French
Deutsch1937 Hong Kong typhoon
 Surface weather analysis of the typhoon on 1 September | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 28 August 1937 |
| Dissipated | 4 September 1937 |
| Typhoon | |
| Lowest pressure | 958 hPa (mbar); 28.29 inHg |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | About 13,000 |
| Areas affected | |
| IBTrACS | |
Part of the 1937 Pacific typhoon season | |
The 1937 Great Hong Kong Typhoon was one of the deadliest typhoons in Hong Kong history. The territory suffered at least 11,000 fatalities,[1] while nearby Macau lost 21 people.[2]
Background[edit]
Victoria Harbour at the time was the seventh busiest in the world.[citation needed] It was always busy with sampans, junks, ferries, cargo ships, ocean liners, yachts and warships. The typhoon wind was so strong that observatory instruments capable of registering winds up to 125 mph broke down.[3]
Other storms that hoisted the hurricane signal prior to 1946 include:
- 1884 Super typhoon – 11 September – 57kts – 106km/h max sustained hourly winds at the Royal Observatory
- 1894 typhoon – 5 October – 54kts – 101km/h max sustained hourly winds at the Royal Observatory in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong
- 1896 Super typhoon – 29 to 30 July – 69kts – 128km/h max sustained hourly winds at the Royal Observatory in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong
- 1900 Geng-Zi typhoon disaster – 10 November – 61kts – 113km/h max sustained hourly winds at the Royal Observatory in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong. The strongest November typhoon to date, surpassing all typhoons in October.
- 1906 Super Typhoon – Small but compact – 18 September – 50kts – 92km/h max sustained hourly winds at the Royal Observatory in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong.
- 1908 Typhoon – The storm was over Cheung Chau – 28 July – 52kts – 96km/h.
- 1923 Super Typhoon – The storm was over Aberdeen, Hong Kong Island at approximately 6 miles to the South of the Royal Observatory – 18 August – 67kts – 124km/h max sustained hourly winds at the Royal Observatory in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong. The typhoon appears to be comparable to Typhoon Hope
- 1927 Severe Typhoon – 20 August – 53kts – 99km/h max sustained hourly winds at the Royal Observatory in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong
- 1929 Typhoon – 22 August – 57kts – 106km/h max sustained hourly winds at the Royal Observatory in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong. The typhoon appears to be comparable to Typhoon York
- 1931 Super Typhoon – 1 August – 60kts – 112km/h max sustained hourly winds at the Royal Observatory in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong
- 1936 Super Typhoon – 17 August – 62kts – 115km/h max sustained hourly winds at the Royal Observatory in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong
Meteorological history[edit]
The origins of the typhoon were from a storm located 320 km (200 mi) south of Guam on August 24. The September 1937 issue of the Monthly Weather Review described that "there was little evidence of its potentialities", as the storm moved west-northwestward across the western Pacific Ocean. On August 28, the USS Ramapo encountered the storm, observing an barometric pressure of 1003 mbar (29.61 inHg), and maximum sustained winds of 61 km/h (38 mph). The observations suggested that the storm passed just south of the ship, although the intensity of the system was unknown at that point. Around August 30, the storm turned more to the northwest, causing it to remain north and east of majority of the Philippines. On September 1, it went through the Balintang Channel, passing 48 km (30 mi) south of Basco, Batanes, and moving into the South China Sea.[4][5]
Preparations and impacts[edit]
The hurricane signal, equivalent to the hurricane signal number 10 in modern days in Hong Kong SAR, was hoisted a few hours prior to its closest approach at 15 km to the south-southwest of Hong Kong.
Royal Observatory Hong Kong have since recorded the wind with a mean hourly wind average of 59 knots, 68 mph, 109 km/h, a 10-minute mean Wind of 74 knots, 85 mph, 137 km/h. The maximum gust was at 130 knots, 149 mph, 240 km/h.[6] The piston of the anemometer hit the stops at 130 knots (240 km/h) and the true maximum gust could not be recorded.[6] The typhoon was so powerful that it caused a 9.1 m (30 ft) tidal wave that swept through the villages of Taipo and Shatin. The villages suffered massive damage and many fatalities.[7]
The powerful typhoon killed thousands of people in Hong Kong, with an estimated death toll of around 13,000 people.
See also[edit]
- Typhoon Wanda (1962) - one of the most intense typhoons in Hong Kong
References[edit]
- ^ Strzepek, Kenneth M., Smith, Joel B. [1995] (1995). As Climate Changes: International Impacts and Implications. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-46796-9.
- ^ "MACAO TYPHOON DAMAGE. MANY LIVES LOST ON SHORE. FISHING FLEETS SUFFER". The Hongkong Telegraph (page 4). 4 September 1937.
- ^ Time magazine. "Time magazine 1937 account." Hong Kong Typhoon: Monday, Sep. 13, 1937. Retrieved on 2007-12-19.
- ^ Reverend Bernard F. Doucette. "Typhoons and Depressions over the Far East, September 1937" (PDF). Monthly Weather Review. 65 (9). Retrieved 25 April 2024.
- ^ "1937 Not Named (1937240N13136)". International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
- ^ a b HK weather gov. "Typhoon Wanda 27 August to 2 September 1962 Archived 31 December 2006 at the Wayback Machine." Typhoon Wanda and other winds. Retrieved on 2007-12-19.
- ^ "Hurricanes: Science and Society: 1937– Great Hong Kong Typhoon".
External links[edit]
