1998 South Pacific cyclone season
Cyclone Susan 1997–1998
Cyclone Susan's track spanned the turn of 1998, with a long weak phase before rapid strengthening in early January. It curved southeast through the South Pacific after reaching Category 5 intensity north of Vanuatu and west of Fiji.
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161 mph
Jan 5, 1998 during the tropical stage
Full archive record, including non-tropical stages if present
Along the recorded center positions
STORM HISTORY
A long approach across the Date Line
The archive begins near 5°S, 171°W on December 20. Susan's precursor moved southwest and then west across the Date Line, remaining at depression strength for much of the passage. Near 174°E, it changed direction several times before resuming a west-southwest course and strengthening in early January.
Peak strength before turning southeast
Susan reached maximum one-minute winds of 140 kt and a minimum central pressure of 900 hPa on January 5. Its strongest phase occurred near 170°E, north of Vanuatu. The track then bent southeast, passing west and south of Fiji as the cyclone gained latitude.
Susan weakened while accelerating into the South Pacific. Late positions extend from near 29°S, 175°W to beyond 40°S, with the archive ending on January 10. No recorded center position lies over land during the track.
Further reading
QUICK ANSWERS
Susan in brief
What was Cyclone Susan's highest wind speed?
161 mph, the highest one-minute sustained wind in its tropical stage, recorded on Jan 5, 1998, 06:00 AM UTC.
What category was Cyclone Susan?
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 Susan'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 Susan occur?
The archived track runs from Dec 20, 1997, 12:00 PM UTC to Jan 10, 1998, 12:00 PM UTC, with the tropical stage from Dec 20, 1997, 12:00 PM UTC to Jan 9, 1998, 06:00 PM UTC.
Where did Cyclone Susan form?
In the South Pacific basin, in the 1998 season. Its first archived position is 5.3°S, 171.3°W on Dec 20, 1997, 12:00 PM UTC.
Did Cyclone Susan make landfall?
No archived position places Cyclone Susan'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