The 1985 Pacific typhoon season was a slightly above average season in terms of named storms, though most storms were weak and short-lived. The season had 28 named storms, 15 typhoons and 1 super typhoon. It ran year-round, thus ending the two-season run which began in 1983 that only had tropical cyclones forming between May and November. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the northwestern Pacific Ocean. A total of 57 tropical depressions formed this year, of which only 28 became tropical storms and were assigned a name by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. This made the season well above average. Additionally, tropical depressions that enter or form in the Philippine area of responsibility were assigned a name by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration or PAGASA. This can often result in the same storm having two names. This year, a total of 17 storms were named this way.
The strongest cyclone of the season, Dot, reached category 5 on the Saffir–Simpson scale to the east of the Philippines. Typhoon Cecil was the deadliest storm of the season, accounting for nearly half of the deaths from western Pacific tropical cyclones in 1985. The season featured Odessa, Pat, and Ruby, a rare example of a tertiary Fujiwhara interaction.
Season summary
A total of 29 tropical depressions formed this year in the Western Pacific, of which 28 became tropical storms. 17 storms reached typhoon intensity, of which 1 reached super typhoon strength. Only four tropical cyclones moved through the Philippines this season, while eight moved into China, three moved into Vietnam, and three moved into Japan. Tropical cyclones brought Hong Kong 40 percent of its annual rainfall.Hong Kong Royal Observatory (1986). Meteorological Results 1985: Part III - Tropical Cyclone Summaries. Retrieved on 2009-01-20. The strongest cyclone of the season, Dot, reached category 5 on the Saffir–Simpson scale. However, it weakened slightly before moving into the Philippines at the high end of category 3 status. Typhoon Cecil was the deadliest storm of the season, accounting for nearly half of the deaths from western Pacific tropical cyclones in 1985.
Systems
Severe Tropical Storm Fabian (Atring)
The initial tropical disturbance formed on the west end of the near-equatorial, or monsoon, trough. Due to strong high pressure due its north, and the associated high winds associated with the northern Asian monsoon, strongest winds within the system were on its western periphery. Strong southerly winds aloft led to persistent vertical wind shear, which limited its intensification is it moved west to northwest. It passed nearby Yap, and caused crop damage as it passed by the island group.Joint Typhoon Warning Center (1986). CHAPTER III - SUMMARY OF WESTERN NORTH PACIFIC AND INDIAN OCEAN TROPICAL CYCLONES. United States Navy. Retrieved 2009-01-18.
Tropical Storm Elsie
This was the first tropical cyclone to form in the northwest Pacific basin in January in six years. Forming along the near equatorial trough, two circulations formed on either side of Guam. Elsie formed from the eastern circulation, appearing southwest of Pohnpei on January 4. On January 5, further convective development occurred which formed a low level circulation on January 6. Becoming a tropical depression late that day and a tropical storm on January 7, the system moved northwest, reaching its peak intensity late in the day. Thereafter, strong southerly winds aloft arrested development, and weakening began. Tropical depression status was regained on January 8, and its circulation dissipated early January 9.Joint Typhoon Warning Center (1986). Tropical Storm Elsie. United States Navy. Retrieved on 2007-02-04.
CMA Tropical Storm Three
A tropical depression formed east of Luzon on April 22. Moving east-northeast for a couple days, the system dissipated on April 24 north-northwest of Guam.
Typhoon Gay (Bining)
Gay was the third tropical cyclone and first typhoon of the 1985 Pacific typhoon season. After over four months of inactivity, on May 16, a strong atmospheric circulation formed west of Koror, now part of Palau. The circulation began to develop convection and by May 20 had organized into a depression. Heading north, the storm took two days to gain tropical storm strength, likely because a tropical upper tropospheric trough (TUTT) was so close to the north, restricting outflow. However, the trough soon weakened and outflow improved and the storm began to intensify faster. Gay became a typhoon early on May 23, continuing to intensify, Gay came under influence of a frontal boundary to the northwest and began to recurve to the northeast, through a weakness in the subtropical ridge created by the trough associated with the frontal boundary. This trough began to build and dig southeastward, pouring fuel into Gay's engine. Typhoon Gay reached its peak intensity of on May 24. As cool, dry air became entrained within Gay's circulation, the cyclone began to weaken. Gay underwent extratropical transition as it interacted with the frontal boundary. Gay became extratropical shortly after weakening to a tropical storm early on May 26.
Tropical Storm 04W
This system formed within the northern portion of the monsoon trough on June 16. Strong northeast winds aloft kept its circulation center on the northeast side of its stronger thunderstorm activity. The system drifted generally northwest, making landfall on Hainan Island before dissipating. While never upgraded by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center, the Japanese Meteorological Agency considered the system a weak tropical storm,Japanese Meteorological Agency (2006). RSMC Best Track Data (Text): 1981-1985. Retrieved on 2009-01-18.
Typhoon Hal (Kuring)
Typhoon Hal, which formed on June 19 east of the Philippines, passed just north of Luzon on the 22nd as a typhoon. After briefly weakening Hal restrengthened to a peak of before weakening back to a minimal typhoon. Sustained winds reached at Lan Yu, Taiwan. The typhoon hit east-southeast of Hong Kong in southeastern China on the 24th, and dissipated the next day. In Hong Kong, winds peaked at at Kwai Chung, and a total of fell at Tate's Cairn which led to landslides across the region. Heavy rain associated with the typhoon caused 38 deaths (with 14 missing) and widespread crop and structural damage.Joint Typhoon Warning Center (1986). Typhoon Hal. United States Navy. Retrieved on 2007-01-19. Damage totalled US$12.3 million (1985 dollars).
Typhoon Irma (Daling)
First noted southwest of Ponape on June 17, the tropical disturbance moved westward for the next several days without significant development. As it turned northwest on June 25, the system strengthened rapidly into a tropical storm, reaching typhoon intensity on June 27 as it turned more poleward. The system recurved just offshore the southern islands of Japan before striking southwest of Tokyo, Japan as a typhoon on July 1. Weakening as it accelerated northeast, Irma regained tropical storm intensity later that day and became an extratropical cyclone that night. As Irma passed to the east of the Philippines the system enhanced the Monsoon Trough causing heavy rains over Luzon Island. A total of 46 people were killed and 1,500 homes were destroyed. In Japan Irma killed 3 people and left 5 missing.Joint Typhoon Warning Center (1986). Typhoon Irma. United States Navy. Retrieved on 2007-01-19. Over 20,000 houses were damaged and 50,000 hectares of farmland were ruined. Damage across the Philippines and Japan totalled US$80 million (1985 dollars).
Tropical Depression Elang
A tropical depression formed east-southeast of Manila on July 4. Moving west-northwest, the system crossed the central Philippines on July 5, moving into the South China Sea on July 6. Moving more towards the north on July 7, the depression moved inland into southern China east of Hong Kong on July 8. In Hong Kong, winds gusted to at Tate's Cairn, where fell. While Hong Kong considered it a tropical depression throughout its life cycle, PAGASA named the system and considered it a tropical storm.Michael Padua (2008). PAGASA TROPICAL CYCLONES 1963–1988 [within the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR). Retrieved on 2009-01-20.
Typhoon Jeff (Goring)
The monsoon trough spawned a tropical depression in northwest of Guam on July 21. It tracked northward, becoming a tropical storm on the 22nd and reaching its first peak of winds on the 23rd. An upper-level trough outran the system, forcing Jeff westward into a shearing environment and weakening it to a depression on the 26th. The shear abated, and Jeff was able to restrengthen, becoming a storm on the 27th and a typhoon on the 29th. The typhoon hit eastern China on the 30th. It brought the heaviest rain to Shanghai since 1962. Jeff weakened rapidly to a depression, but upon reaching the Yellow Sea, it again restrengthened to a tropical storm on the 1st. Jeff reached a third peak of winds before becoming extratropical on the 2nd. A total of 245 people were killed from this storm, with moderate to heavy damage to crops.Joint Typhoon Warning Center (1986). Typhoon Jeff. United States Navy. Retrieved on 2007-01-19.
Typhoon Kit
Typhoon Kit was the first of seven tropical cyclones to form in the West Pacific in August. It formed from a disturbance at the north end of a monsoon trough. The disturbance quickly gained organization and formed into a tropical depression on August 2. The storm moved steadily to the northwest and steadily intensified. The depression became Tropical Storm Kit on August 4. The storm became a typhoon as it made a temporary jog to the north before continuing its northwest motion. The typhoon, small in size, reached its peak intensity of while south of Kyūshū on August 8. Kit recurved in the East China Sea in the face of an approaching trough which caused a weakness in the subtropical ridge. Kit made landfall on the south-western tip of South Korea as a weak typhoon. The storm killed twelve people from resultant flooding and caused significant property damage on Cheju Island and the southern coast of South Korea. Kit became an extratropical cyclone in the Sea of Japan. A total of US$3.7 million (1985 dollars) of damage were caused by Kit across South Korea and Japan.
Severe Tropical Storm Lee (Huling)
Lee formed within the monsoon trough, and was initially influenced by Kit to its north. Kit's movement to the north reoriented the trough into a more north–south orientation, and a broad circulation formed 890 km south of Okinawa. Moving north-northeast, convection around the system began to organize into a more consolidated tropical storm. The system turned northwest, but development was halted by northerly vertical wind shear. Its circulation center remained fairly broad while it continued to deepen, more like a monsoon depression than a tropical cyclone. As the system passed close to Okinawa, winds remained fairly light. However, winds increased as it pulled away, due to the pressure gradient/strongest winds being well removed from the center. Continuing to move north into a break in the subtropical ridge, Lee moved through the East China Sea to about 445 km west of Kyūshū and stayed about 220 km offshore the western Korean Peninsula. By this time, the system was evolving into a more typical tropical cyclone, with stronger winds closer to the center. Accelerating across the Yellow Sea on August 14, Lee began to recurve across North Korea and subsequently weakened rapidly across the mountainous terrain.Joint Typhoon Warning Center (1986). Tropical Storm Lee. United States Navy. Retrieved on 2007-01-19. A total of US$3.9 million (1985 dollars) in damage was caused by Lee.
Typhoon Mamie