The 1974 Pacific typhoon season was the only season on record to not feature Super Typhoon. It has no official bounds; it ran year-round in 1974, 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. 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 1974 Pacific hurricane season. Tropical Storms formed in the entire west pacific basin were assigned a name by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. Tropical depressions in this basin have the "W" suffix added to their number. Tropical depressions that enter or form in the Philippine area of responsibility are assigned a name by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration or PAGASA. This can often result in the same storm having two names.
35 tropical depressions formed this year in the Western Pacific, of which 32 became tropical storms. 16 storms reached typhoon intensity, and none reached super typhoon strength. This season is the most recent to have no super typhoons.
A tropical disturbance developed on January 8 to the southwest of Palau.By the next day, the disturbance was upgraded to a tropical depression and to a tropical storm. Wanda reached its peak intensity on January 10 as a 65 mph tropical storm. The storm was then downgraded to a tropical depression on January 11. Wanda then dissipated on January 14.
5W lasted two days and struck extremely north China.
Typhoon Dinah (Bising)
Dinah, which developed on June 7, hit Luzon on the 10th as an 80 mph typhoon. It continued northwestward, hit Hainan Island, crossed the Gulf of Tonkin, and dissipated over North Vietnam. Dinah caused 73 casualties, with $3 million in crop damage.
When Tropical Storm Gilda, having weakened from a peak of 100 mph winds, crossed between Japan and South Korea in early July, it brought torrential rains and mudslides, killing 128 people and causing damage estimated at $1.5 billion.
66 people were killed when Typhoon Ivy hit Luzon on July 20, the day before the 1974 Miss Universe was held in Manila. It continued northwestward, and hit southeastern China 2 days later.
The monsoon trough spawned a tropical depression on August 10. It tracked to the northeast, then turned to the northwest where it became a tropical storm on the 11th. Mary's appearance resembled an extratropical cyclone due to vertical shear, and as the ridge built over Japan, Mary turned more to the west. Conditions were favorable enough for Mary to reach typhoon strength on the 18th, but it weakened to a tropical storm before hitting northeastern China on the 19th. A high pressure system over China forced now Tropical Depression Mary to the southeast, where it restrengthened into a tropical storm on the 24th. The storm turned to the northeast, briefly becoming a typhoon again on the 25th before weakening. Mary hit Japan on the 26th, and dissipated shortly thereafter. 3 lives were lost in Mary's path, with moderate damage occurring.
Tropical Depression 16W
16W was just a tropical depression and also hit Thailand for a very brief moment.
Typhoon Bess crossed northern Luzon on October 10, crossed the South China Sea, and hit Hainan Island on the 13th. Bess continued westward, and dissipated over North Vietnam on the 14th. The storm dumped heavy rains on its path, causing 26 deaths and $9.2 million in damage. The name Bess was retired after this season.
Typhoon Carmen (Tering)
Typhoon Carmen hit Luzon on October 16, just days after Bess hit. It continued northwestward, made landfall on southeastern China, turned south, and dissipated on the 20th. Typhoon Carmen caused sustained storm force winds in Hong Kong and 25 fatalities, with damage estimated at $13 million.
Typhoon Della (Uding)
Della passed near the Philippines.
Typhoon Elaine (Wening)
23 casualties and $21 million in damage can be attributed to 110 mph Typhoon Elaine hitting northern Luzon on October 27.
The last of the year's 8 typhoons to hit the Philippines made landfall on November 28 as a 100 mph typhoon. Irma, once a 135 mph typhoon, weakened over the islands and restrengthened into a typhoon in the South China Sea. It turned northward, and hit southern China as a weakening tropical storm on December 2, the latest date for a Chinese tropical storm landfall. Irma killed 11 people, and caused $7.3 million in damage.
Kit developed on December 18th in the open Pacific. Upon hitting the Philippines, the system weakened to a tropical depression. The storm re-intensified to a tropical storm in the South China Sea before dissipating on December 24th.
