The
1960 Pacific typhoon season had no official bounds; it ran year-round in 1960, but most tropical cyclones tend to form in the northwestern Pacific Ocean between June and December. 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 lineThe International Date Line is an imaginary line on the surface of the Earth opposite the Prime Meridian where the date changes as one travels east or west across it...
. Storms that form east of the date line and north of the equator are called hurricanes; see
1960 Pacific hurricane seasonThe 1950–1965 Pacific hurricane seasons all began on May 15, 1950-65 in the northeast Pacific Ocean and on June 1, 1950-65 in the central Pacific. They ended on November 30, 1950-65...
. Tropical storms formed in the entire west Pacific basin were assigned a name by the
Joint Typhoon Warning CenterThe Joint Typhoon Warning Center is a joint United States Navy – United States Air Force task force located at Naval Maritime Forecast Center in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The JTWC is responsible for the issuing of tropical cyclone warnings in the North West Pacific Ocean, South Pacific Ocean and...
. Tropical depressions in this basin had the "W" suffix added to their number.
Super Typhoon Harriet
On December 30, 145 mph (233 km/h) Typhoon Harriet hit the eastern Philippines. It weakened as it crossed the islands, and dissipated over the South China Sea on January 2. Harriet brought strong winds and rainfall to Luzon, causing considerable property and crop damage. In all, the typhoon killed 5 and left more than 12,000 homeless.
Typhoon Karen
An area of disturbed weather in the Philippine Sea moved westward, and organized into a tropical depression on April 22. It moved northwestward through the
PhilippinesThe Philippines officially known as the Republic of the Philippines, is a country in Southeast Asia with Manila as its capital city. It comprises 7,107 islands in the western Pacific Ocean....
, strengthening quickly to a typhoon on the 24th due to its small size. Karen turned to the northeast, and in spite of favorable conditions, rapidly weakened until dissipation on the 26th. Karen left 56 dead in the Philippines, left 7,000 homeless, and caused $2 million (1960 USD) in crop and property damage.
Tropical Storm Lucille
On May 25, a tropical depression formed to the east of the Philippines, developing simultaneously with another low pressure system to the west. The depression moved to the northwest over the Philippines, and as a northeast turn occurred the 2 merged. The new system strengthened into Tropical Storm Lucille on the 30th, and became extratropical on June 1 as it raced northeastward. The precursor disturbance to Lucille caused flash flooding in
ManilaThe City of Manila , or simply Manila or Maynila, is the capital of the Philippines and one of the 17 cities and municipalities that make up Metro Manila. It is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay, on the western portion of the National Capital Region, in the western side of Luzon...
that killed nearly 300 people.
Typhoon Mary
A trough of low pressure spawned a tropical depression in the
South China SeaThe South China Sea is a marginal sea*south of mainland China and Taiwan,*west of the Philippines,*north west of Sabah , Sarawak and Brunei,*north of Indonesia,*north east of the Malay peninsula and Singapore, and...
on June 3 and moved slowly westward. Favorable conditions allowed it to quickly strengthen into Tropical Storm Mary, and after turning northward it attained typhoon status on the 7th. Mary continued to intensify to a typhoon just before making landfall west of Hong Kong on the 8th. After weakening while moving northeastward over China, the storm restrengthened over the Western Pacific to a typhoon on the 10th. It passed near Okinawa, weakened, and accelerated to the east until it became extratropical on the 13th.
Also known as Bloody Mary, the typhoon was the worst to hit Hong Kong in 23 years (since the worst typhoon on the record of Hong Kong hit on 2 September 1937). Its of rain, mudslides and strong winds caused extreme damage across Hong Kong and southern China, leaving over 100 dead and over 18,000 homeless. The only positive aspect of the storm was its rainfall, which helped end a severe drought to the colony. An additional 1,600 people were killed following more landslides trigged by the remnants of the storm.
In addition to its impact in Hong Kong, Mary brought heavy rains and flooding in
TaiwanTaiwan , also known as Formosa , is the largest island of the Republic of China in East Asia. Taiwan is located east of the Taiwan Strait, off the southeastern coast of mainland China...
, especially in the capital city of
TaipeiTaipei is the largest city in Taiwan and has served as the de facto capital of the Republic of China since the Chinese Civil War in 1949. It is situated on the Danshui River, almost at the northern tip of the island, about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean...
. Moderate crop damage was seen to the rice crop. Four fishermen drowned off the southern coast of the island, but there were no fatalities on the island. Despite its effects, the name Mary was not retired.
Typhoon Olive
On June 23, a tropical depression developed to the east of the Philippines. It entered nearly ideal conditions as it moved to the west-northwest, and, just 42 hours after forming, reached peak intensity of winds. Due to lack of inflow from the archipelago to its west, Olive weakened to a typhoon at the time of its eastern Philippine landfall. It rapidly weakened while crossing to a tropical storm, but restrengthened to a typhoon in the South China Sea. It turned to the west, and struck southern China on the 29th as an typhoon. Olive rapidly weakened over land and the northern
Gulf of TonkinThe Gulf of Tonkin, in Vietnamese: Vịnh Bắc Bộ or in Chinese: Beibu Wan is an arm of the South China Sea. Covering an area of 126,250 km², the gulf borders Vietnam on the northwest, west and southwest. China lies to the north with the Island of Hainan forms the eastern limits of the gulf. The gulf...
, and dissipated on the 30th.
A storm surge of 6-8 feet flooded much of Manila, causing extensive property and transportation damage. Rains, amounting up to 203.2 mm (8 in) triggered flooding and numerous landslides. About 80 percent of the crops in southeast Luzon were destroyed by the flooding and 404 people were killed. At least 32,000 buildings were destroyed by the storm, resulting in $30 million in damages. In addition, nearly 60,000 people were left homeless in the period after the storm's passage. During rescue attempts, many coastal defense force ships were either sunk or ran aground due 7.3 m (24 ft) swell produced by Olive. Following the devastation, the Philippines Weather Bureau requested that the name be retired from the World Meteorological Organization's list of Typhoon Names.
China and Hong Kong received heavy rainfall from Olive, causing moderate crop damage, though there were no reported casualties there.
Super Typhoon Shirley
On July 29, a tropical depression formed to the east of northern Luzon. Moving to the northwest, it encountered favorable conditions for development, and rapidly intensified to a Super Typhoon just 48 hours after forming, with an eyewall only wide. Shirley continued to the northwest, and struck northeastern Taiwan as a slightly weaker typhoon on the 31st. The mountainous terrain ripped apart the typhoon's circulation, and after crossing the Formosa Strait it made landfall on southeastern China as a tropical storm. Shirley turned northward while inland, and dissipated on August 2. An unusual feature of the storm was the development of a secondary center while approaching Taiwan.
Shirley's winds and torrential rains devastated Taiwan, overflowing many rivers and trapping thousands. Nearly a foot of rain was reported on the island, causing extensive road and property damage. Little crop damage occurred due to Typhoon Mary destroying much of it months before. In all, Typhoon Shirley caused 104 fatalities, destroyed or damaged 9,890 houses, and left 50,194 people homeless.
Typhoon Trix
Just one week after Shirley hit Taiwan, Typhoon Trix, which weakened from a peak of , hit the northeastern part of the island with winds of . Trix left four more dead and brought more severe flooding to the typhoon-ravaged country.
Typhoon Virginia
Typhoon Virginia struck Shikoku and Honshū island in Japan with winds of . 4 inches of rain fell over most of southern Japan. 2 people were killed and one was injured.
https://metocph.nmci.navy.mil/jtwc/atcr/1960atcr/pdf/chapter6.pdf
Typhoon Carmen
A sharp trough of low pressure organized into a tropical depression on August 16. It moved northward, quickly strengthening to an typhoon. Carmen lost intensity as it continued to the north, and made landfall on South Korea as a tropical storm on the 23rd. The storm brought waves to the Korean peninsula, flooding coastal cities and sinking ships offshore. In all, Carmen caused 24 casualties and $2 million in damage (1960 USD).
Carmen is known for having the largest
eyeThe eye is a region of mostly calm weather found at the center of strong tropical cyclones. The eye of a storm is a roughly circular area and typically 30–65 km in diameter. It is surrounded by the eyewall, a ring of towering thunderstorms where the most severe weather of a cyclone occurs...
of any tropical cyclone in recorded history. Radar data from Okinawa, Japan indicated that it was more than 200 miles (320 km) across.
Typhoon Della
The monsoon trough spawned a tropical storm in the open Western Pacific on August 20. Della moved to the northwest, strengthening to a typhoon on the 22nd before looping to the north-northwest. After peaking at , Della weakened and hit southern Japan as a minimal typhoon. It accelerated to the northeast and became extratropical on the 31st. A landslide on Nishinomiya killed 38 road workers, while another 17 people were killed throughout the country from heavy flooding. Damages from the storm were estimated at $19 million.
Typhoon Elaine
Typhoon Elaine struck Taiwan and dumped of rain on the island. 280 homes were destroyed and 5 people were killed, 3 were left missing.
https://metocph.nmci.navy.mil/jtwc/atcr/1960atcr/pdf/chapter6.pdf
Typhoon Kit
A large circulation over the Western Pacific organized into a tropical depression on October 2. It moved westward, steadily strengthening to a peak of . Kit made landfall on the eastern Philippines at that intensity on the 6th, and quickly crossed the archipelago. It turned to the northwest over the South China Sea, and struck eastern Hainan Island on the 11th. Kit turned to the southwest, and after weakening hit northeastern
VietnamVietnam , 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 to the east...
as a minimal tropical storm on the 13th. Kit dissipated shortly thereafter.
Many small and large boats sank from Kit's 1000+ mile wide circulation, with 149 fishermen missing. In the Philippines, Kit's extensive rainfall caused severe damage to property and transportation damage. Especially damaged was the rice crop, which was effected during the rice harvesting season. In all, Kit caused 149 casualties (with 149 missing) and $3 million in damage. Extensive crop damage occurred as well in China.
Typhoon Lola
Typhoon Lola hit the Philippines just weeks after Kit made landfall, resulting in an additional $15 million in damage, much of it to the rice crop. 58 people were killed from the flooding, and heavy damage occurred to highways and communication systems.
Typhoon Mamie
Typhoon Mamie struck Iwo Jima with winds of then passed to the southeast of Tokyo. No damage was reported.
https://metocph.nmci.navy.mil/jtwc/atcr/1960atcr/pdf/chapter6.pdf
Super Typhoon Ophelia
The most unusual tropical cyclone of the year began its life on November 21 in the open Western Pacific. The depression drifted, first to the west, then to the southeast, then back to the west, varying between a tropical depression and an open trough of low pressure. After a northward turn, it strengthened into a tropical storm on the 27th, and turned back to the southwest. Ophelia turned to a west drift, and under favorable conditions, intensified into a typhoon on the 29th. It continued to strengthen as it crossed over the
Caroline IslandsThe Caroline Islands form a large archipelago of widely scattered islands in the western Pacific Ocean, northeast of New Guinea. Politically they are divided between the Federated States of Micronesia in the eastern part of the group, and Palau at the extreme western end...
, and became a super typhoon on the 30th. A day later it reached a peak of , but a northward turn weakened it to . Ophelia remained a Category 4 typhoon until December 4, when it began accelerating to the northeast over unfavorable conditions. After weakening to a tropical storm on the 6th, Ophelia became extratropical over the Northern Pacific Ocean. As an extratropical storm, it persisted until dissipating south of Alaska on the 8th. Ophelia brought heavy rains to the Caroline Islands, killing 2 and injuring 4. Many of the islands were covered in up to of water, and they experienced severe damage from Ophelia's strong winds. The name Ophelia was retired after this storm. Over the course of Ophelia's life, it traveled 5,000 miles.
1960 Storm Names
The names Lucille and Ophelia were retired after this year.
{|width="90%"
|
- Agnes 29W
- Bess 30W
- Carmen 31W
- Della 32W
- Elaine 33W
- Faye 34W
- Gloria 35W
- Hester 36W
- Irma 38W
- Judy 44W
- Kit 47W
- Lola 48W
- Mamie 50W
- Nina 51W
- Ophelia 53W
- Phyllis 56W
The
1960 Pacific typhoon season had no official bounds; it ran year-round in 1960, but most tropical cyclones tend to form in the northwestern Pacific Ocean between June and December. 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 lineThe International Date Line is an imaginary line on the surface of the Earth opposite the Prime Meridian where the date changes as one travels east or west across it...
. Storms that form east of the date line and north of the equator are called hurricanes; see
1960 Pacific hurricane seasonThe 1950–1965 Pacific hurricane seasons all began on May 15, 1950-65 in the northeast Pacific Ocean and on June 1, 1950-65 in the central Pacific. They ended on November 30, 1950-65...
. Tropical storms formed in the entire west Pacific basin were assigned a name by the
Joint Typhoon Warning CenterThe Joint Typhoon Warning Center is a joint United States Navy – United States Air Force task force located at Naval Maritime Forecast Center in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The JTWC is responsible for the issuing of tropical cyclone warnings in the North West Pacific Ocean, South Pacific Ocean and...
. Tropical depressions in this basin had the "W" suffix added to their number.
Super Typhoon Harriet
On December 30, 145 mph (233 km/h) Typhoon Harriet hit the eastern Philippines. It weakened as it crossed the islands, and dissipated over the South China Sea on January 2. Harriet brought strong winds and rainfall to Luzon, causing considerable property and crop damage. In all, the typhoon killed 5 and left more than 12,000 homeless.
Typhoon Karen
An area of disturbed weather in the Philippine Sea moved westward, and organized into a tropical depression on April 22. It moved northwestward through the
PhilippinesThe Philippines officially known as the Republic of the Philippines, is a country in Southeast Asia with Manila as its capital city. It comprises 7,107 islands in the western Pacific Ocean....
, strengthening quickly to a typhoon on the 24th due to its small size. Karen turned to the northeast, and in spite of favorable conditions, rapidly weakened until dissipation on the 26th. Karen left 56 dead in the Philippines, left 7,000 homeless, and caused $2 million (1960 USD) in crop and property damage.
Tropical Storm Lucille
On May 25, a tropical depression formed to the east of the Philippines, developing simultaneously with another low pressure system to the west. The depression moved to the northwest over the Philippines, and as a northeast turn occurred the 2 merged. The new system strengthened into Tropical Storm Lucille on the 30th, and became extratropical on June 1 as it raced northeastward. The precursor disturbance to Lucille caused flash flooding in
ManilaThe City of Manila , or simply Manila or Maynila, is the capital of the Philippines and one of the 17 cities and municipalities that make up Metro Manila. It is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay, on the western portion of the National Capital Region, in the western side of Luzon...
that killed nearly 300 people.
Typhoon Mary
A trough of low pressure spawned a tropical depression in the
South China SeaThe South China Sea is a marginal sea*south of mainland China and Taiwan,*west of the Philippines,*north west of Sabah , Sarawak and Brunei,*north of Indonesia,*north east of the Malay peninsula and Singapore, and...
on June 3 and moved slowly westward. Favorable conditions allowed it to quickly strengthen into Tropical Storm Mary, and after turning northward it attained typhoon status on the 7th. Mary continued to intensify to a typhoon just before making landfall west of Hong Kong on the 8th. After weakening while moving northeastward over China, the storm restrengthened over the Western Pacific to a typhoon on the 10th. It passed near Okinawa, weakened, and accelerated to the east until it became extratropical on the 13th.
Also known as Bloody Mary, the typhoon was the worst to hit Hong Kong in 23 years (since the worst typhoon on the record of Hong Kong hit on 2 September 1937). Its of rain, mudslides and strong winds caused extreme damage across Hong Kong and southern China, leaving over 100 dead and over 18,000 homeless. The only positive aspect of the storm was its rainfall, which helped end a severe drought to the colony. An additional 1,600 people were killed following more landslides trigged by the remnants of the storm.
In addition to its impact in Hong Kong, Mary brought heavy rains and flooding in
TaiwanTaiwan , also known as Formosa , is the largest island of the Republic of China in East Asia. Taiwan is located east of the Taiwan Strait, off the southeastern coast of mainland China...
, especially in the capital city of
TaipeiTaipei is the largest city in Taiwan and has served as the de facto capital of the Republic of China since the Chinese Civil War in 1949. It is situated on the Danshui River, almost at the northern tip of the island, about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean...
. Moderate crop damage was seen to the rice crop. Four fishermen drowned off the southern coast of the island, but there were no fatalities on the island. Despite its effects, the name Mary was not retired.
Typhoon Olive
On June 23, a tropical depression developed to the east of the Philippines. It entered nearly ideal conditions as it moved to the west-northwest, and, just 42 hours after forming, reached peak intensity of winds. Due to lack of inflow from the archipelago to its west, Olive weakened to a typhoon at the time of its eastern Philippine landfall. It rapidly weakened while crossing to a tropical storm, but restrengthened to a typhoon in the South China Sea. It turned to the west, and struck southern China on the 29th as an typhoon. Olive rapidly weakened over land and the northern
Gulf of TonkinThe Gulf of Tonkin, in Vietnamese: Vịnh Bắc Bộ or in Chinese: Beibu Wan is an arm of the South China Sea. Covering an area of 126,250 km², the gulf borders Vietnam on the northwest, west and southwest. China lies to the north with the Island of Hainan forms the eastern limits of the gulf. The gulf...
, and dissipated on the 30th.
A storm surge of 6-8 feet flooded much of Manila, causing extensive property and transportation damage. Rains, amounting up to 203.2 mm (8 in) triggered flooding and numerous landslides. About 80 percent of the crops in southeast Luzon were destroyed by the flooding and 404 people were killed. At least 32,000 buildings were destroyed by the storm, resulting in $30 million in damages. In addition, nearly 60,000 people were left homeless in the period after the storm's passage. During rescue attempts, many coastal defense force ships were either sunk or ran aground due 7.3 m (24 ft) swell produced by Olive. Following the devastation, the Philippines Weather Bureau requested that the name be retired from the World Meteorological Organization's list of Typhoon Names.
China and Hong Kong received heavy rainfall from Olive, causing moderate crop damage, though there were no reported casualties there.
Super Typhoon Shirley
On July 29, a tropical depression formed to the east of northern Luzon. Moving to the northwest, it encountered favorable conditions for development, and rapidly intensified to a Super Typhoon just 48 hours after forming, with an eyewall only wide. Shirley continued to the northwest, and struck northeastern Taiwan as a slightly weaker typhoon on the 31st. The mountainous terrain ripped apart the typhoon's circulation, and after crossing the Formosa Strait it made landfall on southeastern China as a tropical storm. Shirley turned northward while inland, and dissipated on August 2. An unusual feature of the storm was the development of a secondary center while approaching Taiwan.
Shirley's winds and torrential rains devastated Taiwan, overflowing many rivers and trapping thousands. Nearly a foot of rain was reported on the island, causing extensive road and property damage. Little crop damage occurred due to Typhoon Mary destroying much of it months before. In all, Typhoon Shirley caused 104 fatalities, destroyed or damaged 9,890 houses, and left 50,194 people homeless.
Typhoon Trix
Just one week after Shirley hit Taiwan, Typhoon Trix, which weakened from a peak of , hit the northeastern part of the island with winds of . Trix left four more dead and brought more severe flooding to the typhoon-ravaged country.
Typhoon Virginia
Typhoon Virginia struck Shikoku and Honshū island in Japan with winds of . 4 inches of rain fell over most of southern Japan. 2 people were killed and one was injured.
https://metocph.nmci.navy.mil/jtwc/atcr/1960atcr/pdf/chapter6.pdf
Typhoon Carmen
A sharp trough of low pressure organized into a tropical depression on August 16. It moved northward, quickly strengthening to an typhoon. Carmen lost intensity as it continued to the north, and made landfall on South Korea as a tropical storm on the 23rd. The storm brought waves to the Korean peninsula, flooding coastal cities and sinking ships offshore. In all, Carmen caused 24 casualties and $2 million in damage (1960 USD).
Carmen is known for having the largest
eyeThe eye is a region of mostly calm weather found at the center of strong tropical cyclones. The eye of a storm is a roughly circular area and typically 30–65 km in diameter. It is surrounded by the eyewall, a ring of towering thunderstorms where the most severe weather of a cyclone occurs...
of any tropical cyclone in recorded history. Radar data from Okinawa, Japan indicated that it was more than 200 miles (320 km) across.
Typhoon Della
The monsoon trough spawned a tropical storm in the open Western Pacific on August 20. Della moved to the northwest, strengthening to a typhoon on the 22nd before looping to the north-northwest. After peaking at , Della weakened and hit southern Japan as a minimal typhoon. It accelerated to the northeast and became extratropical on the 31st. A landslide on Nishinomiya killed 38 road workers, while another 17 people were killed throughout the country from heavy flooding. Damages from the storm were estimated at $19 million.
Typhoon Elaine
Typhoon Elaine struck Taiwan and dumped of rain on the island. 280 homes were destroyed and 5 people were killed, 3 were left missing.
https://metocph.nmci.navy.mil/jtwc/atcr/1960atcr/pdf/chapter6.pdf
Typhoon Kit
A large circulation over the Western Pacific organized into a tropical depression on October 2. It moved westward, steadily strengthening to a peak of . Kit made landfall on the eastern Philippines at that intensity on the 6th, and quickly crossed the archipelago. It turned to the northwest over the South China Sea, and struck eastern Hainan Island on the 11th. Kit turned to the southwest, and after weakening hit northeastern
VietnamVietnam , 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 to the east...
as a minimal tropical storm on the 13th. Kit dissipated shortly thereafter.
Many small and large boats sank from Kit's 1000+ mile wide circulation, with 149 fishermen missing. In the Philippines, Kit's extensive rainfall caused severe damage to property and transportation damage. Especially damaged was the rice crop, which was effected during the rice harvesting season. In all, Kit caused 149 casualties (with 149 missing) and $3 million in damage. Extensive crop damage occurred as well in China.
Typhoon Lola
Typhoon Lola hit the Philippines just weeks after Kit made landfall, resulting in an additional $15 million in damage, much of it to the rice crop. 58 people were killed from the flooding, and heavy damage occurred to highways and communication systems.
Typhoon Mamie
Typhoon Mamie struck Iwo Jima with winds of then passed to the southeast of Tokyo. No damage was reported.
https://metocph.nmci.navy.mil/jtwc/atcr/1960atcr/pdf/chapter6.pdf
Super Typhoon Ophelia
The most unusual tropical cyclone of the year began its life on November 21 in the open Western Pacific. The depression drifted, first to the west, then to the southeast, then back to the west, varying between a tropical depression and an open trough of low pressure. After a northward turn, it strengthened into a tropical storm on the 27th, and turned back to the southwest. Ophelia turned to a west drift, and under favorable conditions, intensified into a typhoon on the 29th. It continued to strengthen as it crossed over the
Caroline IslandsThe Caroline Islands form a large archipelago of widely scattered islands in the western Pacific Ocean, northeast of New Guinea. Politically they are divided between the Federated States of Micronesia in the eastern part of the group, and Palau at the extreme western end...
, and became a super typhoon on the 30th. A day later it reached a peak of , but a northward turn weakened it to . Ophelia remained a Category 4 typhoon until December 4, when it began accelerating to the northeast over unfavorable conditions. After weakening to a tropical storm on the 6th, Ophelia became extratropical over the Northern Pacific Ocean. As an extratropical storm, it persisted until dissipating south of Alaska on the 8th. Ophelia brought heavy rains to the Caroline Islands, killing 2 and injuring 4. Many of the islands were covered in up to of water, and they experienced severe damage from Ophelia's strong winds. The name Ophelia was retired after this storm. Over the course of Ophelia's life, it traveled 5,000 miles.
1960 Storm Names
The names Lucille and Ophelia were retired after this year.
{|width="90%"
|
- Agnes 29W
- Bess 30W
- Carmen 31W
- Della 32W
- Elaine 33W
- Faye 34W
- Gloria 35W
- Hester 36W
- Irma 38W
- Judy 44W
- Kit 47W
- Lola 48W
- Mamie 50W
- Nina 51W
- Ophelia 53W
- Phyllis 56W
The
1960 Pacific typhoon season had no official bounds; it ran year-round in 1960, but most tropical cyclones tend to form in the northwestern Pacific Ocean between June and December. 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 lineThe International Date Line is an imaginary line on the surface of the Earth opposite the Prime Meridian where the date changes as one travels east or west across it...
. Storms that form east of the date line and north of the equator are called hurricanes; see
1960 Pacific hurricane seasonThe 1950–1965 Pacific hurricane seasons all began on May 15, 1950-65 in the northeast Pacific Ocean and on June 1, 1950-65 in the central Pacific. They ended on November 30, 1950-65...
. Tropical storms formed in the entire west Pacific basin were assigned a name by the
Joint Typhoon Warning CenterThe Joint Typhoon Warning Center is a joint United States Navy – United States Air Force task force located at Naval Maritime Forecast Center in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The JTWC is responsible for the issuing of tropical cyclone warnings in the North West Pacific Ocean, South Pacific Ocean and...
. Tropical depressions in this basin had the "W" suffix added to their number.
Super Typhoon Harriet
On December 30, 145 mph (233 km/h) Typhoon Harriet hit the eastern Philippines. It weakened as it crossed the islands, and dissipated over the South China Sea on January 2. Harriet brought strong winds and rainfall to Luzon, causing considerable property and crop damage. In all, the typhoon killed 5 and left more than 12,000 homeless.
Typhoon Karen
An area of disturbed weather in the Philippine Sea moved westward, and organized into a tropical depression on April 22. It moved northwestward through the
PhilippinesThe Philippines officially known as the Republic of the Philippines, is a country in Southeast Asia with Manila as its capital city. It comprises 7,107 islands in the western Pacific Ocean....
, strengthening quickly to a typhoon on the 24th due to its small size. Karen turned to the northeast, and in spite of favorable conditions, rapidly weakened until dissipation on the 26th. Karen left 56 dead in the Philippines, left 7,000 homeless, and caused $2 million (1960 USD) in crop and property damage.
Tropical Storm Lucille
On May 25, a tropical depression formed to the east of the Philippines, developing simultaneously with another low pressure system to the west. The depression moved to the northwest over the Philippines, and as a northeast turn occurred the 2 merged. The new system strengthened into Tropical Storm Lucille on the 30th, and became extratropical on June 1 as it raced northeastward. The precursor disturbance to Lucille caused flash flooding in
ManilaThe City of Manila , or simply Manila or Maynila, is the capital of the Philippines and one of the 17 cities and municipalities that make up Metro Manila. It is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay, on the western portion of the National Capital Region, in the western side of Luzon...
that killed nearly 300 people.
Typhoon Mary
A trough of low pressure spawned a tropical depression in the
South China SeaThe South China Sea is a marginal sea*south of mainland China and Taiwan,*west of the Philippines,*north west of Sabah , Sarawak and Brunei,*north of Indonesia,*north east of the Malay peninsula and Singapore, and...
on June 3 and moved slowly westward. Favorable conditions allowed it to quickly strengthen into Tropical Storm Mary, and after turning northward it attained typhoon status on the 7th. Mary continued to intensify to a typhoon just before making landfall west of Hong Kong on the 8th. After weakening while moving northeastward over China, the storm restrengthened over the Western Pacific to a typhoon on the 10th. It passed near Okinawa, weakened, and accelerated to the east until it became extratropical on the 13th.
Also known as Bloody Mary, the typhoon was the worst to hit Hong Kong in 23 years (since the worst typhoon on the record of Hong Kong hit on 2 September 1937). Its of rain, mudslides and strong winds caused extreme damage across Hong Kong and southern China, leaving over 100 dead and over 18,000 homeless. The only positive aspect of the storm was its rainfall, which helped end a severe drought to the colony. An additional 1,600 people were killed following more landslides trigged by the remnants of the storm.
In addition to its impact in Hong Kong, Mary brought heavy rains and flooding in
TaiwanTaiwan , also known as Formosa , is the largest island of the Republic of China in East Asia. Taiwan is located east of the Taiwan Strait, off the southeastern coast of mainland China...
, especially in the capital city of
TaipeiTaipei is the largest city in Taiwan and has served as the de facto capital of the Republic of China since the Chinese Civil War in 1949. It is situated on the Danshui River, almost at the northern tip of the island, about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean...
. Moderate crop damage was seen to the rice crop. Four fishermen drowned off the southern coast of the island, but there were no fatalities on the island. Despite its effects, the name Mary was not retired.
Typhoon Olive
On June 23, a tropical depression developed to the east of the Philippines. It entered nearly ideal conditions as it moved to the west-northwest, and, just 42 hours after forming, reached peak intensity of winds. Due to lack of inflow from the archipelago to its west, Olive weakened to a typhoon at the time of its eastern Philippine landfall. It rapidly weakened while crossing to a tropical storm, but restrengthened to a typhoon in the South China Sea. It turned to the west, and struck southern China on the 29th as an typhoon. Olive rapidly weakened over land and the northern
Gulf of TonkinThe Gulf of Tonkin, in Vietnamese: Vịnh Bắc Bộ or in Chinese: Beibu Wan is an arm of the South China Sea. Covering an area of 126,250 km², the gulf borders Vietnam on the northwest, west and southwest. China lies to the north with the Island of Hainan forms the eastern limits of the gulf. The gulf...
, and dissipated on the 30th.
A storm surge of 6-8 feet flooded much of Manila, causing extensive property and transportation damage. Rains, amounting up to 203.2 mm (8 in) triggered flooding and numerous landslides. About 80 percent of the crops in southeast Luzon were destroyed by the flooding and 404 people were killed. At least 32,000 buildings were destroyed by the storm, resulting in $30 million in damages. In addition, nearly 60,000 people were left homeless in the period after the storm's passage. During rescue attempts, many coastal defense force ships were either sunk or ran aground due 7.3 m (24 ft) swell produced by Olive. Following the devastation, the Philippines Weather Bureau requested that the name be retired from the World Meteorological Organization's list of Typhoon Names.
China and Hong Kong received heavy rainfall from Olive, causing moderate crop damage, though there were no reported casualties there.
Super Typhoon Shirley
On July 29, a tropical depression formed to the east of northern Luzon. Moving to the northwest, it encountered favorable conditions for development, and rapidly intensified to a Super Typhoon just 48 hours after forming, with an eyewall only wide. Shirley continued to the northwest, and struck northeastern Taiwan as a slightly weaker typhoon on the 31st. The mountainous terrain ripped apart the typhoon's circulation, and after crossing the Formosa Strait it made landfall on southeastern China as a tropical storm. Shirley turned northward while inland, and dissipated on August 2. An unusual feature of the storm was the development of a secondary center while approaching Taiwan.
Shirley's winds and torrential rains devastated Taiwan, overflowing many rivers and trapping thousands. Nearly a foot of rain was reported on the island, causing extensive road and property damage. Little crop damage occurred due to Typhoon Mary destroying much of it months before. In all, Typhoon Shirley caused 104 fatalities, destroyed or damaged 9,890 houses, and left 50,194 people homeless.
Typhoon Trix
Just one week after Shirley hit Taiwan, Typhoon Trix, which weakened from a peak of , hit the northeastern part of the island with winds of . Trix left four more dead and brought more severe flooding to the typhoon-ravaged country.
Typhoon Virginia
Typhoon Virginia struck Shikoku and Honshū island in Japan with winds of . 4 inches of rain fell over most of southern Japan. 2 people were killed and one was injured.
https://metocph.nmci.navy.mil/jtwc/atcr/1960atcr/pdf/chapter6.pdf
Typhoon Carmen
A sharp trough of low pressure organized into a tropical depression on August 16. It moved northward, quickly strengthening to an typhoon. Carmen lost intensity as it continued to the north, and made landfall on South Korea as a tropical storm on the 23rd. The storm brought waves to the Korean peninsula, flooding coastal cities and sinking ships offshore. In all, Carmen caused 24 casualties and $2 million in damage (1960 USD).
Carmen is known for having the largest
eyeThe eye is a region of mostly calm weather found at the center of strong tropical cyclones. The eye of a storm is a roughly circular area and typically 30–65 km in diameter. It is surrounded by the eyewall, a ring of towering thunderstorms where the most severe weather of a cyclone occurs...
of any tropical cyclone in recorded history. Radar data from Okinawa, Japan indicated that it was more than 200 miles (320 km) across.
Typhoon Della
The monsoon trough spawned a tropical storm in the open Western Pacific on August 20. Della moved to the northwest, strengthening to a typhoon on the 22nd before looping to the north-northwest. After peaking at , Della weakened and hit southern Japan as a minimal typhoon. It accelerated to the northeast and became extratropical on the 31st. A landslide on Nishinomiya killed 38 road workers, while another 17 people were killed throughout the country from heavy flooding. Damages from the storm were estimated at $19 million.
Typhoon Elaine
Typhoon Elaine struck Taiwan and dumped of rain on the island. 280 homes were destroyed and 5 people were killed, 3 were left missing.
https://metocph.nmci.navy.mil/jtwc/atcr/1960atcr/pdf/chapter6.pdf
Typhoon Kit
A large circulation over the Western Pacific organized into a tropical depression on October 2. It moved westward, steadily strengthening to a peak of . Kit made landfall on the eastern Philippines at that intensity on the 6th, and quickly crossed the archipelago. It turned to the northwest over the South China Sea, and struck eastern Hainan Island on the 11th. Kit turned to the southwest, and after weakening hit northeastern
VietnamVietnam , 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 to the east...
as a minimal tropical storm on the 13th. Kit dissipated shortly thereafter.
Many small and large boats sank from Kit's 1000+ mile wide circulation, with 149 fishermen missing. In the Philippines, Kit's extensive rainfall caused severe damage to property and transportation damage. Especially damaged was the rice crop, which was effected during the rice harvesting season. In all, Kit caused 149 casualties (with 149 missing) and $3 million in damage. Extensive crop damage occurred as well in China.
Typhoon Lola
Typhoon Lola hit the Philippines just weeks after Kit made landfall, resulting in an additional $15 million in damage, much of it to the rice crop. 58 people were killed from the flooding, and heavy damage occurred to highways and communication systems.
Typhoon Mamie
Typhoon Mamie struck Iwo Jima with winds of then passed to the southeast of Tokyo. No damage was reported.
https://metocph.nmci.navy.mil/jtwc/atcr/1960atcr/pdf/chapter6.pdf
Super Typhoon Ophelia
The most unusual tropical cyclone of the year began its life on November 21 in the open Western Pacific. The depression drifted, first to the west, then to the southeast, then back to the west, varying between a tropical depression and an open trough of low pressure. After a northward turn, it strengthened into a tropical storm on the 27th, and turned back to the southwest. Ophelia turned to a west drift, and under favorable conditions, intensified into a typhoon on the 29th. It continued to strengthen as it crossed over the
Caroline IslandsThe Caroline Islands form a large archipelago of widely scattered islands in the western Pacific Ocean, northeast of New Guinea. Politically they are divided between the Federated States of Micronesia in the eastern part of the group, and Palau at the extreme western end...
, and became a super typhoon on the 30th. A day later it reached a peak of , but a northward turn weakened it to . Ophelia remained a Category 4 typhoon until December 4, when it began accelerating to the northeast over unfavorable conditions. After weakening to a tropical storm on the 6th, Ophelia became extratropical over the Northern Pacific Ocean. As an extratropical storm, it persisted until dissipating south of Alaska on the 8th. Ophelia brought heavy rains to the Caroline Islands, killing 2 and injuring 4. Many of the islands were covered in up to of water, and they experienced severe damage from Ophelia's strong winds. The name Ophelia was retired after this storm. Over the course of Ophelia's life, it traveled 5,000 miles.
1960 Storm Names
The names Lucille and Ophelia were retired after this year.
{|width="90%"
|
- Agnes 29W
- Bess 30W
- Carmen 31W
- Della 32W
- Elaine 33W
- Faye 34W
- Gloria 35W
- Hester 36W
- Irma 38W
- Judy 44W
- Kit 47W
- Lola 48W
- Mamie 50W
- Nina 51W
- Ophelia 53W
- Phyllis 56W
-
Rita
-
Susan
-
Tess
-
Viola
-
Winnie
|
-
Alice
-
Betty
-
Cora
-
Doris
-
Elsie
-
Flossie
-
Grace
-
Helen
-
Ida
-
June
-
Kathy
-
Lorna
-
Marie
-
Nancy
-
Olga
-
Pamela
-
Ruby
-
Sally
-
Tilda
-
Violet
-
Wilda
|
-
Anita
-
Billie
-
Clara
-
Dot
-
Ellen
-
Fran
-
Georgia
-
Hope
-
Iris
-
Joan
-
Kate
-
Louise
-
Marge
-
Nora
-
Opal
-
Patsy
-
Ruth
-
Sarah
-
Thelma
-
Vera
-
Wanda
|
-
Amy
-
Babs
-
Charlotte
-
Dinah
-
Emma
-
Freda
-
Gilda
-
Harriet
- Ivy 2W
- Jean 3W
- Karen 6W
- Lucille 7W
- Mary 8W
- Nadine 9W
- Olive 12W
- Polly 19W
- Rose 21W
- Shirley 22W
- Trix 24W
- Virginia 27W
- Wendy 28W
|}
External links