hurricanesmapped

WESTERN PACIFIC · 1979 SEASON

Typhoon Vera (1979)

Recorded track and intensity · 27 Oct 1979–10 Nov 1979

PEAK INTENSITYCategory 5
THE COMPLETE TRACKOpen in the explorer
VERA: complete recorded track, 27 Oct 1979–10 Nov 1979Recorded track from 27 Oct 1979 to 10 Nov 1979. Colors show the recorded wind category. The highlighted position follows the replay controls.TAIWAN27 Oct, 00:00 UTC28 Oct, 00:00 UTC29 Oct, 00:00 UTC30 Oct, 00:00 UTC31 Oct, 00:00 UTC1 Nov, 00:00 UTC2 Nov, 00:00 UTC3 Nov, 00:00 UTC4 Nov, 00:00 UTC5 Nov, 00:00 UTC6 Nov, 00:00 UTC7 Nov, 00:00 UTC8 Nov, 00:00 UTC9 Nov, 00:00 UTC10 Nov, 00:00 UTCPeak · Category 527 OCT10 NOV

Drag to pan · Pinch or Ctrl/⌘ + scroll to zoom. Keyboard: plus or minus to zoom, arrow keys to pan, and 0 to show the full track.

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

Wind speed & pressure

4 Nov, 06:00 UTC
Wind speed 140 ktPressure 930 hPa
0900809601601020kthPa27 Oct31 Oct5 Nov10 Nov

Forward speed & ACE

4 Nov, 06:00 UTC
Forward speed 20 ktCumulative ACE 8.31 10⁴ kt²
001512.53025kt10⁴ kt²27 Oct31 Oct5 Nov10 Nov

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 observations make ACE partial. Missing measurements remain gaps.

Maximum sustained wind140 kt

161 mph / 259 km/h

Minimum recorded pressure915 hPa

4 Nov 1979 · tropical stage

Recorded track duration14.5 days

Full archive record, including non-tropical stages if present

Approximate track distance6,570 km

Along the recorded center positions

STORM HISTORY

Track and intensity summary

Vera is listed in the Western Pacific basin for the 1979 season. Its archived track begins on 27 Oct 1979, 00:00 UTC at 4.1°N, 165.9°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 4 Nov 1979, 03:00 UTC. The highest recorded tropical-stage one-minute sustained wind is 140 knots (161 mph / 259 km/h), first recorded on 4 Nov 1979, 06:00 UTC at 11.1°N, 131.1°E. The minimum recorded tropical-stage central pressure is 915 hPa on 4 Nov 1979, 18:00 UTC.

The full record spans 348 hours and approximately 6,570 kilometers along the recorded center positions. The last recorded position is 13.5°N, 114°E on 10 Nov 1979, 12:00 UTC. The final tropical-stage observation is earlier, on 9 Nov 1979, 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