1997 Western Pacific typhoon season
Typhoon Ivan 1997
Typhoon Ivan and nearby Typhoon Joan reached exceptional strength at the same time in October 1997. Ivan continued toward the Philippines, where its northern Luzon crossing damaged homes and flooded farmland.
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184 mph
Oct 17, 1997 during the tropical stage
Full archive record, including non-tropical stages if present
Along the recorded center positions
STORM HISTORY
Two powerful typhoons over the Pacific
Ivan and Joan developed from separate low-pressure areas within the same broad equatorial weather pattern. Ivan formed to the west and followed a west-northwest course. It intensified during mid-October, reaching peak one-minute winds of 160 kt and a minimum central pressure of 905 hPa on October 17.
A weakened but destructive Luzon crossing
Ivan weakened before reaching northern Luzon around October 20, with landfall winds near 220 km/h. Known as Narsing in the Philippines, it lost further strength over land and became a tropical storm the following day. It later curved northeast, became extratropical on October 25 and dissipated the next day.
The storm killed 14 people and left two others missing. It destroyed 1,779 homes and damaged another 13,771. Floodwater covered about 4,600 hectares of farmland, and thousands of livestock drowned. The saved account estimates total damage at US$9.6 million in 1997 currency, with agriculture suffering the heaviest losses.
Further reading
QUICK ANSWERS
Ivan in brief
What was Typhoon Ivan's highest wind speed?
184 mph, the highest one-minute sustained wind in its tropical stage, recorded on Oct 17, 1997, 06:00 PM UTC.
What category was Typhoon Ivan?
Category 5 at its peak on the Saffir–Simpson one-minute wind scale, first reaching Category 5 on Oct 17, 1997, 12:00 AM UTC. Other agencies classify storms differently.
What was Typhoon Ivan's lowest pressure?
905 mb, the minimum central pressure recorded during its tropical stage, on Oct 17, 1997, 12:00 PM UTC.
When did Typhoon Ivan occur?
The archived track runs from Oct 9, 1997, 12:00 PM UTC to Oct 26, 1997, 06:00 PM UTC, with the tropical stage from Oct 13, 1997, 12:00 AM UTC to Oct 25, 1997, 03:00 AM UTC.
Where did Typhoon Ivan form?
In the Western Pacific basin, in the 1997 season. Its first archived position is 7°N, 177°E on Oct 9, 1997, 12:00 PM UTC.
Did Typhoon Ivan make landfall?
The archive places its center over land at 1 recorded position; the strongest is 132 mph on Oct 19, 1997, 09:00 PM 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