The 1974 Pacific typhoon season was the first season on record to not feature a Category 5 equivalent super typhoon; a feat later repeated by the 1977 and 2017 seasons. Even so, the season was overly active, with 32 tropical storms and 16 typhoons being developed this year. It has no official bounds; it ran year-round in 1974, but most tropical cyclones tend to form in the northwestern Pacific Ocean between June and December. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the northwestern Pacific Ocean.
The scope of this article is limited to the Pacific Ocean, north of the equator and west of the international date line. Storms that form east of the date line and north of the equator are called hurricanes; see 1974 Pacific hurricane season. Tropical Storms formed in the entire west pacific basin were assigned a name by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. Tropical depressions in this basin have the "W" suffix added to their number. Tropical depressions that enter or form in the Philippine area of responsibility are assigned a name by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration or PAGASA. This can often result in the same storm having two names.
Systems
35 tropical depressions formed this year in the Western Pacific, of which 32 became tropical storms. 16 storms reached typhoon intensity, and none reached super typhoon strength. This season is the most recent to have no super typhoons.
Severe Tropical Storm Wanda (Atang) A tropical disturbance developed on January 8 to the southwest of Palau. By the next day, the disturbance was upgraded to a tropical depression and to a tropical storm. Wanda reached its peak intensity on January 10 as a 65 mph tropical storm. The storm was then downgraded to a tropical depression on January 11. Wanda then dissipated on January 14.
Tropical Storm Amy
Tropical Storm Amy formed as a tropical disturbance well south of Guam on March 12, and became a tropical depression on the 14th. It began to turn right late on the 15th, and was heading northeast on the 17th. It became a tropical storm the same day. It transitioned into an extratropical storm on the 19th, and dissipated shortly thereafter.
Severe Tropical Storm Babe
Tropical Storm Babe formed as a disturbance just west of Chuuk on the 25th of April. It traveled northwestward, becoming a tropical depression on the 26th as it started to turn northward. It passed just west of Guam and Saipan on the 27th and 28th, before strengthening to a tropical storm on the 29th. It continued northward, becoming extratropical on the 1st of May. As an extratropical storm, it traveled northeastward for a few days before dissipating.
Typhoon Carla
Typhoon Carla was first noted as a disturbance near the island of Pohnpei on the 29th of April. The disturbance traveled northwestward over the next four days, developing into a tropical storm on the 2nd. The center of Carla passed over Tinian and Saipan on the 3rd. The storm began to turn towards the north later that day. It strengthened into a typhoon on the 4th. It reached its maximum intensity — 965 mb central pressure and 80 to 85-knot winds — on the 5th. It began to weaken under intensifying shear after that, becoming a tropical storm again very late that day. It continued in a northeast direction before being absorbed by a frontal system on the 6th.
Typhoon Dinah (Bising)
Dinah, which developed on June 7, hit Luzon on the 10th as an 80 mph typhoon. It continued northwestward, hit Hainan Island, crossed the Gulf of Tonkin, and dissipated over North Vietnam. Dinah caused 73 casualties (with 33 missing), with $3 million in crop damage (1974 USD).
Tropical Depression 05W
5W lasted two days and struck southern China.
Severe Tropical Storm Emma (Klaring)
Emma stayed as a tropical storm.
Tropical Storm Freda
Freda peaked as a moderate tropical storm.
Typhoon Gilda (Deling)
When Tropical Storm Gilda, having weakened from a peak of 100 mph winds, crossed between Japan and South Korea in early July, it brought torrential rains and mudslides, killing 128 people (with 26 missing) and causing damage estimated at $1.5 billion (1974 USD).
Tropical Storm Harriet (Gading)
Harriet did not affect land.
Typhoon Ivy (Iliang)
66 people were killed when Typhoon Ivy hit Luzon on July 20, the day before the 1974 Miss Universe was held in Manila. It continued northwestward, and hit southeastern China 2 days later.
Severe Tropical Storm Jean (Heling)
Jean stayed weak.
Severe Tropical Storm Kim
Kim recurved.