*** Welcome to piglix ***

Typhoon Fengshen (2008)

Typhoon Fengshen (Frank)
Typhoon (JMA scale)
Category 3 (Saffir–Simpson scale)
Fengshen 2008-06-21 0230Z.png
Typhoon Fengshen at peak intensity on June 21
Formed June 17, 2008
Dissipated June 27, 2008
Highest winds 10-minute sustained: 165 km/h (105 mph)
1-minute sustained: 205 km/h (125 mph)
Lowest pressure 945 hPa (mbar); 27.91 inHg
Fatalities 1371 deaths, 87 missing
Damage $480 million (2008 USD)
Areas affected Palau, Philippines, Hong Kong, Macau, Guangdong
Part of the 2008 Pacific typhoon season

Typhoon Fengshen, known in the Philippines as Typhoon Frank, was the sixth named storm and the fourth typhoon recognised by the Japan Meteorological Agency. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center recognised Fengshen as the seventh tropical depression, the sixth tropical storm, and fifth typhoon of the 2008 Pacific typhoon season.

Fengshen made a direct hit on the Philippines and China, causing severe damage and resulted in at least 1371 deaths and leaving 87 people missing. 846 of the 922 people on board the Princess of the Stars were killed when the ship capsized. Still, the Philippines is the most heavily affected country in the wake of Fengshen.

On June 17, 2008 the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) started to monitor a tropical depression that had developed about 115 km (70 mi) to the north-west of Melekeok, Palau. Later that day the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) issued a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert as convective banding had continued to consolidate around the low level circulation center. Early the next day the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration named the depression as Frank. The JTWC then designated Frank as Tropical Depression 07W later that day whilst Frank was positioned to the south of a low level subtropical ridge of low pressure. Later that day the JTWC reported that Frank had intensified into a Tropical Storm. Early on June 19, the JMA upgraded the depression to a Tropical Storm and named it as Tropical Storm Fengshen.

Later that day Fengshen started intensifying rapidly, becoming a Severe Tropical Storm after which both the JMA and the JTWC upgraded Fengshen to a Typhoon. Early the next day Fengshen made its first landfall on Samar Island in the Philippines. As Fengshen moved towards the northwest it continued to intensify.


...
Wikipedia

...