The Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) is an area in the Northwestern Pacific where PAGASA, the Philippines' national meteorological agency, monitors weather occurrences. Significant weather disturbances, specifically tropical cyclones that enter or develop in the PAR, are given Philippine-specific names.
The area is bounded by six points namely (clockwise): [1] [2]
This area encompasses almost all of the land territory of the Philippines, except for the southernmost portions of the province of Tawi-Tawi, and some of the country's claimed islands in the Spratlys. The area also includes the main island of Palau, most of Taiwan, as well as portions of the Malaysian state of Sabah, the Japanese prefecture of Okinawa (Miyakojima, Tarama, Ishigaki, Taketomi, Yonaguni) and a small patch of land in Brunei (Brunei–Muara District).
The establishing decree of PAGASA mandates the weather agency to monitor weather occurrences occurring within the PAR. [3] [4]
Tropical cyclones are only assigned local names by PAGASA when they enter or develop within the PAR. [5] [6] These names are provided in parallel with internationally recognized names designated by the Japan Meteorological Agency (in its role as the Regional Specialized Meteorological Centre for the Northwest Pacific Ocean basin). The rationale for providing local names is that it is felt that Filipinos will respond more to familiar names and that it helps to underscore that these named weather disturbances pose a direct threat to the country. Furthermore, PAGASA provides names earlier when a low-pressure area becomes a tropical depression, in contrast to international names that are only issued when a tropical cyclone reaches tropical storm strength (65 km/h and higher), due to the fact that tropical depressions can still cause flooding and other damage. [7]
When a named weather disturbance within the PAR has made or is expected to make landfall in the Philippines, PAGASA is mandated to issue Tropical Cyclone Bulletins every three or six hours. If the weather disturbance is not affecting land, the weather agency has to issue Tropical Cyclone Bulletins every 12 hours. [8]
Aside from the PAR, PAGASA forecasters have two other areas of responsibilities for tropical cyclone monitoring: the Tropical Cyclone Advisory Domain (TCAD) and the Tropical Cyclone Information Domain (TCID). Together with the PAR, these three areas of the Northwest Pacific Basin are collectively called domains. Since most tropical cyclones come from the broad expanse of ocean east of the country, the eastern boundaries of the PAR, TCAD and TCID are farther from the archipelago than the western boundaries. [1] [8]
The TCAD, is located between the PAR and the TCID. TCAD tropical cyclones are too far to have any direct effect to the country but are close enough for monitoring by the PAGASA and prompts the agency to issue a Tropical Cyclone Advisory (a less serious form of tropical cyclone bulletin than the Tropical Cyclone Bulletin). The TCAD includes the area bounded by the imaginary lines connecting the coordinates: 4°N114°E / 4°N 114°E , 27°N114°E / 27°N 114°E , 27°N145°E / 27°N 145°E , 4°N145°E / 4°N 145°E . Note that though the TCAD completely encloses the PAR, it does not include the area within the PAR. [1]
On the other hand, the TCID is the largest and the outermost domain of PAGASA. TCID tropical cyclones are of least concern for PAGASA but are still necessary enough for monitoring and public awareness. The TCID is the area enclosed by the imaginary lines connecting the coordinates: 0°N110°E / 0°N 110°E , 27°N110°E / 27°N 110°E , 27°N155°E / 27°N 155°E , 0°N155°E / 0°N 155°E . Similarly, the TCID excludes the area enclosed by the PAR and the TCAD. [1]
Tropical cyclones and subtropical cyclones are named by various warning centers to simplify communication between forecasters and the general public regarding forecasts, watches and warnings. The names are intended to reduce confusion in the event of concurrent storms in the same basin. Once storms develop sustained wind speeds of more than 33 knots, names are generally assigned to them from predetermined lists, depending on the basin in which they originate. Some tropical depressions are named in the Western Pacific, while tropical cyclones must contain a significant amount of gale-force winds before they are named in the Southern Hemisphere.
The 2005 Pacific typhoon season was the least active typhoon season since 2000, producing 23 named storms, of which 13 became typhoons. It was an event in the annual cycle of tropical cyclone formation, in which tropical cyclones form in the western Pacific Ocean. The season ran throughout 2005, though most tropical cyclones typically develop between May and October. The season's first named storm, Kulap, developed on January 13, while the season's last named storm, Bolaven, dissipated on November 20. The season's first typhoon, Haitang, reached typhoon status on July 13, and became the first super typhoon of the year three days later.
The 2003 Pacific typhoon season was a slightly below average yearlong period of tropical cyclogenesis exhibiting the development of 45 tropical depressions, of which 21 became named storms; of those, 14 became typhoons. Though every month with the exception of February and March featured tropical activity, most storms developed from May through October. During the season, tropical cyclones affected the Philippines, Japan, China, the Korean Peninsula, Indochina, and various islands in the western Pacific.
The 2000 Pacific typhoon season marked the first year using names contributed by the World Meteorological Organization. It was a rather below-average season, producing a total of 23 tropical storms, 13 typhoons and 4 intense typhoons. The season ran throughout 2000, though typically most tropical cyclones develop between May and October. The season's first named storm, Damrey, developed on May 7, while the season's last named storm, Soulik, dissipated on January 4 of the next year. The Accumulated Cyclone Energy (ACE) index for the 2000 Pacific typhoon season as calculated by Colorado State University using data from the Joint Typhoon Warning Center was 252.9 units.
The 1995 Pacific typhoon season was a slightly below average season in terms of named storms, ending a 6-year stretch of above average activity. It occurred all year round, though most tropical cyclones formed between May and November.
The 1980 Pacific typhoon season was a slightly-below average season when compared to the long-term average, though it featured several intense storms. It ran year-round in 1980, but most tropical cyclones formed between June and December. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the northwestern Pacific Ocean. A total of 28 tropical depressions formed this year in the Western Pacific, of which 24 became tropical storms and were assigned a name by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. Beginning in March, tropical cyclones formed in each subsequent month through December. Of the 24 named storms, 15 storms reached typhoon intensity, of which 2 reached super typhoon strength.
The 1976 Pacific typhoon season has no official bounds; it ran year-round in 1976, 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 1973 Pacific typhoon season, in comparison to the two years preceding it, was a below average season, with only 21 named storms and 12 typhoons forming. However, it featured Typhoon Nora, which ties Typhoon June of 1975 for the second strongest typhoon on record. It has no official bounds; it ran year-round in 1973, 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 1963 Pacific typhoon season has no official bounds; it ran year-round in 1963, 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 Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration is the National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHS) agency of the Philippines mandated to provide protection against natural calamities and to ensure the safety, well-being and economic security of all the people, and for the promotion of national progress by undertaking scientific and technological services in meteorology, hydrology, climatology, astronomy and other geophysical sciences. Created on December 8, 1972, by reorganizing the Weather Bureau, PAGASA now serves as one of the Scientific and Technological Services Institutes of the Department of Science and Technology.
The Philippines is a Typhoon -prone country, with approximately 20 Tropical Cyclones entering its area of responsibility per year. Locally known generally as bagyo, typhoons regularly form in the Philippine Sea and less regularly, in the South China Sea, with the months of June to September being the most active, August being the month with the most activity. Each year, at least ten typhoons are expected to hit the island nation, with five expected to be destructive and powerful. In 2013, Time declared the country as the "most exposed country in the world to tropical storms".
The 2008 Pacific typhoon season was a below average season which featured 22 named storms, eleven typhoons, and two super typhoons. The season had no official bounds; it ran year-round in 2008, but most tropical cyclones tend to form in the northwestern Pacific Ocean between May and November. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the northwestern Pacific Ocean.
Severe Tropical Storm Maysak, known in the Philippines as Tropical Storm Quinta-Siony, was recognised as the 19th tropical storm by the Japan Meteorological Agency. It was also recognised as the 24th tropical depression and the 22nd tropical storm by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center of the 2008 Pacific typhoon season.
This timeline documents all of the events of the 2009 Pacific typhoon season which was the period that tropical cyclones formed in the Western Pacific Ocean during 2009, with most of the tropical cyclones forming between May and November. The scope of this article is limited to the Pacific Ocean, north of the equator between 100°E and the International Date Line. Tropical storms that form in the entire Western Pacific basin are assigned a name by the Japan Meteorological Agency. Tropical depressions that form in this basin are given a number with a "W" suffix by the United States' Joint Typhoon Warning Center. In addition, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) assigns names to tropical cyclones that enter or form in the Philippine area of responsibility. These names, however, are not in common use outside of the Philippines.
Typhoon Kujira, known in the Philippines as Typhoon Dante, was first reported by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) on April 28. It was the fourth depression and the first typhoon of the season. The disturbance dissipated later that day however it regenerated early on April 30 within the southern islands of Luzon. It was then designated as a Tropical Depression during the next morning by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) and the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), with PAGASA assigning the name Dante to the depression. However the JTWC did not designate the system as a depression until early on May 2 which was after the depression had made landfall on the Philippines. Later that day Dante was upgraded to a Tropical Storm and was named as Kujira by the JMA. The cyclone started to rapidly intensify becoming a typhoon early on May 4, and then reaching its peak winds of 155 km/h (100 mph) (10-min), 215 km/h (135 mph) (1-min) later that day after a small clear eye had developed.
The 2011 Pacific typhoon season was a below average season that produced a total of 21 named storms, 8 typhoons, and four super typhoons. This season was much more active than the previous season, although both seasons were below the Pacific typhoon average of 26. The season ran throughout 2011, though most tropical cyclone tend to develop between May and October. The season's first named storm, Aere, developed on May 7 while the season's last named storm, Washi dissipated on December 19.
The 2020 Pacific typhoon season was the first of an series of four below average Pacific typhoon seasons, and became the first with below-average tropical cyclone activity since 2014, with 23 named storms, 10 of which became typhoons and only 2 became super typhoons. This low activity was a consequence of La Niña that persisted from the summer of the year. It had the sixth-latest start in the basin on record, slightly behind 1973, and was the first to start that late since 2016. The first half of the season was unusually inactive, with only four systems, two named storms and one typhoon at the end of July. Additionally, the JTWC recorded no tropical cyclone development in the month of July, the first such occurrence since reliable records began. Despite that, this season featured Super Typhoon Goni, which made the strongest landfall worldwide in terms of 1-minute wind speed. The season's first named tropical cyclone, Vongfong, developed on May 8, while the season's last named tropical cyclone, Krovanh, dissipated on December 24. However, the season's last system was an unnamed tropical depression which dissipated on December 29.
Tropical Storm Jangmi, known in the Philippines as Tropical Storm Seniang, was a weak but destructive tropical cyclone that impacted the Philippines during late December 2014. It produced heavy rainfall which caused serious flooding. Flooding in Philippines caused 66 deaths and at least $28.3 million damage.
The 2025 Pacific typhoon season is an upcoming event in the annual cycle of tropical cyclone formation in the western Pacific Ocean. The season runs throughout 2025, though most tropical cyclones typically develop between May and October. The scope of this article is limited to the Pacific Ocean to the north of the equator between 100°E and 180th meridian. Within the northwestern Pacific Ocean, there are two separate agencies that assign names to tropical cyclones which can often result in a cyclone having two names. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) will name a tropical cyclone if it has 10-minute sustained wind speeds of at least 65 km/h (40 mph) anywhere in the basin. The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) assigns names to tropical cyclones which move into or form as a tropical depression in the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR), located between 135°E and 115°E and between 5°N–25°N, regardless of whether or not a tropical cyclone has already been given a name by the JMA. Tropical depressions that are monitored by the United States' Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) are given a number with a "W" suffix.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .