FOREWARD
For centuries tropical cyclones have been a menace to both military and civilian activities in tropical and subtropical oceanic regions. During recent times much effort has been funneled toward more accurate tropical cyclone forecasts, and toward more efficient operational responses to these storms. A large portion of this effort has been based on studies which, if meaningful, must be based on accurately documented data. The Annual Typhoon Report represents such documentation. The body of this report summarizes the tropical cyclones occurring during 1976 in the western North Pacific, the Central North Pacific and the North Indian Oceans. The United States National Weather Service publishes summaries of eastern North Pacific tropical cyclones in the Mariners Weather, and Pilot Charts.
The PACOM Tropical Cyclone Warning System (western North Pacific and Indian Oceans) insures warnings of these dangerous storms is provided to all U. S. government interests. It consists of the Fleet Weather Central/Joint Typhoon Warning Center (FLEWEACEN/JTWC), the U. S. Air Force 54th Weather Reconnaissance Squadron stationed at Andersen AFB, Guam, and the U. S. Air Force Weather Service Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) sites at Nimitz Hill,.Guam; Clark AB, Philippines; Kadena AB, Okinawa; Osan AB, Korea; Hickam AFB, Hawaii; and the Air Force Global Weather Central, Offutt AFB, Nebraska. Additionally, satellite support is provided by the Fleet Weather Facility, Suitland, Maryland.
The Fleet Weather Central/Jotit Typhoon Warning Center, Guam has the responsibility to:
1. Provide continuous meteorological watch of all tropical activity north of the African coast for potential of the Date Line, and east of [JTWC area of responsibility) tropical cyclone development; the
2. Provide warnings for all tropical cyclones within the area of responsibility;
3. Determine tropical cyclone reconnaissance requirements and assign priorities;
4. Conduct post-analysis studies including preparation of the Annual Typhoon Report; and
5. Conduct tropical cyclone research and forecast improvement studies as time permits.
JTWC is an integral part of FLBWEACEN Guam and is manned by officers and enlisted personnel from both the Air Force and Navy. The senior Air Force officer is designated as the Director, JTWC, and the senior Naval officer as the Deputy Director, JTWC.
Detachment 17, 30th Weather Squadron, Yokota AS, Japan with assistance from the Naval Weather Facility, Yokosuka, Japan and computer support from Fleet Weather Central, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii is designated as the Alternate Joint Typhoon Warning Center in the event that FLEWEACEN/JTWC, Guam is incapacitated.
The Central Pacific Hurricane Center, Honolulu, Hawaii, is responsible for the area north of the equator from the Date Line east to 140W. Warnings are issued in coordination with FLEWEACEN, Pearl Harbor and Detachment 4, lWW, Hickam AFB, Hawaii.
CINCPACFLT, CDRUSACSG, and CINCPACAF are responsible for further dissemination, and if necessary, local modification of tropical cyclone warnings to U. S. government interests.