Typhoon Jebi

Pacific typhoon in 2018

Typhoon Jebi (Maymay)
Jebi at peak intensity northwest of Guam on August 31
Meteorological history
FormedAugust 26, 2018
ExtratropicalSeptember 5, 2018
DissipatedSeptember 9, 2018
Violent typhoon
10-minute sustained (JMA)
Highest winds195 km/h (120 mph)
Lowest pressure915 hPa (mbar); 27.02 inHg
Category 5-equivalent super typhoon
1-minute sustained (SSHWS/JTWC)
Highest winds285 km/h (180 mph)
Lowest pressure907 hPa (mbar); 26.78 inHg
Overall effects
Fatalities21 total
Damage$14 billion (2018 USD)
(Third-costliest typhoon on record in nominal terms)
Areas affectedNorthern Mariana Islands, Taiwan, Japan, Russian Far East
IBTrACSEdit this at Wikidata

Part of the 2018 Pacific typhoon season

Typhoon Jebi, known in the Philippines as Super Typhoon Maymay, was the costliest typhoon in Japan's history in terms of insured losses. Jebi formed from a tropical disturbance south-southwest of Wake Island on August 26 and became the twenty-first named storm of the 2018 Pacific typhoon season on August 27. Amid favorable environmental conditions, Jebi quickly strengthened into a typhoon on August 29 as it headed west and rapidly intensified as it passed the Northern Mariana Islands on August 30. Jebi reached its peak intensity as a Category 5-equivalent typhoon on August 31, with 10-minute sustained winds of 195 km/h (120 mph), 1-minute sustained winds of 285 km/h (180 mph), and a minimum pressure of 915 hPa (mbar; 27.02 inHg). Afterwards, Jebi began a slow weakening trend as it turned northwest, briefly passing through the Philippine Area of Responsibility on September 2. Jebi accelerated north-northeast towards Japan on September 3 as it interacted with the westerlies, and made landfalls over Shikoku and near Kobe early on September 4. Jebi quickly weakened over land and became an extratropical cyclone later that day over the Sea of Japan. Its remnants moved over the Russian Far East before dissipating on September 9.

Jebi was the strongest typhoon to make landfall in Japan since Yancy in 1993 and left significant effects across the Kansai region. The typhoon's powerful winds, which broke wind records at 100 Japanese weather stations, damaged nearly 98,000 houses and left nearly 3 million customers without electricity after blowing down power lines. Heavy rains combined with wind and storm surge to flood over 700 houses and cause widespread damage to infrastructure, including several shrines and historical buildings. Agricultural damage from the adverse weather conditions was significant, with losses from the agricultural, forestry, and fishing industries valued at almost JP¥47 billion (US$430 million).[nb 1] Fruits were blown off trees, crops were lodged, and power outages affected the storage of livestock and produce. Storm surge inundated part of Kansai International Airport, which, combined with wind and rain damage to the terminals, forced the airport to close from September 4 to 13.[2] Furthermore, access to the airport was cut off when the typhoon blew a tanker into the bridge connecting the airport to the mainland; repairs to the bridge were completed seven months later. Fourteen people were killed in Japan—mostly from falls and flying debris—and 980 were injured. Insured losses were estimated at US$13–14 billion, of which more than a third was from Osaka Prefecture.

Elsewhere, Jebi brought minor flooding to the Northern Mariana Islands as it passed to the north on August 31. Heavy swells produced by Jebi caused large waves along the coast of Taiwan that resulted in seven fatalities (including a suspected suicide) from September 2 to 3. As an extratropical cyclone on September 5, Jebi produced gusty winds across the Russian Far East, causing power outages and injuring three.

Meteorological history

refer to caption
Map plotting the storm's track and intensity, according to the Saffir–Simpson scale
  Tropical depression (≤38 mph, ≤62 km/h)
  Tropical storm (39–73 mph, 63–118 km/h)
  Category 1 (74–95 mph, 119–153 km/h)
  Category 2 (96–110 mph, 154–177 km/h)
  Category 3 (111–129 mph, 178–208 km/h)
  Category 4 (130–156 mph, 209–251 km/h)
  Category 5 (≥157 mph, ≥252 km/h)
  Unknown
Storm type
circle Tropical cyclone
square Subtropical cyclone
triangle Extratropical cyclone, remnant low, tropical disturbance, or monsoon depression