2020 Pacific typhoon season


The 2020 Pacific typhoon season is a late-starting, ongoing event in the annual cycle of tropical cyclone formation, in which tropical cyclones form in the western Pacific Ocean. The season runs throughout the year, though most tropical cyclones typically develop between May and October. The season is currently very quiet, with only six systems forming as of July 31.
Additionally, the JTWC recorded no tropical cyclone development in the month of July, the first such has happened since reliable records began. The season's first tropical cyclone developed on May 10, making it the sixth-latest start in the basin on record, just slightly behind 1973, and the first to start this late since 2016.
The season's first named storm, Vongfong, developed east of Mindanao and rapidly intensified to become a Category 3 typhoon at peak intensity, undergoing an eyewall replacement cycle and made landfall on Samar Island, causing US$31.1 million damage to the Philippines, while in the midst of the current COVID-19 pandemic.
The scope of this article is limited to the Pacific Ocean to the north of the equator between 100°E and 180th meridian. Within the northwestern Pacific Ocean, there are two separate agencies that assign names to tropical cyclones which can often result in a cyclone having two names. The Japan Meteorological Agency will name a tropical cyclone should it be judged to have 10-minute sustained wind speeds of at least 65 km/h anywhere in the basin, whilst the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration assigns names to tropical cyclones which move into or form as a tropical depression in their area of responsibility located between 135°E and 115°E and between 5°N–25°N regardless of whether or not a tropical cyclone has already been given a name by the JMA. Tropical depressions that are monitored by the United States' Joint Typhoon Warning Center are given a number with a "W" suffix.

Seasonal forecasts

During the year several national meteorological services and scientific agencies forecast how many tropical cyclones, tropical storms, and typhoons will form during a season and/or how many tropical cyclones will affect a particular country. These agencies include the Tropical Storm Risk Consortium of University College London, PAGASA and Taiwan's Central Weather Bureau. The first forecast for the year was released by PAGASA on January 22 predicting the first half of 2020, within its monthly seasonal climate outlook. The PAGASA predicts that only 0-4 tropical cyclones are expected to form or enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility between January and March, while five to eight tropical cyclones are expected to form between April and June. This was due to the fact that the El Niño–Southern Oscillation was seeing neutral conditions across the Pacific, and could persist until midyear. On May 21, the TSR issued their extended-range forecast for 2020, forecasting tropical activity below the average normal, with 26 tropical storms, 15 typhoons and 8 intense typhoons. These numbers were supported by the current values from the Indian Ocean Dipole, the Accumulated Cyclone Energy index and the sea-surface temperatures in the Niño 3.75 region, leading to a stronger than normal trade windspeed throughout much of the Western Pacific.
On June 24, the PAGASA issued a climate forecast, predicting the number of tropical cyclones for the second half of the season. They predicted that 6–10 tropical cyclones are expected to form between the months of July and September, while 4–7 tropical cyclones are expected to form between the months of October and December. On July 9, TSR issued their forecast for the season, predicting a well-below average season with 26 named storms, 14 typhoons and only seven intense typhoons.

Season summary

The first few months of 2020 were extremely quiet, with no tropical systems developing from January to April. On May 10, the season saw its first tropical system with the development of Tropical Depression 01W, making it the sixth-latest starting season on record, as well as the latest since 2016. Two days later, the system strengthened to the first officially named tropical storm of the season, Vongfong. Tropical Storm Vongfong then intensified immediately into a significant typhoon and struck the central part of the Philippines on May 14, first making its landfall in San Policarpo, Eastern Samar, crossing 4 more islands and hit mainland Luzon.
After Vongfong, a month of inactivity ensued, and on June 10, a new tropical depression formed off the coast of Samar, Philippines, and was named Butchoy by the PAGASA a day later. Butchoy made landfall in the Philippines as the JTWC issued a TCFA for it. Once it exited Philippine landmass, Butchoy was upgraded into a tropical depression by the JTWC and all warnings issued by PAGASA was lowered, and Butchoy further intensified into a tropical storm in the West Philippine Sea and was named Nuri by the Japan Meteorological Agency. After Nuri dissipated over mainland China, the basin became quiet again for more than a month with only Tropical Depression Carina forming east of Luzon; this lead to the first time that no tropical storms developed within the month of July since reliable records began. Before July ended, two tropical depressions formed, and by the first day of August intensified into Tropical Storms Sinlaku and Hagupit.

Systems

Typhoon Vongfong (Ambo)

After four consecutive months of inactivity in the Western Pacific basin, a low-pressure area was first noted on May 9 by the JTWC near Micronesia and was given a medium chance of developing into a tropical cyclone. The following day, the JMA declared that it had developed into a tropical depression to the east of Mindanao, Philippines and was expected to slowly move west. The JTWC then issued a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert for the embryonic system just hours later while convection began to gradually obscure the center. Later that day, the PAGASA followed suit and upgraded the system to a tropical depression, assigning it the name Ambo, as it became the first tropical cyclone to enter their area of responsibility for 2020.
The system began to slowly drift westwards throughout the following days, gradually intensifying with occasional convective bursts occurring near the slightly elongated circulation. On the next day, the JTWC upgraded Ambo into a tropical depression, designating it as 01W. The storm gradually intensified throughout the day, as signified by a well-defined rain band developing on the northwestern side, and began to turn north. At this time, the JMA upgraded 01W to a tropical storm and assigned it the first name of the year, Vongfong. Shortly after, the JTWC followed and upgraded the system to tropical storm intensity.
Utilizing favorable conditions with low wind shear, 29-30 °C waters, and excellent outflow, Vongfong began to rapidly intensify by early May 13. Shortly after, the JMA upgraded the system to a severe tropical storm. Soon after, the JTWC upgraded the storm to a Category 1 typhoon with 1-minute sustained winds of 130 km/h as the structure quickly improved. The PAGASA and JMA would then upgrade the system to a typhoon later in the day, with the JTWC quickly upgrading the system to a Category 2 typhoon as the eye became clearer. A few hours later, Vongfong intensified to a category 3-equivalent typhoon. Vongfong made an eyewall replacement cycle and weakened back into a Category 2 typhoon.
Typhoon Vongfong quickly finished its eyewall replacement cycle and re-intensified back into a Category 3 typhoon east of Samar Island. At 12:15 pm PST on May 14, Vongfong made its first landfall in San Policarpo, Eastern Samar. Vongfong gradually weakened shortly after, crossing over the Ticao Pass as it moved further inland near Sorsogon. By the succeeding day, PAGASA recorded five more landfalls: hitting the islands of Dalupiri Island, Capul Island, Ticao Island, Burias Island, and San Andres, Quezon in Luzon Island's Bondoc Peninsula. Ambo weakened into a Category 1 storm due to these multiple landfalls.
The system further weakened on May 15, and was downgraded by both the JMA and PAGASA to a severe tropical storm, with the JTWC downgrading it to a tropical storm as well. Severe Tropical Storm Vongfong then brought heavy rains and winds to the capital Metro Manila and other areas in Luzon. Then, Severe Tropical Storm Vongfong made its 7th landfall in Real, Quezon, and began to head further inland into Luzon, particularly Bulacan, continuing to deliver very heavy rainfall across the entirety of Central Luzon.
In preparation for the incoming Typhoon Vongfong, Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal #3 warnings were issued for Northern Samar and the northern portion of Eastern Samar. According to the NDRRMC, Typhoon Vongfong left ₱1.57 billion worth of damages in agriculture, and left five dead, as of May 27.

Tropical Storm Nuri (Butchoy)

On June 10, the JMA began monitoring on a weak tropical depression that had developed to the east of the Philippine island of Samar in Visayas. During the next day, the PAGASA began tracking the system, giving the local name Butchoy.
The JTWC issued their final warning for Nuri several hours later.
The PAGASA issued Tropical Cyclone Signal No. 1 for western Mindanao, southern Luzon, and Visayas on June 11 as Butchoy neared the Philippines. The combination of the system and prevailing southwesterly winds brought showers and thunderstorms across the Philippines. Heavy rainfall in Albay led to the activation of disaster risk management officials and other emergency assets. The rains from the tropical depression prompted PAGASA to declare the start of the rainy season in the Philippines on June 12, 2020, which was also during the country's Independence Day.
In Hong Kong, Nuri brought heavy rain. One person also drowned due to flooding.

Tropical Depression Carina

After about one month of inactivity, a cloud cluster began to form in the Philippine Sea. The low-pressure system began organizing, and the JTWC designated the system as an invest while the JMA declared it as a tropical depression. On 21:00 UTC, the PAGASA also upgraded the system to a tropical depression and named it Carina

Tropical Depression

Tropical Storm Sinlaku

Current storm information

As of 00:00 UTC August 2, Tropical Storm Sinlaku is located near, also about south-southeast of Haikou, Hainan. Maximum 10-minute sustained winds are at, while maximum 1-minute sustained winds are at, with gusts up to. The minimum central barometric pressure is, and the system is moving westward at.
For the latest official information see:
On August 1, the JMA began monitoring a weak tropical depression that developed in the northern portion of the Philippine Sea. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center then gave a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert on the system, with PAGASA later assigning the name "Dindo" to the tropical depression.
Later, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center upgraded Dindo into a tropical depression and designated it 03W. Later, Dindo intensified into a tropical storm according to the Japan Meteorological Agency, and assigned it the international name Hagupit. Hagupit then began intensifying in the Philippine Sea, reaching winds of 75kph late on August 1.

Current storm information

As of 00:00 UTC August 2, Tropical Storm Hagupit is located near, also about south-southwest of Kadena Air Base, Okinawa. Maximum 10-minute sustained winds are at, while maximum 1-minute sustained winds are at, with gusts up to. The minimum central barometric pressure is, and the system is moving northwestward at.
For the latest official information, see:
Within the Northwest Pacific Ocean, both the Japan Meteorological Agency and the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration assign names to tropical cyclones that develop in the Western Pacific, which can result in a tropical cyclone having two names. The Japan Meteorological Agency's RSMC Tokyo — Typhoon Center assigns international names to tropical cyclones on behalf of the World Meteorological Organization's Typhoon Committee, should they be judged to have 10-minute sustained windspeeds of. PAGASA names to tropical cyclones which move into or form as a tropical depression in their area of responsibility located between 135°E and 115°E and between 5°N and 25°N even if the cyclone has had an international name assigned to it. The names of significant tropical cyclones are retired, by both PAGASA and the Typhoon Committee. Should the list of names for the Philippine region be exhausted then names will be taken from an auxiliary list of which the first ten are published each season. Unused names are marked in.

International names

A tropical cyclone is named when it is judged to have 10-minute sustained windspeeds of. The JMA selected the names from a list of 140 names, that had been developed by the 14 members nations and territories of the ESCAP/WMO Typhoon Committee. Retired names, if any, will be announced by the WMO in 2021; replacement names will be announced in 2022. The next 28 names on the naming list are listed here along with their international numeric designation, if they are used.

Philippines

This season, PAGASA will use its own naming scheme for storms that will either develop within or move into their self-defined area of responsibility. The names are taken from a list of names that were last used during 2016 and are scheduled to be used again during 2024. All of the names are the same except Kristine, Leon, and Nika, which replaced the names Karen, Lawin, and Nina after they were retired.

Retirement

During the season, PAGASA announced that the name Ambo will be removed from their naming lists after this typhoon caused more than in damage on its onslaught in the country. A replacement name will be chosen in 2021.

Season effects

This table summarizes all the systems that developed within or moved into the North Pacific Ocean, to the west of the International Date Line during 2020. The tables also provide an overview of a system's intensity, duration, land areas affected and any deaths or damages associated with the system.