 Tip at its record peak intensity on October 12 | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | October 4, 1979 |
| Extratropical | October 19, 1979 |
| Dissipated | October 24, 1979 |
| Violent typhoon | |
| 10-minute sustained (JMA) | |
| Highest winds | 260 km/h (160 mph) |
| Lowest pressure | 870hPa (mbar); 25.69 inHg (Record lowest globally) |
| Category 5-equivalent super typhoon | |
| 1-minute sustained (SSHWS/JTWC) | |
| Highest winds | 305 km/h (190 mph) |
| Lowest pressure | 870hPa (mbar); 25.69 inHg (Record lowest globally) |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 99 |
| Damage | $484 million (1979USD) |
| Areas affected | Caroline Islands,Philippines,Korean Peninsula,Japan,Northeast China,Russian Far East,Alaska |
IBTrACS | |
Part of the1979 Pacific typhoon season | |
Typhoon Tip, known in the Philippines asSuper Typhoon Warling, was the largest and the most intensetropical cyclone ever recorded globally. The forty-third tropical depression, nineteenthtropical storm, twelfthtyphoon, and thirdsuper typhoon of the1979 Pacific typhoon season, Tip developed out of a disturbance within themonsoon trough on October 4 nearPohnpei in Micronesia. Initially,Tropical Storm Roger to the northwest hindered the development and motion of the system, although after the storm tracked farther north, Tip was able to intensify due to more favorable conditions within the region. After passingGuam, Tiprapidly intensified and reached peak sustained winds of 305 km/h (190 mph)[nb 1] and a worldwide record-lowsea-level pressure of 870 hPa (25.69 inHg) on October 12. At its peak, Tip was the largest tropical cyclone on record, with a windfield diameter of 2,220 km (1,380 mi). The system slowly weakened as it continued west-northwestward and later turned to the northeast, in response to an approachingtrough. After its approach, Tip madelandfall in southern Japan on October 19, and became anextratropical cyclone shortly after its landfall. The system's extratropical remnants continued moving east-northeastward, until they dissipated near theAleutian Islands on October 24.
U.S. Air Force aircraft flew approximately 60 weather reconnaissance missions into the storm, making Tip one of the most closely observed tropical cyclones.[1] Rainfall from the storm indirectly led to a fire that killed 13 United States Marines and injured 68 atCombined Arms Training Center, Camp Fuji in theShizuoka Prefecture of Japan.[2] Elsewhere in the country, the typhoon also caused widespread flooding and 42 deaths; offshore shipwrecks left 44 people killed or missing.
Extratropical cyclone, remnant low, tropical disturbance, or monsoon depressionAt the end of September 1979, three circulations developed within themonsoon trough that extended from thePhilippines to theMarshall Islands. The westernmost disturbance developed into a tropical depression on October 1, to the west ofLuzon, which would later becomeTyphoon Sarah on October 7.[3] On October 3, the disturbance southwest ofGuam developed intoTropical Storm Roger, and later on the same day, a third tropical disturbance that would later become Typhoon Tip formed south ofPohnpei. Strong flow from across theequator was drawn into Roger's wind circulation, initially preventing significantdevelopment of the precursor disturbance to Tip. Despite the unfavorable air pattern, the tropical disturbance gradually organized as it moved westward. Due to the large-scale circulation pattern of Tropical Storm Roger, Tip's precursor moved erratically and slowly executed a cyclonic loop to the southeast ofChuuk. Areconnaissance aircraft flight into the system late on October 4 confirmed the existence of a closed low-level circulation, and early on October 5, theJoint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) issued its first warning on Tropical Depression Twenty-Three-W.[1]
| Cyclone | Season | Basin | Pressure | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| hPa | inHg | ||||
| 1 | Tip | 1979 | W. Pacific | 870 | 25.7 |
| 2 | Patricia | 2015 | E. Pacific | 872 | 25.7 |
| 3 | June | 1975 | W. Pacific | 875 | 25.8 |
| Nora | 1973 | ||||
| 5 | Forrest | 1983 | 876[4] | 25.9 | |
| 6 | Ida | 1958 | 877 | 25.9 | |
| 7 | Rita | 1978 | 878 | 26.0 | |
| 8 | Kit | 1966 | 880 | 26.0 | |
| Vanessa | 1984 | ||||
| 10 | Nancy | 1961 | 882 | 26.4 | |
| Wilma | 2005 | Atlantic | |||
| Source: JMA Typhoon Best Track Analysis.[5] National Hurricane Center Tropical Cyclone Reports.[6][7] | |||||
While executing another loop near Chuuk, the tropical depression intensified into Tropical Storm Tip, though the storm failed to organize significantly due to the influence of Tropical Storm Roger. Reconnaissance aircraft provided the track of the surface circulation, since satellite imagery estimated the center was about 60 km (37 mi) from its true position. After drifting erratically for several days, Tip began a steady northwest motion on October 8. By that time, Tropical Storm Roger had become anextratropical cyclone, resulting in the southerly flow to be entrained into Tip. An area of atropical upper tropospheric trough moved north of Guam at the time, providing an excellentoutflow channel north of Tip. Initially, Tip was predicted to continue northwestward and makelandfall on Guam, though instead, it turned to the west early on October 9, passing about 45 km (28 mi) south of Guam. Later that day, Tip intensified to attain typhoon status.[1]
Owing to very favorable conditions for development, Typhoon Tiprapidly intensified over the open waters of the westernPacific Ocean. Late on October 10, Tip attained wind speeds equal to Category 4 strength on theSaffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale (SSHS), and it became asuper typhoon on the next day. The centralpressure dropped by 92 hPa (2.72 inHg) from October 9 to 11, during which the circulation pattern of Typhoon Tip expanded to a record diameter of 2,220 km (1,380 mi). Tip continued to intensify further, becoming aCategory 5-equivalent super typhoon, and early on October 12, reconnaissance aircraft recorded a worldwide record-low pressure of 870 mbar (870.0 hPa; 25.69 inHg) with 1-minute sustained winds of 305 km/h (190 mph), when Tip was located about 840 km (520 mi) west-northwest of Guam.[1] In its best track, theJapan Meteorological Agency listed Tip as peaking with 10-minute sustained winds of 160 mph (260 km/h).[8] At the time of its peak strength, itseye was 15 km (9.3 mi) wide.[1] Tip crossed the135th meridian east on the afternoon of October 13, prompting thePAGASA to issue warnings on Typhoon Tip, assigning it the local nameWarling.[1][9]
After peaking in intensity, Tip weakened to 230 km/h (145 mph) and remained at that intensity for several days, as it continued west-northwestward. For five days after its peak strength, the average radius of winds stronger than 55 km/h (35 mph) extended over 1,100 km (684 mi). On October 17, Tip began to weaken steadily and decrease in size, recurving northeastward under the influence of a mid-leveltrough the next day. After passing about 65 km (40 mi) east ofOkinawa, the typhoon accelerated to 75 km/h (45 mph). Tip made landfall on the Japanese island ofHonshū with winds of about 130 km/h (80 mph) on October 19. It continued rapidly northeastward through the country and became an extratropical cyclone over northernHonshū a few hours after moving ashore.[1] The extratropical remnant of Tip proceeded east-northeastward and gradually weakened, crossing theInternational Date Line on October 22. The storm was last observed near theAleutian Islands ofAlaska on October 24.[8]
The typhoon produced heavy rainfall early in its lifetime while passing near Guam, including a total of 231 mm (9.1 in) atAndersen Air Force Base.[1] Gusts of 125 km/h (80 mph) were measured during October 9 at theNaval Base Guam, as the center of the storm was positioned 70 km (43 mi) south ofAgana. Tip caused a total loss of nearlyUS$1.6 million (1979 USD, US$6.93 million in 2024) across Guam.[10] The outerrainbands of the large circulation of Tip produced moderate rainfall in the mountainous regions of the Philippine islands ofLuzon andVisayas.[11]
Heavy rainfall from the typhoon breached a flood-retaining wall atCamp Fuji, a training facility for theUnited States Marine Corps nearYokosuka.[12] Marines inside the camp weathered the storm inside huts situated at the base of a hill which housed a fuel farm. The breach led to hoses being dislodged from two rubber storage bladders, releasing large quantities of fuel. The fuel flowed down the hill and was ignited by a heater used to warm one of the huts.[13][14][15] The resultant fire killed 13 Marines, injured 68,[1] and caused moderate damage to the facility. The facility's barracks were destroyed,[12] along with fifteen huts and several other structures.[13][16] The barracks were rebuilt,[12] and a memorial was established for those who lost their lives in the fire.[13]
During recurvature, Typhoon Tip passed about 65 km (40 mi) east ofOkinawa. Sustained winds reached 72 km/h (45 mph), with gusts to 112 km/h (70 mph). Sustained wind velocities in Japan are not known, though they were estimated at minimal typhoon strength. The passage of the typhoon through the region resulted in millions of dollars in damage to the agricultural and fishing industries of the country.[1] Eight ships were grounded or sunk by Tip, leaving 44 fishermen dead or unaccounted for. A Chinese freighter broke in half as a result of the typhoon, though its crew of 46 were rescued.[11] The rainfall led to over 600 mudslides throughout the mountainous regions ofJapan and flooded more than 22,000 homes; 42 people died throughout the country, with another 71 missing and 283 injured.[11] River embankments broke in 70 places, destroying 27 bridges, while about 105 dikes were destroyed. Following the storm, at least 11,000 people were left homeless. Tip destroyed apple, rice, peach and other crops. Five ships sank in heavy seas off the coast and 50-story buildings swayed in the capital,Tokyo.[17][18] Transportation in the country was disrupted; 200 trains and 160 domestic flights were canceled.[19] In total, damages associated with Tip in Japan were estimated as¥105.7 billion (US$482.34 million in 1979 USD, US$2.09 billion in 2024).[20] Tip was described as the most severe storm to strike Japan in 13 years.[21]
Typhoon Tip was the largest tropical cyclone on record, with a diameter of 1,380 mi (2,220 km)—almost double the previous record of 700 mi (1,130 km) in diameter set byTyphoon Marge in August 1951.[22][23][24] At its largest, Tip was nearly half the size of thecontiguous United States.[25] The temperature inside theeye of Typhoon Tip at peak intensity was 30 °C (86 °F) and described as exceptionally high.[1] With 10-minute sustained winds of 160 mph (260 km/h), Typhoon Tip is the strongest cyclone in the complete tropical cyclone listing by the Japan Meteorological Agency.[8]
The typhoon was also the most intense tropical cyclone on record, with a pressure of 870 mbar (25.69 inHg), 5 mbar (0.15 inHg) lower than the previous record set bySuper Typhoon June in1975.[1][26][27] The records set by Tip still technically stand, though with the end of routinereconnaissance aircraft flights in the western Pacific Ocean in August 1987, modern researchers have questioned whether Tip indeed remains the strongest. After a detailed study, three researchers determined that two typhoons,Angela in 1995 andGay in 1992, registered higherDvorak numbers than Tip, and concluded that one or both of the two may have therefore been more intense.[28] Other recent storms may have also been more intense than Tip at its peak; for instance, satellite-derived intensity estimates forTyphoon Haiyan of2013 indicated that its core pressure may have been as low as 858 mbar (25.34 inHg).[29] Due to the dearth ofdirect observations andHurricane hunters into these cyclones, conclusive data is lacking.[28] In October 2015,Hurricane Patricia reached an estimated peak intensity of 872 millibars (25.8 inHg), with maximum 1-minute sustained winds of 345 km/h (215 mph), making Patricia the second-most intense tropical cyclone recorded worldwide. However, the NHC noted in their report on the cyclone that Patricia may have surpassed Tip at the time of its peak intensity, as it was undergoing rapid intensification; however, due to the lack of direct aircraft observations at the time of the storm's peak, this possibility cannot be determined.[30]
Despite the typhoon's intensity and damage, the nameTip was notretired and was reused in1983,1986, and1989.[8] The name was discontinued from further use in 1989, when the JTWC changed their naming list.[31]
Media related toTyphoon Tip at Wikimedia Commons
