History of Typhoon in Timeline

By Popular Timelines Editorial Team · Updated: October 17, 2025

A typhoon is a tropical cyclone in the Northwestern Pacific Basin, occurring between 180° and 100°E in the Northern Hemisphere. It's characterized by sustained hurricane-force winds of at least 119 km/h (74 mph). This area accounts for nearly a third of the world's tropical cyclones. The northern Pacific Ocean is divided into eastern, central, and western regions for organizational purposes. Japan serves as the Regional Specialized Meteorological Center (RSMC) for forecasting typhoons. Other warning centers are located in Hawaii, the Philippines, and Hong Kong. Names are coordinated among 18 countries threatened by typhoons each year.

1929: Typhoon Term Standardization

In 1929, Chu Coching, head of meteorology of the national academy, declared 颱風 to be the standard term for typhoon.

1936: Typhoon Term Standardization

In 1936, Chu Coching, head of meteorology of the national academy, continued to declare 颱風 to be the standard term for typhoon.

1945: Start of Philippine Tropical Cyclone Strike Tracking

Tracking of tropical cyclone strikes in the Philippines started since 1945.

1950: Typhoon Statistics Begin

In 1950, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center began tracking typhoon statistics in the Northwest Pacific.

1957: Busiest Season for Okinawa since 1957

The 2004 Pacific typhoon season was the busiest for Okinawa since 1957.

1958: Fewest Philippine Tropical Cyclone Strikes

In 1958, only one tropical cyclone moved through the Philippines.

1964: Most Active Typhoon Season

In 1964, the Western Pacific experienced its most active typhoon season on record, with 39 storms of tropical storm strength forming.

1975: Typhoon Nina's Devastation

In 1975, Typhoon Nina, the deadliest typhoon of the 20th century, killed nearly 100,000 in China due to a flood caused by the failure of 12 reservoirs.

1979: Typhoon Tip's Intensity

In 1979, Typhoon Tip reached a minimum pressure of 870 hectopascals (26 inHg) and maximum sustained wind speeds of 165 knots (190 mph; 306 km/h) in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, making it the most intense storm based on minimum pressure.

1989: RSMC Tokyo-Typhoon Center Responsibility

In 1989, the RSMC Tokyo-Typhoon Center, part of the Japan Meteorological Agency, gained official warning responsibility for the Western Pacific.

1993: Most Active Season for Philippine Tropical Cyclone Strikes

Since 1945, the most active season for tropical cyclone strikes in the Philippines was 1993, with nineteen tropical cyclones moving through the country.

2000: RSMC Tokyo-Typhoon Center Naming Responsibility

Since 2000, the RSMC Tokyo-Typhoon Center has had the naming responsibility for Western Pacific tropical storms of tropical storm strength or greater.

2004: Busiest Season for Okinawa

The 2004 Pacific typhoon season was the busiest for Okinawa since 1957.

August 8, 2009: Typhoon Morakot Landfall

On August 8, 2009, after Typhoon Morakot landed in Taiwan almost the entire southern region of Taiwan was flooded by record-breaking heavy rain. The rainfall in Pingtung County reached 2,327 millimetres (91.6 inches), breaking all rainfall records of any single place in Taiwan induced by a single typhoon, and making the cyclone the wettest known typhoon.

2009: Hong Kong Observatory Typhoon Classifications

Since 2009, the Hong Kong Observatory has classified typhoons into three categories: typhoon (64–79 kn), severe typhoon (at least 80 kn), and super typhoon (at least 100 kn).

2010: Least Active Typhoon Season

The 2010 Pacific typhoon season was the least active in the northwest Pacific Ocean, with only 14 tropical storms and seven typhoons forming.

November 8, 2013: Typhoon Haiyan Landfall

On November 8, 2013, Typhoon Haiyan had the highest reliably-estimated maximum sustained winds on record for a typhoon at 314 km/h (195 mph) shortly before its landfall in the central Philippines.

2013: Busy Typhoon Season

2013 was one of the most recent busy seasons for typhoons. Tropical cyclones form in any month of the year across the northwest Pacific Ocean and concentrate around June and November in the northern Indian Ocean.

2022: Typhoon Statistics End

In 2022, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center ended tracking typhoon statistics in the Northwest Pacific. From 1950 to 2022, the Northwest Pacific generated an average of 26.5 named tropical cyclones each year, with 16.6 reaching typhoon standard.