turning to the northwest by September 19, then turned back to the northeast by September 21, eventually dissipating in the subtropical western Pacific Ocean. Typhoon Orchid (Aning) A tropical disturbance formed east of the Philippines along a surface trough trailing from Nat. In the prevailing westerly flow, the disturbance moved eastward. The system organized into a tropical depression on September 18. The system turned northward, developing into a tropical storm. As it bypassed Guam to the northwest, winds gusted to on the island. Slowly turning towards the northwest, and ultimately southwest around a monsoon gyre, Orchid slowly intensified into a typhoon. On September 22, Orchid turned northwest and continued to strengthen, peaking as a super typhoon on September 25. Slowly weakening thereafter, Orchid began to slow during recurvature as it rounded the western side of the subtropical ridge. Acceleration to the north-northeast began on September 28, and by late on September 29, Orchid made landfall in Japan as a typhoon, crossing Honshu and western Hokkaido. Winds gusted to at Tanabe. Rainfall from Orchid across central Japan was beneficial, as it helped relieve drought conditions. Nine perished during Orchid's passage across Japan. Typhoon Pat Pat formed on the east end of the monsoon trough as a tropical disturbance on September 20 near Wake Island, moving west-southwest. The system organized into a tropical depression on September 21. Turning to the northwest, Pat quickly strengthened into a typhoon by September 23. Soon afterward, Typhoon Pat turned westward and weakened, beginning its interaction with Tropical Storm Ruth located to Pat's southwest. On September 24, Pat and Ruth began to orbit around each other, entrapped within a Fujiwhara interaction. By the morning of September 26, the two cyclones merged and both systems' thunderstorm activity fell apart, a condition which continued after the merger. Over the next couple days, the merged cyclone regained central convection and recurved east of Japan. Tropical Storm Ruth An area of thunderstorm activity formed between Orchid and Pat on September 23. The system developed, becoming Tropical Depression 30W on September 24. A day later, the cyclone achieved tropical storm strength. Ruth moved northeast within a general southwest flow regime, as the smaller tropical cyclone named Pat approached from the northeast. By September 26, the two cyclones merged, and the resultant cyclone recurved east of Japan. Tropical Depression 31W On September 26, an upper-tropospheric circulation separated from an upper-level trough that was