1999 North Indian cyclone season

Cyclone Unnamed 1999

This unnamed cyclone crossed the Bay of Bengal and reached the Odisha coast near its strongest phase in October 1999. Its track then slowed near the coast before turning south into the bay.

PEAK INTENSITYCategory 5
UNNAMED: complete recorded track, Oct 25, 1999–Nov 3, 1999Recorded track from Oct 25, 1999 to Nov 3, 1999. Colors show the recorded wind category. The highlighted position follows the replay controls.INDIAOct 25, 12:00 AM UTCOct 26, 12:00 AM UTCOct 27, 12:00 AM UTCOct 28, 12:00 AM UTCOct 29, 12:00 AM UTCOct 30, 12:00 AM UTCOct 31, 12:00 AM UTCNov 1, 12:00 AM UTCNov 2, 12:00 AM UTCNov 3, 12:00 AM UTCPeak: Category 5OCT 25NOV 3

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DepressionTropical stormCat 1Cat 2Cat 3Cat 4Cat 5Post-tropical
Wind speed 161 mphPressure 912 mb
09001009602001020mphmbOct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 3
Forward speed 7 mphCumulative ACE 9.50 10⁴ kt²
0010102020mph10⁴ kt²Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 3
Maximum sustained wind161 mph

161 mph

Minimum recorded pressure912 hPa

Oct 28, 1999 during the tropical stage

Recorded track duration9.25 days

Full archive record, including non-tropical stages if present

Approximate track distance1,610 mi

Along the recorded center positions

STORM HISTORY

A northwestward approach across the bay

The archive starts near 12°N, 99°E on October 25. The cyclone moved northwest through the Andaman region and across the Bay of Bengal. Its one-minute wind estimates increased from 35 kt near 14°N, 96°E to 100 kt near 18°N, 90°E as it approached India.

Peak strength near Odisha

Maximum one-minute winds reached 140 kt on October 28, equivalent to Category 5 on the Saffir–Simpson scale. The minimum central pressure was 912 hPa. On October 29, the archive places the center over land with winds of 135 kt, close to its offshore peak.

After reaching the Odisha coast, the cyclone weakened and moved little near 20°N, 86°E. It then turned south, with later positions back over the western Bay of Bengal. By the start of November, winds had fallen to depression strength; the recorded track ends on November 3.

Further reading

NOAA IBTrACS v04r01 historical track archive

QUICK ANSWERS

Unnamed in brief

What was Cyclone Unnamed's highest wind speed?

161 mph, the highest one-minute sustained wind in its tropical stage, recorded on Oct 28, 1999, 06:00 PM UTC.

What category was Cyclone Unnamed?

Category 5 at its peak on the Saffir–Simpson one-minute wind scale, first reaching Category 5 on Oct 28, 1999, 03:00 PM UTC. Other agencies classify storms differently.

What was Cyclone Unnamed's lowest pressure?

912 mb, the minimum central pressure recorded during its tropical stage, on Oct 28, 1999, 06:00 PM UTC.

When did Cyclone Unnamed occur?

The archived track runs from Oct 25, 1999, 12:00 AM UTC to Nov 3, 1999, 06:00 AM UTC, with the tropical stage from Oct 25, 1999, 06:00 AM UTC to Oct 31, 1999, 03:00 AM UTC.

Where did Cyclone Unnamed form?

In the North Indian basin, in the 1999 season. Its first archived position is 11.5°N, 99.2°E on Oct 25, 1999, 12:00 AM UTC.

Did Cyclone Unnamed make landfall?

The archive places its center over land at 1 recorded position; the strongest is 155 mph on Oct 29, 1999, 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