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NORTH ATLANTIC · 2018 SEASON

Hurricane Michael (2018)

Recorded track and intensity · 6 Oct 2018–15 Oct 2018

PEAK INTENSITYCategory 5
THE COMPLETE TRACKOpen in the explorer
MICHAEL: complete recorded track, 6 Oct 2018–15 Oct 2018Recorded track from 6 Oct 2018 to 15 Oct 2018. Colors show the recorded wind category. The highlighted position follows the replay controls.CUBAAtlantic Ocean7 Oct, 00:00 UTC8 Oct, 00:00 UTC9 Oct, 00:00 UTC10 Oct, 00:00 UTC11 Oct, 00:00 UTC12 Oct, 00:00 UTC13 Oct, 00:00 UTC14 Oct, 00:00 UTC15 Oct, 00:00 UTCPeak · Category 56 OCT15 OCT

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

Wind speed & pressure

10 Oct, 17:30 UTC
Wind speed 140 ktPressure 919 hPa
0900809601601020kthPa6 Oct9 Oct12 Oct15 Oct

Forward speed & ACE

10 Oct, 17:30 UTC
Forward speed 19 ktCumulative ACE 9.39 10⁴ kt²
00307.56015kt10⁴ kt²6 Oct9 Oct12 Oct15 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 wind140 kt

161 mph / 259 km/h

Minimum recorded pressure919 hPa

10 Oct 2018 · tropical stage

Recorded track duration9 days

Full archive record, including non-tropical stages if present

Approximate track distance8,540 km

Along the recorded center positions

STORM HISTORY

Track and intensity summary

Michael is listed in the North Atlantic basin for the 2018 season. Its archived track begins on 6 Oct 2018, 18:00 UTC at 17.8°N, 86.6°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 10 Oct 2018, 17:30 UTC. The highest recorded tropical-stage one-minute sustained wind is 140 knots (161 mph / 259 km/h), first recorded on 10 Oct 2018, 17:30 UTC at 30°N, 85.5°W. The minimum recorded tropical-stage central pressure is 919 hPa on 10 Oct 2018, 17:30 UTC.

The full record spans 216 hours and approximately 8,540 kilometers along the recorded center positions. The last recorded position is 41.2°N, 10°W on 15 Oct 2018, 18:00 UTC. The final tropical-stage observation is earlier, on 11 Oct 2018, 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