2019 Pacific typhoon season (Sassmaster/Layten)

The 2019 Pacific typhoon season was an annual event of tropical cyclone formation during which tropical cyclones known as "typhoons" form in the Western Pacific Basin. The activity continued nearly year-round due to an El Niño, a phenomenon in which favorable conditions are produced across the Pacific basin, leading to the formation of intense and potentially devastating storms, and most developed between May through October. The scope of this article is limited to the north of the equator between 100°E and 180th meridian.

Within the northwestern Pacific Ocean, there are two separate agencies that assign names to tropical cyclones which can often result in a cyclone having two names. The Japan Meteorological Agency  (JMA)  will name a tropical cyclone should it be judged to have 10-minute sustained wind speeds of at least 65 km/h (40 mph) anywhere in the basin, whilst the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration  (PAGASA)  assigns names to tropical cyclones which move into or form as a tropical depression in their area of responsibility located between 135°E and 115°E and between 5°N–25°N regardless of whether or not a tropical cyclone has already been given a name by the JMA. Tropical depressions that are monitored by the United States' Joint Typhoon Warning Center  (JTWC)  are given a number with a "W" suffix.

Severe Tropical Storm Jongdari
Severe Tropical Storm Jongdari was a very deadly early season tropical cyclone that developed from a low pressure area on February 12th, 2019, reaching an initial peak of 35 mph before degenerating into a remnant low. It regenerated the next day, moving towards the Philippines, reaching its peak intensity with 1 minute winds of 90 mph before making landfall, and moving over Luzon, before hitting Taiwan as a 75 mph typhoon the following day. From here, Jongdari moved towards South Korea, making landfall as a tropical storm, before moving into the Sea of Japan, making landfall as a tropical depression on Honshu the next day before weakening into a remnant low as it moved back out into the Pacific, where it dissipated completely the following day after being absorbed by another developing low to its northwest. During its lifecycle, 121 people were killed, 12 left missing, and $137 million don in damages. The Philippian name for Jongdari was retired after doing in excess of P1 billion in damages in the Philippines.

Typhoon Yagi (Emong)
Typhoon Yagi was a very powerful, very destructive and very deadly super typhoon during May of 2019. It developed from a low pressure area near Guam on May 7th, before steadily intensifying as it moved towards the Philippines. Typhoon Yagi then made landfall in Luzon as a category 5 super typhoon, causing extreme damage, before moving away from the area and making landfall as a category 4 super typhoon in Taiwan, with 155 mph winds. From here, Yagi moved out into the Pacific, weakening slowly as it paralleled the coast of Japan, becoming extratropical on May 20th. The remnants of the former super typhoon then persisted for 2 days, dissipating near the International Dateline and Alaska by the afternoon of May 22nd. During its lifecycle, Yagi interacted with a monsoonal trough located over the southern Philippines, bringing record 3500 mm rainfalls to the worst hit areas. Taiwan was similarly affected, seeing 2877 mmm of rainfall, again breaking the previous records in the area by a significant margin as a result. 1233 people are known to have been killed during the storm, with 89 people still unaccounted for. In addition, damages form the storm totaled to at least $895 million, of which $705 million was done in the Philippines, making it one of the Philippines' most costly typhoons on record in the nation's history.