page_title: Typhoon Hal (1985)
section_title: Meteorological history
hierarchical_section_title: Typhoon Hal (1985) / Meteorological history
caption_attribution_description: Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale TD TS 1 2 3 4 5 English: Typhoon Hal 1985 track. Uses the color scheme from the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale.
context_page_description: Typhoon Hal, known in the Philippines as Typhoon Kuring, was the strongest cyclone to affect southern China since 1983. Hal originated from a monsoon trough that formed in early June 1985. The system gradually became better organized, and on June 20, the storm attained tropical storm. Intensification continued and the storm reached typhoon intensity later that day. On the evening of June 21, Hal reached peak intensity, before passing south of Taiwan. The storm weakened slightly on June 22, and lost typhoon intensity two days later. Later on June 24, Hal moved onshore northeast of Hong Kong. Hal dissipated three days later.
  Across the Philippines, 46 people were killed, 10 of which perished due to drownings. Roughly 80% of one Pangasinan municipality was flooded. Widespread power outages were reported, and two radio towers were brought down. A total of 127,440 persons were directly affected by the typhoon. In all, about 13,000 families, or 77,000 people, were homeless and damage totaled $10.5 million. Throughout Taiwan, flooding occurred. There, seven people were killed and 15 others were injured.
context_section_description: Following the extratropical transition of Typhoon Gay on May 26, a spring-like weather pattern returned to the West Pacific, including a tropical upper-tropospheric trough (TUTT) and a strong ridge, which extended from the International Date Line to the Malay Peninsula. On June 1, the monsoon trough re-developed over the South China Sea. Thunderstorm activity increased considerably on June 8. Three days later, a weak disturbance was first noted just north of the equator. Although most of the convection was initially displaced from the center, the system began to show signs of organization on June 15. Three days later, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) issued a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert (TCFA) for the disturbance. On June 19, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) first identified the system; however, strong wind shear caused all the deep convection to become displaced to the south of the center. At 1800 UTC, wind shear began to decrease, and the cyclone developed a well-defined circulation. Based on this, the JTWC upgraded the system into Tropical Storm Hal. Early the next day, the JMA classified Hal as a severe tropical storm. Around this time, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration also monitored the storm and assigned it with the local name Kuring.
  Convection soon developed along the northern semicircle of the system, and thus Hal began to quickly intensify. At 1200 UTC on June 20, both the JTWC and the JMA estimated that Hal attained typhoon strength. Meanwhile, Hal tracked west-northwestward, while situated south of a ridge that extended west over China. However, both the JTWC and its primary tropical cyclone forecast model predicted Hal to move northward, and re-curve northeast. Around this time, the storm passed about 60 km (35 mi) north of Luzon. Late on June 21, the JMA estimated that Hal attained its peak intensity, with winds of 145 km/h (90 mph) and a minimum barometric pressure of 960 mbar (28 inHg).
  Passing near Taiwan, the storm gradually weakened. At 1800 UTC on June 22, the JMA lowered the intensity of Hal to 135 km/h (85 mph). According to the JMA, the typhoon leveled off in intensity for roughly 30 hours, before weakening resumed. On the morning of June 24, the JMA downgraded Hal to a severe tropical storm. Five hours later, Hal moved ashore about 150 km (95 mi) northeast of Hong Kong at the same intensity. By June 26, the JTWC considered Hal dissipated. The next day, the JMA followed suit and ceased watching the system.
caption: Map plotting the track and the intensity of the storm, according to the Saffir–Simpson scale
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