the storm's onslaught. Cebu City was placed under a state of calamity following the heavy rain. Megi killed 214 people, which made it the deadliest tropical cyclone in the Philippines to form in May. Megi would also injure eight people, leave 134 people missing, and capsize a cargo boat in Ormoc following strong rains, winds, and flash floods which also displaced over 136,390 individuals. The Department of Agriculture estimated agricultural damage to reach ₱3.27 billion, while the Department of Public Works and Highways estimated infrastructural damage at ₱1.45 billion. Total damage from the storm was valued at ₱4.72 billion (US$90.8 million).
Typhoon Chaba (Caloy)
A low-pressure area west of Luzon developed into a tropical depression on June 28. At 20:00 PHT (12:00 UTC), the PAGASA had recognized the storm's development into a tropical depression, began issuing advisories, and named the system Caloy. The following day, the JTWC issued a TCFA for the system. Caloy remained almost stationary in the South China Sea before slowly moving northwestwards, eventually leaving the Philippine Area of Responsibility by 15:00 UTC. As the PAGASA issued its last bulletin on the tropical depression, the JTWC began issuing warnings for the storm and was given the designation 04W. Later, the Japan Meteorological Agency upgraded Caloy into a tropical storm, naming it Chaba. Chaba continued to intensify in the South China Sea, later being upgraded into a severe tropical storm northeast of the Paracel Islands. Typhoon Chaba's outer rainbands produced at least three tornadoes, which impacted Shantou, Chaozhou, and Foshan. On July 1 at 21:00 UTC, the JTWC upgraded Chaba to a typhoon, with the JMA doing the same 3 hours later on July 2 at 0:00 UTC. Later that day at 07:00 UTC, it made landfall on Maoming. Shortly after its landfall, both the JMA and the JTWC assessed that Chaba lost typhoon status, downgrading Chaba to a severe tropical storm and to a tropical storm respectively. The JTWC then issued their final warning on Chaba at 15:00 UTC. Shortly after, the JMA downgraded Chaba to a tropical storm; it was further downgraded to a tropical depression on July 3 at 06:00 UTC.
160 nautical miles (300 km; 180 mi) southwest of Hong Kong, the Fujing 001, a crane vessel tasked in assisting with the construction of an offshore wind farm, split in half and quickly sunk—leaving 26 crew members missing. Three of the 30 crew members were rescued, seen in a video published online by the Hong Kong Government Flying Service. Another person was rescued by July 4, bringing the total number of people rescued to four. Twelve bodies from the ship were recovered. More than 400 flights were suspended in Hainan; one person was injured in Macau.
Tropical Storm Aere (Domeng)
On June 30, the JTWC began issuing TCFAs for a tropical disturbance in the Philippine Sea, 530 nautical miles (980 km; 610 mi) south-southeast of Kadena Air Base in Japan. At 14:00 PHT (06:00 UTC), the PAGASA recognized the disturbance's formation into a tropical depression, began issuing tropical cyclone bulletins, and named the system Domeng. The JMA recognized the storm as a tropical depression at 12:00 UTC on the same day; the JTWC followed shortly after. On the next day, the Japan Meteorological Agency upgraded Domeng into a tropical storm and named it Aere as it was east of Batanes. Aere then continued to track north and at 03:00 UTC on July 2, Aere left the Philippine Area of Responsibility; the PAGASA released its final bulletin on the storm shortly after. Later that day, Aere made landfall over Okinawa. On July 3 at 09:00 UTC, the JTWC downgraded Aere to a tropical depression. However, three days later, the JTWC released another unofficial bulletin, reclassifying this disturbance as a subtropical storm, with an estimated pressure of 1000 hPa.
Tropical Storm Songda
On July 26, a low-pressure area northwest of the Mariana Islands developed into a tropical depression. The system tracked northwest along the periphery of a subtropical high, with limited intensification. After some development while over the Philippine Sea on July 28, the JMA upgraded the system to a tropical storm, giving it the name Songda. The JTWC recognized the system's formation into a tropical depression on July 29, three days after the JMA. Songda continued tracking northwestwards, passing over the waters of Kagoshima Prefecture on July 30, slowing down over the Yellow Sea. It then recurved towards mainland Korea, losing its strength as it entered unfavorable conditions which sheared its center. Songda dissipated on August 1; its remnants made landfall over North Korea on August 2.
Songda caused heavy rainfall over the Kyushu and Shikoku regions of Japan and over Jeju Island in South Korea. Despite strong winds and around 206 millimetres (8.1 in) of rain, no damages were reported on Jeju Island.
Tropical Storm Trases (Ester)
A low-pressure area from a massive monsoon gyre developed into a tropical depression southeast of the Ryukyu Islands on July 29. The PAGASA followed suit in upgrading it, then named the system Ester. Trases moved generally northward over the Philippine Sea, maintaining its strength as it did so. Trases exited the Philippine Area of Responsibility at 05:00 PHT (21:00 UTC) on July 31; the PAGASA issued their last bulletin on the storm at 11:00 PHT (03:00 UTC). As Trases neared the Okinawa Islands, the JMA upgraded it into a tropical storm, and it was given the name Trases, which replaced the name Sarika.