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SOUTH PACIFIC · 2015 SEASON

Cyclone Pam (2015)

Recorded track and intensity · 7 Mar 2015–15 Mar 2015

PEAK INTENSITYCategory 5
THE COMPLETE TRACKOpen in the explorer
PAM: complete recorded track, 7 Mar 2015–15 Mar 2015Recorded track from 7 Mar 2015 to 15 Mar 2015. Colors show the recorded wind category. The highlighted position follows the replay controls.FIJITONGA8 Mar, 00:00 UTC9 Mar, 00:00 UTC10 Mar, 00:00 UTC11 Mar, 00:00 UTC12 Mar, 00:00 UTC13 Mar, 00:00 UTC14 Mar, 00:00 UTC15 Mar, 00:00 UTCPeak · Category 57 MAR15 MAR

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

Wind speed & pressure

13 Mar, 06:00 UTC
Wind speed 150 ktPressure 911 hPa
0900809601601020kthPa7 Mar10 Mar12 Mar15 Mar

Forward speed & ACE

13 Mar, 06:00 UTC
Forward speed 9 ktCumulative ACE 18.32 10⁴ kt²
002017.54035kt10⁴ kt²7 Mar10 Mar12 Mar15 Mar

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 wind150 kt

173 mph / 278 km/h

Minimum recorded pressure911 hPa

13 Mar 2015 · tropical stage

Recorded track duration8.5 days

Full archive record, including non-tropical stages if present

Approximate track distance4,160 km

Along the recorded center positions

STORM HISTORY

Track and intensity summary

Pam is listed in the South Pacific basin for the 2015 season. Its archived track begins on 7 Mar 2015, 06:00 UTC at 8°S, 169.5°E. US-agency wind is not available for this first observation. These dates describe the available observations, which may include stages before and after the tropical cyclone phase.

The first Category 5 observation appears on 12 Mar 2015, 15:00 UTC. The highest recorded tropical-stage one-minute sustained wind is 150 knots (173 mph / 278 km/h), first recorded on 13 Mar 2015, 06:00 UTC at 16.6°S, 168.8°E. The minimum recorded tropical-stage central pressure is 911 hPa on 13 Mar 2015, 06:00 UTC.

The full record spans 204 hours and approximately 4,160 kilometers along the recorded center positions. The last recorded position is 35.5°S, 180°E on 15 Mar 2015, 18:00 UTC. The final tropical-stage observation is earlier, on 15 Mar 2015, 09:00 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

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