1953 Pacific typhoon season
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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 1953 Pacific hurricane season. Tropical Storms formed in the entire west Pacific basin were assigned a name by the Fleet Weather Center on Guam.
Season summary
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Systems
24 tropical depressions formed this year in the Western Pacific. 17 storms reached typhoon intensity, and 5 reached super typhoon strength.
Typhoon Irma
Irma formed on February 18, just near the International Date Line. The storm moved west over the following days, slowly increasing its speed before reaching its peak intensity on February 23. The storm quickly lost speed, then made landfall over the Visayas archipelago of the Philippines. On February 25, the storm dissipated just near the province of Iloilo.
Typhoon Judy
Judy formed on May 28, to the east of the Philippines. The next day, the storm started moving west, then later moving northwest. Over the following days, the storm moved northwest, albeit curving. On June 4, the typhoon hit the Philippines, reaching its peak intensity in Luzon. The storm later curved north, skirting Taiwan. The storm started losing speed, then increased speed on June 6. The storm later curved north, directly hitting Japan. Later dissipating the next day. Judy damaged multiple areas in Japan, causing 37 deaths, 56 injuries, and leaving 17 people missing. The storm also destroyed 1802 houses, inundated another 33 thousand, and damaged 139 ships.
Tropical Storm 04W
04W formed on June 21. The storm moved northwest, making landfall in the Philippines on June 25, reaching its peak intensity. On June 26, the storm quickly curved north and then quickly moved south the same day. A few days later, the storm made landfall in Hainan and later Mainland China.
Super Typhoon Kit
On June 25, Kit formed just south of the Philippines. Over the following days, the storm traverses west, then later northwest, having peak intensity on June 29. Kit later starts decreasing speed on July 1, then made landfall in Taiwan on July 3. The next day, Kit settles in China, curving north. The storm stayed in China over the following days, then made landfall on the Korea peninsula on July 5. The storm later makes landfall in Japan on July 7, then dissipated the following day. Because of the storm, strong winds were recorded in Batanes, with widespread precipitation. Other than rain, Kit destroyed a ship and damaged another.
Typhoon Lola
On July 23, Lola spawned southeast of Japan. The typhoon curved northwest before differing between north and west. The storm then drifted north before curving northeast and dissipating shortly after on August 3.
Typhoon Mamie
Mamie formed east of the Philippines on July 30. It moved east and reached peak intensity on August 1.
Super Typhoon Nina
Nina was a major storm. On August 8, Nina formed near Micronesia. Over the following days, the storm traveled northwest, reaching peak intensity on August 13. It later made landfall in China as a Category 4 tropical cyclone.
After landfall, Nina curved north. The storm turned into an extratropical cyclone, and made landfall in Japan on August 20.
Tropical Storm 09W
09W formed west of the Philippines on August 9. It traveled northwest, and hit China as a tropical storm on August 11.
Typhoon Ophelia
Ophelia hit China and Vietnam.
Typhoon Phyllis
Phyllis hit China as a tropical storm.
Typhoon Rita
Rita hit China as a tropical storm.
Tropical Storm 13W
13W existed from August 26 to August 29. It stayed out at sea without making landfall.
Typhoon Susan
Susan hit Hong Kong as a Category 3 typhoon.
Super Typhoon Tess
Typhoon Tess formed in the eastern Caroline Islands on September 16. The cyclone moved northwest over the following days, remained relatively weak until around the September 21, but on the 22nd it strengthened rapidly, with a wind speed of 135 mph (217 km/h) recorded in the US.
The pressure of Typhoon Tess was 993 millibars (29.3 inHg) at 9:00 (JST) on the same day and dropped to 900mb at 15:00 JST. This pressure drop corresponds to the largest of Pacific typhoons since 1951. Over the following days, Tess weakened, moving northeast. Tess finally crossed the Shima Peninsula and made landfall to Aichi Prefecture on the September 25, then swerving at the last hour, barely missing Tokyo. The storm then weakened into an extratropical cyclone on September 27 and dissipated on September 29, just south of the Korean Peninsula. During the storm, 393 people were killed and 85 were missing.
Tropical Storm 16W
16W hit China as a tropical storm.
JMA Tropical Storm 15
The strom formed on October 1. It moved northwest, and later northeast, while strengthening into a tropical storm.
Typhoon Viola
Viola formed on October 3 in the South China Sea. It later moved east and strengthened into a Category 3 typhoon. Viola turned extratropical on October 8.
Typhoon Winnie
Winnie was a Category 1 typhoon that didn't affect land.
Typhoon Alice
The Fleet Weather Central (FWC) and the Central Meteorological Observatory (CMO) began tracking a system west of the Marshall Islands on October 11. It slowly strengthened while moving west-northwest, slowing near Guam. After October 15, Alice turned northwest, intensifying further. It reached peak intensity near Iwo Jima on October 19 at 100 knots (though stronger winds near the eye were likely unobserved). Alice then weakened into a tropical storm, turning east and accelerating away from Japan. By October 22, near the International Date Line (IDL), it weakened to 35 knots. The CMO declared it extratropical six hours later as it crossed the IDL. The cyclone restrengthened to 60 knots by October 23, when the FWC ceased tracking.
Typhoon Betty
Betty hit China and then took an unusual track; going from west to east.
Typhoon Cora
Cora crossed the northern Philippines and hit its peak strength, then rapidly weakened and dissipated.
Tropical Storm 22W
22W existed from November 25 to November 29. It didn't affect land.
Tropical Storm 23W
23W was a short lived tropical storm. It existed from November 28 to December 3.
Super Typhoon Doris
A rare late-season Super Typhoon. Doris did not affect land, but caused nine fatalities when a USAF PB4Y-2 disappeared during a flight into the typhoon.