2020 Pacific typhoon season facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
2020 Pacific typhoon season

Season summary map
First storm formed	May 8, 2020
Last storm dissipated	December 29, 2020
Strongest storm	Goni – 905 hPa (mbar), 220 km/h (140 mph) (10-minute sustained)
Tropical depressions	32
Total storms	23
Typhoons	10
Super typhoons	2 (unofficial)
Total fatalities	457 total
Total damage	$4.06 billion (2020 USD)
Pacific typhoon seasons 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022

The 2020 Pacific typhoon season is an ongoing event of which when typhoons form in the Pacific Ocean. The season lasts all year, although most tropical cyclones form between May and October. The season's first tropical cyclone formed on May 10, making it the sixth-latest start in the basin on record.

Typhoon Vongfong (Ambo), the season’s first storm, became a Category 3 typhoon and struck the Philippines, causing extensive damages during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Season summary

Three tropical cyclones present in the western Pacific Ocean simultaneously on October 28. From left to right: Molave, Goni, and a low-pressure area which later became Atsani (at bottom-right).

The first few months of 2020 were inactive, with no tropical systems developing until May. On May 8, the season saw its first tropical system with the development of Tropical Depression 01W (Ambo), making it the sixth-latest starting season on record, as well as the latest since 2016. 2 days later, the system strengthened to the first officially named tropical storm of the season, Vongfong. Tropical Storm Vongfong then rapidly intensified into a significant typhoon and struck the central part of the Philippines on May 14, first making its landfall in San Policarpo, Eastern Samar, crossing 4 more islands and then hitting mainland Luzon.

After Vongfong, another month of inactivity ensued, and on June 10, a new tropical depression formed off the coast of Samar, Philippines, and was named Butchoy by the PAGASA a day later. Butchoy made landfall in the Philippines as the JTWC issued a TCFA for it. Once it exited Philippine landmass, Butchoy was upgraded into a tropical depression by the JTWC and all warnings issued by PAGASA were lifted, and Butchoy further intensified into a tropical storm in the South China Sea and was named Nuri by the Japan Meteorological Agency. After Nuri dissipated over mainland China, the basin became quiet again for more than a month with only Tropical Depression Carina forming east of Luzon; this led to the first time that no tropical storms developed within the month of July since reliable records began. The activity in the West Pacific increased somewhat with the formation of Tropical Storm Sinlaku, and the formation and intensification of Hagupit for a typhoon, ending a fast of more than 2 months without any significant typhoon. Hagupit affected China as a mid-Category 1-equivalent storm and caused US$441 million in damage. The storm then transitioned to an Extratropical cyclone and affected North Korea and Russia. A few days later, a new tropical depression formed, and then intensified into Tropical Storm Jangmi. Just southwest of Jangmi, a disorganized low-pressure area formed and would soon become Severe Tropical Storm Mekkhala, reaching China. A few days later, a new tropical depression formed in the South China Sea, and the PAGASA named the system as Helen. Shortly after, Helen intensified into a Severe Tropical Storm Higos, the 7th named storm on the 2020 typhoon season. Higos then went on to hit China. Soon after Higos dissipated, a new system formed in the east of the Philippines, and was named Igme. Igme then went on to become Tropical Storm Bavi and rapidly intensify in the coastal waters of Taiwan. In late August, Typhoon Maysak formed along Super Typhoon Haishen, with the systems reached Korean Peninsula and Japan, respectively.

September started with Maysak weakening on its way to Korea, while a new Tropical Storm Haishen formed in the open Pacific, threatening the same areas that Maysak and previously Bavi affected. Typhoon Maysak made landfalls in South Korea and North Korea, while Typhoon Haishen intensified into the first super typhoon of the season. In mid-September, Tropical Storm Noul formed in the South China Sea, made landfall in Vietnam, and dissipated soon after. Later in the month, Tropical Storm Dolphin formed off the east coast of Japan and dissipated after a short life. Near the end of the month, Kujira formed and intensified into a severe tropical storm, before weakening and later becoming extratropical.

October was an extremely active month. The season started out with Typhoon Chan-hom, which lasted for 14 days before dissipating. On October 9, Tropical Storm Linfa formed, becoming the first of a train of tropical systems to affect Vietnam. Linfa killed more than 100 people and caused severe flooding in Vietnam and Cambodia. Nangka formed a few days after Linfa, though impacts were much less. A tropical depression, dubbed Ofel by the PAGASA went through the Philippines and then hit Vietnam, affecting the already flooded areas from Linfa.. After a short lull in systems, Typhoon Saudel formed on October 18, causing flooding in the Philippines. Afterwords, two very powerful typhoons formed after Saudel: Molave and Goni. The former killed 41 people throughout The Philippines, Vietnam, and Malaysia, while the latter became a Category 5-equivalent super typhoon. After Goni, Atsani formed and lashed Northern Luzon and Southern Taiwan as a tropical storm. As Atsani dissipates, another depression formed and affected Visayas as a depression, giving the name Tonyo. The next day, it was upgraded to a tropical storm, earning the name Etau. Etau lasted from November 7 until November 11. On November 8, a depression formed in the Philippine Area of Responsibility and was given the name Ulysses. The next day, it was upgraded to a tropical storm, giving the name Vamco. Vamco strengthened into an equivalent of a Category 2 typhoon as it brushed the Luzon landmass. It quickly exited the Philippine Area of Responsibility the next day as the PAGASA stated that it restrengthened as a typhoon. It rapidly strengthened and reached its peak intensity as a Category 4-equivalent typhoon. It weakened into a Category 1-equivalent typhoon as it approached Vietnam. It weakened further, finally, dissipated north of Laos. At last in the month of December, three systems formed with one named as Krovanh which formed at the South China Sea. Then the season concluded on December 29 with a weak depression close to the coast of Vietnam.

This table summarizes all the systems that developed within or moved into the North Pacific Ocean, to the west of the International Date Line during 2020. The tables also provide an overview of a system's intensity, duration, land areas affected and any deaths or damages associated with the system.