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WESTERN PACIFIC · 1959 SEASON

Typhoon Sarah (1959)

Recorded track and intensity · 10 Sept 1959–23 Sept 1959

PEAK INTENSITYCategory 5
THE COMPLETE TRACKOpen in the explorer
SARAH: complete recorded track, 10 Sept 1959–23 Sept 1959Recorded track from 10 Sept 1959 to 23 Sept 1959. Colors show the recorded wind category. The highlighted position follows the replay controls.ASIAPHILIPPINES11 Sep, 00:00 UTC12 Sep, 00:00 UTC13 Sep, 00:00 UTC14 Sep, 00:00 UTC15 Sep, 00:00 UTC16 Sep, 00:00 UTC17 Sep, 00:00 UTC18 Sep, 00:00 UTC19 Sep, 00:00 UTC20 Sep, 00:00 UTC21 Sep, 00:00 UTC22 Sep, 00:00 UTC23 Sep, 00:00 UTCPeak · Category 510 SEP23 SEP

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

Wind speed & pressure

15 Sep, 06:00 UTC
Wind speed 165 ktPressure 905 hPa
0900909601801020kthPa10 Sep14 Sep19 Sep23 Sep

Forward speed & ACE

15 Sep, 06:00 UTC
Forward speed 13 ktCumulative ACE 19.06 10⁴ kt²
002017.54035kt10⁴ kt²10 Sep14 Sep19 Sep23 Sep

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 wind165 kt

190 mph / 306 km/h

Minimum recorded pressure905 hPa

15 Sept 1959 · tropical stage

Recorded track duration13 days

Full archive record, including non-tropical stages if present

Approximate track distance9,120 km

Along the recorded center positions

STORM HISTORY

Track and intensity summary

Sarah is listed in the Western Pacific basin for the 1959 season. Its archived track begins on 10 Sept 1959, 12:00 UTC at 13.6°N, 148.3°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 14 Sept 1959, 12:00 UTC. The highest recorded tropical-stage one-minute sustained wind is 165 knots (190 mph / 306 km/h), first recorded on 15 Sept 1959, 06:00 UTC at 23.9°N, 125.7°E. The minimum recorded tropical-stage central pressure is 905 hPa on 15 Sept 1959, 00:00 UTC.

The full record spans 312 hours and approximately 9,120 kilometers along the recorded center positions. The last recorded position is 47°N, 166°E on 23 Sept 1959, 12:00 UTC. The final tropical-stage observation is earlier, on 18 Sept 1959, 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