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NORTH ATLANTIC · 1998 SEASON

Hurricane Mitch (1998)

Recorded track and intensity · 22 Oct 1998–9 Nov 1998

PEAK INTENSITYCategory 5
THE COMPLETE TRACKOpen in the explorer
MITCH: complete recorded track, 22 Oct 1998–9 Nov 1998Recorded track from 22 Oct 1998 to 9 Nov 1998. Colors show the recorded wind category. The highlighted position follows the replay controls.NORTH AMERICAAFRICAAtlantic Ocean22 Oct, 00:00 UTC23 Oct, 00:00 UTC24 Oct, 00:00 UTC25 Oct, 00:00 UTC26 Oct, 00:00 UTC27 Oct, 00:00 UTC28 Oct, 00:00 UTC29 Oct, 00:00 UTC30 Oct, 00:00 UTC31 Oct, 00:00 UTC1 Nov, 00:00 UTC2 Nov, 00:00 UTC3 Nov, 00:00 UTC4 Nov, 00:00 UTC5 Nov, 00:00 UTC6 Nov, 00:00 UTC7 Nov, 00:00 UTC8 Nov, 00:00 UTC9 Nov, 00:00 UTCPeak · Category 522 OCT9 NOV

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

Wind speed & pressure

26 Oct, 18:00 UTC
Wind speed 155 ktPressure 905 hPa
0900809601601020kthPa22 Oct28 Oct3 Nov9 Nov

Forward speed & ACE

26 Oct, 18:00 UTC
Forward speed 6 ktCumulative ACE 16.04 10⁴ kt²
0025205040kt10⁴ kt²22 Oct28 Oct3 Nov9 Nov

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 wind155 kt

178 mph / 287 km/h

Minimum recorded pressure905 hPa

26 Oct 1998 · tropical stage

Recorded track duration18.75 days

Full archive record, including non-tropical stages if present

Approximate track distance12,000 km

Along the recorded center positions

STORM HISTORY

Track and intensity summary

Mitch is listed in the North Atlantic basin for the 1998 season. Its archived track begins on 22 Oct 1998, 00:00 UTC at 11.6°N, 76.1°W. The first observation lists sustained winds of 30 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 26 Oct 1998, 09:00 UTC. The highest recorded tropical-stage one-minute sustained wind is 155 knots (178 mph / 287 km/h), first recorded on 26 Oct 1998, 18:00 UTC at 16.9°N, 83.1°W. The minimum recorded tropical-stage central pressure is 905 hPa on 26 Oct 1998, 18:00 UTC.

The full record spans 450 hours and approximately 12,000 kilometers along the recorded center positions. The last recorded position is 63.5°N, 5°W on 9 Nov 1998, 18:00 UTC. The final tropical-stage observation is earlier, on 5 Nov 1998, 15:00 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