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Seven tropical cyclones occurred over the western North Pacific and South China Sea in August 2012. Amongst them, Kai-tak and Tembin necessitated the issuance of tropical cyclone warning signals in Hong Kong.
Saola formed as a tropical depression over the western North Pacific about 700 km east of Manila on 28 July. Moving generally north-northwestwards, it intensified into a tropical storm that afternoon. Saola continued to intensify into a severe tropical storm on 29 July and further into a typhoon to the east of the Luzon Strait on the following day. It turned to move northwestwards over the seas to the east of Taiwan on 1 August, reaching its peak intensity with an estimated maximum sustained wind of 145 km/h near its centre. Saola moved across the northern part of Taiwan and entered the Taiwan Strait on 2 August. It weakened into a severe tropical storm and made landfall over the coast of Fujian on the morning of 3 August, dissipating inland over Jiangxi on the following day. According to press reports, 37 people were killed in the Philippines during the passage of Saola. Rainstorms brought about by Saola resulted in severe flooding and landslides in Taiwan where at least 5 people were killed, two missing and 15 others injured. In Fujian, 306 000 people had to be evacuated during the passage of Saola.
Damrey formed as a tropical depression over the western North Pacific about 530 km east of Iwo Jima on 28 July and was slow moving initially. It started to move generally west-northwestwards on 30 July and intensified into a tropical storm. Damrey strengthened further into a severe tropical storm over the western North Pacific to the south of Japan on 31 July and moved across the seas south of Kyushu on the following day. It intensified into a typhoon over the East China Sea on 2 August, reaching its peak intensity with an estimated maximum sustained wind of 120 km/h near its centre, and made landfall over the coast of northern Jiangsu that night. Damrey gradually weakened into a tropical storm on 3 August and turned to move generally north-northeastwards. It dissipated over the coastal areas of northeast China on 4 August. At least two people were killed, 29 others injured and some 20 000 houses collapsed or damaged in Shangdong during the passage of Damrey.
Haikui formed as a tropical depression over the western North Pacific about 340 km east-southeast of Iwo Jima on 2 August and moved generally west-northwestwards. Haikui intensified into a tropical storm over the western North Pacific on 3 August and further into a severe tropical storm on 5 August. Haikui slowed down as it moved across the East China Sea on 6 August and intensified into a typhoon. It strengthened further into a severe typhoon over the East China Sea to the east of Wenzhou on 7 August, reaching its peak intensity with an estimated maximum sustained wind of 155 km/h near its centre. Haikui made landfall over the coastal areas of Zhejiang on the morning of 8 August and gradually weakened into a tropical storm. It continued to weaken into a tropical depression on 9 August and dissipated over Anhui on 10 August. At least 4 000 houses collapsed and electricity supply to 0.4 million households were interrupted in Zhejiang during the passage of Haikui.
Kirogi formed as a tropical depression over the western North Pacific about 2 090 km east of Iwo Jima on 4 August and was slow moving initially. It moved northwards on the following day. Kirogi moved northwestwards on 7 August and intensified into a tropical storm on 8 August. Kirogi intensified into a severe tropical storm over the western North Pacific to the east of Japan on the afternoon of 9 August, reaching its peak intensity with an estimated maximum sustained wind of 90 km/h near its centre. It weakened into a tropical storm that evening and became an extratropical cyclone to the east of Hokkaido, Japan on 10 August.
Kai-tak formed as a tropical depression over the western North Pacific about 960 km east-northeast of Manila on 12 August. Moving west to west-northwestwards, it intensified into a tropical storm on the following day. Kai-tak moved across northern Luzon on 15 August, entered the northern part of the South China Sea that evening and intensified into a severe tropical storm. On 16 August, Kai-tak speeded up on a west-northwesterly track across the northern part of the South China Sea and intensified further into a typhoon, reaching its peak intensity with an estimated maximum sustained wind of 120 km/h. It made landfall near Zhanjiang over western Guangdong in the early afternoon on 17 August, moved across Beibu Wan later and weakened into a severe tropical storm that evening. Kai-tak moved across northern Vietnam and dissipated inland on 18 August.
Tembin formed as a tropical depression over the western North Pacific about 690 km northeast of Manila on 18 August and was slow moving. It intensified gradually into a severe tropical storm on the following day. Tembin continued to intensify gradually into a severe typhoon over the seas to the east of Luzon on 20 August and moved northwards, reaching its peak intensity with an estimated maximum sustained wind of 175 km/h near its centre. It turned to move westwards towards Taiwan and weakened into a typhoon on 22 August. Tembin strengthened into a severe typhoon again on 23 August. It moved across the southern part of Taiwan, weakening into a typhoon and entered the northeastern part of the South China Sea on 24 August. Tembin lingered over the northeastern part of the South China Sea for the following two days. Under the influence of another tropical cyclone Bolaven over the western North Pacific, Tembin turned to move east-northeastwards on 27 August, accelerated northeastwards across the seas east of Taiwan, weakening into a severe tropical storm on 28 August. Tembin then moved north-northeastwards across the East China Sea on 29 August and made landfall over the Republic of Korea on the morning of 30 August. It became an extratropical cyclone over the eastern part of the Republic of Korea that evening.
Bolaven formed as a tropical depression over the western North Pacific about 830 km south of Iwo Jima on 20 August and moved generally northwestwards. It intensified gradually over the western North Pacific, becoming a typhoon on 22 August and a severe typhoon two days later. Bolvaen strengthened further into a super typhoon to the southeast of Okinawa on 26 August, reaching its peak intensity with an estimated maximum sustained wind of 185 km/h near its centre. Bolvaen moved across the Rykuyu Islands in the evening. It turned to move north-northwestwards across the East China Sea on 27 August, weakening into a severe typhoon. Bolaven moved across the Yellow Sea on 28 August and made landfall over the coast of DPR Korea that night. Bolaven dissipated inland over northeastern China on 29 August. During the passage of Bolaven, four people were injured and around 37 000 housesholds left without electricity in Okinawa. At least seven people were killed and over 1.7 million households left without electricity in the Republic of Korea. Two Chinese fishing boats ran aground and sank respectively in the waters near Jeiju, causing at least five deaths and 10 others missing.
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