Typhoon Fengshen, known in the Philippines as Typhoon Frank, was the sixth named storm and the fourth typhoon recognized by the Japan Meteorological Agency. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center recognized Fengshen as the seventh tropical depression, the sixth tropical storm, and fifth typhoon of the 2008 Pacific typhoon season.
Fengshen made a direct hit on the Philippines and China, causing severe damage and resulted in at least 1,371 deaths and leaving 87 people missing. Most of the deaths occurred in the Philippines, including 846 of the 922 people on board the Princess of the Stars who were killed when the ship capsized.
Meteorological history
On June 17, 2008, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) started to monitor a tropical depression that had developed about to the north-west of Melekeok, Palau. Later that day the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) issued a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert as convective banding had continued to consolidate around the low level circulation center. Early the next day the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration named the depression as Frank. The JTWC then designated Frank as Tropical Depression 07W later that day whilst Frank was positioned to the south of a low level subtropical ridge of low pressure. Later that day the JTWC reported that Frank had intensified into a Tropical Storm. Early on June 19, the JMA upgraded Frank to a Tropical Storm and named it as Tropical Storm Fengshen.
Later that day Fengshen started intensifying rapidly, becoming a Severe Tropical Storm after which both the JMA and the JTWC upgraded Fengshen to a Typhoon. Early the next day Fengshen made its first landfall on Samar Island in the Philippines. As Fengshen moved towards the northwest it continued to intensify.
Fengshen was initially forecast to go through the Bicol Region but later on shifted its course further westward, eventually going towards the direction of Mindoro Province. However, before even reaching Mindoro or specifically over the coastal waters of northern Panay, it again shifted its direction northward towards the direction of Metro Manila, mainly because of the weakening of the high pressure area in the northern part of the Philippines.
Fengshen passed Metro Manila between 5 am and 6 am on Sunday with winds of 165 km/h, This was confirmed by eyewitness reports of the weather becoming suddenly calm after strong winds and rains in Quezon City, Marikina, and other nearby areas.
Typhoon Fengshen, after creating havoc in the Philippines, travelled through the South China Sea early on June 23 and was heading northwards towards China. Soon after moving into the South China Sea, the JMA and PAGASA downgraded it to a severe tropical storm while the JTWC downgraded Fengshen from a typhoon to a tropical storm. PAGASA then issued its final advisory on Fengshen due to the storm leaving PAGASA's Area of Responsibility.
Around June 24 22:00 UTC, Tropical Storm Fengshen made landfall on Shenzhen, Guangdong, entering Mainland China. The JTWC announced their final warning later that day.
Forecasting errors
Typhoon Fengshen was poorly forecasted throughout its lifetime, with all of the forecasts predicting that Fengshen would track to the northwest and away from the Philippines. Instead of this, Fengshen tracked towards the west and affected the Philippines. There also was another error which instead of a continuous westward movement moving away from the Philippines, which, due to a weakening of the Subtropical ridge, the storm slowed over Panay and steadily turned northward, lashing the country's northern and central regions.
Preparations
Philippines
From June 20 to June 23, in response to Typhoon Fengshen (Frank) threatening the Philippines, PAGASA at various times issued Public Storm Warning Signal #3 for various parts of Luzon and Visayas as well as Storm Warning Signals 1 & 2 for some parts of Mindanao (specially around the Surigao area). Gradually over the next few days these storm warnings were scaled back as Typhoon Fengshen (Frank) moved through the country.