List of Pacific typhoons before 1900
This article documents Pacific typhoon seasons that occurred during the early 20th century and earlier.
The list is very incomplete; information on early typhoon seasons is patchy and relies heavily on individual observations of travellers and ships. There were no comprehensive records kept by a central organisation at this early time.
Meteorology
Tropical cyclones tend to form in the northwestern Pacific Ocean between May and November.[1] 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 in Oceania and East Asia.
Storms that form in the Pacific east of the date line and north of the equator in Oceania, North America, Central America, and northwestern South America are called Pacific hurricanes. Storms that form in the Pacific south of the equator in southern Oceania, Southeast Maritime Asia, and western South America are called South Pacific tropical cyclones.
Historical typhoons
1281
- Kamikaze
In Japanese legend the Kamikaze (divine wind) typhoon destroyed the 2,200 ships of the Mongol emperor Kublai Khan, that were in Hakata Bay for attempting an invasion of Japan. Legends tells of 45,000 to 56,000 Mongol and Korean casualties from the typhoon.[2]
1820s
1824-1825
Two typhoons were recorded during this typhoon season, both at Okinawa in the Ryukyu Islands.[3]
1826
- Typhoon at Okinawa
This typhoon at Okinawa caused 30 deaths and destroyed thousands of houses. Over 100 fishing boats were lost and 2,200 people died in the subsequent famine.[3]
1828
- Nagasaki typhoon
A typhoon hit Nagasaki causing an estimated 14,429 deaths on the shore of the Ariake Sea. This was the highest death toll from any typhoon in Japanese history.[2] The German physician Philipp Franz von Siebold was present during this storm and succeeded in taking barometric pressure readings around Nagasaki at the risk of drowning. The storm was formerly named after him.[4]
1835
- Typhoon at Yaeyama
Typhoon recorded at Yaeyama in the Ryukyu Islands.[5]
1844
- Typhoon at Miyako
A typhoon hit Miyako in the Ryukyu Islands. Over 2,000 houses were destroyed.[5]
1850s
1852
- Typhoon at Miyako
Typhoon recorded at Miyako in the Ryukyu Islands. Miyako was also hit by a tsunami (tidal wave). 3,000 people died in the subsequent famine and disease.[5]
1853
On 17 July, ships near Okinawa reported falling pressure and increasing winds, a sign of an approaching storm. During the subsequent days, swells became stronger as the storm moved toward northeastern China. On 22 July, the barometer aboard USS Supply subsided to 28.74 inHg (973 mbar), and winds increased to force-10. The winds split the inner jib and the foresail of the British schooner Eament. The storm stalled off the east coast of China, and when the Eament encountered the eye, it reported a barometric pressure of 28.14 inHg (953 mbar). Turning back east, the storm moved through the Ryukyu Islands. The ship-based observations suggest a spatially enormous, slow moving tropical storm (or typhoon) in the East China Sea, and force-6 winds continued to be reported through 31 July.
1854
Typhoons were recorded at Okinawa in 1854.[5][6]
1890s
1894
A tropical storm was first reported on October 1, which quickly moved westward across the Philippine archipelago. It moved northwestward through the South China Sea and slowed its forward motion. Over 27 hours, the system brought gale-force winds to Hong Kong, the longest duration as of 1955, due to the storm's slow movement and landfall on southern China on October 5. The storm also dropped 279.9 mm (11.02 in) of rainfall over 24 hours, making it the wettest storm in Hong Kong as of 1955. On the next day, the storm dissipated after turning to the northeast.[7][8]
1896
A tropical cyclone was observed on July 26 to the east of the Philippines. The system moved quickly to the northwest, crossing extreme northern Luzon island on July 28. On the next day, the storm struck southeastern China near Hong Kong, dissipating on July 30.[9] At Hong Kong, where the storm produced winds of 128 km/h (79 mph) continuously for one hour, which was the highest hourly wind speed there as of 1955.[7]
1899
- April + May
On April 23 a tropical storm was reported southeast of Guam. It moved northwest and passed very close to Guam before moving to the north. It dissipated on April 28.[10]
On May 18 a typhoon appeared to the east of Visayan Islands and moved inland on May 21. After crossing over into the South China Sea the storm moved northward. It passed through the Taiwan Strait between the 26 and 27 of May. On May 28 the storm was pushed out to sea by an advancing cold front and absorbed on May 29.[10][11]
- June + July
On June 27 a typhoon was detected to the southeast of Manila. It passed to the south through central Luzon island during June 28th. It continued northwest and made landfall on the island of Hainan (China) on July 1. The storm later dissipated inland near the borders of Vietnam and China on July 3rd.[12] There is some indication of damage at Sambonya, with a passing of a steamer noting all the buildings being nearly destroyed with few people seen.[13]
On July 2 a typhoon was spotted to the south of Okinawa Islands. It moved north over the following days, reaching violent intensities, it brushed past the islands to the east on July 6 and 7. It continued north reaching Japan by July 8, briefly moved into the Sea of Japan, and dissipated on the Korean Peninsula on July 10. A minimal pressure of 956 millibars was recorded at Oshima.[10]
See also
- Atlantic hurricane seasons
- Pacific hurricane seasons
- Pre-1900 Pacific hurricane seasons
- Tropical cyclone seasons
References
- ↑ Padgett, Gary; John Wallace; Kevin Boyle; Simon Clarke (2003-08-17). "GARY PADGETT'S MONTHLY GLOBAL TROPICAL CYCLONE SUMMARY: May 2003". Typhoon2000.ph. David Michael V. Padua. Retrieved 2007-01-15.
- 1 2 Longshore, page 125
- 1 2 Kerr, page 241
- ↑ Longshore, pages 404-405
- 1 2 3 4 Kerr, page 242
- ↑ Redfield, pages 337-342
- 1 2 Jean Kan Hsieh; Chiao-min Hsieh (September 1955). Typhoons on the Southeastern Coast of China and Formosa (PDF) (Report). Massachusetts Institute of Technology. p. 42. Retrieved August 16, 2016.
- ↑ http://atms.unca.edu/ibtracs/ibtracs_v03r04/browse-ibtracs/index.php?name=v03r04-1894275N14132
- ↑ http://atms.unca.edu/ibtracs/ibtracs_v03r04/browse-ibtracs/index.php?name=v03r04-1896209N14135
- 1 2 3 R. García-Herrera; P. Ribera; E. Hernández; L. Gimeno (2010). The Selga Chronology Part I: 1348-1900. Typhoons in the Philippine Islands 1566-1900 (Report). JGR - Atmospheres. Retrieved 2014-07-27.
- ↑ National Climatic Data Center (2013). "1899 MISSING (1899144N15116) IBTrACS File". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 27 July 2014.
- ↑ National Climatic Data Center (2013). "1899 MISSING (1899180N16115) IBTrACS File". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 27 July 2014.
- ↑ "Arrival of a Japanese Steamer at Thursday Island". Queensland Times. 1899-07-13. Retrieved 2014-07-28.
Bibliography
- Allaby, Michael; Garratt, Richard; Hurricanes, Infobase Publishing, 2003 ISBN 0816047952.
- Kerr, George, Okinawa: The History of an Island People, Tuttle Publishing, 2000 ISBN 0804820872.
- Longshore, David Encyclopedia of Hurricanes, Typhoons, and Cyclones, page 125, Infobase Publishing, 2009 ISBN 1438118791.
- Redfield, William C., 1856:
- Commodore Matthew Calbraith Perry, USN, and Francis Lister Hawks, DD, LLD, Eds., Vol II, United States Senate Executive Document No. 79 (33rd Congress, 2nd Session), 333-359.