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NORTH ATLANTIC · 1989 SEASON

Hurricane Hugo (1989)

Recorded track and intensity · 10 Sept 1989–25 Sept 1989

PEAK INTENSITYCategory 5
THE COMPLETE TRACKOpen in the explorer
HUGO: complete recorded track, 10 Sept 1989–25 Sept 1989Recorded track from 10 Sept 1989 to 25 Sept 1989. Colors show the recorded wind category. The highlighted position follows the replay controls.NORTH AMERICAMEXICOAtlantic Ocean11 Sep, 00:00 UTC12 Sep, 00:00 UTC13 Sep, 00:00 UTC14 Sep, 00:00 UTC15 Sep, 00:00 UTC16 Sep, 00:00 UTC17 Sep, 00:00 UTC18 Sep, 00:00 UTC19 Sep, 00:00 UTC20 Sep, 00:00 UTC21 Sep, 00:00 UTC22 Sep, 00:00 UTC23 Sep, 00:00 UTC24 Sep, 00:00 UTC25 Sep, 00:00 UTCPeak · Category 510 SEP25 SEP

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DepressionTropical stormCat 1Cat 2Cat 3Cat 4Cat 5Post-tropical
All times UTC

Wind speed & pressure

15 Sep, 18:00 UTC
Wind speed 140 ktPressure 918 hPa
0900809601601020kthPa10 Sep15 Sep20 Sep25 Sep

Forward speed & ACE

15 Sep, 18:00 UTC
Forward speed 14 ktCumulative ACE 10.72 10⁴ kt²
003022.56045kt10⁴ kt²10 Sep15 Sep20 Sep25 Sep

Hover or tap either graph to follow the track. The slider controls both graphs. Each line uses its matching colored axis.

Forward speed measures the center’s motion. ACE accumulates squared one-minute winds at 00, 06, 12 and 18 UTC during tropical or subtropical stages at 34 kt or above. Missing measurements remain gaps.

Maximum sustained wind140 kt

161 mph / 259 km/h

Minimum recorded pressure918 hPa

15 Sept 1989 · tropical stage

Recorded track duration15 days

Full archive record, including non-tropical stages if present

Approximate track distance11,300 km

Along the recorded center positions

STORM HISTORY

Track and intensity summary

Hugo is listed in the North Atlantic basin for the 1989 season. Its archived track begins on 10 Sept 1989, 12:00 UTC at 13.2°N, 20°W. The first observation lists sustained winds of 25 knots. These dates describe the available observations, which may include stages before and after the tropical cyclone phase.

The first Category 5 observation appears on 15 Sept 1989, 18:00 UTC. The highest recorded tropical-stage one-minute sustained wind is 140 knots (161 mph / 259 km/h), first recorded on 15 Sept 1989, 18:00 UTC at 14.6°N, 54.6°W. The minimum recorded tropical-stage central pressure is 918 hPa on 15 Sept 1989, 18:00 UTC.

The full record spans 360 hours and approximately 11,300 kilometers along the recorded center positions. The last recorded position is 58°N, 46°W on 25 Sept 1989, 12:00 UTC. The final tropical-stage observation is earlier, on 22 Sept 1989, 21:00 UTC.

This summary is calculated from the NOAA IBTrACS archive. Category 5 describes the storm’s peak recorded wind intensity, not its intensity at landfall or the severity of impacts at any location. Landfall times, damage and casualties have not been independently reviewed for this page.

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 · Field documentation

Sources & methodology

Browse all Category 5 storm pages