During the 1997 Eastern North Pacific tropical cyclone season, Hurricane Linda formed in early September and tracked across the basin over a period of more than eight days. Historical records maintained by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship (IBTrACS) document the full operational history, intensity estimates, and positional track of the system.
Storm Overview and Operational Timeline
The structured record for Linda begins at 12:00 UTC on September 9, 1997, in the Eastern Pacific basin. Tracking continued along a single primary path through 18:00 UTC on September 17, 1997, compiling a total of 67 operational track points in the official dataset. The system remained an active tropical cyclone throughout this nine-day observation window.
Peak Intensity and Agency Estimates
According to the responsible World Meteorological Organization (WMO) agency dataset (HURDAT Eastern Pacific), Linda achieved extreme intensity during its lifecycle:
- Maximum Sustained Wind: 160.0 knots (approximately 296.3 km/h) based on the WMO responsible agency evaluation.
- Minimum Central Pressure: 902.0 millibars (hPa), as assessed by the responsible monitoring agency.
These values place Linda among the most intense tropical cyclones documented in the Eastern North Pacific best-track database.
Track Summary and Data Archive
Linda's track extended from the southeastern quadrant of the Eastern North Pacific basin generally westward and west-northwestward into open waters. The complete record consists of 67 track positions categorized under the main track classification. Official meteorological agencies, including the Hurricane Databases (HURDAT) via IBTrACS version v04r01, maintain the verified coordinates, wind estimates, and central pressure measurements for historical research and climatological analysis.
Frequently asked questions
When did Hurricane Linda occur?
Official records from NOAA/NCEI IBTrACS document Hurricane Linda from September 9, 1997, at 12:00 UTC through September 17, 1997, at 18:00 UTC in the Eastern North Pacific basin.
What was the peak intensity recorded for Hurricane Linda?
According to the responsible WMO agency data in IBTrACS, Linda reached a maximum sustained wind speed of 160.0 knots (296.3 km/h) and a minimum central pressure of 902.0 millibars.
How many track points are documented in Linda's best-track record?
The official IBTrACS v04r01 dataset includes 67 primary track points documenting Linda's lifecycle across the Eastern North Pacific.
Image credits
- NASA (Image stitching done by Undescribed) — Wikimedia Commons source — Public domain
Sources and further context
Official datasets support the event-specific facts.