2015 Western Pacific typhoon season
Typhoon Dolphin 2015
Dolphin passed between Guam and Rota with typhoon-force winds, then intensified further over open water. The storm caused damaging rain and widespread utility outages along its island route.
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161 mph
May 16, 2015 during the tropical stage
Full archive record, including non-tropical stages if present
Along the recorded center positions
STORM HISTORY
From Micronesia to the Marianas
Dolphin developed near the Federated States of Micronesia in early May. It initially moved eastward before turning north and west-northwest. Heavy rain affected Pohnpei, where a falling tree killed one person and damage reached about US$1 million in 2015 dollars.
The typhoon passed between Guam and Rota on May 15. Gusts reached about 171 kilometers per hour at Andersen Air Force Base on northern Guam. Winds left 40 percent of Guam without power, while at least 3,300 residents lost water service. Flooding affected Guam Memorial Hospital.
Further intensification beyond the islands
Dolphin strengthened rapidly after the island passage, reaching archived sustained winds of 140 knots on May 16. It curved north and then northeast before weakening and losing its tropical structure. On Guam, the storm damaged 390 homes, including nine that were destroyed, and left more than 1,000 people homeless. Rota also suffered substantial damage.
Further reading
QUICK ANSWERS
Dolphin in brief
What was Typhoon Dolphin's highest wind speed?
161 mph, the highest one-minute sustained wind in its tropical stage, recorded on May 16, 2015, 12:00 PM UTC.
What category was Typhoon Dolphin?
Category 5 at its peak on the Saffir–Simpson one-minute wind scale, first reaching Category 5 on May 16, 2015, 09:00 AM UTC. Other agencies classify storms differently.
What was Typhoon Dolphin's lowest pressure?
918 mb, the minimum central pressure recorded during its tropical stage, on May 16, 2015, 12:00 PM UTC.
When did Typhoon Dolphin occur?
The archived track runs from May 6, 2015, 12:00 PM UTC to May 24, 2015, 06:00 AM UTC, with the tropical stage from May 6, 2015, 12:00 PM UTC to May 20, 2015, 09:00 PM UTC.
Where did Typhoon Dolphin form?
In the Western Pacific basin, in the 2015 season. Its first archived position is 4.2°N, 158.3°E on May 6, 2015, 12:00 PM UTC.
Did Typhoon Dolphin make landfall?
No archived position places Typhoon Dolphin'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