1983 Western Pacific typhoon season
Typhoon Forrest 1983
Typhoon Forrest underwent a record-setting burst of intensification in September 1983. It later weakened on its approach to Japan, where torrential rainfall caused landslides, flooding and extensive damage to roads and homes.
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173 mph
Sep 23, 1983 during the tropical stage
Full archive record, including non-tropical stages if present
Along the recorded center positions
STORM HISTORY
A record burst of deepening
Forrest developed near Micronesia and organized south of Guam. After reaching typhoon strength on 21 September, it intensified much faster than initially expected. Reconnaissance estimates indicated a pressure fall of about 100 hPa in slightly less than 24 hours.
The archive records peak one-minute winds of 150 kt and a minimum pressure of 885 hPa on 23 September. Forrest then weakened gradually while moving northwest toward the Ryukyu Islands.
Flooding and landslides in Japan
Forrest reached the Okinawa region on 27 September before turning north across Japan. A tornado nearby destroyed 26 homes and injured 26 people. The main storm transitioned into an extratropical cyclone on 28 September.
Across Japan, Forrest caused at least 21 deaths, with 17 people missing and 86 injured. Muddy floodwater entered about 46,000 homes, and more than 100 dwellings were destroyed. Damaged bridges, roads and canceled transport services stranded thousands of people. Reported damage totaled US$339 million at 1983 values.
Further reading
QUICK ANSWERS
Forrest in brief
What was Typhoon Forrest's highest wind speed?
173 mph, the highest one-minute sustained wind in its tropical stage, recorded on Sep 23, 1983, 12:00 AM UTC.
What category was Typhoon Forrest?
Category 5 at its peak on the Saffir–Simpson one-minute wind scale, first reaching Category 5 on Sep 22, 1983, 06:00 PM UTC. Other agencies classify storms differently.
What was Typhoon Forrest's lowest pressure?
885 mb, the minimum central pressure recorded during its tropical stage, on Sep 23, 1983, 12:00 AM UTC.
When did Typhoon Forrest occur?
The archived track runs from Sep 16, 1983, 12:00 AM UTC to Sep 30, 1983, 06:00 PM UTC, with the tropical stage from Sep 20, 1983, 12:00 PM UTC to Sep 28, 1983, 03:00 AM UTC.
Where did Typhoon Forrest form?
In the Western Pacific basin, in the 1983 season. Its first archived position is 7.9°N, 161°E on Sep 16, 1983, 12:00 AM UTC.
Did Typhoon Forrest make landfall?
The archive places its center over land at 1 recorded position; the strongest is 67 mph on Sep 28, 1983, 03:00 AM UTC. Positions are six-hourly, so this is not a landfall chronology.
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