2006 Pacific typhoon season
The 2006 Pacific typhoon season was a near-average season that produced a total of 23 named storms, 15 typhoons, and six super typhoons. The season ran throughout 2006, though most tropical cyclones typically develop between May and October. The season's first named storm, Chanchu, developed on May 9, while the season's last named storm, Trami, dissipated on December 20. Also, this season was more active, costly, and deadly than the previous season.
2006 Pacific typhoon season
The China Meteorological Administration (CMA) and Hong Kong Observatory both identified a tropical depression in the southern South China Sea on September 22. The system was organized enough to be classified as Tropical Depression 17W by the JTWC the next day. It weakened under heavy vertical wind shear and the JTWC issued its final advisory on Tropical Depression 17W before landfall in Vietnam. The storm passed just south of Hainan and brought heavy rain to the area. The maximum rainfall recorded was 143 mm. CMA kept it as a tropical storm until it made landfall in Vietnam in the morning of September 25.
On September 25, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) named an active low pressure area within its area of responsibility Tropical Depression Milenyo. After issuing a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert earlier, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center issued its first warning on Tropical Depression 18W. On September 26 the Japan Meteorological Agency named this system Xangsane. The name Xangsane was submitted by Laos and means elephant. Later that day, the JMA upgraded Xangsane to a severe tropical storm. A bout of rapid intensification followed, and all three agencies, the JMA, JTWC and PAGASA all upgraded the storm to a typhoon late on September 26 or early September 27. Xangsane made landfall on Samar Island as a severe tropical storm.