The 14th named storm of the 2005 Pacific typhoon season, Nabi formed on August 29 to the east of the Northern Mariana Islands.

About 250,000 people evacuated along the Japanese island of Kyushu ahead of the storm, and there were disruptions to train, ferry, and airline services.

In Kyushu, the storm left ¥4.08 billion[nb 2] (US$36.9 million) in crop damage after dropping 1,322 mm (52.0 in) of rain over three days.

Located within an area of moderate wind shear, the system quickly organized while moving westward, its track influenced by a ridge to the north.

In initial forecasts, the agency anticipated steady strengthening,[5] due to warm sea surface temperatures in the area.

[nb 5][2] About 12 hours later, the JMA upgraded Nabi further to a severe tropical storm,[3] after the convection organized into spiral rainbands.

[3] On August 31, Nabi passed about 55 km (34 mi) north-northeast of Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands during its closest approach.

On September 1, the JTWC upgraded the storm to a super typhoon and later estimated peak one-minute winds of 260 km/h (160 mph); this is the equivalent of a Category 5 on the Saffir–Simpson scale.

By contrast, the JMA estimated peak ten-minute winds of 175 km/h (109 mph) on September 2, with a barometric pressure of 925 mbar (27.3 inHg).

[9] For about 36 hours, Nabi maintained its peak winds, during which it crossed into the area of responsibility of PAGASA;[2][3] the Philippine-based agency gave it the local name "Jolina", although the storm remained away from the country.

On September 5, Nabi passed near Kitadaitōjima and Yakushima, part of the Daitō and Ōsumi island groups offshore southern Japan.

[3] After turning due north, Nabi made landfall near Isahaya, Nagasaki around 05:00 UTC on September 6, after passing through the Amakusa of Kumamoto.

[11] At 18:00 UTC on September 6, the JTWC discontinued advisories on Nabi, declaring it extratropical,[12] although the JMA continued tracking the storm.

The government of the Northern Mariana Islands advised Tinian and Saipan residents along the coast and in poorly built buildings to evacuate, and several schools operated as shelters.

[18] As a precaution, schools were closed on Guam on August 31, after a tropical storm warning was issued for the island the night prior.

[24] In Kyushu, officials evacuated over a quarter of a million people in fear of Typhoon Nabi affecting Japan.

Approximately 1,500 soldiers were dispatched to Tokyo to help coastal areas prepare for Typhoon Nabi's arrival, and to clean up after the storm.

[26] In South Korea, the government issued a typhoon warning for the southern portion of the country along the coast, prompting the airport at Pohang to close,[31] and forcing 162 flights to be canceled.

[36] Flooding covered roads for several hours and entered classrooms at Untalan Middle School, forcing hundreds of students to evacuate.

[38] The periphery of the storm produced gusts of 121 km/h (75 mph) in the port city of Busan,[33] strong enough to damage eight billboards and knock trees over.

[2] Heavy rains caused several traffic accidents and injuries in Busan,[33] while strong waves washed a cargo ship ashore in Pohang.

[54] While moving through western Japan, Nabi dropped heavy rainfall that totaled 1,322 mm (52.0 in) over a three-day period in Miyazaki Prefecture,[53][55] the equivalent to nearly three times the average annual precipitation.

[58][59] In addition to the heavy rainfall, Nabi produced gusty winds on the Japan mainland, peaking at 115 km/h (71 mph) in Muroto.

[53] Several car assembly plants were damaged in southwestern Japan,[2] while others were closed due to power outages, such as Toyota, Mazda, and Mitsubishi.

[69] In Yamaguchi Prefecture on western Honshu, Nabi damaged a portion of the historical Kintai Bridge, originally built in 1674.

[71] One person was seriously injured in Kitakata, Fukushima after strong winds blew a worker from scaffolding of a building under construction.

[72] Effects from Nabi spread as far north as Hokkaido, where heavy rainfall damaged roads and caused hundreds of schools to close.

[75] Ahead of the storm, high waves and gusty winds led to one drowning when a woman was knocked off a ferry in Takamatsu, Kagawa.

The declaration allocated aid from the United States to help restore damaged buildings, pay for debris removal, and other emergency services.

[85] Due to the similar pronunciation to the word "prophets" in Arabic, and the conflict of religious views,[86] the Typhoon Committee of the World Meteorological Organization agreed to retire the name Nabi.