Portal:Tropical cyclones/Anniversaries/December
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December 1
- 1960 - Typhoon Ophelia reached its peak intensity with 250 km/h (155 mph) winds just after passing over the Caroline Islands. Many of the islands were severely flooded.
- 2004 - Typhoon Nanmadol (pictured), a quick-paced storm, reaches its peak intensity as a Category 4 super typhoon just before making landfall over northern Philippines. Nanmadol killed 77 people in total and damaged US$60.8 million of infrastructure and agriculture.
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December 2
- 2005 - Hurricane Epsilon (pictured) attained hurricane status in the central Atlantic Ocean, becoming the final hurricane of the record-breaking 2005 Atlantic hurricane season.
- 2019 - Typhoon Kammuri reaches Category 4 typhoon intensity while making landfall over the Bicol Region, Philippines. 17 people were killed by the typhoon.
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December 3
- 2012 - Typhoon Bopha (pictured) made landfall in the southern Philippine island of Mindanao killing around 2,000 people and causing over $1 billion in damage.
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December 4
- 1996 - Cyclone 08B reaches its maximum intensity with winds of 140 km/h (85 mph), just two days before making landfall over eastern India. Seven people were killed in total.
- 2003 - Tropical Storm Odette (pictured) formed to the south of Jamaica in the Caribbean Sea. Odette would later cause minor damage in the Lesser Antilles.
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December 5
- 1993 - Typhoon Lola (pictured) made landfall on the island of Luzon in the Philippines as a Category 3, killing 230 people.
- 2013 - Post-analysis revealed that an unnamed Subtropical storm had developed over in the Azores.
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December 6
- 1983 - Hurricane Winnie became a rare December Pacific hurricane off the coast of Mexico.
- 1991 - Cyclone Val struck the Samoan islands, causing 17 deaths and US$381 million in damage.
- 2019 - After one of the most significant rapid deepening event on record, Cyclone Ambali (pictured) attained peak 10 minute winds of 220 km/h (140 mph) in the South Indian Ocean, making it a very intense tropical cyclone.
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December 7
- 1975 - Cyclone Joan reached its peak intensity off the Western Australian coastline with winds of 230 km/h (145 mph). Joan caused about $25 million of damage in the Port Hedland area.
- 1991 - Cyclone Wasa (pictured) reaches its peak strength as a Category 4 severe tropical cyclone, affecting French Polynesia and Tahiti. Wasa was renamed Arthur a week later.
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December 8
- 1984 - Typhoon Doyle (1984) reaches peak strength as a Category 4 typhoon to the east of Luzon.
- 2002 - Typhoon Pongsona made landfall in Guam becoming one of the strongest and costliest typhoons ever to hit the island. Pongsona caused a total of $700 million of damage.
- 2009 - Cyclone Cleo (pictured) rapidly intensifies into an intense Category 4 cyclone over in the Indian Ocean.
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December 9
- 1951 - Typhoon Amy moved through the Philippines, killing 991 people.
- 1993 - Typhoon Manny (pictured) impacted the Visayas in the Philippines as a small Category 4 typhoon, killing 245 people in total.
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December 10
- 1973 - While passing near Fiji, Cyclone Lottie capsized two ships, killing 85 people.
- 1992 - Cyclone Joni (track pictured) impacts Tuvalu and Fiji as a Category 3-severe tropical cyclone, killing one person and damaging US$1.6 million.
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December 11
- 1998 - Cyclone Thelma (pictured) made landfall in Kimberley as a Category 3 cyclone. Thelma brought heavy rain to much of the region.
- 2007 - Tropical Storm Olga becomes a named tropical storm while traversing Hispaniola, killing 40 people in direct along with $45 million worth of damages.
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December 12
- 2016 - Cyclone Vardah (pictured) makes landfall over India near Tamil Nadu. Vardah was considered as the second most costliest cyclone in that basin, with recorded damages of US$5.1 billion. Moreover, 38 people were killed.
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December 13
- 1956 - Typhoon Polly made landfall in the Philippines killing 79 people and causing $2.5 million in damage.
- 2013 - Cyclone Evan (pictured) nears the coast of Samoa as a strengthening Category 2 cyclone with more than US$207 million worth of damages. Evan was considered as the worst cyclone to struck Samoa since 1991.
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December 14
- 1999 - Cyclone John strengthened to a Category 5 cyclone before making landfall on the Pilbaran coast between Karratha and Port Hedland, bringing strong winds and heavy rain.
- 2015 - Typhoon Melor (pictured) makes landfall over the Visayas archipelago in the Philippines as a Category 4 typhoon. Melor killed 51 people and caused ₱7.04 billion (US$148.3 million) in damages.
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December 15
- 1965 - The 1965 East Pakistan cyclone made landfall on the East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) coast, killing over 10,000 people.
- 2003 - Cyclone 03B (pictured) made landfall over southeastern India. The storm killed 83 people and resulted in $28 million (2003 USD) of damages in Andhra Pradesh.
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December 16
- 1997 - Typhoon Paka (pictured) hit Guam causing $236 million in damage on the island. A wind speed of 380 km/h (236 mph) was recorded on the island.
- 2011 - Tropical Storm Washi makes landfall as a severe tropical storm over Mindanao, Philippines. Despite a relatively weak storm, Washi killed about 2,546 people in total, making it one of the deadliest storms in that country.
- 2021 - Typhoon Rai moved across the Philippines, killing more than 400 people.
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December 17
- 1944 - Typhoon Cobra hit the United States Navy Fast Carrier Task Force east of Luzon in the Philippine Sea. The storm sank three destroyers and killed 790 sailors.
- 2020 - Cyclone Yasa (pictured) makes landfall over Fiji, killing 4 people. It holds the fourth most intense tropical cyclone in the South Pacific basin, with a minimum barometric pressure of 899 hPa (26.55 inHg).
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December 18
- 1959 - Typhoon Gilda made landfall on the eastern Philippine coast, killing 23 people and rendering 230,000 others homeless.
- 2010 - A kona storm develops near the International Dateline, which subsequently developed into Tropical Storm Omeka (pictured).
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December 19
- 1990 - Typhoon Russ (pictured) reached its peak intensity with a central pressure of 915 hPa (mbar) to the southeast of Guam.
- 2020 - Tropical Storm Krovanh emerges to the South China Sea after affecting central Philippines, which brought flooding that resulted in 9 fatalities and damages of ₱213.2 million (US$4.48 million).
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December 20
- 1984 - Hurricane Lili (pictured) reached its peak intensity with 130 km/h (80 mph) winds in the central Atlantic Ocean.
- 2006 - Cyclone Bondo reached its peak strength as a Category 4-equivalent tropical cyclone before hitting the coast of Madagascar, which killed 11 people.
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December 21
- 1994 - Tropical Storm Bobbie reached its peak intensity with 95 km/h (60 mph) winds in the open Pacific Ocean. Bobbie brought severe rainfall to some islands in Micronesia.
- 2017 - Tropical Storm Tembin (pictured) began to pass through southern Philippines, which brought torrential rainfall and flooding. Tembin 266 people in total and brought damages that toppled to ₱2.1 billion (US$42 million).
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December 22
- 1979 - Tropical Storm Ben reached its peak intensity with 1-minute sustained winds of 110 km/h (70 mph) winds just off the western Philippine coastline, bringing minimal damage.
- 2018 - Maintaining as an intense Category 4–equivalent tropical cyclone, Cyclone Cilida (pictured) nears Mauritius, bringing rainfall and gust winds.
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December 23
- 1964 - The 1964 Rameswaram cyclone struck Creylon near Trincomalee with winds estimated of 240 km/h (150 mph), killing 1,800 people. It was one of the most powerful storms to strike India on record.
- 2001 - Typhoon Faxai (pictured) reached its peak intensity in the open Pacific Ocean. Faxai caused about $1 million of damage in the Northern Mariana Islands.
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December 24
- 1971 - Severe Tropical Cyclone Althea made landfall in northern Queensland, Australia causing $115 million of damage.
- 2019 - Typhoon Phanfone (pictured) makes landfall in Eastern Samar, Philippines, just before intensifying into a Category 3 typhoon. 50 were dead while 55 people remained missing. Damages from the typhoon were at ₱3.44 billion (US$67.2 million).
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December 25
- 1974 - Cyclone Tracy made landfall and passed directly over the city of Darwin, Australia. Tracy killed 71 people and caused catastrophic damage in and around the city.
- 2016 - Typhoon Nock-ten (pictured) makes landfall as a super typhoon over Bicol, Philippines, killing only 13 people. It was the strongest Christmas Day tropical cyclone worldwide.
December 26
- 2000 - Cyclone 04B (pictured) made landfall over Sri Lanka at peak intensity as a Category 1 tropical cyclone, making it the strongest cyclone to hit the island nation for nearly 25 years.
- 2001 - Tropical Storm Vamei formed to the east of Singapore at a latitude of 1.4° north, becoming the closest-forming tropical cyclone to the Equator.
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- December 27, 2004 - Cyclone Chambo (pictured) reached its peak intensity with 155 km/h (100 mph) winds in the open Indian Ocean.
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December 28
- 1997 - Cyclone Sid makes landfall over in the northern portion of the Northern Territory, just a day before weakening into a low-pressure area.
- 2002 - Cyclone Zoe (pictured) reached its peak intensity with a central pressure of 890 hPa (mbar), becoming the most intense tropical cyclone ever recorded in the Southern Hemisphere.
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December 29
- 1996 - Cyclone Phil reached its peak intensity after crossing parts of northern Australia.
- 2014 - Tropical Storm Jangmi (pictured) makes landfall over in Mindanao, Philippines. Jangmi killed 66 people in total and caused Php1.2 billion (US$28.3 million) worth of damages.
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December 30
- 1954 - Hurricane Alice (pictured) formed in the central Atlantic Ocean. Alice would later pass through the Lesser Antilles causing minor damage.
- 2011 - Cyclone Thane makes landfall north of Tamil Nadu near Puducherry, killing 48 people with damage costs of US$235 million.
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December 31
- 1954 - A cyclone made landfall near Roebourne, Western Australia, damaging all buildings in the city.
- 2002 - Tropical Storm Delfina moved ashore northern Mozambique and later moved erratically over land; days of rainfall killed 54 people.
- 2002 - Cyclone Waka (pictured) passes over the island of Niuafo'ou, later reaching its peak intensity as a Category 3 cyclone with winds of 185 km/h (115 mph). Waka caused US$51.4 million worth of damages.