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Weather – July 2008, Vol. 63, No. 7 inthe deadlytyphoons Historical for a specific sites left where theirimpact records have produced valuable TC series debate. TC behaviour canthrow somelightonthis thereconstruction ofpast thiscontext, In should increase inthenearfuture.impact ted by TCs, likelythattheir makesitvery intheareas affec-and valuableproperties considerations, theincrease ofpopulation and Webster, ofsuch 2007).Irrespective ter ofkeenscientificargument (Holland ofrecordsand inhomogeneity isamat- length oftheshort is real oranartefact Webster inrecentcyclones decades(Emanuel, 2005; led to agreater numberofintense tropical anthropogenic globalwarminghasalready proposed thatariseinSSTinduced by the inachanging climate. hasbeencyclones It sible increase oftropical inthefrequency perature hasopenedthedebate onapos- 2008). The dependence onhighseatem- wind shear(Fink andSpeth, 1998;Galvin, monsoon trough oreasterly wave) andlow (normallya existent synopticperturbation amoderate Coriolis force, apre- (SST), temperaturesrequire highsea-surface fully understood, thatthey butitisknown their development are complex andnot The physical mechanismsresponsible for typhoon the terms Pacificwhile inthewestern North area, lated into theotherwestern languages, adopted by theSpanishandthentrans- as ally known the Caribbean region theyare tradition- use different words to namethem.In Native populationsinthe TC-prone areas naturalhazardsdestructive intheworld. Tropical are amongthemost (TC) cyclones 3 2 1 García-HerreraRicardo Pedro Ribera, and Luis Gimeno Universidad deVigo, Spain Universidad Complutense deMadrid, Spain Universidad Pablo deOlavide, Sevilla, Reconstructions based on sedimentary basedon sedimentary Reconstructions , inChinaandJapan,are used. et al baguio ., 2005). Whether thistrend hurricanes , inthePhilippines, and 1 , aCaribbean word 3 2

et al western Pacific Ribera basin (NWP).See ofthenorth- over thePhilippines andpart chronologies typhoon used to extend although historical archives have been areanic sectors notsowell documen ted last 1000years. over Buttyphoons oce- China)overGuangdong (Southern the strikesonthecoasts ofogy oftyphoons old Chineserecords to buildachronol- ces. As anexample, Liu detailed records inciden- ofpasttyphoon Pacific sector. continental areas Some have chronologies typhoon inthewestern North Two mainsources have beenusedto build other TC-prone areas are notsodetailed. chronologies from historical records over et al 1968;García-Herreraand inAmerica(Millás from colonial archives, keptbothinEurope been reconstructed usingrecords extracted rence seriesover theCaribbean area have example, 500-year-long hurricaneoccur- series over different TC-prone areas. As an proven usefulto produce annuallyresolved series. Amongthem,historical archives have used to produce temporal high-resolution adal variability. Thus, othersources mustbe not ableto identifyannualto multidec- tennial buttheyare to millennialvariability tion seriesthatpermittheanalysis ofcen- US GulfCoast (LiuandFearn, 2000). periods over thelast7000years alongthe different lakeshelpedto identifyactive TC and Woodruff, cores 2007).Sediment from between 5400and3600years BP(Donnelly defined as1950ADby convention) and years before present (BP, before present eighteenth century, between 2500and1000 periods for intense hurricanesinthelate these studieshave helpedto identifyactive Rico, Puerto canbeexamined.ability In this way, centennial to millennial TC vari- vide reliable dataaboutpastactivity. In only whenanintense TC hitsthearea, pro- where marinesedimentsare accumulated signal.detectable Lakesneartheocean, chronology. in thePhilip pines asderived from Selga’s occurring deadlytyphoons identify further 1930s. however,The aimofthisarticle, isto inthemid- Selga by theJesuitMiguel (2007b) for detailsonthisseries, compiled Sedimentary cores produceSedimentary low resolu- ., 2005,2007a;Chenoweth, 2006). TC . (2005)andGarcía-Herrera et al . (2001)used et al.

and the between Chinesemerchants mediate port valuable crop, asaninter- instead theyacted significant volume ofspices orany other 1898) thePhilippinesdidnotproduce a During mostofthecolonial times(1550– source Historical context anddata Figure 1. The route to ( rapidly anditslayout in1671is shown in Philippines. From thatpoint, thetown grew almost 15years ofSpanishsettlement inthe ing thePacific eastward for thefirsttimein ous sailingexperience, succeeded incross- de Urdaneta, anAugustan friarwithprevi- de Legazpi, following theadvice ofAndrés Lópezwhen thefounder Miguel ofManila, worked for in1565 250years. started It year by theCrown. This commercial route only oneortwo shipswere allowed every andChina. back to This ensured that toosystem, muchsilver since ittransported their businessthreatened by theGalleon’s the merchants ofmainlandSpain,whosaw so bigthatitraisedcontinuous claims from thevalueofAcapulco fact, fairwas In the Philippines, butalsoin notonlyin it hadatremendous impact, oftheislandsand main economic activity the island’s garrison. wasthe The that wasusedto pay theroyal officers and the annualCrown subsidyto theColony ally priestsandsoldiers)silver, including thepassengers(usu- the shipstransported sold andpaidfor insilver. Onthereturn trip, Nueva España a marketfairwasheld, withtraders from usually sailedfor Acapulco inJuly. There, ranging between 500and900tons, that with sizes Galleon) or two ships(theManila merchants andagentswhoorganized one Iran. This merchandise wassoldto Manila the western Pacific andeven Ocean, India tery, carpetsorjewels from countries along valuable goodssuchassilks, porcelain, pot- by themonsoonwinds;theycarriedhighly sailed from moved Guangdong to Manila time trade. springtheChineseships Every consequently, highlydependentonmari- platform between Asia and America, and, territory. otherwords, In theywere alogistics until thelastgalleon arrived inAcapulco in andwasfollowedspanned around 2500km Nueva España andPeru, andthecargo was (currently ) Nueva España Tornavuelta ) . Historical deadly typhoons in the Philippines Weather –July 2008, Vol. 63, No. 7 195

, et al. (2007b) for (2007b) for et al. . See Ribera …an abridged enu- 2005). Miguel Selga 2005). Miguel Selga et al., Catalogue of typhoonsCatalogue 1348–1934 The deadliest typhoon affecting the deadliest typhoonThe affecting the which he describes as ‘ as which he describes of the storms and typhoons as meration or described by old chroniclers described by documents’ contemporary (2005) and García-Herrera chronology. details of Selga’s Deadly typhoons of 524 a total contains chronology Selga’s reports the twenti- about typhoons before extracted have them, we From eth century. explicit refer- which contain those records the typhoons to deaths associated to ences been classified have They occurrence. with an types: records three to according estimation of casualties in the Philippines death occurrence where 1), records (Table but the number of casualties is reported, with 2) and records (Table is not provided estimation of deaths in the Philippines and islands The 3). (Table continent the Asian the tables are in and locations referenced 3. in Figure shown chronology Philippines included in Selga’s was a Spanish Jesuit who became the last who became the last was a Spanish Jesuit of the ManilaSpanish director Observatory, 1926 and 1946. Inbetween he publi- 1935 shed his an example of an early map of the region region of the an early map of an example Jesuits The 2. in Figure 1571) is seen (from sixteenth Philippines in the in the arrived both as century an active role and played In scientists. and as natural missionaries fact the Manila Observatory they founded meteoro- of network and its associated half of the second stations in the logical centurynineteenth and managed it until it became part of the Philippines National II (Udias, War World Service after Weather 2003; Ribera July to leave [Manila], but should move up [Manila], but should move July to leave from I travelled the departure to early May. [the portCavite of Manila] in 1648 and the and months and 8 days, took seven voyage 1656, I departedin the year at the end of and a half months …’ July and took seven All this suggests that the Spanish were All this suggests that the Spanish were Figure 2. An example of an early map of the islands of Luzon, Hermosa and part of an early map of the islands of Luzon, 2. An example of the China coast Figure de Indias General Archivo 1597. By kind the year permission of the Ministeriofrom de Cultura, 1565–1601. 6, Cartas de Filipinas, y Expedientes de Gobernadores MP-Filipinas, (), AGI, aware of typhoons since the very beginning beginning of typhoons the very since aware A of their settlement in the Philippines. knowledge of such risks and of the geog- was important of these waters raphy and 2001). In fact, the timing of the et al., 2001). A letter to the Spanish king, to 2001). A letter ‘… H.M. (His Majesty) has also ordered that H.M. (His Majesty) has also ordered ‘… until April [to sail from the ships not wait formerly held to this time was Acapulco], of changes in the because but be safe, lengthening of monsoons and the great that navi- it seems appropriate the voyages It is earlier…. gation should commence the from that a good voyage considered is one that does not Philippines to Acapulco to be able in order so, months, seven exceed until they should not wait in time, to return During the route, the speed of the ship was During the route, less important of the extre- safety than the was the main threat The mely valuable cargo. was the Pacific in this period, since, weather, or ships from pirates very sailed by scarcely when even the English, Thus, other nations. only succee- the ship, capture they tried to in 1587, Rogers in times: Cavendish ded four 1762; the 1709, Anson on 1743 and Cornish but attacked the GalleonDutch, frequently, it (Schurtz, capture able to not 1939). were a more were and heavy weather Typhoons serious risk,losses or heavy 14 ship thus, the period been reported for damages have with heavy weather 1590–1750 associated (García 1815, a few years before Mexico became Mexico before years 1815, a few the Manila details about independent. For Galleon see Schurtz (1939). Figure 1. Layout of the city in 1671. By 1. Layout of Manila as it appeared kind permission of the Ministerio Figure 10, Cartas y Expedientes de MP-Filipinas, de Indias (Seville), AGI, General Archivo de Cultura, 1670–1677. de Filipinas, Gobernadores route was a compromise to avoid the peak avoid to was a compromise route of the typhoon Manila season when leaving when conditions find favourable and to (García Acapulco Manila from approaching et al., after officer an unknown by Crown written General this point (Archivo 1656 illustrates 935): Filipinas, de Indias, 196

Weather – July 2008, Vol. 63, No. 7 Historical deadly typhoons in the Philippines 82/1 2DsrcinLuzon andSamar Visayas andLuzon SamarandZambales Marianas Location ChinaSea SamarandLeyte andshipwreck Destruction andshipwreck Destruction 1875 /1024 andshipwreck Destruction Luzon 1875 /1 Destruction 1874 /119 notasbadin1867 Destruction, 1872 /1012 Shipwreck Description 1871 /105 Shipwreck 1638 /920 1598 /104 Date notincludinganestimationofthenumberdeaths. As table1,butforthosetyphoons Table 2. 82/7/2 00 etuto Canton andMacao Location Canton andMacao in thePhilippinesanddeathsinMacao Destruction in Philippinesandthecontinent. Destruction 2000 Destruction Description Piddington Maps 20000 1894 /915 40000 Deaths 100000 1881 /927 1862 /727 1780 /7? Date anestimationofthenumberdeathsonAsian continent. reporting As table1,butforthosetyphoons Table 3. Location Description +shipwreck not anddestruction (victims Inundation Deaths 1800 1867 /920 Date location andaffected areSelga provided. inthePhilippinesaccording typhoons Deadly toSelga’s chronology .For thedate, typhoon numberofdeaths, asde impact every Table 1. 87/1 45DsrcinVisayas Luzon andMindoro SamarandLuzon Luzon Luzon andCamarines Visayas andMindanao Luzon andCamarines Marianas Mindanao, Visayas, Bohol, , Panay, Luzon andSamar and shipwreck. Destruction Two includeinfor- reports Luban Destruction Shipwreck Luzon Shipwreck Luzon 4 Destruction Marinduque 5 1875 /1218 9 andshipwreck Destruction 1867 /1114 11 Destruction Luzon 1866 /428 12 Shipwreck 1871 /325 Destruction 20 Samar, Leyte andMindoro 1845 /107 32 1900 /1113 Destruction 36 1844 /1113 anddestruction Inundation 49 1757 /1229 Shipwreck Shipwreck 1863 /1213 150 150 anddestruction Inundation 1876 /1125 Shipwreck 200 400 1831 /1022 1649 /105 Shipwreck 500 andtsunami Destruction 750 1694 /73 1767 /1023 1000 1639 /85 1500 1617 /10 1897 /107 81/8/1 etuto Luzon Pacific Ocean Samar, Leyte, Negros and Visayas Samar Panay Typhoon hitship Destruction Destruction Shipwreck 1 Shipwreck 2 3 1768 /98 3 1881 /816 3 1870 /5 1870 /38 1793 /8? included inthe1800deaths) mation aboutthisevent. and HongKong Deaths inthecontinent Kong andMacao Marianas, Luzon, Mindanao, Hainan,Hong Luzon andthe Tong Gulf King Luzon Negros andCalamianes Luzon report about this typhoon reads: aboutthistyphoon report between 1867. 20and26September The is theonethataffected thePhilippines Manila. Theforce ofthewindwas hurricane of a lake. passedtothenorth Thistyphoon districts) reach theplace, alladjacent barrios the officialshadtomake useofboatsto of General Gandara, became isolated, and urbs. TheMalacañang Palace, residence caused sub- theinundationofallcity Manila experienced aviolentstormwhich ‘From the20thto26thofSeptember, beingsurrounded temporarily by Continued on page 197. scribed by (city (city Historical deadly typhoons in the Philippines Weather –July 2008, Vol. 63, No. 7 197 …’). …’). The lighthouse of San Nicolas shoal, The lighthouse of San shoal, Nicolas ‘The reported typhoon following was Gentil who Le astronomer the French by happened to be in Manila. In October 22, felt in Manila a typhoon which was there although not shifting all points around NW to SW from but only of the compass, dam- considerable caused yet W, through The age in Manila and its neighbourhood. inundated as a districts of Manila were and of an enormous quantityresult of rain of San In the town simultaneous high tides. than 500 persons per- Mateo alone more and the of the hurricane ished as a result heavy floods of the San Mateo river.’ ‘A very strong typhoon raged over the China very over typhoon strong raged ‘A Out of of Luzon. Sea coast western and the ships that had left for Acapulco, Manila five with near two of them foundered ships coming Two the loss of 600 Chinese. wrecked to Manila were Acapulco from with the loss of 150 of Vigan, in the coast losses amounted to The material persons. than half a million pesos.’ more This is reinforced when analysing the the when analysing is reinforced This These reports, corresponding to the five the five to reports, corresponding These On 23 October 1767, another catastrophic On 23 October 1767, another catastrophic As it can be seen, this report be seen, it can As includes on 5 August fourthThe case occurred records of the typhoons included in Table Table of the typhoons included in records on 5 October 1871, a an example, 2. As about very detailed description is provided another typhoon affecting the islands: typhoons with a highest number of deaths that the show the Philippines, for estimated estimation of casualties included in Selga’s exam- for since, is conservative, chronology the last report in ple, of 500 is the number but victims (San Mateo), in a single town about victims in is provided no information Another nor in Manila itself. towns, nearby example is the report of the typhoon that on 16 October 1881; it Luzon affected included the death of the lighthouse keeper of the the violence due to and his family, reference but it does not include any storm, else in the anywhere people affected to island (‘… with loss of destroyed in the Bay of Manila, was and his family the keeper typhoon hit the Philippines, producing more more producing typhoon Philippines, hit the a combination time, This than 500 victims. the rain and high tides produced of intense towns, inundation of Manila and nearby and it was this inundation what produced complete The the high number of deaths. report reads: only information about the place where the the where about the place only information typhoon no additional infor- and was noted impactsincluded about possible mation is charac- deadly The of the typhoon on land. refer- only by typhoon of the ter is produced more that caused 6 shipwrecks the to ence than 1000 deaths. 1639, when: ‘Moving from E of the Western Carolines in Carolines E of the Western from ‘Moving the typhoon crossed near E-W, a direction S over and then moved Samar and Leyte China Sea. the The baro- Mindoro towards was metric minimum at Guiuan, Samar, a It caused 946hPa). of 710.0 mm (approx which in S Samar and N wave tremendous towns several completely destroyed Leyte and claimed about 1500 human victims. boats within the numerous It wrecked danger of Archipelago and put in great others in the China Sea,foundering many it inclined to NW’. where Six typhoon very Visayas. crossed severe ‘A near Marinduque with wrecked ships were It was a thousand persons. the loss of over during calamity as the greatest considered Silva’. de of Jeronimo the administration On 7 October 1897, the second-deadliest in the report, stated As the extremely large third-deadliestThe typhoon in included long period and reports on typhoons occur- ring after typhoon the 1867 big very often as will be this event, to include references below. shown Selga in his chro- by typhoon recorded information The nology hit the Philippines. included on the typhoon is not as detailed an but it provides case, as in the previous the fact of its intensity from that impression of 710 mm Hg (approx. pressure a sea level along the typhoon was measured 946 hPa) trajectory: number of victims caused by was probably that of the extreme wave the development on the southern towns several destroyed of Samar and northerncoasts of coasts Leyte. on 10 October occurred chronology Selga’s 1617. It is reported in a very succinct report: . was was , with Malespina Malespina (Administration (Administration (city council) was instructed to appro- was for 10 hours. The barometer fell in Manila fell in Manila The barometer for 10 hours. at 6 am 982 hPa) to 737.30 mm (approx dashed on the 27th. Seventeen ships were shores. and Tondo against the Santa Lucia mountain- in Manila Bay were The waves The Ayuntamiento ous. distributed P3000 of Gandara, the consent of the storm. The offi- to aid the sufferers exerted corporations cials and the religious every effort of the to better the conditions to unable and of those who were injured their houses during the progress leave Decree of of the inundation. By Royal the expenditures the 21st of December, and La Direccion approved were incurred de Administracion priate in the coming budget, a certainpriate in the coming to Calamities” sum under the item “Public On the of emergency. spend in similar cases 25th of September a frightful inundation to the extraordi- owing in Ilocos, occurred The water nary River. flooding of the Abra the a height of 25 meters above reached killing 1800 persons and ordinary level, damages to prop- incalculable causing erty Returning from and in Abra. in Ilocos it had gone to get the where Hong Kong the ship Europe mail from Management) caught by the terrible storm. Undoubtedly, storm. Undoubtedly, the terrible by caught in the vortex it got caught of the hurricane in the China Sea, to the bottom. and went has is that nothing more The plain fact ship, about the ill-fated been heard ever been the slightest debris has ever not even seen to testify to the unexpected end of the ’ . and passengers… crew ill-fated More than 1800 people died in the than 1800 people died in the More Philippines due to the effects typhoon, of this Philippines due to and this number does not include the peo- of the ple who died in the wreck memoryThe a of this typhoon was kept for Figure 3. Western North Pacific area where typhoon activity is reported in Selga’s chronology. chronology. typhoon where North activity area is reported Pacific 3. Western in Selga’s Figure Continued from page 196. from Continued 198

Weather – July 2008, Vol. 63, No. 7 Historical deadly typhoons in the Philippines were drowned. TheIgorots down by thewater, 200headsofcattle bridges collapsed, 64houseswere dragged even to20metres below thewater. Six from 5to6metres andeven insomeplaces leaving thelawnandtrees submerged ricedated theextensive fieldsofthetowns, year 1867.Thewaters oftheriver inun- this inundationandtheof There was hardly any difference between force forthree days, withtorrential rains. windblewwithtremendous the northwest the crops tobedamaged. In Bangued, Abra, of and theinundationcaused three fourths Cagayan, many edifices were destroyed, destroyed. …….Inthewholeprovince of houses and600seedbedsofpalaywere the baguioandrain were violent,490 very …. Inthetown ofDingras alone, where berless hogsandchicken were drowned. cattle, 842horses, 761carabaos, andnum- destroyed. 460housesdisappeared; 1343 all theroads…… InIlocos were Norte, and 3granaries Catalina. ofpalayinSanta in Cauayan, 4 houses ofwood, 10oftimber, carried away 28housesinVigan, 50houses destructive asthatof1867,it,however, Vigan. Althoughtheinundationwas not Catalina, Cauayan,Santa Bantay, and causing Vicente, equalinundationinSan as highduringtheyear aforementioned, the6th,waterof 1867.On rose almost River, theinundation recalled tomemory andsuddenriseoftheAbraextraordinary pest from theNNW, accompanied withan 4th,thestrong tem- ofOctober afternoon damage was greatest inIlocos. Inthe felltotheground.ters ofSabañiga The had spared. headquar- Theconstabulary that thestormon29thofSeptember the eastcompletely destroyed everything Lepanto, thefuriouswindfrom thesouthto oftreesof different were kinds uprooted. In raised totheground, andagreat number in Nueva Vizcaya, thatmany houseswere The inundationsandwindwere soviolent 16 housesofthemissionwere alldestroyed, andthe house, headquarters, constabulary In Dicapulao, theconvent, church, court- 27 housesmadeofnipaand5wood. Ecija. InBaleralone, thestormdamaged town. Similarmishapsoccurred inNueva reached aheightofeightfeetabove the time, it such aheightthatwithinshort drowned. InLingayen, thewater rose to several vessels were lostandsomepersons terribly great inPangasinan. itscoasts On private were houses, crops, andproperty towns. Thelossesinpublicbuildings, roads, and thedemolitionofhousesinmany in Pampanga caused lossesinsugar cane Guadalupe was wrecked. Theinundations Bay,Dili Mindoro, thevessel Ntra. Sra. de ofOctober. In storm ofthefirstfortnight Luzon heavilyfrom the suffered very provinces incentral ‘The andnorthern and corn, and thefloodcarried away the and Alablosttheir crops ofsweet potatoes mountains ofBontos, Ambuyan Sagada, (natives) ofthe mate ofthereal numberofhumanlosses. hereis clearthatSelga provides arough esti- includedbelow,scriptions ofthesereports it on theChinesecoastline. From thetran- associated here withthetyphoon’s impact number ofdeathshasbeenestimated, but caused agreater numberofvictims. are provided musthave –thatthistyphoon the Igorots andthatnoabsolute numbers drowned inPangasinan andintheregion of referenceonly includesashort to thosewho isevidentalso–even thoughthisreport It wasalmostasbadtheformer.typhoon 1867,anditissaidthatthis in October andtheonethatoccurredthis typhoon Several comparisons are offered between other things, inmany regions oftheIslands. dated areas ordrowned animals, among damagedinfrastructures,harvests, inun- detailed inventory ofdestroyed houses, lost event was. alsoincludesaThis report itisevidenthow catastrophicreport, this Table where a 3includesthosereports From thedescriptionincludedinthis bodies ofdrowned Igorots were found…’ . thebanksofrivers, On work. somedead their ditches, formedby many years of seedbeds whichtheIgorots possessedin Ecija. Intheoriental cordillera, itdivided andentereddirection Luzon through Nueva Mindanao, movednorthern inaWNW 1894/9/15: (approx. 956hPa).’ about 15 ºN and113 ºE was 717.50mm minimum onthesteamerFleurs Castle at recovered thestorm.Thebarometric after Twenty thousandhumancorpses were ofthewind. asthefury as muchdestruction Tongking witha highwave, whichcaused wrecked somesteamersandinvaded itgainedtremendous development,Sea, inces, doing muchdamage. IntheChina Camarines, Tayabas andBatangasprov- Manila andadvanced toWNWthrough 1881/9/27: 726.44 mm.’ was Thebarometer fellto disheartening. ofPraiaaspect Grande thetyphoon after ofmillionsdollars. The loss onproperty wereThe victims atleast40000andthe and Macao mustbetermeddestructive. thathitCanton typhoon 1862/7/27: ‘The and measured 72feet.’ lower water. Atdawn we fathomed thesea having notice thatwe hadcome intoshal- fasted totheSwithsameviolence, and totheSE.shifted Atmidnight,itveered was from ENE. At8,thewindviolently persons diedinthestorm.Atfirstwind night were lost.Surely, more than100,000 Macao. Alltheshipswhichwere atseathat of ChinapassingsouthCanton and whichmoveda typhoon alongthecoast mapsofPiddington show 1780/7/?: ‘The ‘A from apointEof typhoon, ‘A appeared ESEof typhoon available ofdeathcasualtiesassociated with remain thebestestimatereports currently on suchimpacts. of morethe possibility reliable information providing started observatory the Manila associated with observatories of secondary because from thatyear onwards anetwork isunexpected ofSelga onthepart neglect orological information only. This increasing andincludemete- the effectsoftyphoons chronologySelga that include dataabout dated 1865inthe after reports of typhoon explain thenoticeable increase in the rate but notinestimatingtheirimpact. This may occurrence,ested inidentifyingtyphoon wasprimarilyinter-liest typhoons. Selga ofthefivecomparing dead- thereports available information, suchas seenwhen ferences ofthe andquality inthetype which may have resulted insignificant dif- sources tosecondary buildhischronology, ofthebookhewrites: duction century.since thefourteenth theintro- In overincluded allthetyphoons thearea tors. First, doesnotpretend Selga to have in historical times dueto anumberoffac- human lives inthePhilippines oftyphoons on impact estimate oftheactual servative con-other islands. Butthismustbeavery chronologyin Selga´s inthePhilippinesor A total ofover 6500deathsare reported Conclusion Such peculiaritiesnotwithstanding, Selga’s Additionally, and used bothprimary Selga more than2000victims.’ Much damageatHongkong andMacao; Macao was 724.4mm(approx. 989hPa). near Canton. Thebarometric minimumat continued tothesoutherncoast ofChina, passed through BalintangChanneland and Luzon, itinclinedtotheWNW. Thenit tion and, whenhalfway Marianas between direc- tookaWSW Marianas, thetyphoon age was considerable’. ‘After crossing N was 740.0mm(approx. 986hPa). Thedam- 982 hPa) andatBolinao, second branch, Fernandoat San was 737.15mm(approx. branch barometric minimumofthenorth ing was 736.8mm(approx 982hPa). The Isidro beforemetric minimumatSan divid- before itwas entirely filledup. Thebaro- butjoinedtheotherbranchChina Sea, was fillingupduringitsmovement inthe the Continent NofHainan.Thefirstbranch toWNWandreachedchanged itsdirection Pangasinan whichit andLaUnion,after W toZambales. Theotherwent NNWto branches.itself intotwo branch One went tions andcorrections willbewelcome.’ altogether free from inaccuracies; addi- made thatthecatalogue iscomplete or books invarious languages, noclaimis search inlibrariestaking and reading of representstyphoons many hoursofpains- ‘Although thecatalogue ofhistorical Historical deadly typhoons in the Philippines Weather –July 2008, Vol. 63, No. 7 199

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A parhelion (sundog) in a patch of cirrus, with altocumulus spreading from the west, at 1827 the west, from with altocumulus spreading A parhelion (sundog) in a patch of cirrus, 2007, Wokingham, Berkshire. (© George D. Anderson.) D. (© George Berkshire. 2007, Wokingham, 2006. A reassessment of 2006. A reassessment 436:

2005. Increasing destructive- Nature NOAA Technical Report NWS TPC-5 Technical NOAA Nature 240. – (Seville) for their kind (Seville) for permission for 169 JD. Woodruff Donnelly JP, The deadliest, costliest and more intense intense and more deadliest, costliest The 1851 cyclones from tropical States United 2000. to hurricane activity years the past 5000 over African West El Nino by the and controlled Monsoon. Blake E, Rappaport E, C. Landsea Blake E, Miami 45 pp. Miami 45 pp. M. Chenoweth cyclone tropical basin Atlantic historical 1700–1855. activity, Emanuel K. the past 30 cyclones over ness of tropical years. AH, Speth P Fink Naturwissenschaften References Acknowledgement the thank wish to We Indias includ- of the images the publication of two ed in this paper. typhoons serve and in the Philippines a as starting compre- build a which to point with of deadly typhoons catalogue in the hensive exercise This basin. North Pacific Western (Rappaportmade in the Atlantic has been 1997; Blake and Fernández-Partagás, 2007), but, to our knowledge, no system- our knowledge, to 2007), but, been made in the Pacific have atic attempts basin but, as this article the has indicated, possibility clearly exists.