User:Supportstorm/1881 Pacific typhoon season

The 1881 Pacific typhoon season has no official bounds; it ran year-round in 1881, 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. Most storms were documented by newspapers, ship logs, and weather observation posts.

Storms
During the 1881 Pacific typhoon season a total of twenty-two typhoons developed.

Typhoon One
On May 14th a change in the direction of the prevailing winds was observed at Manila which was the first indication a storm was forming out at sea. The progress of the storm was slow and uncertain up until the 22nd when telegrams from a weather observation to the southeast indicated the definite presence of a typhoon farther south. On the 23rd heavy rain a wind were felt on the southeastern coast of Luzon as the typhoon moved ashore. A wind gust of 88 mph was recorded with mean winds of 75 mph at Manila. Avoiding the mountainous region of Luzon, the storm moved into the South China Sea on the 24th. Moving to the west not much happened between the time it left the Philippines and when it reached Cochinchina by the 28th. A British steamer, by the name of Elgin, wrecked on the Bombay shoal of the Paracels. The steamer was carrying rice and fifty men to Hongkong when it was caught in the storm on the 28th. Of the fifty men two or three of them died from exhaustion. The storm stalled and was pushed northeast back out in the South China Sea. Pressure readings from surrounding coasts indicate the storm lasted until June 1st, by then it had become unimportant.

Typhoon Two
A typhoon was recorded near the Mariana Islands on May 28. It moved to the west for the next few days. On June 1 a German sail boat, The Maszo, was wrecked as it was over taken by the storm. Little effects were felt on Luzon. It is presumed to have turned to the north or northeast before reaching the Philippines. Observation of the typhoon was lost on June 3.

Typhoon Three
On June 19 a typhoon is thought to have passed through the Philippines and move towards Swatow and dissipate on June 23. However, evidence from a telegram from Hongkong indicated that no typhoon had occurred. Pressures were high and winds were not particularly strong along the coast of China. Heavy thunderstorms were felt across the area preceding Typhoon Four.

Typhoon Four
Following Typhoon Three another small tropical system moved along the coast on the Philippines on June 25 though June 28. The storm made landfall on southeastern Luzon on June 28 and moved very near Manila where mean winds reached 90 mph. The mountainous region of East Luzon received great amounts of rain following the centers passage. After moving into the South China Sea, the typhoon began to move to the northwest. The typhoon reached China on July 2, just south of Swatow where winds of force eleven were recorded. Typhoon Four became disorganized soon after landfall and fell to below typhoon strength. It continued through China before emerging into the East China Sea on July 5 as a weak depression. The low pressure moved to the northeast before dissipating on July 6.

The typhoon was rather small during its time in the Philippines, however, damages were vastly felt. At many shipping channels along the coast damage to boats occurred. The worst involved the steamer Merivales when it went ashore at Legaspi drowning four Chinese passengers. At Swatow houses were flooded with three feet of water and several jetties were destroyed.

Typhoon Five
The ITCZ moved farther north during the beginning of July causing trade winds to clash with cold fronts near the Philippines. It so happens two tropical circulation formed on July 5 due to this interaction. The western most circulation developed into typhoon five during July 5 and 6 near the Panay Gulf. It traveled to the northwest and made its way out into the South China Sea. Following a west path the typhoon came ashore on Hainan on July 11. The island greatly disrupted the typhoon and it weakened rapidly as it passed into the Gulf Tonkin. The storm became devoid of rain as it moved into Vietnam and vanished.

The typhoon was harshest at sea where a Siamese barque, the Fabius, ran into typhoon winds and rough sea on July 8. The ship sprang a leak and was taking on water with the misfortune of having faulty pumps. The captain hoisted a distress signal and was taken to Hongkong by a steamer, the Catterthun, on July 12. The ship was too badly damaged to be salvaged and was deemed unseaworthy. Impacts to Hainan or other affected areas were lite or not noteworthy.