The 1947 Pacific typhoon season has no official bounds; it ran year-round in 1947, 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.

Quick Facts Seasonal boundaries, First system formed ...
1947 Pacific typhoon season
Thumb
Season summary map
Seasonal boundaries
First system formedMarch 18, 1947
Last system dissipatedDecember 29, 1947
Strongest storm
NameRosalind
  Maximum winds240 km/h (150 mph)
(1-minute sustained)
  Lowest pressure918 hPa (mbar)
Seasonal statistics
Total storms27
Typhoons19
Super typhoons1 (unofficial)
Total fatalities1,077
Total damageUnknown
Related articles
Pacific typhoon seasons
1945, 1946, 1947, 1948, 1949
Close

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 1947 Pacific hurricane season. At the time, tropical storms that formed within this region of the western Pacific were identified and named by the United States Armed Services, and these names are taken from the list that USAS publicly adopted before the 1945 season started.[1][2]

Summary

Typhoon Kathleen

Storms

Tropical Storm Anna

Quick Facts Duration, Peak intensity ...
Tropical storm (SSHWS)
Thumb 
DurationMarch 18 – March 20
Peak intensity65 km/h (40 mph) (1-min);
1001 hPa (mbar)
Close

Anna originated from a vigorous tropical wave that moved west along the ITCZ during the days of March 16 and 17. On March 18 an approaching cold front caused the wave to congeal into a tropical low pressure system while about 415 miles (668 km) to the east of Davao. The system rapidly organized into a tropical storm and continued west. Anna made landfall on Mindanao on March 20 as a tropical depression and weakened quickly thereafter.

Little data is available for this system, but the U.S. Air Weather Service noted that the storm was of little significance.

Typhoon Bernida

Quick Facts Duration, Peak intensity ...
Category 1 typhoon (SSHWS)
Thumb 
DurationMay 13 – May 17
Peak intensity150 km/h (90 mph) (1-min);
972 hPa (mbar)
Close

The Joint Typhoon Warning center (JTWC) best tracks[3] lists this system as 02W

Typhoon Carol

Quick Facts Duration, Peak intensity ...
Category 3 typhoon (SSHWS)
Thumb 
DurationJune 17 – June 23
Peak intensity185 km/h (115 mph) (1-min);
960 hPa (mbar)
Close

Carol formed east of the Philippines on June 17. It moved northwest and skimmed right past the most northern island as a 115 mph typhoon. After that, it began to weaken. Carol passed by Taiwan, and was about to hit mainland China, but it suddenly took a northeast track. Shortly thereafter, Carol dissipated on June 23.

The Joint Typhoon Warning center (JTWC) best tracks[4] lists this system as 03W.

Tropical Storm Donna

Quick Facts Duration, Peak intensity ...
Tropical storm (SSHWS)
Thumb 
DurationJuly 8 – July 9
Peak intensity65 km/h (40 mph) (1-min);
999 hPa (mbar)
Close

The Joint Typhoon Warning center (JTWC) best tracks[5] lists this system as 04W

Tropical Storm Eileen

Quick Facts Duration, Peak intensity ...
Tropical storm (SSHWS)
Thumb 
DurationJuly 17 – July 19
Peak intensity65 km/h (40 mph) (1-min);
993 hPa (mbar)
Close

The Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) Best Tracks[6] lists this system as 05W

Tropical Storm Faith

Quick Facts Duration, Peak intensity ...
Tropical storm (SSHWS)
Thumb 
DurationJuly 26 – July 31
Peak intensity95 km/h (60 mph) (1-min);
998 hPa (mbar)
Close

Typhoon Gwen

Quick Facts Duration, Peak intensity ...
Category 3 typhoon (SSHWS)
Thumb 
DurationAugust 4 – August 9
Peak intensity185 km/h (115 mph) (1-min);
950 hPa (mbar)
Close

Typhoon Helena

Quick Facts Duration, Peak intensity ...
Category 1 typhoon (SSHWS)
Thumb 
DurationAugust 12 – August 14
Peak intensity130 km/h (80 mph) (1-min);
983 hPa (mbar)
Close

Typhoon Inez

Quick Facts Duration, Peak intensity ...
Category 3 typhoon (SSHWS)
Thumb 
DurationAugust 26 – August 31
Peak intensity185 km/h (115 mph) (1-min);
960 hPa (mbar)
Close

Tropical Storm Joyce

Quick Facts Duration, Peak intensity ...
Tropical storm (SSHWS)
Thumb 
DurationSeptember 8 – September 10
Peak intensity65 km/h (40 mph) (1-min);
1000 hPa (mbar)
Close

Typhoon Kathleen

Quick Facts Duration, Peak intensity ...
Category 2 typhoon (SSHWS)
Thumb 
DurationSeptember 10 – September 15
Peak intensity165 km/h (105 mph) (1-min);
960 hPa (mbar)
Close

Typhoon Kathleen struck the Boso Peninsula and the entire Kanto Region in Japan on September 15. Heavy rains caused the Arakawa and Tone Rivers to overflow. The resulting floods killed 1,077 people and left 853 people missing.[7]

Typhoon Laura

Quick Facts Duration, Peak intensity ...
Category 2 typhoon (SSHWS)
Thumb 
DurationSeptember 14 – September 18
Peak intensity165 km/h (105 mph) (1-min);
962 hPa (mbar)
Close

Typhoon Mildred

Quick Facts Duration, Peak intensity ...
Category 1 typhoon (SSHWS)
Thumb 
DurationSeptember 22 – September 25
Peak intensity140 km/h (85 mph) (1-min);
985 hPa (mbar)
Close

Typhoon Mildred made landfall in Central Luzon as a minimal typhoon. It then crossed the South China Sea en route to Hainan Island, where the system lost its identity.

Typhoon Nanette

Quick Facts Duration, Peak intensity ...
Category 2 typhoon (SSHWS)
Thumb 
DurationSeptember 29 – October 2
Peak intensity165 km/h (105 mph) (1-min);
970 hPa (mbar)
Close

It affected Southern Taiwan.

Typhoon Olive

Quick Facts Duration, Peak intensity ...
Category 3 typhoon (SSHWS)
Thumb 
DurationOctober 2 – October 5
Peak intensity205 km/h (125 mph) (1-min);
958 hPa (mbar)
Close

Typhoon Pauline

Quick Facts Duration, Peak intensity ...
Category 3 typhoon (SSHWS)
Thumb 
DurationOctober 2 – October 8
Peak intensity185 km/h (115 mph) (1-min);
958 hPa (mbar)
Close

Typhoon Pauline made landfall over northeastern Cagayan province as a moderately strong typhoon.

Super Typhoon Rosalind

Quick Facts Duration, Peak intensity ...
Category 4 super typhoon (SSHWS)
Thumb 
DurationOctober 6 – October 14
Peak intensity240 km/h (150 mph) (1-min);
918 hPa (mbar)
Close

The origins of Rosalind can be traced to a tropical storm that intensified into a category 2 on October 6. Rosalind continued to rapidly intensify from 964 to 918 mbar, reaching its peak intensity. After Rosalind reached its peak intensity, slight wind shear caused Rosalind to weaken on a category 2 on October 10. It intensified into a category 3 before it moved slowly. It weakened to a category 1 and tropical storm. Rosalind dissipated on October 14.

Rosalind was the first super typhoon ever recorded in the Pacific Ocean.

Typhoon Alice

Quick Facts Duration, Peak intensity ...
Category 4 typhoon (SSHWS)
Thumb 
DurationOctober 13 – October 21
Peak intensity220 km/h (140 mph) (1-min);
940 hPa (mbar)
Close

Tropical Storm Beatrice

Quick Facts Duration, Peak intensity ...
Tropical storm (SSHWS)
Thumb 
DurationOctober 16 – October 21
Peak intensity85 km/h (50 mph) (1-min);
991 hPa (mbar)
Close

Typhoon Cathy

Quick Facts Duration, Peak intensity ...
Category 3 typhoon (SSHWS)
Thumb 
DurationOctober 29 – November 4
Peak intensity185 km/h (115 mph) (1-min);
965 hPa (mbar)
Close

Typhoon Dora

Quick Facts Duration, Peak intensity ...
Category 3 typhoon (SSHWS)
Thumb 
DurationNovember 2 – November 10
Peak intensity185 km/h (115 mph) (1-min);
965 hPa (mbar)
Close

Tropical Storm Elnora

Quick Facts Duration, Peak intensity ...
Tropical storm (SSHWS)
Thumb 
DurationNovember 10 – November 12
Peak intensity95 km/h (60 mph) (1-min);
995 hPa (mbar)
Close

Typhoon Flora

Quick Facts Duration, Peak intensity ...
Category 3 typhoon (SSHWS)
Thumb 
DurationNovember 13 – November 19
Peak intensity185 km/h (115 mph) (1-min);
963 hPa (mbar)
Close

Typhoon Gladys

Quick Facts Duration, Peak intensity ...
Category 1 typhoon (SSHWS)
Thumb 
DurationNovember 17 – November 22
Peak intensity140 km/h (85 mph) (1-min);
987 hPa (mbar)
Close

Typhoon Hannah

Quick Facts Duration, Peak intensity ...
Category 3 typhoon (SSHWS)
Thumb 
DurationNovember 22 – November 23
Peak intensity185 km/h (115 mph) (1-min);
955 hPa (mbar)
Close

Tropical Storm Irene

Quick Facts Duration, Peak intensity ...
Tropical storm (SSHWS)
Thumb 
DurationNovember 30 – December 3
Peak intensity85 km/h (50 mph) (1-min);
1000 hPa (mbar)
Close

Tropical Storm Irene formed on November 30 between the Philippine Islands. It strengthened to a tropical storm with 50 mph winds before it made landfall on one of the islands. It curved northeast and weakened to a tropical depression. But after exiting land, it restrengthened to a moderate tropical storm. But shortly thereafter, it became extratropical on December 3. The Japan Meteorological Agency analyzed it as a tropical depression, though it was actually a moderate tropical storm.

Typhoon Jean

Quick Facts Duration, Peak intensity ...
Category 2 typhoon (SSHWS)
Thumb 
DurationDecember 22 – December 29
Peak intensity175 km/h (110 mph) (1-min);
973 hPa (mbar)
Close

Typhoon Jean made a direct hit over Manila during the Christmas holidays after organizing in the Philippine Sea to the southeast of Yap Island, moving west-northwest and accelerating as it made landfall in the border area of Albay and Camarines Sur. The storm continued its fast movement and track towards southern part of Manila and Southern Tagalog.

After passing Manila, the storm emerged from the coast of Zambales towards the South China Sea, starting to shift more towards the northwest and eventually north and northeast, all the way moving parallel to the coast of Luzon. The typhoon weakened into a tropical storm and recurved west of the Batanes group of islands and passed through the Bashi Channel south of Taiwan and continued north-eastward towards Miyakojima and the southern Japanese islands and eventually dissipated on 29 December. No data is available on what happened to the system after turning post-tropical.

The curved parabolic track of Typhoon Jean had its similar semblance to that of Typhoon Flora the month before. Because Typhoon Jean battered Manila during the Yuletide season, there were some eyewitness reports of Christmas decorations being strewn around the city. There were also reports of wind damage in the nearby suburb of Parañaque. It was the second recorded instance of a typhoon impacting the country during Christmas time, with the first being an unnamed (aka Quantico) typhoon in 1918, and the others being Typhoon Lee in 1981, Typhoon Axel in 1994 (which made landfall in Samar three days prior to Christmas Day of that year), Typhoon Nock-ten in 2016, and Typhoon Phanfone in 2019.

Storm names

  • Anna
  • Bernida
  • Carol
  • Donna
  • Eileen
  • Faith
  • Gwen
  • Helena
  • Inez
  • Joyce
  • Kathleen
  • Laura
  • Mildred
  • Nanette
  • Olive
  • Pauline
  • Rosalind
  • Alice
  • Beatrice
  • Cathy
  • Dora
  • Elnora
  • Flora
  • Gladys
  • Hannah
  • Irene
  • Jean

See also

References

Wikiwand in your browser!

Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.

Every time you click a link to Wikipedia, Wiktionary or Wikiquote in your browser's search results, it will show the modern Wikiwand interface.

Wikiwand extension is a five stars, simple, with minimum permission required to keep your browsing private, safe and transparent.