2006 Strongest Typhoons

Tropical Storm Trami

On December 16, the Japan Meteorological Agency started issuing public bulletins on a tropical depression southwest of Guam. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center initiated warnings on Tropical Depression 26W the next day, despite having not issued a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert. The system was upgraded to a tropical storm by the JMA and named Trami, which is a kind of rose tree. This name was submitted by Vietnam. The storm moved west-northwest rapidly towards the Philippines, but struggled against wind shear and an approaching cold front. Entering the PAGASA Area of Responsibility on December 18 as it maintained minimal tropical storm intensity, it was named Tomas. The JTWC issued its final warning later that day, having never upgraded the storm to tropical storm strength, citing no indication of a significant low-level circulation centre. On December 19, the JMA downgraded the storm to a tropical depression and issued its last public bulletin as the storm dissipated over water.

Super Typhoon Yagi

The Joint Typhoon Warning Center identified an area of disturbed weather northeast of Chuuk on September 13. The disturbance drifted to the north over the next few days, gradually increasing in organization. The JTWC issued a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert on the disturbance on September 16, and both the JTWC and JMA declared the system a tropical depression early on September 17. The JMA upgraded it to Tropical Storm Yagi later that morning as it moved erratically through the open Pacific Ocean, and the JTWC soon followed suit. The name Yagi was submitted by Japan and means Capricornus (goat). Yagi was upgraded to a severe tropical storm by the JMA on September 18, and the JTWC designated it a typhoon later that day. The JMA officially upgraded Yagi to typhoon status early on September 19. Yagi was upgraded briefly to a super typhoon by the JTWC from September 21 to September 22. On September 23, the JTWC reported that Yagi was becoming extratropical as it continued to weaken, and issued its final warning the next day. The JMA downgraded Yagi to a severe tropical storm on September 24. It was the third tropical cyclone in the NW Pacific Basin that attained Category 5 status in 2006. It started to recurve near Chichi-jima, and never affected major land areas. It became extratropical near the western Aleutians on September 25.

Typhoon Chanchu

An area of disturbed weather formed around May 5 and moved westward. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center released a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert on May 8, shortly before it upgraded the storm to a Tropical Depression. It became a tropical storm on May 9. The name "Chanchu" was submitted by Macau and means pearl. The JTWC then upgraded it to a typhoon on May 10. The storm maintained a westerly track and made two landfalls in the Philippines, causing 32 deaths in the country and $1.9 million in damage, much of it to agriculture.[2]

After Chanchu left the Philippines, the JMA upgraded it to a typhoon. Chanchu turned to the north in the South China Sea and affected hundreds of Vietnamese fishermen. Then, it became a super typhoon, only the second ever recorded in the South China Sea, but was one for only less than a day. The only other super typhoon to form in the South China Sea in recorded history is Ryan in 1995.[3] Chanchu is also the most intense typhoon on Hong Kong Observatory's record to enter the South China Sea in May. Chanchu necessitated the Strong Wind Signal no. 3 in both Hong Kong and Macau.[4][5] It turned northeastward and made a final landfall along the southeastern seaboard of China on May 18 resulting in at least 25 deaths and a direct economic loss of 7 billion yuan. Chanchu became extratropical later that day.

Super Typhoon Ewiniar

On June 29, a persistent tropical disturbance was classified as a tropical depression by the JTWC while east of Palau. The depression moved northwestward and was upgraded to Tropical Storm 04W by the JTWC on June 30. The JMA designated the storm Tropical Storm Ewiniar at around the same time. The name "Ewiniar" was submitted by the Federated States of Micronesia, and refers to a traditional storm god of Chuuk.

Ewiniar was responsible for at least 30 deaths in China, which it brushed as a typhoon. The typhoon gradually weakened as it moved over colder waters, and made landfall in South Korea on July 10 as a severe tropical storm. As Ewiniar moved across the country, it passed within 30 miles (48 km) of Seoul. No tropical cyclone had come that close to Seoul in recent years.[citation needed] The storm brought heavy rain that triggered floods and mudslides in the southern part of the country, killing at least six people. Ewiniar became extratropical over the Sea of Japan on the same day.

Major Hurricane Ioke

On August 27, Hurricane Ioke, which had formed in the Central Pacific, crossed the International Date Line and entered the Japan Meteorological Agency's Area of Responsibility at around 6 a.m. UTC, keeping its name while being reclassified as Typhoon Ioke. Ioke had earlier affected Johnston Atoll. On August 31 the center of the typhoon passed very close to Wake Island; 200 people were evacuated from there in advance of its approach.[22] Typhoon Ioke then passed just to the northeast of Minami Torishima, which had been evacuated ahead of the storm, but as a weakened Category 3-equivalent typhoon. Ioke then turned to the northeast, weakening as it started undergoing extratropical transition. The JMA released its final advisory on September 7. The extratropical remnants of Ioke moved into the Bering Sea where it caused severe beach erosion along the western Alaskan coastline.[23]

Typhoon Maria

MA identified a tropical depression southwest of Minami Torishima on August 4 and began issuing advisories. On August 5, the system had sufficiently strengthened to be named Tropical Storm Maria. The name Maria was submitted by the United States and is a common Chamorro feminine name.

The JTWC designated this system as a tropical depression later that day before upgrading it to a tropical storm on August 6, while the JMA upgraded it to a severe tropical storm at 6 a.m. UTC. Maria turned to the north, threatening Japan's mainland. JTWC briefly upgraded Maria to a typhoon on August 7, but issued its final advisory two days later as it started to turn extratropical.

In their post season analyses, the JMA upgraded the storm to a 80 mph (130 km/h) typhoon, while the JTWC downgraded it to a 70 mph (110 km/h) tropical storm.

Tropical Storm Bilis

A tropical disturbance northeast of Yap developed sufficient convection to be designated a tropical depression on July 8. The depression strengthened into a tropical storm the next day, and was designated Tropical Storm Bilis by the JMA. The word "Bilis", submitted by the Philippines, means speed or swiftness. PAGASA operationally treated this storm as a typhoon for a short time on July 13, but it officially remained a tropical storm as it moved west-northwestward toward Taiwan. After moving over northern Taiwan, Bilis made landfall in Fujian, China at 12:50 p.m. CST on July 14, weakening into a tropical depression inland the next day. JMA carried the system as a tropical depression until July 17. Bilis brought very heavy rain, widespread flooding, landslides, and strong winds to the Philippines, Taiwan and areas of mainland China, causing 672 deaths and $4.4 billion (2006 USD) in damage.

Super Typhoon Saomai

he JTWC identified a tropical depression near the Caroline Islands late on August 4 UTC. The JMA designated it as such at 12 a.m. UTC August 5. Nine hours later, the JTWC upgraded Tropical Depression 08W to a tropical storm, three hours before the JMA named it Saomai. The name is from the Vietnamese "sao Mai", meaning "Morning Star",[12] a reference to the planet Venus.

The JTWC designated it a typhoon at 3 p.m. UTC August 6. The JMA upgraded Saomai to a Severe Tropical Storm at 6 p.m. UTC, and as it continued to strengthen, it was upgraded to a typhoon just 12 hours later. Saomai passed into the Area of Responsibility of PAGASA on August 8 and was named Typhoon Juan by PAGASA. On August 8, the storm underwent explosive development, and by August 9 it had become a Category 5-equivalent super typhoon.

Saomai made landfall in Zhejiang, China on August 10 with maximum sustained winds of 115 knots (1-minute mean), stronger than Chanchu earlier this season. Saomai was responsible for at least 458 deaths, mostly in China, and $2.5 billion (2006 USD) in damage.