&sq=Google&lang=en&file=File:Kujira_2009-05-04_1352Z.jpg) Typhoon Kujira near peak intensity on May 4 | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | May 1, 2009 |
| Extratropical | May 7, 2009 |
| Dissipated | May 13, 2009 |
| Very strong typhoon | |
| 10-minute sustained (JMA) | |
| Highest winds | 155 km/h (100 mph) |
| Lowest pressure | 940 hPa (mbar); 27.76 inHg |
| Category 4-equivalent typhoon | |
| 1-minute sustained (SSHWS/JTWC) | |
| Highest winds | 215 km/h (130 mph) |
| Lowest pressure | 937 hPa (mbar); 27.67 inHg |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 28 direct |
| Missing | 1 |
| Damage | ≥$27 million (2009 USD) |
| Areas affected | Philippines, Russian Far East |
| IBTrACS | |
Part of the 2009 Pacific typhoon season | |
Typhoon Kujira, known in the Philippines as Typhoon Dante, was first reported by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) on April 28. It was the fourth depression and the first typhoon of the season. The disturbance dissipated later that day however it regenerated early on April 30 within the southern islands of Luzon. It was then designated as a Tropical Depression during the next morning by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) and the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), with PAGASA assigning the name Dante to the depression. However the JTWC did not designate the system as a depression until early on May 2 which was after the depression had made landfall on the Philippines. Later that day Dante was upgraded to a Tropical Storm and was named as Kujira by the JMA. The cyclone started to rapidly intensify becoming a typhoon early on May 4, and then reaching its peak winds of 155 km/h (100 mph) (10-min), 215 km/h (135 mph) (1-min) later that day after a small clear eye had developed.
Torrential rains produced by Typhoon Kujira in the Bicol Peninsula triggered severe flooding and mudslides which killed 28 people and one missing.