1979 Western Pacific typhoon season
Typhoon Tip 1979
Typhoon Tip became a landmark storm in October 1979 for both its immense size and exceptionally low central pressure. It later weakened before reaching Japan, where flooding, shipwrecks and a storm-related fire caused heavy loss of life.
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190 mph
Oct 12, 1979 during the tropical stage
Full archive record, including non-tropical stages if present
Along the recorded center positions
STORM HISTORY
A record over the Philippine Sea
Tip developed near Micronesia, initially struggling under the influence of nearby Tropical Storm Roger. Once Roger moved away, Tip organized and passed south of Guam. It then intensified rapidly over the Philippine Sea.
On 12 October, the archive records peak one-minute winds of 165 kt and a central pressure of 870 hPa, the lowest recorded in a tropical cyclone. Tip's wind field spanned roughly 2,220 km. Reconnaissance aircraft flew about 60 missions into the storm, documenting its development closely.
Weakening before Japan
Tip gradually weakened as it moved west-northwest, then turned northeast ahead of an approaching trough. It made landfall in southern Japan on 19 October and soon became extratropical. Its enormous offshore peak had occurred a week before the Japanese crossing.
Rain caused widespread flooding in Japan. At Camp Fuji, storm-related flooding contributed to a fuel fire that killed 13 United States Marines and injured 68. Elsewhere in Japan, 42 deaths were reported, while offshore shipwrecks left another 44 people dead or missing.
IMPACT
Reported impact
| Areas affected | Japan |
|---|
Facts from Wikidata.
Further reading
QUICK ANSWERS
Tip in brief
What was Typhoon Tip's highest wind speed?
190 mph, the highest one-minute sustained wind in its tropical stage, recorded on Oct 12, 1979, 06:00 AM UTC.
What category was Typhoon Tip?
Category 5 at its peak on the Saffir–Simpson one-minute wind scale, first reaching Category 5 on Oct 11, 1979, 06:00 AM UTC. Other agencies classify storms differently.
What was Typhoon Tip's lowest pressure?
870 mb, the minimum central pressure recorded during its tropical stage, on Oct 12, 1979, 06:00 AM UTC.
When did Typhoon Tip occur?
The archived track runs from Oct 2, 1979, 05:00 AM UTC to Oct 22, 1979, 06:00 AM UTC, with the tropical stage from Oct 2, 1979, 05:00 AM UTC to Oct 19, 1979, 09:00 AM UTC.
Where did Typhoon Tip form?
In the Western Pacific basin, in the 1979 season. Its first archived position is 5.5°N, 158.7°E on Oct 2, 1979, 05:00 AM UTC.
Did Typhoon Tip make landfall?
The archive places its center over land at 1 recorded position; the strongest is 69 mph on Oct 19, 1979, 06:00 AM UTC. Positions are six-hourly, so this is not a landfall chronology.
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