Typhoon Alice On December 31, 1978, a tropical depression developed over the low latitudes of the open West Pacific. It tracked northwestward, reaching tropical storm strength that night and typhoon strength on January 5, 1979. Alice turned to the west, and continued to intensify with generally favorable conditions to a peak of winds on January 8. Bess held on to its peak intensity for 18 hours before vertical wind shear caused Bess to rapidly dissipate on March 25. Typhoon Cecil stuck
Leyte on April 15, causing 18 deaths, damage of $10 million and leaving 8,900 homeless. Cecil was also the first tropical cyclone in the Western Pacific to be given a male name.
Tropical Depression 05W (Diding) Initially, TD 05 drifted southwestward east of the
Paracel Islands. TD 05 was not forecast to intensify significantly, but it merged with an extratropical frontal boundary near 22.N 124.8E and produced an improved satellite signature which included a banding-type eye. Ellis was in a favorable position at that time and steady intensification occurred over the next 2 days. Ellis intensified into a typhoon on July 2 and reached its peak intensity of 100 mph on later that day. Continued intensification was anticipated at that time, but a slow weakening trend was actually observed. Faye was forecast to reach typhoon status in the next 18 hours. However, Faye weakened. The storm brought heavy rain with minor flooding in Hong Kong.
Tropical Depression 11W (Luding) 11W was tracked by PAGASA.
Typhoon Irving (Mameng) The monsoon trough spawned a tropical depression on August 7 to the east of the Philippines. It tracked to the north then to the west. Steering currents weakened, causing the depression to loop to the north. It was able to strengthen there, reaching tropical storm status on the 11th and typhoon status on the 13th. Irving continued to the north, attaining a peak of 100 mph winds on the 15th. Its broad, loose wind field prevented it from strengthening further, and Irving weakened as it continued northward. On the 17th, Irving hit southwest South Korea as a minimal typhoon, and merged with a frontal boundary over extreme eastern Russia on the 18th. Torrential rains led to 150 fatalities, with damage at $10–$20 million (1979 USD).
Super Typhoon Judy (Neneng) A tropical disturbance organized into a tropical storm on August 15. It tracked to the northwest, becoming a tropical storm on the 17th. Judy rapidly intensified, reaching typhoon status on the 18th and a peak of 155 mph winds on the 20th. It also had an eye temperature of at 700 hPa height, making it the warmest eye of a tropical cyclone on record. Ken caused ¥1.259 billion (US$5.7 million) and caused two deaths.
Typhoon Lola Around the same time the precursor to Tropical Storm Ken developed, a tropical disturbance developed south of
Marcus Island. Lola then transitioned into an
extratropical cyclone on September 9 to the east of Japan. In the Philippines, two people were killed and hundreds of people were displaced. Damages are in the millions of dollars.
Tropical Storm Nancy On September 17, a tropical disturbance rapidly developed into a tropical storm and was given the name
Nancy. Weak steering currents allowed Nancy to track across the southern portion of
Hainan and do a cyclonic loop. The weak currents allowed Nancy to make landfall in
Vietnam before dissipating on September 22. Owen then started to weaken as the storm moved northward. By the 30th, Owen made landfall near
Osaka, Japan and weakened to a tropical storm. Owen then transitioned into an
extratropical cyclone on October 1.
Tropical Storm Pamela Developing at the apex of a wave in the easterly flow in late September 1979, Tropical Storm Pamela formed on September 23 and dissipated on September 26, due to strong shear caused by the nearby Typhoon Owen. A strong mid-level southeasterly steering current caused Roger to move northwest. Roger then executed a cyclonic loop on October 5. The storm continued to move northwest until north of the ridge axis, after which it turned in a north-northeastward direction. Roger then became an
extratropical cyclone on October 7, as it merged with a cold front south of
Japan. Reconnaissance aircraft indicated that Vera maintained its peak strength for 24 hours before weakening as it approached
Catanduanes Island. The storm moved west and turned to the northwest, while reducing its forward movement on December 3. The JTWC predicted intensification as the storm moved towards
Guam. However, Abby weakened to a tropical depression on the 6th as it moved west of
Truk. On December 7, Abby reintensified into a weak tropical storm. On the 8th, Abby weakened once again to a tropical depression and accelerated forward. By December 9, aircraft reconnaissance indicated that Abby had two centers of circulation. On the 10th, Abby attained typhoon strength which made it the last typhoon of 1979. On the next day, Abby recurved in response to a mid-tropospheric short-wave trough. Typhoon Abby reached maximum intensity of with a minimum pressure of 951 mb on December 13. As Abby continued to move east-northeast, it rapidly weakened due to strong
westerlies. Typhoon Abby then dissipated on December 14 due to strong shear. Ben was the last tropical cyclone of the 1979 Pacific typhoon season. == Storm names ==