hurricanesmapped

WESTERN PACIFIC · 2021 SEASON

Typhoon Rai (2021)

Recorded track and intensity · 11 Dec 2021–21 Dec 2021

PEAK INTENSITYCategory 5
THE COMPLETE TRACKOpen in the explorer
RAI: complete recorded track, 11 Dec 2021–21 Dec 2021Recorded track from 11 Dec 2021 to 21 Dec 2021. Colors show the recorded wind category. The highlighted position follows the replay controls.PHILIPPINESTAIWAN12 Dec, 00:00 UTC13 Dec, 00:00 UTC14 Dec, 00:00 UTC15 Dec, 00:00 UTC16 Dec, 00:00 UTC17 Dec, 00:00 UTC18 Dec, 00:00 UTC19 Dec, 00:00 UTC20 Dec, 00:00 UTC21 Dec, 00:00 UTCPeak · Category 511 DEC21 DEC

Drag to pan · Pinch or Ctrl/⌘ + scroll to zoom. Keyboard: plus or minus to zoom, arrow keys to pan, and 0 to show the full track.

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

Wind speed & pressure

16 Dec, 00:00 UTC
Wind speed 150 ktPressure 908 hPa
0900809601601020kthPa11 Dec14 Dec18 Dec21 Dec

Forward speed & ACE

16 Dec, 00:00 UTC
Forward speed 15 ktCumulative ACE 7.33 10⁴ kt²
0010152030kt10⁴ kt²11 Dec14 Dec18 Dec21 Dec

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 pressure908 hPa

16 Dec 2021 · tropical stage

Recorded track duration10 days

Full archive record, including non-tropical stages if present

Approximate track distance5,170 km

Along the recorded center positions

STORM HISTORY

Track and intensity summary

Rai is listed in the Western Pacific basin for the 2021 season. Its archived track begins on 11 Dec 2021, 12:00 UTC at 5.3°N, 145°E. The first observation lists sustained winds of 20 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 15 Dec 2021, 21:00 UTC. The highest recorded tropical-stage one-minute sustained wind is 150 knots (173 mph / 278 km/h), first recorded on 16 Dec 2021, 00:00 UTC at 9.7°N, 127.6°E. The minimum recorded tropical-stage central pressure is 908 hPa on 16 Dec 2021, 00:00 UTC.

The full record spans 240 hours and approximately 5,170 kilometers along the recorded center positions. The last recorded position is 21.7°N, 116.5°E on 21 Dec 2021, 12:00 UTC. The final tropical-stage observation is earlier, on 20 Dec 2021, 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