1998 South Pacific cyclone season
Cyclone Ron 1998
Cyclone Ron passed near several South Pacific islands in January 1998 before merging with the larger Cyclone Susan. It reached Category 5 strength during a southwestward approach to Wallis and northern Tonga.
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167 mph
Jan 5, 1998 during the tropical stage
Full archive record, including non-tropical stages if present
Along the recorded center positions
STORM HISTORY
From northeast of Samoa toward Wallis
Ron developed northeast of Samoa on January 1 and strengthened while moving southwest. It passed about 20 kilometers north of Swains Island on January 3, then developed an eye. On January 5, the archive records peak one-minute winds of 145 kt and a minimum central pressure of 900 hPa.
A turn through the islands
Near peak intensity, Ron turned southeast and passed about 55 kilometers east of Wallis Island. The next day, it passed roughly 30 kilometers east of Niuafoʻou in northern Tonga. Ron began weakening on January 7 as it accelerated between the main Tongan islands and Niue.
Absorption into Susan
Ron moved south of 25°S and left the tropics before Cyclone Susan absorbed its circulation on January 9. The saved account reports no deaths from Ron. Its route illustrates how a powerful cyclone could affect several island groups while its recorded center remained over water.
Further reading
QUICK ANSWERS
Ron in brief
What was Cyclone Ron's highest wind speed?
167 mph, the highest one-minute sustained wind in its tropical stage, recorded on Jan 5, 1998, 12:00 PM UTC.
What category was Cyclone Ron?
Category 5 at its peak on the Saffir–Simpson one-minute wind scale, first reaching Category 5 on Jan 5, 1998, 06:00 AM UTC. Other agencies classify storms differently.
What was Cyclone Ron's lowest pressure?
900 mb, the minimum central pressure recorded during its tropical stage, on Jan 5, 1998, 06:00 AM UTC.
When did Cyclone Ron occur?
The archived track runs from Jan 1, 1998, 06:00 AM UTC to Jan 9, 1998, 12:00 AM UTC, with the tropical stage from Jan 1, 1998, 12:00 PM UTC to Jan 9, 1998, 12:00 AM UTC.
Where did Cyclone Ron form?
In the South Pacific basin, in the 1998 season. Its first archived position is 9°S, 165.5°W on Jan 1, 1998, 06:00 AM UTC.
Did Cyclone Ron make landfall?
No archived position places Cyclone Ron'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