Typhoon Oliwa (1997)
| Typhoon (JMA scale) | |
|---|---|
| Category 5 (Saffir–Simpson scale) | |
Typhoon Oliwa in the western Pacific
|
|
| Formed | September 2, 1997 |
| Dissipated | September 20, 1997 |
| (Extratropical after September 17, 1997) | |
| Highest winds |
10-minute sustained: 185 km/h (115 mph) 1-minute sustained: 260 km/h (160 mph) |
| Lowest pressure | 915 hPa (mbar); 27.02 inHg |
| Fatalities | 12 total |
| Damage | $50.1 million (1997 USD) |
| Areas affected | Northern Mariana Islands and Japan |
| Part of the 1997 Pacific hurricane season, 1997 Pacific typhoon season | |
Typhoon Oliwa was one of a record eleven super typhoons in the 1997 Pacific typhoon season. It formed in the central Pacific Ocean on September 2 to the southwest of Hawaii, but it became a typhoon in the western Pacific. Oliwa explosively deepened on September 8, increasing its winds from 85 mph to 160 mph in a 24‑hour period. Afterward, it slowly weakened, and after passing east of Okinawa, Oliwa turned northeast and struck Japan with winds of 85 mph (140 km/h). There, it affected 30,000 people and killed 13; thousands of houses were flooded, and some were destroyed. Offshore South Korea, the winds and waves wrecked 28 boats, while one boat went missing with a crew of 10 people. Typhoon Oliwa dissipated on September 19 in northern Pacific Ocean near the International Date Line.
The origins of Typhoon Oliwa were from an unusually eastward extension of the monsoon trough in late August 1997. The tropical disturbance organized southwest of Hawaii, and slowly organized. On September 2, the Central Pacific Hurricane Center (CPHC) initiated advisories on Tropical Depression Two-C about 590 miles (950 km) southwest of Johnston Island, slightly east of the International Date Line. The depression quickly attained tropical storm status, and the CPHC gave it the name "Oliwa", meaning "Oliver" in the Hawaiian language.
A moderately powerful ridge persisted north of Tropical Storm Oliwa, which caused a slow west to west-northwest track. Water temperatures were slightly warmer than usual, and there was a favorable upper-level environment for strengthening. Initially, however, Oliwa was somewhat disorganized on satellite imagery, and on September 4, as it crossed the International Date Line, there may have been multiple circulations. Upon entering the western Pacific Ocean, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) and the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) began issuing advisories on the system (9719). Despite the favorable conditions, further intensification was slow, and it reached typhoon status - winds of at least 75 mph (120 km/h) - on September 8. Prior to that time, Oliwa co-existed with a weak tropical cyclone that formed in a similar location in the south Pacific.
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