1998 Western Pacific typhoon season
Typhoon Zeb 1998
Typhoon Zeb crossed northern Luzon in October 1998 before turning toward Taiwan and Japan. Extreme rain caused floods and landslides along its route, with major damage continuing after its strongest winds had weakened.
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178 mph
Oct 13, 1998 during the tropical stage
Full archive record, including non-tropical stages if present
Along the recorded center positions
STORM HISTORY
Rapid growth before Luzon
Zeb developed within the monsoon trough near the Caroline Islands and moved west past Guam. Its broad circulation absorbed another short-lived tropical storm as it strengthened. The archive records peak one-minute winds of 155 kt and a minimum central pressure of 900 hPa on October 13.
Known as Iliang in the Philippines, Zeb struck northern Luzon after its peak and weakened over land. It then turned north, passed along Taiwan's eastern coast and accelerated northeast through Japan. The storm became extratropical on October 18.
Rainfall across the Philippines, Taiwan and Japan
La Trinidad in Luzon recorded 1,116 millimeters of rain in one day. Floods, landslides and strong winds damaged crops and destroyed or damaged 85,844 homes across the Philippines. The saved account records 83 deaths there and damage of ₱5.375 billion in 1998 currency. Typhoon Babs struck the same region a week later.
Taiwan recorded 31 deaths and NT$4.15 billion in damage. In Japan, rainfall reached 586 millimeters on Mount Ontake, and landslides contributed to fatalities. Zeb destroyed 770 homes and flooded another 12,548 in Japan, extending the disaster beyond its Philippine landfall.
Further reading
QUICK ANSWERS
Zeb in brief
What was Typhoon Zeb's highest wind speed?
178 mph, the highest one-minute sustained wind in its tropical stage, recorded on Oct 13, 1998, 12:00 PM UTC.
What category was Typhoon Zeb?
Category 5 at its peak on the Saffir–Simpson one-minute wind scale, first reaching Category 5 on Oct 13, 1998, 12:00 AM UTC. Other agencies classify storms differently.
What was Typhoon Zeb's lowest pressure?
900 mb, the minimum central pressure recorded during its tropical stage, on Oct 13, 1998, 06:00 PM UTC.
When did Typhoon Zeb occur?
The archived track runs from Oct 7, 1998, 06:00 PM UTC to Oct 20, 1998, 12:00 AM UTC, with the tropical stage from Oct 9, 1998, 06:00 PM UTC to Oct 17, 1998, 09:00 PM UTC.
Where did Typhoon Zeb form?
In the Western Pacific basin, in the 1998 season. Its first archived position is 11.2°N, 151°E on Oct 7, 1998, 06:00 PM UTC.
Did Typhoon Zeb make landfall?
The archive places its center over land at 2 recorded positions; the strongest is 159 mph on Oct 14, 1998, 03:00 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