Typhoon Rita was the most damaging typhoon to affect northern Japan since 1965. A tropical depression developed on August 9, 1975 over the South China Sea. The depression initially meandered offshore Taiwan, but after turning west, it was upgraded into a tropical storm on August 19, only to turn back to the east. While growing considerably in size, Rita strengthened into a typhoon during the afternoon hours of the August 21. Rita then accelerated to the north-northeast in response to a shortwave trough. Midday on August 22, the typhoon reached its peak intensity, with winds of and a minimum barometric pressure of . That evening, the typhoon weakened slightly before making landfall west of Osaka, with winds of . Quickly crossing central and northern Honshu, Rita veered slightly northward before weakening into a tropical storm early on August 23. On the next day, Rita merged with a cold front before transiting into an extratropical cyclone. Heavy rains caused landslides and flash flooding that was responsible for extensive crop and property damage across Japan. The typhoon contributed to the worst flooding in Hokkaido in ten years. Overall, 33 people were killed and 51 others were injured, including 36 seriously. Fifty-six trains and seventy-five flights were cancelled; ferry services were also disrupted by the storm. Greater than 100 landslides occurred while over 40 bridges were inundated. A total of 48,832 houses sustained flooded and 3,000 dwellings were damaged. Moreover, 177 houses were destroyed, resulting in almost 2,800 homeless families. Twenty-eight ships, as well as of farmland, suffered damage. Nationwide, the typhoon inflicted 34 billion yen (US$114 million) worth of damage. Meteorological history On August 9, 1975, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) designated a tropical depression in the South China Sea. The depression did not initially develop further as it meandered offshore Taiwan and passed through the Ryuku Islands. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) estimated that a monsoon depression formed over southeast of Okinawa on August 18. Drifting first east then westward, Rita was upgraded into a tropical storm the next day by both the JTWC and JMA, based on Hurricane Hunter reports of storm-force winds. Due to a weakening subtropical ridge east of Japan, the storm reversed back to an easterly direction near the northern tip of Okinawa. Rita strengthened into a typhoon, the sixth of the season, on the afternoon of the August 21 as the storm grew significantly in