2010 Western Pacific typhoon season
Typhoon Megi 2010
Megi struck northern Luzon after reaching exceptional strength east of the Philippines. It later turned north across the South China Sea, bringing another landfall in China and deadly rain to Taiwan.
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184 mph
Oct 17, 2010 during the tropical stage
Full archive record, including non-tropical stages if present
Along the recorded center positions
STORM HISTORY
Intensification before Luzon
Megi developed southeast of Guam in October and became a typhoon on October 14. Favorable conditions supported rapid intensification, with archived sustained winds reaching 160 knots on October 17. Known as Juan in the Philippines, it crossed northern Luzon on October 18.
The island crossing weakened Megi, but the storm regained some strength over the South China Sea. It then moved slowly northward and deteriorated before reaching Zhangpu in Fujian on October 23. The remaining circulation dissipated over China the next day.
Heavy rain beyond the center's track
Megi caused 31 deaths in Luzon. While its center was over the South China Sea, moisture associated with the typhoon combined with a weather front to produce torrential rain in Taiwan. The saved account reports 38 deaths in Yilan, illustrating how the worst rainfall effects extended well away from the landfall track.
Fujian also suffered substantial economic damage, although no storm deaths were reported there. Losses across the affected areas were estimated at US$709 million in 2010 dollars.
Further reading
QUICK ANSWERS
Megi in brief
What was Typhoon Megi's highest wind speed?
184 mph, the highest one-minute sustained wind in its tropical stage, recorded on Oct 17, 2010, 12:00 PM UTC.
What category was Typhoon Megi?
Category 5 at its peak on the Saffir–Simpson one-minute wind scale, first reaching Category 5 on Oct 17, 2010, 12:00 AM UTC. Other agencies classify storms differently.
What was Typhoon Megi's lowest pressure?
903 mb, the minimum central pressure recorded during its tropical stage, on Oct 17, 2010, 12:00 PM UTC.
When did Typhoon Megi occur?
The archived track runs from Oct 11, 2010, 12:00 PM UTC to Oct 24, 2010, 06:00 AM UTC, with the tropical stage from Oct 12, 2010, 06:00 PM UTC to Oct 23, 2010, 09:00 PM UTC.
Where did Typhoon Megi form?
In the Western Pacific basin, in the 2010 season. Its first archived position is 12.7°N, 145°E on Oct 11, 2010, 12:00 PM UTC.
Did Typhoon Megi make landfall?
The archive places its center over land at 2 recorded positions; the strongest is 138 mph on Oct 18, 2010, 06:00 AM 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