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NORTH ATLANTIC · 2016 SEASON

Hurricane Matthew (2016)

Recorded track and intensity · 28 Sept 2016–10 Oct 2016

PEAK INTENSITYCategory 5
THE COMPLETE TRACKOpen in the explorer
MATTHEW: complete recorded track, 28 Sept 2016–10 Oct 2016Recorded track from 28 Sept 2016 to 10 Oct 2016. Colors show the recorded wind category. The highlighted position follows the replay controls.Atlantic Ocean29 Sep, 00:00 UTC30 Sep, 00:00 UTC1 Oct, 00:00 UTC2 Oct, 00:00 UTC3 Oct, 00:00 UTC4 Oct, 00:00 UTC5 Oct, 00:00 UTC6 Oct, 00:00 UTC7 Oct, 00:00 UTC8 Oct, 00:00 UTC9 Oct, 00:00 UTC10 Oct, 00:00 UTCPeak · Category 528 SEP10 OCT

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

Wind speed & pressure

1 Oct, 00:00 UTC
Wind speed 145 ktPressure 942 hPa
0920809701601020kthPa28 Sep2 Oct6 Oct10 Oct

Forward speed & ACE

1 Oct, 00:00 UTC
Forward speed 6 ktCumulative ACE 7.64 10⁴ kt²
001027.52055kt10⁴ kt²28 Sep2 Oct6 Oct10 Oct

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 wind145 kt

167 mph / 269 km/h

Minimum recorded pressure934 hPa

4 Oct 2016 · tropical stage

Recorded track duration11.5 days

Full archive record, including non-tropical stages if present

Approximate track distance4,850 km

Along the recorded center positions

STORM HISTORY

Track and intensity summary

Matthew is listed in the North Atlantic basin for the 2016 season. Its archived track begins on 28 Sept 2016, 12:00 UTC at 13.4°N, 59.8°W. The first observation lists sustained winds of 50 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 1 Oct 2016, 00:00 UTC. The highest recorded tropical-stage one-minute sustained wind is 145 knots (167 mph / 269 km/h), first recorded on 1 Oct 2016, 00:00 UTC at 13.4°N, 71.9°W. The minimum recorded tropical-stage central pressure is 934 hPa on 4 Oct 2016, 00:00 UTC.

The full record spans 276 hours and approximately 4,850 kilometers along the recorded center positions. The last recorded position is 35.3°N, 71.1°W on 10 Oct 2016, 00:00 UTC. The final tropical-stage observation is earlier, on 9 Oct 2016, 09:00 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