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.
Typhoon Maria (2006)
Typhoon Maria was a minimal typhoon which brushed the southeastern coast of Japan during early August 2006. The seventh named storm of the 2006 Pacific typhoon season, Maria formed out of a tropical depression over the open waters of the western Pacific Ocean. On August 5, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) classified the depression as a tropical storm while the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) kept it as a depression. The storm quickly strengthened into a typhoon the next day, reaching its peak intensity with winds of 130 km/h (80 mph ) early on August 6. The storm gradually weakened as it began to recurve, causing it to parallel the southeastern coast of Japan. On August 9, Maria weakened into a tropical depression and later into an extratropical cyclone before dissipating on August 15. Maria had only minor effects in Japan, mainly heavy rains which were estimated to have peaked over 400 mm (15.7 in) on the Izu Peninsula. One person was killed after being struck by lightning and six others were injured.