The 1957 Pacific typhoon season has no official bounds; it ran year-round in 1957, but most tropical cyclones tend to form in the northwestern Pacific Ocean between June and December. 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. Storms that form east of the date line and north of the equator are called hurricanes; see 1957 Pacific hurricane season. Tropical storms formed in the entire west Pacific basin were assigned a name by the Fleet Weather Center on Guam.
Seasonal summary
The accumulated cyclone energy (ACE) index for the 1957 Pacific typhoon season as calculated by Colorado State University using data from the Joint Typhoon Warning Center was 440.2 units, which is the seventh highest ACE for a single season ever recorded. Twenty-two tropical storms developed in 1957 in the Northwestern Pacific. Tropical depressions were likely, but no records are known to exist that would mention any. Eighteen storms reached typhoon intensity, of which 8 reached super typhoon strength. An additional storm, Della, came across the Dateline from the Central Pacific, therefore it is not taken account in the total number of storms.
Systems Tropical Storm 01W
The first tropical cyclone of the 1957 season, classified as Tropical Storm 01W by the JTWC, was initially identified early on January 3 as a tropical depression over open waters east of the Philippines. Within several hours, the system intensified into a tropical storm as it tracked west-northwestward. Later that day, the storm attained its peak intensity with winds of and a barometric pressure of . Tropical Storm 01W maintained this intensity through January 5 before abruptly weakening to a tropical depression near the eastern Philippines. The system made landfall in eastern Leyte early on January 6 with winds of before dissipating the following day over Romblon.
Super Typhoon Rose
About two weeks after Tropical Storm 01W dissipated over the Philippines, a new tropical depression formed to the southeast of Guam on January 21. Gradual intensification took place as the depression tracked westward. The JTWC began monitoring the system as Tropical Storm Rose the following day, with the first advisory on the storm placing maximum winds at . Rose maintained this intensity for roughly 24 hours before undergoing a brief period of rapid intensification, attaining winds of early on January 23. For most of the day, the now Category 2 typhoon, strengthened at a more modest rate before undergoing a second brief period of rapid intensification. At the end of the second strengthening phase, Rose had attained its peak intensity just at Category 5 status, on the modern-day Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale, with winds of , and a minimum pressure of . Upon attaining this intensity, Rose became the most intense January typhoon on record, surpassing that of Super Typhoon Karen in 1948.
After attaining its peak intensity, Rose began to take a more northerly track and weakened. Late on January 25, Rose rapidly weakened to a low-end typhoon and by January 26, the system had further weakened to a tropical storm. The JTWC continued to monitor the weakening tropical storm until January 27, by which time Rose had maximum winds of . However, the JMA continued monitoring the remnants of Rose as it turned sharply eastward over open waters. During the afternoon of January 28, the depression nearly stalled as it turned northward before accelerating and losing its identity south of Japan on January 30.
Typhoon Shirley
Shirley formed on April 11 east of the Philippines. It moved north and intensified to its brief peak of winds and a pressure of 975 mbar on April 15. Shirley then turned to the northwest and weakened to a tropical storm on April 16. Shirley turned to the west and dissipated on April 18 near the northern end of Luzon.
Typhoon Trix
Trix formed on May 2 near the Marshall Islands. It moved north briefly on May 3 and May 4, intensified to its peak of on May 5, and then turned to the west-northwest. Trix turned to the north on May 9 and to the east-northeast on May 10, weakening to a Category 2 typhoon on May 11. Trix continued to move northeast and weakened to a Category 1 typhoon on May 13. It dissipated on May 17 just over the Date Line without affecting any land.
Super Typhoon Virginia
Virginia formed on June 18 in the open western Pacific east of the southern Philippines. It moved west and strengthened to a typhoon on June 20 and reached its peak of and a minimum central pressure of 900 mbar on June 22. Virginia then began to move northwest and weakened to a Category 4 typhoon as it passed east of Luzon on June 23 and June 24. It turned northward on June 24, strengthened to a secondary peak of , and weakened before it made landfall in Taiwan on June 25 as a Category 2 typhoon. Virginia then continued to move north and then northeast until its dissipation on June 28.
Virginia was an early season typhoon. It destroyed 1,000 buildings and killed 86 people as it sliced through Taiwan and southern Japan. The storm left $20 million (1957 USD) in damage.
Typhoon Wendy
According to the International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship, Wendy originated from a tropical depression well east of the Philippines on July 10. Developing into a tropical storm several hours later, further development would occur as Wendy tracked northwestwards. As a result, around three days later, the system became a typhoon. Further intensification occurred, and around 15:00 UTC on July 14, Wendy peaked with sustained winds of 90 knots (100 mph) and a minimum pressure of 985 hPa. However, around that time, Wendy made its first landfall in Luzon, causing it to weaken into a Category 1-equivalent typhoon the next day. Although it temporarily reintensified, attaining a secondary peak with sustained winds of 80 knots (90 mph) around that time, it began rapidly weakening, making its final landfall in Guangdong, China as a high-end tropical storm. Once inland, Wendy rapidly weakened, dissipating on July 16.
Prior to striking the nation, the Hong Kong Observatory hoisted a No. 5 storm signal as Wendy was expected to strike the nation. This was later upgraded to a No. 6 storm signal when Wendy made its closest approach to Hong Kong. Two cruisers from the Royal Navy left the colony. Due to the typhoon's winds, American billionaire Nelson Rockefeller had to divert his plane to the colony. Despite these preparations, Wendy's impacts in Hong Kong were severe. Striking the island with gusts of 95 knots (110 mph) and torrential rainfall, the typhoon killed sixteen and injured a further two hundred. These included two boys who were killed when their huts collapsed on them and another boy who was also killed when he drowned in the sea surrounding West Point. The roof and rear of four homes collapsed, blocking all of Stavely Street. The SS Tweed Breeze broke from its buoy and ran aground in Stonecutter's Island, while parts of Taipo Road became inaccessible due to collapsing. Elsewhere, in the Philippines, Wendy brought flooding which killed at least seventy-six, most of them children, and made a further three hundred go missing. This flooding also displaced around thirty thousand people and destroyed several towns. Damage there amounted to $2 million (1957 USD). Elsewhere, in China's Guangdong Province, over three hundred-thousand people were mobilized to gather crops and take safety precautions due to the storm. Offshore Guangdong Province, eight people died when their fishing boat sank due to Wendy. Additionally, estimates indicated that around a fifth of the unharvested rice in the province was destroyed. Although Wendy did bring some gale-force winds to Taiwan, no damage was reported there.
Super Typhoon Agnes
On August 12, the seventh storm of the season formed. Agnes moved in an erratic northern direction until August 16, when it briefly turned to the northwest toward China. Agnes then began to curve towards the north, passing over one of the Ryukyu Islands with 155 mph winds and a minimum central pressure of 905 mbar. After it passed over the islands, Agnes weakened to tropical storm strength. On August 21, South Korea was struck by a 50 mph Agnes; their 1st tropical cyclone of the season. It passed over the peninsula and briefly was over water before it hit Russia with 45 mph winds. Agnes became extratropical the next day over southern Russia. Its extratropical form continued for two more days until it dissipated in the center of the Sea of Okhotsk.
Tropical Storm 08W
08W formed on August 15, becoming the 8th of the season. It moved in a generally westward direction for a couple days until it struck Hainan on August 18 with 65 mph winds and a minimum pressure of 984 mbar. It moved south over land, retaining its strength. It soon moved north again, but suddenly turned southwest for a brief time before it returned to its original path. It weakened to a tropical depression on August 20 and struck mainland China later that day. It almost became extratropical almost at the same time. Ex-08W lingered northeast until the 24th, when the last of it was gone after ten days in existence.
JMA Tropical Storm Nine
A disturbance close to Japan's coast developed into a tropical depression on August 22, and became a tropical storm 6 hours later. It managed to achieve a minimum central pressure of 999 mbar before it struck the southeastern portion of Japan. It weakened to a tropical depression shortly before landfall though, and became extratropical the next day. But its extratropical remnants continued to move north-northeast, then northeast, and then east-northeast until it dissipated on August 27.
Typhoon Bess
Bess formed on August 26 close to the Marshall Islands. After moving westward, Bess attained Category 3 status with 115 mph winds a pressure of 950 mbar. It hit southern Japan on September 6 and later became extratropical over water on September 9. But the extratropical form of Bess continued east for one more day before it became disorganized enough to be declared dissipated.
On August 30, the typhoon battered the United States military base on Iwo Jima with winds of , resulting in communication loss for roughly 23 hours. After communication was restored, officials on the island stated that there was likely no loss of life as a result of the storm. Little damage also took place throughout Iwo Jima.
Widespread damage took place throughout Kyushu as wind gusts up to and torrential rains impacted the region. Along coastal regions, waves exceeding caused significant coastal damage. In Kyushu, at least six people were killed, 14 others listed as missing and 28 more injured as a result of Bess. According to police reports, 912 homes were destroyed and 1,522 others were severely damaged by flooding and landslides triggered by Typhoon Bess. An additional 2,510 homes sustained minor damage. Throughout Japan, an estimated 24,000 people were left homeless in the wake of the storm. In all, at least 20 people were killed as a result of Bess in Japan.
Typhoon Carmen
Carmen formed on September 9 north-northeast of the Philippines. It slowly moved north and the west over the course of three days, until it strengthened to a tropical storm. Carmen headed south briefly before heading east-northeast, when it began to strengthen even more. Carmen reached winds of 125 mph and a pressure of 960 mbar. But shortly thereafter, the strengthening stopped, and it slowly weakened. On September 15, Carmen made landfall in southern China and dissipated the following day.
Typhoon Della