2013 Western Pacific typhoon season
Typhoon Francisco 2013
Francisco strengthened after passing south of Guam, then curved toward Japan while weakening. Its center remained offshore, but rain and gusty winds affected islands along the route.
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161 mph
Oct 19, 2013 during the tropical stage
Full archive record, including non-tropical stages if present
Along the recorded center positions
STORM HISTORY
A turn northwest after Guam
Francisco organized east of Guam in mid-October and became a tropical storm before passing south of the island. It briefly stalled to the southwest, then turned northwestward. Warm water and low wind shear supported rapid intensification, with archived sustained winds reaching 140 knots on October 19.
Rainfall on Guam reached 201 millimeters at Inarajan. Tropical-storm-force gusts affected Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, knocking down trees and causing about US$150,000 in damage in 2013 dollars.
Heavy rain near Japan
Francisco weakened as it turned northeast, becoming a tropical storm on October 24. It passed southeast of Okinawa and mainland Japan before becoming extratropical on October 26. Rainfall reached 600 millimeters at Niyodogawa on Shikoku, and thousands of homes in Kagoshima Prefecture lost power. Authorities advised evacuation on Izu Oshima, where a deadly mudslide had occurred during Typhoon Wipha a week earlier.
Further reading
QUICK ANSWERS
Francisco in brief
What was Typhoon Francisco's highest wind speed?
161 mph, the highest one-minute sustained wind in its tropical stage, recorded on Oct 19, 2013, 12:00 PM UTC.
What category was Typhoon Francisco?
Category 5 at its peak on the Saffir–Simpson one-minute wind scale, first reaching Category 5 on Oct 19, 2013, 09:00 AM UTC. Other agencies classify storms differently.
What was Typhoon Francisco's lowest pressure?
918 mb, the minimum central pressure recorded during its tropical stage, on Oct 19, 2013, 12:00 PM UTC.
When did Typhoon Francisco occur?
The archived track runs from Oct 15, 2013, 12:00 PM UTC to Oct 26, 2013, 12:00 PM UTC, with the tropical stage from Oct 16, 2013, 12:00 AM UTC to Oct 26, 2013, 03:00 AM UTC.
Where did Typhoon Francisco form?
In the Western Pacific basin, in the 2013 season. Its first archived position is 13.9°N, 148.7°E on Oct 15, 2013, 12:00 PM UTC.
Did Typhoon Francisco make landfall?
No archived position places Typhoon Francisco'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