1989 Western Pacific typhoon season
Typhoon Andy 1989
Typhoon Andy passed southeast of Guam in April 1989, bringing damaging winds and utility failures without a direct landfall. Its early-season approach prompted shelter openings and the relocation of military aircraft.
Drag to pan. Pinch or Ctrl/⌘ + scroll to zoom. Keyboard: plus or minus to zoom, arrow keys to pan, and 0 to show the full track.
161 mph
Apr 21, 1989 during the tropical stage
Full archive record, including non-tropical stages if present
Along the recorded center positions
STORM HISTORY
April development near the Carolines
Andy began as an expanding thunderstorm area near Chuuk on 13 April. It developed slowly while moving west, then turned north on 19 April and intensified. The archive records peak one-minute winds of 140 kt on 21 April.
The center passed about 130 km southeast of Guam. Nearly half the island's schools had been prepared as shelters, and around 1,100 people sought refuge. Military aircraft were moved to Hawaii and the Philippines ahead of the storm.
Wind and utility failures on Guam
Guam experienced strong sustained winds and gusts up to about 155 km/h. Fallen power lines left roughly 15 percent of the island without electricity for several hours. Heavy rain also caused pump failures that interrupted drinking-water supplies.
Despite the strong winds, no major structural damage or injuries were reported. Andy turned northeast and weakened as westerly wind shear increased. The archived track ends on 25 April.
Further reading
QUICK ANSWERS
Andy in brief
What was Typhoon Andy's highest wind speed?
161 mph, the highest one-minute sustained wind in its tropical stage, recorded on Apr 21, 1989, 12:00 AM UTC.
What category was Typhoon Andy?
Category 5 at its peak on the Saffir–Simpson one-minute wind scale, first reaching Category 5 on Apr 20, 1989, 09:00 PM UTC. Other agencies classify storms differently.
What was Typhoon Andy's lowest pressure?
920 mb, the minimum central pressure recorded during its tropical stage, on Apr 21, 1989, 12:00 AM UTC.
When did Typhoon Andy occur?
The archived track runs from Apr 13, 1989, 12:00 AM UTC to Apr 25, 1989, 06:00 PM UTC, with the tropical stage from Apr 13, 1989, 12:00 AM UTC to Apr 25, 1989, 06:00 PM UTC.
Where did Typhoon Andy form?
In the Western Pacific basin, in the 1989 season. Its first archived position is 7°N, 154°E on Apr 13, 1989, 12:00 AM UTC.
Did Typhoon Andy make landfall?
No archived position places Typhoon Andy's center over land, but positions are six-hourly and a brief landfall can fall between them.
METHODOLOGY
Data sources and limitations
The map and summary are generated from NOAA's IBTrACS v04r01 archive. Wind and category use US-agency records; minimum pressure is calculated during the tropical stage, with the archive's pressure source retained. Category 5 refers to the Saffir–Simpson one-minute wind scale; local agencies may use different classifications. Coastlines use Natural Earth's 1:10m land data.
Track distance adds great-circle distances between consecutive observations, excluding gaps over 12 hours. This track has no gaps over 12 hours. The line shows the storm's center, not its size, rainfall or flood extent. Converted wind speeds are rounded to the nearest whole unit.
Archive retrieved
NOAA IBTrACS archive and Field documentation
Sources & methodology