1955 Pacific typhoon season

The 1955 Pacific typhoon season has no official bounds; it ran year-round in 1955, 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 season produced a large number of tropical storms but most of them were weak, and sources from American typhoon warning agencies often grossly overestimated the maximum wind speed of many systems which could not properly match with their respective central pressure observations.

1955 Pacific typhoon season
Season summary map
Seasonal boundaries
First system formed	January 1, 1955
Last system dissipated	December 18, 1955
Strongest storm
Name	Clara
• Maximum winds	250 km/h (155 mph) (1-minute sustained)
• Lowest pressure	919 hPa (mbar)
Seasonal statistics
Total depressions	39
Total storms	31
Typhoons	20
Super typhoons	4 (unofficial)
Total fatalities	Unknown
Total damage	Unknown
Related articles
1955 Atlantic hurricane season 1955 Pacific hurricane season 1950s North Indian Ocean cyclone seasons

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 1955 Pacific hurricane season. Tropical Storms formed in the entire west Pacific basin were assigned a name by the Fleet Weather Center on Guam.

Systems

The rest of the storms, such as unnumbered and unnamed tropical depressions and storms, are only classified by the CMA while the JMA is sometimes rare before the 1960s - 1970s.

Typhoon Violet

Typhoon (JMA)
Category 1 typhoon (SSHWS)
Duration	January 1 – January 6
Peak intensity	140 km/h (85 mph) (1-min); 995 hPa (mbar)

Typhoon Violet formed on January 1 and dissipated on January 6. It peaked as a Category 1 typhoon by the JTWC before making landfall in Mindinao in the Philippines.

JMA Tropical Storm Two

Tropical storm (JMA)
Duration	February 23 – February 28
Peak intensity	85 km/h (50 mph) (10-min); 995 hPa (mbar)

Typhoon Wilda

Typhoon (JMA)
Category 2 typhoon (SSHWS)
Duration	March 21 – March 29
Peak intensity	165 km/h (105 mph) (1-min); 985 hPa (mbar)

Forming in an area full of islands, Wilda moved up into the open ocean where it reached typhoon strength. Shortly after, Wilda peaked in intensity as a lower-end category 2 cyclone. Wilda soon made a turn and began to weaken. Soon enough, Wilda had weakened under typhoon strength and dissipated on March 29.

Typhoon Anita

Typhoon (JMA)
Category 3 typhoon (SSHWS)
Duration	April 17 – April 28
Peak intensity	185 km/h (115 mph) (1-min); 977 hPa (mbar)

Anita formed as a tropical depression on April 17. Anita entered a phase of warm waters, and it rapidly intensified to a category 1 typhoon and even a category 2 typhoon later. Anita encountered on a phase of cool waters, and as a result, it gradually weakened. Anita but re-intensified into a category 1 typhoon on April 20. However, it weakened again on April 22 but again re-intensified to a category 1 and even a category 2 typhoon later. Anita reached its peak intensity as a category 3 typhoon. Anita encountered a strong wind shear and because of this, Anita rapidly weakened to a tropical storm. Anita weakened to a tropical depression on April 25. Later, Anita loses its identity and dissipated.

Typhoon Billie

Typhoon (JMA)
Category 3 typhoon (SSHWS)
Duration	June 2 – June 7
Peak intensity	185 km/h (115 mph) (1-min); 988 hPa (mbar)

Billie hit China as a weak typhoon.

JMA Tropical Storm Six

Tropical storm (JMA)
Category 1-equivalent typhoon (SSHWS)
Duration	June 23 – June 28
Peak intensity	130 km/h (80 mph) (10-min); 982 hPa (mbar)

Typhoon Clara

Typhoon (JMA)
Category 4 super typhoon (SSHWS)
Duration	July 5 – July 17
Peak intensity	250 km/h (155 mph) (1-min); 919 hPa (mbar)

Tropical Storm Dot

Tropical storm (JMA)
Category 1 typhoon (SSHWS)
Duration	July 12 – July 17
Peak intensity	130 km/h (80 mph) (1-min); 995 hPa (mbar)

Typhoon Ellen

Typhoon (JMA)
Category 1 typhoon (SSHWS)
Duration	July 15 – July 27
Peak intensity	130 km/h (80 mph) (1-min); 960 hPa (mbar)

Tropical Storm 09W

Tropical storm (JMA)
Tropical storm (SSHWS)
Duration	July 17 – July 23
Peak intensity	95 km/h (60 mph) (1-min); 990 hPa (mbar)

Typhoon Fran

Typhoon (JMA)
Category 4 typhoon (SSHWS)
Duration	July 18 – July 21
Peak intensity	215 km/h (130 mph) (1-min); 930 hPa (mbar)

On July 18, a tropical depression formed southeast of Japan. It entered a phase of favorable environments and was soon upgraded into a tropical storm and named Fran. Fran then moved into a favorable environment and Fran was upgraded into a category 1 typhoon. Intensification occurred and Fran intensified from a category 1 to 4 typhoon and reached its peak intensity. After peaking in intensity, unfavorable environments made Fran to start a weakening trend. On July 20, Fran weakened to a category 2 typhoon and later weakened to a category 1 typhoon and even as a strong tropical storm. On July 21 of noon, Fran weakened to a tropical depression, and soon encountered with strong wind shear and dissipated. Fran became extratropical on July 21, before moving further to the east and dissipated on July 23.

JMA Tropical Storm Twelve

Tropical storm (JMA)
Duration	July 22 – July 24
Peak intensity	65 km/h (40 mph) (10-min); 990 hPa (mbar)

Typhoon Georgia

Typhoon (JMA)
Category 4 typhoon (SSHWS)
Duration	July 23 – July 29
Peak intensity	215 km/h (130 mph) (1-min); 945 hPa (mbar)

JMA Tropical Storm Fifteen

Tropical storm (JMA)
Duration	August 2 – August 7
Peak intensity	75 km/h (45 mph) (10-min); 995 hPa (mbar)

Typhoon Hope

Typhoon (JMA)
Category 1 typhoon (SSHWS)
Duration	August 2 – August 17
Peak intensity	140 km/h (85 mph) (1-min); 975 hPa (mbar)

A tropical depression formed east of Philippines on August 2. It intensified to a tropical storm in the next day and named Hope. Hope intensified into a category 1 hurricane while at the south of Japan. It weakened to a tropical storm and the storm turned to the north and intensified into a category 1 again.

It was downgraded to a tropical storm and turned northeast before it slowed down. Hope became extratropical on August 17. Shortly after, the remnants hit the south of Kamchatka Peninsula and dissipated.

JMA Tropical Storm Sixteen

Tropical storm (JMA)
Duration	August 5 – August 14
Peak intensity	105 km/h (65 mph) (10-min); 985 hPa (mbar)

JMA Tropical Storm Seventeen

Tropical storm (JMA)
Duration	August 10 – August 12
Peak intensity	75 km/h (45 mph) (10-min); 1000 hPa (mbar)

Seventeen was a short tropical storm that never affected land.

JMA Tropical Storm Eighteen

Tropical storm (SSHWS)
Duration	August 10 – August 12
Peak intensity	65 km/h (40 mph) (1-min); 999 hPa (mbar)

This storm never affected land, it remained in open waters.

Typhoon Iris

Typhoon (JMA)
Category 1 typhoon (SSHWS)
Duration	August 19 – August 25
Peak intensity	150 km/h (90 mph) (1-min); 965 hPa (mbar)

Typhoon Joan

Typhoon (JMA)
Category 1 typhoon (SSHWS)
Duration	August 29 – September 4
Peak intensity	150 km/h (90 mph) (1-min); 968 hPa (mbar)

Typhoon Kate

Typhoon (JMA)
Category 4 super typhoon (SSHWS)
Duration	September 16 – September 26
Peak intensity	250 km/h (155 mph) (1-min); 930 hPa (mbar)

Typhoon Louise

Typhoon (JMA)
Category 5 super typhoon (SSHWS)
Duration	September 20 – September 30
Peak intensity	280 km/h (175 mph) (1-min); 930 hPa (mbar)

Louise formed on September 20 as a weak tropical depression. It intensified into a tropical storm and even a typhoon later. Wind shear quickly decreased and sea surface temperatures began to rise and Louise rapidly intensified into a category 5 super typhoon. However, the process of eyewall replacement cycle caused Louise to weaken. Louise weakened to a category 2 typhoon and it started to affect the Kyūshū island of Japan and even weakened to a category 1 typhoon and affected Japan. Louise dissipated on September 30. On Kyūshū island, 54 people were killed and 14 went missing.

Typhoon Marge

Typhoon (JMA)
Category 3 typhoon (SSHWS)
Duration	September 27 – October 5
Peak intensity	185 km/h (115 mph) (1-min); 964 hPa (mbar)

JMA Tropical Storm Twenty-four

Tropical storm (JMA)
Duration	October 1 – October 7
Peak intensity	75 km/h (45 mph) (10-min); 1003 hPa (mbar)

Tropical Storm 17W

Tropical depression (JMA)
Tropical storm (SSHWS)
Duration	October 3 – October 8
Peak intensity	75 km/h (45 mph) (1-min); 998 hPa (mbar)

Typhoon Nora

Typhoon (JMA)
Category 2 typhoon (SSHWS)
Duration	October 4 – October 13
Peak intensity	175 km/h (110 mph) (1-min); 955 hPa (mbar)

Typhoon Opal

Typhoon (JMA)
Category 2 typhoon (SSHWS)
Duration	October 15 – October 23
Peak intensity	155 km/h (100 mph) (1-min); 982 hPa (mbar)

Tropical Storm 20W

Tropical storm (JMA)
Tropical storm (SSHWS)
Duration	October 22 – October 27
Peak intensity	75 km/h (45 mph) (1-min); 1004 hPa (mbar)

Typhoon Patsy

Typhoon (JMA)
Category 4 super typhoon (SSHWS)
Duration	November 25 – December 4
Peak intensity	250 km/h (155 mph) (1-min); 940 hPa (mbar)

Patsy started on its life as a tropical depression on November 25. It hit Philippines as a tropical storm. It moved out of area before intensifying into Typhoon Patsy. Patsy reached its peak intensity before undergoing an eyewall replacement cycle and started to weaken.

Typhoon Ruth

Typhoon (JMA)
Category 5 super typhoon (SSHWS)
Duration	December 12 – December 18
Peak intensity	280 km/h (175 mph) (1-min); 925 hPa (mbar)

Storm names

The following names listed here are names of the 1955 Pacific Typhoon Season.

Violet Wilda Anita Billie

Clara Dot Ellen Fran

Georgia Hope Iris Joan

Kate Louise Marge Nora

Opal Patsy Ruth

See also

• 1955 Pacific hurricane season
• 1955 Atlantic hurricane season
• 1955 North Indian Ocean cyclone season
• Australian region cyclone seasons: 1954–55 1955–56
• South Pacific cyclone seasons: 1954–55 1955–56
• South-West Indian Ocean cyclone seasons: 1954–55 1955–56