Typhoon Mawar

This article is about the 2023 tropical cyclone. For other storms of the same name, see List of storms named Mawar and List of storms named Betty.
Typhoon Mawar (Betty)
Mawar at its peak intensity over the Philippine Sea on May 26
Meteorological history
FormedMay 19, 2023
ExtratropicalJune 2, 2023
DissipatedJune 3, 2023
Violent typhoon
10-minute sustained (JMA)
Highest winds215 km/h (130 mph)
Lowest pressure900 hPa (mbar); 26.58 inHg
Category 5-equivalent super typhoon
1-minute sustained (SSHWS/JTWC)
Highest winds305 km/h (190 mph)
Lowest pressure891 hPa (mbar); 26.31 inHg
Overall effects
Fatalities6 total
Injuries10
Missing5
Damage$4.3 billion (2023 USD)
Areas affectedFederated States of Micronesia, Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, Philippines, Taiwan, Japan
IBTrACSEdit this at Wikidata
Part of the 2023 Pacific typhoon season

Typhoon Mawar, known in the Philippines as Super Typhoon Betty, was one of the strongest Northern Hemisphere tropical cyclones on record in the month of May, and the strongest tropical cyclone worldwide in 2023.[1] The name "Mawar" means Rose in Malay. The second named storm, the first typhoon and the first super typhoon of the 2023 Pacific typhoon season, Mawar originated from an area of low pressure south-southwest of Chuuk Lagoon that developed into a tropical depression on May 19. It fluctuated in intensity and became a tropical storm, after which it intensified into a Category 4-equivalent super typhoon on the Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale. It then underwent an eyewall replacement cycle, then reintensified to attain 1-minute sustained winds of 305 km/h (190 mph) according to the JTWC, becoming a Category 5-equivalent super typhoon. Mawar weakened slightly as it moved around the southwestern edge of the subtropical high that made it steer north of the Philippines and then east of Taiwan. Mawar traversed the Okinawa Islands as a tropical storm, then transitioned into an extratropical cyclone as it moved northeastward out to sea, where it later dissipated east of Kamchatka Peninsula.

Typhoon Mawar passed north of Guam as a Category 4-equivalent typhoon on May 24, bringing hurricane-force winds and heavy rain marking as the strongest storm to affect the island since Typhoon Pongsona in 2002.[2][3] U.S. President Joe Biden declared Guam a major disaster area on May 27, enabling the distribution of federal funds. Two men are presumed dead after going missing in the waters off Guam; additionally, one death related to the storm has been reported in Taiwan. Mawar caused one death, one minor injury, and damage worth ₱201,696 (US$3,584) as it passed close to the eastern Philippines.[4] Heavy rain in parts of Japan killed two people and left four people missing.[5] At least 8,900 homes experienced power outages in Japan. Total damages from Mawar are estimated to reach US$4.3 billion.[6]

  1. ^ Masters, Jeff (May 25, 2023). "Category 5 Super Typhoon Mawar rapidly intensifies to 175 mph winds". New Haven, Connecticut: Yale Climate Connections. Archived from the original on May 27, 2023. Retrieved May 27, 2023.
  2. ^ Dam, Derek Van (May 23, 2023). "A monster typhoon is barreling toward a US territory with deadly winds and dangerous storm surge". CNN. Archived from the original on May 23, 2023. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
  3. ^ "Super Typhoon Mawar hits Guam as Category 4 with fierce winds, knocks out power to thousands". NBC News. May 24, 2023. Archived from the original on May 23, 2023. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference :9 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Davies, Richard (June 4, 2023). "Japan – 2 Dead, 4 Missing, Homes Destroyed After Tropical Storm Mawar Dumps Heavy Rain – FloodList". floodlist.com. Retrieved June 29, 2023.
  6. ^ "Costliest US Tropical Cyclones" (PDF). National Hurricane Center. Retrieved January 9, 2024.