:Tropical Storm Tess

{{Storm path|Tess 1988 track.png}}

In what would later become the second of two tropical cyclones to form within the basin during November 1988, an area of disturbed weather was first noted by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) early on November 1.{{cite report|title=Annual Tropical Cyclone Report: 1988|publisher=United States Navy, United States Air Force|url=http://www.usno.navy.mil/NOOC/nmfc-ph/RSS/jtwc/atcr/1988atcr.pdf|author2=Naval Pacific Meteorology and Oceanography Center|author=Joint Typhoon Warning Center|access-date=April 14, 2017|year=1989|archive-date=February 21, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130221110137/http://www.usno.navy.mil/NOOC/nmfc-ph/RSS/jtwc/atcr/1988atcr.pdf|url-status=dead}} Six hours later, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) started following the system.{{cite report|author=Japan Meteorological Agency|date=October 10, 1992|title=RSMC Best Track Data – 1980–1989|access-date=April 14, 2017|url=http://www.jma.go.jp/jma/jma-eng/jma-center/rsmc-hp-pub-eg/Besttracks/bst8089.txt|format=.TXT|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141205202709/http://www.jma.go.jp/jma/jma-eng/jma-center/rsmc-hp-pub-eg/Besttracks/bst8089.txt|archive-date=December 5, 2014|url-status=dead}}{{#tag:ref|The Japan Meteorological Agency is the official Regional Specialized Meteorological Center for the western Pacific Ocean.{{cite web|publisher=Japan Meteorological Agency|title=Annual Report on Activities of the RSMC Tokyo – Typhoon Center 2000|date=February 2001|access-date=April 14, 2017|url=http://www.jma.go.jp/jma/jma-eng/jma-center/rsmc-hp-pub-eg/AnnualReport/2000/Text/Text2000.pdf|page=3}}|group="nb"}} The same day, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration also started to track the storm and assigned it with the local name Welpring.{{cite report|url=http://www.typhoon2000.ph/stormstats/1963-1988_PTC.txt|title=PAGASA Tropical Cyclone Names 1963–1988|first1=Michael V.|last1=Padua|publisher=Typhoon 2000|access-date=April 12, 2017|date=November 6, 2008}}

Over the next three days, the disturbance tracked southwest while embedded within the northeasterly flow of the winter monsoon. After passing through the Visayas island group and emerging into the open water of the Sulu Sea, the system began to increase in organization. At 17:30 UTC on November 3, the JTWC issued a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert. At 00:00 UTC the next day, the JTWC classified the system as a tropical depression, citing satellite intensity estimates of {{convert|55|km/h|mph|abbr=on|round=5}}, while the JMA upgraded it to tropical storm intensity.{{cite report|first1=Kenneth R.|last1=Knapp|first2=Michael C.|last2=Kruk|first3=David|last3=H. Levinson |first4=Howard|last4=J. Diamond|first5=Charles|last5=J. Neumann|year=2010|work=The International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship (IBTrACS): Unifying tropical cyclone best track data|title=1988 Tess (1988306N15130)|publisher=Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society|access-date=August 12, 2016|url=http://atms.unca.edu/ibtracs/ibtracs_v03r04/browse-ibtracs/index.php?name=v03r04-1988306N15130}}{{#tag:ref|Wind estimates from the JMA and most other basins throughout the world are sustained over 10 minutes, while estimates from the United States-based Joint Typhoon Warning Center are sustained over 1 minute. 10-minute winds are about 1.14 times the amount of 1-minute winds.{{cite book|author=Christopher W Landsea|author2=Hurricane Research Division|title=Frequently Asked Questions|chapter=Subject: D4) What does "maximum sustained wind" mean? How does it relate to gusts in tropical cyclones?|access-date=April 14, 2017|publisher=National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory|url=http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/tcfaq/E7.html|date=April 26, 2004}}|group="nb"}} At this time, the tropical cyclone was centered {{convert|620|km|mi|abbr=on|round=5}} south of Manila.

Almost immediately after the upgrades, the storm's track shifted from southwestward to westward in response to a trough weakening to the north; this also weakened the pressure gradient between the trough and a nearby ridge starting on November 4. In turn, wind shear decreased and allowed the storm to intensify. Following an increase in satellite intensity estimates, the JTWC upgraded the depression into a tropical storm, and named it Tess, at 06:00 UTC. As the storm tracked over the South China Sea, strengthening continued. On November 5, the JMA upgraded Tess into a severe tropical storm. At midday, the JTWC estimated that Tess attained typhoon intensity, which was also its maximum intensity of {{convert|120|km/h|abbr=on|round=5}}. At 18:00 UTC on November 5, the JMA reported that Tess attained winds of {{convert|115|km/h|abbr=on|round=5}} and a barometric pressure of {{convert|975|mbar|inHg|abbr=on|round=5}}, its peak intensities in terms of both winds and pressure. Data from the JTWC suggests the storm weakened rapidly as it approached Vietnam.{{cite report|publisher=Hong Kong Royal Observatory|url=http://www.hko.gov.hk/publica/tc/tc1988.pdf|year=1989|title=Meteorological Results: 1988|access-date=April 14, 2017}} At 00:00 UTC on November 6, the JTWC stopped tracking the system; however, intensity estimates from the JMA had only decreased slightly during this time, and continued to classify Tess as a severe tropical storm. Tess then moved across the Mekong River delta, moving ashore midday about {{convert|240|km|mi|abbr=on|round=5}} east-northeast of Ho Chi Minh City. By early November 7, the JMA stopped tracking the system.

By moving across the central Philippines in its formative phases, Tess became the second tropical cyclone to impact the island group within two weeks;{{cite news|last1=Reid|first1=Robert H.|title=Typhoon Skip Hits Philippines; Thousands Flee Homes|agency=Associated Press|date=November 6, 1988}}{{subscription required|via=Lexis Nexis}} the first was Typhoon Ruby.{{cite news|last1=Del Mundo|first1=Fernando|title=International News|agency=United Press International|date=November 5, 1988}}{{subscription required|via=Lexis Nexis}} At least nine people were killed in the provinces of Cebu and Bukidnon, where the storm also rendered 600 people homeless. Eight of those deaths occurred in Cebu.{{cite news|title=Another Typhoon Headed Toward Philippines|agency=Associated Press|date=November 6, 1988}} There, the storm brought flash flooding that destroyed numerous bridges{{cite news|title=Typhoon rushes toward central Philippines|agency=United Press International|date=November 7, 1988}}{{subscription required|via=Lexis Nexis}} and homes.{{cite news|title=Typhoon 'Skip' bearing down on Philippines|agency=United Press International|date=November 6, 1988}}{{subscription required|via=Lexis Nexis}} Palawan Island, a rugged, sparsely populated island chain isolated from the rest of the country, sustained widespread destruction from Tess, primarily due to flooding and landslides. On the island, the town of Rizal sustained the worst damage from the storm. There, 23 fatalities occurred. The island's north-south coastal road was covered in {{convert|7.5|ft|m|abbr=on}} of water. By November 10, 75 people were confirmed to have been killed throughout Palawan, with 600 others subsequently listed as missing by the Philippine Red Cross.{{cite news|title=Death Toll From Three Typhoons Hits 670, 600 More Missing|agency=Association Press|date=November 11, 1988}}{{subscription required|via=Lexis Nexis}} The missing were presumed dead by December 14.{{cite news|title=Domestic News|agency=Associated Press|date=December 14, 1988}}{{subscription required|via=Lexis Nexis}} In part because the water level was already {{convert|5.5|ft|m|abbr=on}} above normal due to Ruby, Laguna Lake, situated on the southeastern side of the capital city of Manila, overflowed its banks.{{cite news|last1=H. Reid|first1=Robert|title=Storm Warning Posted For Manila As Typhoon Skip Nears|agency=Associated Press|date=November 6, 1988}}{{subscription required|via=Lexis Nexis}} This forced 3,000 people,{{cite news|last1=Arquiza|first1=Yasmin|title=Typhoon Hits Philippines With Winds Topping 100 Mph|agency=Association Press|date=November 7, 1988}}{{subscription required|via=Lexis Nexis}} mainly in the suburbs of Pasig, Taguig and Pateros, to evacuate their homes.{{cite news|last1=Reid|first1=Robert H.|title=Typhoon Skip Gains Strength As It Heads Towards Manila|agency=Association Press|date=November 6, 1988}}{{subscription required|via=Lexis Nexis}} Outside Palawan Island, Tess only resulted in 11 fatalities only in the island chain, all due to flooding.{{cite news|last1=Reid|first1=Robert H.|title=Storm Sweeps Out To Sea After Killing At Least 22|agency=Associated Press|date=November 7, 1988}}{{subscription required|via=Lexis Nexis}}

Nationwide, the storm was blamed for 686 deaths. Additionally, 144,136 people or 28,824 families were evacuated to shelters as a result of the flooding. A total of 86 homes were destroyed and 430 others were damaged.{{cite report|url=http://baseportal.com/cgi-bin/baseportal.pl?htx=/miso/typhoons&range=100,20|title=Destructive Typhoons 1970-2003|date=November 9, 2004|publisher=National Disaster Coordinating Council|access-date=April 14, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041109182017/http://baseportal.com/cgi-bin/baseportal.pl?htx=%2Fmiso%2Ftyphoons&range=100%2C20|archive-date=November 9, 2004|url-status=dead}} Furthermore, damage to private property totaled $7.58 million (1988 USD). In addition, the storm caused $3.8 million in damage to agriculture. Overall, the nation suffered $11.38 million damage due to the cyclone.{{cite report|url=http://baseportal.com/cgi-bin/baseportal.pl?htx=/miso/typhoons&cmd=list&range=100,20&cmd=all&Id=109|title=Destructive Typhoons 1970-2003|date=November 9, 2004|publisher=National Disaster Coordinating Council|access-date=April 14, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050315153203/http://baseportal.com/cgi-bin/baseportal.pl?htx=%2Fmiso%2Ftyphoons&cmd=list&range=100%2C20&cmd=all&Id=109|archive-date=March 15, 2005|url-status=dead}}{{#tag:ref|All Philippine currencies are converted to United States Dollars using [http://www.measuringworth.com/datasets/exchangeglobal/result.php?year_source=1983&year_result=1988&countryE Philippines Measuring worth] with an exchange rate of the year 1988.|group=nb}}

Even though the storm had weakened drastically by this time, Tess killed 37 people in Vietnam, destroyed thousands of homes,{{cite news|last1=Del Mundo|first1=Fernando|title=Typhoon Skip leaves 191 dead in Philippines|agency=United Press International|date=November 10, 1988}}{{subscription required|via=Lexis Nexis}} and inflicted $11 million in damage. Following Tess, Philippine President Corazon Aquino visited the provinces of Pangasinan and Pampanga, both situated to the north of Manila to tour damaged areas, distribute relief, aid and inaugurate an infrastructure project. A mere few days after Tess, Typhoon Skip became the third cyclone to hit the archipelago in two weeks.{{cite news|title=Typhoon Skip Leaves At Least 24 People Dead In Philippines|agency=Associated Press|date=November 8, 1988}}{{subscription required|via=Lexis Nexis}}

{{Portal|tropical cyclones}}

• Other tropical cyclones named Tess
• Tropical Storm Usagi (2018)

{{Reflist|group=nb}}

{{Reflist|30em}}

• [http://www.jma.go.jp/en/typh/ Japan Meteorological Agency]
• [http://www.usno.navy.mil/JTWC/ Joint Typhoon Warning Center] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150809201922/http://www.usno.navy.mil/JTWC/ |date=2015-08-09 }}

{{1988 Pacific typhoon season buttons}}

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Category:Western Pacific severe tropical storms

Category:Typhoons in the Philippines

Category:1988 disasters in the Philippines

Category:1988 Pacific typhoon season

Category:Typhoons in Vietnam

Tess