The 1967 Pacific typhoon season was one of the most active Pacific typhoon seasons on record, witnessing the formation of 35 tropical storms during the season. It began on January 1, 1967, though most storms usually form between June and December within the basin. The first storm of the season, Ruby, formed on January 28 west of the Philippines. 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 1967 Pacific hurricane season. Tropical depressions that are monitored by the United States' Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) were given a numerical designation with a "W" suffix, and any storms reaching 1-minute sustained winds of over 40 mph were given a name. Tropical depressions that enter or form in the Philippine area of responsibility are 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.
In 1967, the number of storms that the Japan Meteorological Agency considered "typhoons" was the record number (39).[1] However, the JTWC only considers 35 storms to have formed during the season, beginning with Ruby in January. Out of those 35 storms, 20 intensified to category 1-equivalent typhoons, 5 of those further strengthening to super typhoons.
Typhoons Sarah and Wanda interacting in the Northwest Pacific Ocean on September 20th, 1967.
Systems
During the 1967 Pacific typhoon season, 40 tropical depressions formed, of which 35 became tropical storms. Twenty tropical storms attained typhoon intensity, and five of the typhoons reached super typhoon intensity.
Tropical Depression 01W formed on January 28, well to the south of Sorol Atoll in the Caroline Islands. It was later named Auring by PAGASA, but it did not strengthen to a tropical storm until February 5, being named Ruby by the JTWC. Ruby dissipated four days later on February 9, southeast of the Davao region of the Philippines.
Typhoon Violet, which formed on April 1, steadily weakened from its peak of 140 mph to directly impact northeastern Luzon as a 115 mph typhoon on the 8th. It dissipated in the South China Sea on April 12 without causing any significant damage.
Typhoon Billie, having developed on July 2, reached its peak of 85 mph on July 5. Billie's intensity fluctuated as it headed northward to Japan, and it became extratropical on the 8th; however, Billie's extratropical remnant continued northeastward, and it brought heavy rain to Honshū and Kyūshū, killing 347 people.
A cold core low developed tropical characteristics and became Tropical Depression 8W on July 6. It tracked westward, becoming a tropical storm later that day and a typhoon on July 7. After briefly weakening to a tropical storm, Clara re-attained typhoon status, and it peaked in intensity on July 10, reaching winds of 115 mph. Clara weakened to a 90 mph typhoon just before hitting Taiwan on the 11th, and it dissipated over China the next day. Clara's heavy rains caused 69 fatalities and a further 32 people to be reported as missing.
On September 14, Tropical Storm Sarah, which formed across the International Date Line, entered the Western Pacific. Immediately after the first advisory following Sarah's entrance into the West Pacific, it was upgraded to a minimal typhoon. Typhoon Sarah continued to intensify, and late on September 15, it was upgraded to a Category 4 typhoon. The next day, Sarah reached its peak intensity, attaining 150 mph winds and a 932 millibar (mbar) pressure reading (this was the only pressure measurement retrieved from the typhoon), making the system a super typhoon. Sarah began gradually weakening afterwards, and late on September 21, it became extratropical; it was still an 80 mph Category 1 typhoon at the time.
On September 16, Sarah made landfall on Wake Island at peak intensity, causing widespread damage. This typhoon was the third tropical cyclone since the beginning of observations in 1935 to bring typhoon-force winds to Wake Island, following an unnamed typhoon which struck on October 19, 1940 (Tomita, 1968), which brought 120 knot winds to the island, and Typhoon Olive in 1952, which lashed the island with 150 knot winds. Coincidentally, Olive's attack on the island occurred on September 16, exactly 15 years prior to Sarah's direct hit.[2]
Carla became an intense typhoon while located in the Philippine Sea on October 15.[3] During its weakening stage, the typhoon dumped extreme rainfall around its circulation. Baguio, Philippines recorded 47.86 inches (1,216 mm) of rainfall in a 24‑hour period between October 17 and October 18; however, Carla's precipitation was significantly more extreme in Taiwan, where 108.21 inches (2,749 mm) fell in a 48‑hour period between October 17 and October 19.[4]
The worst typhoon to hit the country during the year, it killed 250 people and left 30 others missing.
Typhoon Emma was the second super Typhoon to hit the Philippines just 2 weeks after Typhoon Carla. Typhoon Emma left 300 people dead and 60 others missing.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration uses its own naming scheme for tropical cyclones in their area of responsibility. PAGASA assigns names to tropical depressions that form within their area of responsibility and any tropical cyclone that might move into their area of responsibility. Should the list of names for a given year prove to be insufficient, names are taken from an auxiliary list, the first 6 of which are published each year before the season starts. The names not retired from this list will be used again in the 1971 season. This is the same list used for the 1963 season. The names Uring, Welming, Yayang, Ading and Barang used the first time (and only, in the case of Welming). PAGASA uses its own naming scheme that starts in the Filipino alphabet, with names of Filipino female names ending with "ng" (A, B, K, D, etc.). Names that were not assigned/going to use are marked in gray.
Retirement
Due to an extreme death toll caused by Typhoon Emma (Welming) in the Philippines, PAGASA later retired the name Welming and was replaced by Warling for the 1971 season.
^J. L. H. Paulhaus (1973). World Meteorological Organization Operational Hydrology Report No. 1: Manual For Estimation of Probable Maximum Precipitation. World Meteorological Organization. p. 178.
