2015 South Pacific cyclone season
Cyclone Pam 2015
Pam moved south through Vanuatu at exceptional strength, damaging homes, schools and essential infrastructure. Its effects also reached other Pacific islands and later New Zealand.
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173 mph
Mar 13, 2015 during the tropical stage
Full archive record, including non-tropical stages if present
Along the recorded center positions
STORM HISTORY
Strengthening on the way to Vanuatu
Pam developed east of the Solomon Islands in early March and moved slowly southward. It strengthened over several days, reaching Category 5 intensity on March 12. Archived sustained winds peaked at 150 knots on March 13 as the cyclone moved through Vanuatu's island chain.
Severe damage across Vanuatu
Efate, including the capital Port Vila, and the southern islands of Erromango and Tanna suffered catastrophic damage. Thousands of homes, schools and other buildings were damaged or destroyed. The storm disrupted telecommunications and water supplies, complicating relief work across the scattered islands.
Pam's effects extended well beyond Vanuatu. Storm surge displaced a large share of Tuvalu's population, prompting a state of emergency, while heavy rain affected the southeastern Solomon Islands. These impacts occurred outside the cyclone's narrow central track.
Weakening toward New Zealand
Pam began weakening on March 14 and accelerated toward higher latitudes. It passed northeast of New Zealand and became extratropical on March 15, bringing strong winds and rough surf to the North Island during its later stages. The archive follows the remaining system into March 20.
Further reading
QUICK ANSWERS
Pam in brief
What was Cyclone Pam's highest wind speed?
173 mph, the highest one-minute sustained wind in its tropical stage, recorded on Mar 13, 2015, 06:00 AM UTC.
What category was Cyclone Pam?
Category 5 at its peak on the Saffir–Simpson one-minute wind scale, first reaching Category 5 on Mar 12, 2015, 03:00 PM UTC. Other agencies classify storms differently.
What was Cyclone Pam's lowest pressure?
911 mb, the minimum central pressure recorded during its tropical stage, on Mar 13, 2015, 06:00 AM UTC.
When did Cyclone Pam occur?
The archived track runs from Mar 7, 2015, 06:00 AM UTC to Mar 20, 2015, 12:00 AM UTC, with the tropical stage from Mar 8, 2015, 12:00 PM UTC to Mar 15, 2015, 09:00 AM UTC.
Where did Cyclone Pam form?
In the South Pacific basin, in the 2015 season. Its first archived position is 8°S, 169.5°E on Mar 7, 2015, 06:00 AM UTC.
Did Cyclone Pam make landfall?
No archived position places Cyclone Pam'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