The 2008 Pacific typhoon season was a below average season which featured 22 named storms, eleven typhoons, and two super typhoons. The season had no official bounds; it ran year-round in 2008, but most tropical cyclones tend to form in the northwestern Pacific Ocean between May and November. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the northwestern Pacific Ocean.
The scope of this article is limited to the Pacific Ocean, north of the equator and west of the International Date Line. Storms that form east of the date line and north of the equator are called hurricanes; see 2008 Pacific hurricane season. Tropical storms formed in the entire Western North Pacific basin are assigned a name by the Japan Meteorological Agency. Tropical depressions formed in this basin are given a number with a "W" suffix by the United States' Joint Typhoon Warning Center. In addition, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) assigns names to tropical cyclones (including tropical depressions) that enter or form in the Philippine area of responsibility. These names, however, are not in common use outside of the Philippines.
Seasonal forecasts
Each season several national meteorological services and scientific agencies forecast either the expected amount tropical cyclones, tropical storms, and typhoons forming in a season and/or how many tropical cyclones will affect a country or territory.
City University of Hong Kong
Since the 2000 typhoon season, the Laboratory for Atmospheric Research or the Guy Carpenter Asia-Pacific Climate Impact Centre (GCACIC), both of the City University of Hong Kong have issued forecasts of activity for each upcoming typhoon season. Forecasts are issued in April and June of each year and predict how many tropical cyclones, tropical storms, and typhoons there will be in a season. This season, the GCACIC is predicting a slightly more active than usual season. An average season, according to the GCACIC, has 31 tropical cyclones, 27 named storms, and 17 typhoons. In its April forecast, the GCACIC predicted 33 total tropical cyclones, 30 named storms, and 19 typhoons before predicting the same number of systems, tropical storms, and typhoons in its June forecast.
Tropical Storm Risk Consortium
Since the 2000 typhoon season, the Tropical Storm Risk Consortium (TSR) of the University College of London have issued forecasts of activity for each upcoming typhoon season. During 2008 forecasts were issued in early March, May, July and August and predict how many tropical storms, typhoons and intense typhoons there will be during a season. In its March forecast, TSR Predicted that the season would be about 20% below average with six intense tropical cyclones, however due to conflicting climate signals it was not possible to predict how many tropical storms and typhoons would form. In its May forecast, TSR were now able to predict how many tropical storms and typhoons, would form during the season. They also predicted that the season would be near normal with 28 tropical storms, 18 typhoons and 8 intense typhoons forming during the season. In their July and August forecasts, TSR predicted the same amount of tropical storms and typhoons and intense typhoons as their May forecasts.
National meteorological service predictions
As the name Frank was retired from PAGASA's naming lists they also released a prediction stating that there would be 16 more Tropical cyclones of any strength to pass through PAGASA'S area of responsibility which added to the six that had already moved through PAGASA's area of responsibility brought a total of 22 cyclones to pass through the PAGASA's area of responsibility during 2008.
Seasonal summary
The first tropical depression of the season, formed in mid January to the west of the Philippines. As it moved west, the depression did not develop any further and dissipated on January 18. After two more Tropical depressions, the first named storm Typhoon Neoguri formed in April to the east of Mindanao. During May as a result of convection being enhanced within the Philippine sea and the South China Sea four named storms formed which along with 1971 and 1980 was the joint highest incidence in May since 1951. Between June and October, the region was considered to be very quiet by the JMA as they only named 13 tropical cyclones. In November and December, only four tropical cyclones were named by the JMA and all four formed within the Philippine sea and the South China Sea.
Systems
Tropical Depression 01W
Early on January 11, the JTWC reported that an area of convection had persisted about 1,010 km (630 mi) to the southeast of Manila in the Philippines. The disturbance was located near to a developing low-level circulation center which was weak and remained displaced from the deep convection whilst located in an area of low to moderate vertical windshear. During the next 24 hours the disturbance developed further with a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert being issued the next day by the JTWC as the disturbance now had a well defined low level circulation center with convective banding on the northwestern edge. Early on January 13, both the JMA and the JTWC reported that the first depression of the season had developed about 360 km (220 mi) to the west of Manila. Later that day the JMA reported that the depression had reached its 10-minute peak windspeeds of 55 km/h (34 mph). However early on January 14 the JTWC reported that the depression had continued to intensify and upgraded the depression to a Tropical storm and then six hours later reported 1-minute peak windspeeds of 65 km/h (40 mph). Later that day it was downgraded to a Tropical depression due to weakening deep convection and a partially exposed low level circulation center. Over the next few days the depression moved towards the east until early on January 18 when both the JMA and the JTWC reported that it had dissipated off the Malaysian coastline. There were no reports of any damages or casualties associated with the depression.
Typhoon Neoguri (Ambo)
On April 11, an area of convection with an area of low pressure was located between Palau and Yap. Early on April 13, a low-level circulation developed near Mindanao. The JMA designated the system as a minor tropical depression on the same day, and PAGASA began warning on the system, naming it Tropical Depression "Ambo". The low continued to get better organized and early on April 14, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center began issuing advisories on Tropical Depression 02W, which was located about north of Zamboanga City, Philippines. Later that day, the agency upgraded it to tropical storm status, based on satellite intensity estimates. The JMA upgraded the system to a tropical storm, naming it Neoguri, the next day. Early April 16, the system was upgraded to severe tropical storm status, and then reached typhoon status a few hours later. The typhoon continued north, weakening as it did so. The cyclone made landfall as a weak tropical storm on Guangdong province in southern China, and the final advisories from both agencies were issued shortly after.
As the typhoon approached and passed Hainan Province, about 120,000 people were evacuated from low-lying areas. According to the China Meteorological Administration, it was the earliest in the year a tropical cyclone had ever impacted China (the old record was for Typhoon Wanda on May 3, 1971).
42,000 residents were displaced in the aftermath of Neoguri. 18 Chinese fisherman and 22 Vietnamese fisherman remain missing due to the storm. Three fatalities were confirmed in China, two due to a road being covered in a mud flow, and another due to winds blowing a sheet of aluminum into a person, throwing them off the roof of a stadium.
Typhoon Rammasun (Butchoy)
Early on May 7, PAGASA designated an area of low pressure which was about 790 km east of Mindanao as Tropical Depression Butchoy. Around the same time the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) and the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) also designated the area of low pressure as a Tropical depression with the JTWC assigning the number 03W to the depression.
Later that day the JMA upgraded the Tropical Depression to Tropical Storm status with RSMC Tokyo assigning the name Rammasun to the storm. It quickly organized, intensifying into a typhoon on May 9. Rapid intensification continued and it strengthened into a Category 4-equivalent typhoon by early on May 10, and a super typhoon by midday.
Rammasun continued on a northerly path, and reached a peak of 105 knots (194 km/h) and 915 hPa on May 10. Soon after, the typhoon began slowly weakening. The JTWC downgraded it to a typhoon on May 11. On May 12, the weakening became more rapid, and the JMA downgraded the system to a severe tropical storm, while the JTWC issued its last advisory, noting that it was extratropical. The JMA, however, held onto Rammasun until early May 13, when it downgraded the cyclone to a low and issued its final advisory. Though it never hit land, it was the second strongest May typhoon in recorded history, behind Typhoon Lola of 1986.
Rammasun brushed the Japanese coastline as it became extratropical on May 13 delivering strong winds and high waves. Along with moderate to heavy rain, winds gusted up to 52 mph (84 km/h) as the storm moved out to sea.
A strong storm from the "tail" of Rammasun struck the Philippines as it passed south of Japan. The winds brought by the storm caused severe damage to some buildings and numerous trees some weighing tonnes were uprooted. The damage may have been due to a possible tornado but there is no clarification for this possibility. At least 40 people were injured and damage totaled to 11 million PHP (US$280,000).
Severe Tropical Storm Matmo (Dindo)
On May 13, a tropical disturbance formed about 550 km (340 mi), to the east of Manila in the Philippines. The disturbance was located in an area of low vertical wind shear and had a consolidating low-level circulation center. The JTWC then issued a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert on the disturbance early the next day, as deep convection was building near to the low-pressure area. Later that day both the JTWC and the JMA upgraded the disturbance to a tropical depression, citing good outflow. Early on May 15, as the storm was moving towards the northwest, the JMA upgraded the depression to a tropical storm. The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) then designated the storm as Tropical Depression Dindo. While the storm accelerated to the northwest in response to a mid-latitude trough, the JTWC upped into a tropical storm and had reached its peak intensity with winds of 75 km/h (45 mph). Early on May 16, both PAGASA and the JTWC issued their final advisories on the storm as it approached the edge of PAGASA's Area of responsibility, with the JTWC reporting that Matmo was now extratropical. However, data from the JMa suggested that it obtained peak wind speeds of 95 km/h (60 mph) at this time, which made Matmo a severe tropical storm. Though, within their next advisory, the JMA downgraded Matmo to a tropical storm before dissipating the net day.
In preparation for Tropical Storm Matmo, the Japan Meteorological Agency issued warnings for the, Naha, Moji and Yokohama areas of Japan, but in the end, there was no impact.
Severe Tropical Storm Halong (Cosme)
Early on May 14, PAGASA upgraded a tropical disturbance west of the Philippines to Tropical Depression Cosme. Later that day, the JTWC issued a TCFA, later as the first advisory on the system as Tropical Depression 05W. On May 16, the JMA upgraded 05W to Halong. Later that day, it was upgraded to a Severe Tropical Storm by JMA, and a Typhoon by JTWC, reaching its peak of 60 knots (110 km/h) on early May 17. It made landfall on western Pangasinan, and weakened while crossing northern Luzon, but after reaching open waters, it re-organized while accelerating northeastward. The system intensified to a severe tropical storm again, but never reached its previous peak intensity and began weakening as it moved northeast. The JTWC and the JMA issued their final advisories on May 20.
In Luzon, the storm caused 58 deaths and $94 million (USD) in damage. The storm destroyed 43,365 houses and damaged 188,830 more. Most of the damages reported were in Northern Luzon. Meanwhile, Mindoro and Panay islands were also affected as the storm-induced southwest monsoon brought rains and floods to those areas.
Typhoon Nakri (Enteng)
A tropical disturbance formed south of Guam on May 25. On May 26, the JMA recognized it as a weak tropical depression, and later that day, the JTWC issued a TCFA on the system.