The 1948 Pacific typhoon season was an average season. It had no official bounds; it ran year-round in 1948, 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.

Quick Facts Seasonal boundaries, First system formed ...
1948 Pacific typhoon season
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Season summary map
Seasonal boundaries
First system formedJanuary 11, 1948
Last system dissipatedDecember 16, 1948
Strongest storm
NameLibby
  Maximum winds230 km/h (145 mph)
(1-minute sustained)
  Lowest pressure924 hPa (mbar)
Seasonal statistics
Total storms26
Typhoons15
Super typhoons1 (unofficial)
Total fatalitiesUnknown
Total damageUnknown
Related articles
Pacific typhoon seasons
1946, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1950
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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 1948 Pacific hurricane season. At the time, tropical storms that formed within this region of the western Pacific were identified and named by the United States Armed Services, and these names are taken from the list that USAS publicly adopted before the 1945 season started.[1][2]

Season summary

Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale

Storms

Typhoon Karen

Quick Facts Duration, Peak intensity ...
Typhoon (JMA)
Category 4 super typhoon (SSHWS)
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DurationJanuary 11 – January 19
Peak intensity240 km/h (150 mph) (1-min);
936 hPa (27.64 inHg) hPa (mbar)
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Typhoon Karen, one of the earliest recorded super typhoons, developed on January 11, well west of the Philippines. It curved westward while slowly intensifying. After a prolonged period of slow intensification, the tropical cyclone began to rapidly strengthen. It became a super typhoon on January 16. Shortly after, it weakened and dissipated on January 19.

It struck Yap on January 14, damaging and destroying establishments and houses on the island.[3] It also wrecked the roofs of some U.S. warehouses and buildings, and downed power lines.[3] A food warehouse were washed out; however, some food supplies survived.[3]

After the typhoon, the navy transported some relief supplies to the populated island.[3] No deaths were reported.[3]

Typhoon Lana

Quick Facts Duration, Peak intensity ...
Typhoon (JMA)
Category 1 typhoon (SSHWS)
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DurationMay 16 – May 20
Peak intensity150 km/h (90 mph) (1-min);
971 hPa (mbar)
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Typhoon Lana, the second system of the season, formed on May 16, west of the Philippines. It moved to the north-northeast while intensifying, reaching its peak intensity somewhere on May 18 and 19. It then weakened, until it was last noted on May 20 as it merged with a cold front.

Warnings were issued for Yap, Palau, Guam and Ulithi in preparations for the storm.[4] All ships in these islands were instructed to escape to Sangley Point due to the approaching typhoon.[5]

A plane in Guam encountered the strength of the typhoon; however, it escaped its fury.[5] Eighteen individuals were reported dead in Yap when their canoe sank during the storm.[5] The damage, however, was minimal.[5]

Typhoon Mabel

Quick Facts Duration, Peak intensity ...
Typhoon (JMA)
Category 1 typhoon (SSHWS)
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DurationMay 29 – June 2
Peak intensity150 km/h (90 mph) (1-min);
964 hPa (mbar)
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Typhoon Nadine

Quick Facts Duration, Peak intensity ...
Typhoon (JMA)
Tropical storm (SSHWS)
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DurationJune 9 – June 11
Peak intensity110 km/h (70 mph) (1-min);
986 hPa (mbar)
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Tropical Storm Ophelia

Quick Facts Duration, Peak intensity ...
Tropical storm (SSHWS)
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DurationJune 10 – June 11
Peak intensity75 km/h (45 mph) (1-min);
991 hPa (mbar)
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Ophelia formed on June 10 in the South China Sea. It moved west and struck southern China. It dissipated the next day, without attaining maximum sustained winds any higher than 45 miles per hour (72 km/h).

Typhoon Pearl

Quick Facts Duration, Peak intensity ...
Typhoon (JMA)
Category 2 typhoon (SSHWS)
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DurationJuly 1 – July 8
Peak intensity165 km/h (105 mph) (1-min);
960 hPa (mbar)
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Typhoon Rose

Quick Facts Duration, Peak intensity ...
Typhoon (JMA)
Category 1 typhoon (SSHWS)
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DurationJuly 23 – July 28
Peak intensity130 km/h (80 mph) (1-min);
981 hPa (mbar)
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Typhoon Bertha

Quick Facts Duration, Peak intensity ...
Typhoon (JMA)
Category 1 typhoon (SSHWS)
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DurationAugust 4 – August 6
Peak intensity130 km/h (80 mph) (1-min);
976 hPa (mbar)
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Tropical Storm Chris

Quick Facts Duration, Peak intensity ...
Tropical storm (SSHWS)
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DurationAugust 8 – August 14
Peak intensity95 km/h (60 mph) (1-min);
988 hPa (mbar)
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Typhoon Dolores–Eunice

Quick Facts Duration, Peak intensity ...
Typhoon (JMA)
Tropical storm (SSHWS)
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DurationAugust 10 – August 14
Peak intensity85 km/h (50 mph) (1-min);
990 hPa (mbar)
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Tropical Storm Dolores was tracked by the Air Weather Service located on Guam. At one point, a tropical storm was identified and assigned the name Eunice. Post analysis showed that Tropical Storm Dolores was north of the forecast location and was synonymous with the system assigned Eunice.[6]

Typhoon Flo

Quick Facts Duration, Peak intensity ...
Typhoon (JMA)
Tropical storm (SSHWS)
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DurationAugust 20 – August 23
Peak intensity95 km/h (60 mph) (1-min);
990 hPa (mbar)
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Typhoon Gertrude

Quick Facts Duration, Peak intensity ...
Typhoon (JMA)
Category 2 typhoon (SSHWS)
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DurationAugust 27 – September 4
Peak intensity155 km/h (100 mph) (1-min);
976 hPa (mbar)
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Typhoon Hazel

Quick Facts Duration, Peak intensity ...
Typhoon (JMA)
Category 1 typhoon (SSHWS)
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DurationSeptember 2 – September 7
Peak intensity150 km/h (90 mph) (1-min);
966 hPa (mbar)
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Typhoon Ione

Quick Facts Duration, Peak intensity ...
Typhoon (JMA)
Category 4 typhoon (SSHWS)
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DurationSeptember 11 – September 17
Peak intensity220 km/h (140 mph) (1-min);
925 hPa (mbar)
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A Tropical Storm formed on September 11 and soon turned toward Japan as it gained strength. Ione soon reached category 4 intensity on September 14. Ione then began to lose strength and became a category 1 on September 16. Then, Ione struck Japan in that day killing 838 people.[7] Ione further weakened and became a Tropical Storm on the 17th. Ione then dissipated.

Typhoon Jackie

Quick Facts Duration, Peak intensity ...
Typhoon (JMA)
Category 1 typhoon (SSHWS)
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DurationSeptember 11 – September 18
Peak intensity150 km/h (90 mph) (1-min);
962 hPa (mbar)
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Typhoon Kit

Quick Facts Duration, Peak intensity ...
Typhoon (JMA)
Tropical storm (SSHWS)
Thumb 
DurationSeptember 24 – September 28
Peak intensity110 km/h (70 mph) (1-min);
989 hPa (mbar)
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Typhoon Libby

Quick Facts Duration, Peak intensity ...
Typhoon (JMA)
Category 4 typhoon (SSHWS)
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DurationSeptember 29 – October 7
Peak intensity230 km/h (145 mph) (1-min);
924 hPa (mbar)
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Typhoon Martha

Quick Facts Duration, Peak intensity ...
Typhoon (JMA)
Category 3 typhoon (SSHWS)
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DurationOctober 4 – October 8
Peak intensity185 km/h (115 mph) (1-min);
943 hPa (mbar)
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Typhoon Norma

Quick Facts Duration, Peak intensity ...
Typhoon (JMA)
Tropical storm (SSHWS)
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DurationOctober 11 – October 12
Peak intensity95 km/h (60 mph) (1-min);
992 hPa (mbar)
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Tropical Storm Olga

Quick Facts Duration, Peak intensity ...
Tropical storm (SSHWS)
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DurationOctober 16 – October 19
Peak intensity100 km/h (65 mph) (1-min);
994 hPa (mbar)
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Typhoon Pat

Quick Facts Duration, Peak intensity ...
Typhoon (JMA)
Tropical storm (SSHWS)
Thumb 
DurationOctober 27 – October 31
Peak intensity110 km/h (70 mph) (1-min);
987 hPa (mbar)
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Typhoon Rita

Quick Facts Duration, Peak intensity ...
Typhoon (JMA)
Category 3 typhoon (SSHWS)
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DurationNovember 4 – November 11
Peak intensity185 km/h (115 mph) (1-min);
957 hPa (mbar)
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Typhoon Agnes

Quick Facts Duration, Peak intensity ...
Typhoon (JMA)
Category 2 typhoon (SSHWS)
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DurationNovember 13 – November 20
Peak intensity175 km/h (110 mph) (1-min);
939 hPa (mbar)
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Tropical Storm 24W

Quick Facts Duration, Peak intensity ...
Tropical storm (SSHWS)
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DurationNovember 29 – December 2
Peak intensity85 km/h (50 mph) (1-min);
997 hPa (mbar)
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Typhoon Beverly

Quick Facts Duration, Peak intensity ...
Typhoon (JMA)
Category 1 typhoon (SSHWS)
Thumb 
DurationDecember 2 – December 10
Peak intensity150 km/h (90 mph) (1-min);
947 hPa (mbar)
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Tropical Storm 26W

Quick Facts Duration, Peak intensity ...
Tropical storm (SSHWS)
Thumb 
DurationDecember 12 – December 16
Peak intensity75 km/h (45 mph) (1-min);
997 hPa (mbar)
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Other Systems

Between 23 July and 4 August, the name Annabell was assigned to a North West Pacific system. The Air Weather Service issued a bulletin issued and tropical cyclone named on what was later determined to be "trough activity"

Storm names

Tropical storm names were assigned by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center since 1945.

KarenLanaMabelNadineOpheliaPearlRoseAnnabellBertha
ChrisDoloresEuniceFloGertrudeHazelIoneJackieKit
LibbyMarthaNormaOlgaPatRitaAgnesBeverly

See also

References

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