days later, at approximately 200000Z, GILDA began to decelerate rapidly and by 200600Z was moving at 12 knots toward Viet Nam on a track which was slightly south of west. The final warning, issued at 210000Z, contained a forecast for rapid dissipation over Viet Nam to the northeast of Saigon.
Typhoon GILDA was typical of December climatology. The path was very similar to that of Typhoon GLORIA in 1952. The abrupt westward movement on the 18th came unexpectedly and could not have been forecast from the sparse upper air data available. At approximately 190800Z GILDA passed directly over the U.S. Coast Guard Loran Station on Talampalan Island in the western Philippines. Coast Guard observers estimated the maximum sustained wind to have been 80 knots with gusts to 140 knots. Thirty warnings were issued covering a period of 9 days.
For damage caused by Typhoon GILDA see Section VI, "Destructive Effects of Typhoons."
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