1971 Pacific typhoon season

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The 1971 Pacific typhoon season was extremely busy in the western North Pacific. Storms formed all year, but most developed from June to December. The season produced a very high number of storms, making it the second most active tally on record.

Season facts at a glance
- Depressions: about 70
- Named storms: 35
- Typhoons: 24
- Super typhoons: 6 (these counts vary by agency)
- Fatalities: at least 617
- Damage: about $57.7 million (in 1971 dollars)
- Strongest storm: Irma, with winds of 180 mph (285 km/h) and a central pressure of 884 mb, peaked on November 11 while staying at sea

How the season was tracked
- The season has no official start and end, but most activity occurs June–December in the northwestern Pacific.
- Storms were named by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC). In the Philippines, storms in PAGASA’s area of responsibility also get local names.
- Different agencies sometimes counted storms differently, so totals can vary by source.

Notable storms and impacts
- Amy (May): Reached Category 5 strength with winds around 280 km/h. It was extremely intense for May, and while it stayed mostly away from land, it caused some deaths and damage in Micronesia and the Philippines.
- Wanda (April–May): Brought heavy flooding to the Philippines with many deaths and damage; impacts spread as it moved toward Vietnam.
- Nadine (July): Rapidly intensified to about 175 mph and struck eastern Taiwan, causing deaths and damage.
- Olive (late July–August): Hit southwestern Japan, bringing heavy rains and mudslides that killed many people.
- Rose (August): Made landfall in the Philippines and later affected Hong Kong, causing many deaths and widespread damage.
- Trix (August–September): Brought heavy rain to Japan and caused dozens of fatalities and crop damage.
- Bess (early July): A powerful typhoon that reached Category 5 strength and struck eastern Taiwan, causing deaths and damage.
- Faye (October): Crossed the Philippines and later the South China Sea, producing heavy rainfall and fatalities.
- Hester (October): Affected the Philippines, then Palawan and Vietnam; caused significant damage to U.S. military bases in Vietnam and many Vietnamese casualties.
- Irma (November): The strongest storm of the year, reaching extreme intensity but staying at sea and mainly affecting shipping with only minor damage.

Overall impact
- The season was one of the most active on record, with many storms causing loss of life and considerable damage across the Philippines, Vietnam, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan, and other parts of the western Pacific.
- Because storms often received local names in the Philippines and separate agency names elsewhere, some storms are known by more than one name.

This season’s high activity highlighted the Western Pacific’s extreme storm patterns, with powerful typhoons forming rapidly and influencing weather far beyond their landfall areas.