2023 Western Pacific typhoon season
Typhoon Saola 2023
Recorded track and intensity from Aug 22, 2023 to Sep 4, 2023
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161 mph
Aug 29, 2023 during the tropical stage
Full archive record, including non-tropical stages if present
Along the recorded center positions
STORM HISTORY
Track and intensity summary
Saola is listed in the Western Pacific basin for the 2023 season. Its archived track begins on Aug 22, 2023, 12:00 AM UTC at 18.2°N, 128°E. The first observation lists sustained winds of 17 mph. These dates describe the available observations, which may include stages before and after the tropical cyclone phase.
The first Category 5 observation appears on Aug 29, 2023, 03:00 PM UTC. The highest recorded tropical-stage one-minute sustained wind is 161 mph, first recorded on Aug 29, 2023, 06:00 PM UTC at 19.9°N, 121.9°E. The minimum recorded tropical-stage central pressure is 917 hPa on Aug 29, 2023, 06:00 PM UTC.
The full record spans 312 hours and approximately 1,970 mi along the recorded center positions. The last recorded position is 19.9°N, 109.1°E on Sep 4, 2023, 12:00 AM UTC.
IMPACT
Reported impact
| Deaths | 3 |
|---|---|
| Areas affected | Japan |
Further reading
QUICK ANSWERS
Saola in brief
What was Typhoon Saola's highest wind speed?
161 mph, the highest one-minute sustained wind in its tropical stage, recorded on Aug 29, 2023, 06:00 PM UTC.
What category was Typhoon Saola?
Category 5 at its peak on the Saffir–Simpson one-minute wind scale, first reaching Category 5 on Aug 29, 2023, 03:00 PM UTC. Other agencies classify storms differently.
What was Typhoon Saola's lowest pressure?
917 mb, the minimum central pressure recorded during its tropical stage, on Aug 29, 2023, 06:00 PM UTC.
When did Typhoon Saola occur?
The archived track runs from Aug 22, 2023, 12:00 AM UTC to Sep 4, 2023, 12:00 AM UTC, with the tropical stage from Aug 22, 2023, 06:00 PM UTC to Sep 4, 2023, 12:00 AM UTC.
Where did Typhoon Saola form?
In the Western Pacific basin, in the 2023 season. Its first archived position is 18.2°N, 128°E on Aug 22, 2023, 12:00 AM UTC.
Did Typhoon Saola make landfall?
The archive places its center over land at 2 recorded positions; the strongest is 78 mph on Sep 2, 2023, 03:00 AM UTC. Positions are six-hourly, so this is not a landfall chronology.
How many people died in Typhoon Saola?
3 deaths are recorded by Wikidata.
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