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Five tropical cyclones occurred over the western North Pacific and South China Sea in August 2011.
After forming over the western North Pacific towards the end of July, Muifa gradually intensified and became a super typhoon about 1 260 km east-northeast of Manila on 31 July with an estimated maximum sustained wind of 185 km/h near its centre. It weakened into a severe typhoon on 1 August and moved generally northwards across the western North Pacific. Muifa turned to move west-northwestwards on 3 August and passed to the southwest of Okinawa on 5 August on a northwesterly track. It weakened into a typhoon on 6 August and moved north-northwestwards across the East China Sea. Muifa weakened into a severe tropical storm on 7 August. It made landfall over the northwestern coast of DPR Korea on 8 August and became an extratropical cyclone over northeastern China on 9 August. According to press reports, at least four people were killed and two others missing in the Republic of Korea during the passage of Muifa. Electricity supply to 320 000 houses were also interrupted. In eastern and northeastern China, over 1 800 houses collapsed and 12 500 houses were damaged. The direct economic losses amounted to 4 235 million RMB.
Merbok formed as a tropical depression over the western North Pacific about 660 km northwest of Wake Island on 3 August. Moving west-northwestwards, Merbok intensified into a tropical storm that afternoon. It turned to move north-northwestwards on 5 August. Merbok moved northwards and intensified into a severe tropical storm to the east-northeast of Iwo Jima on 6 August, reaching its peak intensity with an estimated maximum sustained wind of 105 km/h near its centre. It turned to move northeastwards on 7 August. Merbok weakened into a tropical storm on 9 August and became an extratropical cyclone to the east of Hokkaido over the western North Pacific on 10 August.
A tropical depression formed over the western North Pacific about 1 090 km south of Nagoya on 10 August. The tropical depression remained weak with an estimated maximum sustained wind of 45 km/h near its centre. Moving northeastwards for the following two days, the tropical depression dissipated over the western North Pacific to the south of Tokyo on 12 August.
Nanmadol formed as a tropical depression over the western North Pacific about 700 km east of Manila on 23 August and was almost stationary. It intensified into a tropical storm that evening. Moving westwards, it intensified into a severe tropical storm on 24 August and further into a typhoon on the following day. Nanmadol moved northwestwards and intensified gradually into a super typhoon over the Pacific to the northeast of Manila on 26 August, reaching its peak intensity with an estimated maximum sustained wind of 195 km/h near its centre. It crossed the northeastern tip of Luzon on a north-northwesterly track on 27 August and weakened into a severe typhoon, and subsequently crossed southern Taiwan and weakened into a severe tropical storm on 29 August. Nanmadol weakened into a tropical storm over the Taiwan Strait on 30 August and became slow moving. It made landfall over Fuijian on the morning of 31 August and weakened into a tropical depression, dissipating inland over Fuijian in the evening. During the passage of Nanmadol, at least 15 people were killed, six others missing and over 20 people injured in the Philippines. One person was killed in Taiwan. Nanmadol brought rainstorms to Fuijian where about 70 houses collapsed, over 12 000 hectares of crops were damaged and the direct economic losses amounted to 532 million RMB.
Talas formed as a tropical depression over the western North Pacific about 480 km northwest of Guam on 24 August and moved north-northwestwards. It intensified into a tropical storm on 25 August and further into a severe tropical storm on 26 August. For the following three days, Talas became slow moving but generally travelled northwards and continued to intensify, with the estimated maximum sustained wind near its centre reaching 110 km/h. Talas turned to move west-northwestwards across the western North Pacific to the south of Japan on the last two days of the month.
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