The 1981 Pacific typhoon season was a slightly above average season that produced 29 tropical storms, 13 typhoons and two intense typhoons. The season ran throughout 1981, though most tropical cyclones typically develop between May and October. The season's first named storm, Freda, developed on March 12 while the final storm, Lee, dissipated on December 29. Tropical cyclones only accounted for 12 percent of the rainfall in Hong Kong this season, the lowest percentage for the protectorate since 1972.
The scope of this article is limited to the Pacific Ocean 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 Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) will name a tropical cyclone should it be judged to have 1-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 JTWC. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) also monitors the whole basin and uses the 10-minute sustained wind scale. Moreover, the JTWC also assigns a number with a "W" suffix when a system has strengthened into a tropical depression.
Season summary
The season started with Freda, which became the fourth March typhoon for the basin since 1959. The system passed west of Wake Island before dissipating on March 17. Gerald formed in mid-April near an upper-level low, and recurved just east of Guam bringing the island heavy rainfall. Holly formed in the middle of the tropical Pacific Ocean in late April, and dissipated far from land on May 7. Ike was the first system to form in the South China Sea, living during the second week of June before recurving across Taiwan and becoming an extratropical cyclone. June formed during the third week of June, and moved just east of Taiwan before approaching Japan as a nontropical cyclone. Kelly crossed the Philippines on July 1, moving into Vietnam on July 4. Lynn moved nearby the northern Philippines before making landfall in mainland China on July 7. Maury tracked near Taiwan, China, and eventually Vietnam as a remnant low during the third and fourth weeks of July. Nina formed on the northeast fringe of Maury, also moving into mainland China on July 23, three days after Maury. Ogden moved into Japan at the end of July, approaching Korea early in August.
Tropical Depression 11 formed in the tropical west Pacific, dissipating well east of Asia on August 2. Phyllis formed and remained southeast of Japan on August 3 and August 4. Roy meandered around the South China Sea between August 3 and August 9. Susan moved northwest through the open western Pacific during the second week of August. Thad moved north-northeast through its life cycle, moving through Japan on August 23. Vanessa moved northeast through the open western Pacific in mid-August. Warren moved west-northwest through Hainan Island and northern Vietnam during the third week of August. Agnes moved extremely close to eastern China before dissipating on September 1. Bill recurved southeast of Japan during the first week of September. Clara moved west-northwest near Luzon and into mainland China during the third week of September.
Doyle moved through the central Pacific during the third week of September. Elsie recurved south of Japan during the beginning of October. Fabian moved westward through the Philippines into Vietnam during the second week of October. Gay recurved near the Japanese coast on October 21 and 22. A tropical depression moved west-northwest into Vietnam on November 11. Hazen moved across the Central Philippines into mainland China by November 23. Irma moved across the northern Philippines and then south of Taiwan during late November. Jeff recurved east of mainland Asia during late November. Kit moved erratically westward towards the Philippines during mid-December. Lee moved across the central Philippines, dissipating across the South China Sea on December 28.
Systems
Tropical Depression Atring
Atring was short-lived.