to be monitored by the JTWC since its inception earlier in 1959. Now tracking steadily towards the northwest, the typhoon reached its peak intensity at 1200 UTC the next day with maximum sustained winds of 165 km/h (105 mph) according to the JTWC and a minimum barometric pressure assessed by the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) at 970 mbar (hPa; 28.64 inHg). By this time Billie's eye had shrunk to a size roughly 50 km (30 mi) in diameter. At 0900 UTC on July 15, Billie passed just 30 km (20 mi) north of Taiwan; fifteen hours later the typhoon made landfall north of Fuzhou, China in Zhejiang with winds estimated at 120 km/h (75 mph). Upon tracking inland on July 16, interaction with China's mountainous terrain disrupted the organization of Billie, weakening it down to tropical storm intensity. However, the tropical cyclone's stint over land was short-lived as the system quickly curved northward into the Yellow Sea by July 17. Despite moving back over water, Billie continued to weaken, and made landfall on the western coast of North Korea with winds of 75 km/h (40 mph). Over the Korean peninsula, Billie began to intake cold air from a polar front, enabling the system to transition into an extratropical cyclone by 1800 UTC that day. These remnants tracked eastward across the Sea of Japan before they were last noted just off of Hokkaido on July 18. Impact As Billie tracked to the east of the Philippines, the outer rainbands of the tropical cyclone produced heavy rainfall to the archipelago, the Ryukyu Islands, and the main islands of Japan. In the Philippines, the rains triggered floods that led to the death of one person and US$500,000 in damage. About 100 people were displaced on the islands due to the rainfall. The Japanese freighter Bansei Maru was grounded on a reef off of Ishigaki Island due to the rough surf and winds caused by the passing typhoon, necessitating a rescue operation by three United States Navy ships. On the island, 16 homes were destroyed and 49 were heavily damaged. Inundation of crops was prevalent. Flooding from Billie was highly destructive in areas of Japan west of the Chūbu region, destroying 603 homes and inundating 77,288 others. Roughly 325 km2 (125 mi2) of farmland was impacted by the rains. Across Japan, 44 people were killed and 77 were injured. In northern Taiwan, Billie caused