1995 Western Pacific typhoon season
Typhoon Oscar 1995
Typhoon Oscar stayed offshore from Japan in September 1995, but its winds and rain damaged homes and disrupted transport around Tokyo. Its northeastward turn spared Honshu a direct crossing by the center.
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161 mph
Sep 15, 1995 during the tropical stage
Full archive record, including non-tropical stages if present
Along the recorded center positions
STORM HISTORY
Strengthening east of Guam
Oscar developed east-northeast of Guam and moved northwest across the western Pacific. It reached typhoon strength on September 14, then intensified to peak one-minute winds of 140 kt on September 15. The archive records a minimum central pressure of 925 hPa that day.
The typhoon turned northeast and passed east of Honshu on September 17. Its center remained over water as it weakened and moved into the North Pacific, with the tropical stage ending during the offshore passage.
Damage without a mainland landfall
Officials canceled flights and ferries, and seven major train and subway lines around Tokyo reduced service. Wind-carried debris injured people, while rain caused flooding and landslides. Roughly 600 homes suffered wind or flood damage. The saved account places losses across Japan at ¥612.3 million in 1995 currency.
Further reading
QUICK ANSWERS
Oscar in brief
What was Typhoon Oscar's highest wind speed?
161 mph, the highest one-minute sustained wind in its tropical stage, recorded on Sep 15, 1995, 06:00 AM UTC.
What category was Typhoon Oscar?
Category 5 at its peak on the Saffir–Simpson one-minute wind scale, first reaching Category 5 on Sep 15, 1995, 06:00 AM UTC. Other agencies classify storms differently.
What was Typhoon Oscar's lowest pressure?
925 mb, the minimum central pressure recorded during its tropical stage, on Sep 15, 1995, 12:00 PM UTC.
When did Typhoon Oscar occur?
The archived track runs from Sep 7, 1995, 06:00 AM UTC to Sep 19, 1995, 06:00 AM UTC, with the tropical stage from Sep 11, 1995, 06:00 PM UTC to Sep 17, 1995, 03:00 PM UTC.
Where did Typhoon Oscar form?
In the Western Pacific basin, in the 1995 season. Its first archived position is 8.5°N, 161.2°E on Sep 7, 1995, 06:00 AM UTC.
Did Typhoon Oscar make landfall?
No archived position places Typhoon Oscar'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