2013 Western Pacific typhoon season
Typhoon Lekima 2013
Lekima developed northeast of Pohnpei and became a Category 5 typhoon over open water. Its later track curved north and northeast without an archived land crossing.
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161 mph
Oct 22, 2013 during the tropical stage
Full archive record, including non-tropical stages if present
Along the recorded center positions
STORM HISTORY
Rapid growth north of Micronesia
Lekima began as a depression on October 19 in an area of strong wind shear. Favorable winds aloft nevertheless helped thunderstorms build around the consolidating center. The system became a named storm on October 20 and a typhoon soon afterward.
As shear weakened, Lekima developed a distinct eye and a symmetrical ring of deep thunderstorms. Rapid intensification brought sustained winds to an archived peak of 140 knots late on October 22. The cyclone remained powerful while its eye expanded and an eyewall replacement cycle changed the inner core.
A turn into stronger upper winds
Lekima weakened north of the Northern Mariana Islands as it approached stronger winds at higher latitudes. By October 25 it was east of the Bonin Islands and turning northeastward around the subtropical ridge. Increasing shear eroded the eyewall as the storm began its transition away from a tropical structure. No archived position places its center over land.
Further reading
NOAA IBTrACS v04r01 historical track archive
QUICK ANSWERS
Lekima in brief
What was Typhoon Lekima's highest wind speed?
161 mph, the highest one-minute sustained wind in its tropical stage, recorded on Oct 22, 2013, 06:00 PM UTC.
What category was Typhoon Lekima?
Category 5 at its peak on the Saffir–Simpson one-minute wind scale, first reaching Category 5 on Oct 22, 2013, 06:00 PM UTC. Other agencies classify storms differently.
What was Typhoon Lekima's lowest pressure?
918 mb, the minimum central pressure recorded during its tropical stage, on Oct 22, 2013, 06:00 PM UTC.
When did Typhoon Lekima occur?
The archived track runs from Oct 19, 2013, 12:00 AM UTC to Oct 28, 2013, 06:00 PM UTC, with the tropical stage from Oct 19, 2013, 12:00 AM UTC to Oct 26, 2013, 03:00 AM UTC.
Where did Typhoon Lekima form?
In the Western Pacific basin, in the 2013 season. Its first archived position is 9.3°N, 162.4°E on Oct 19, 2013, 12:00 AM UTC.
Did Typhoon Lekima make landfall?
No archived position places Typhoon Lekima'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