Vanessa (1984, Western North Pacific): Track, Intensity and Historical Data

Typhoon Vanessa was a major tropical cyclone that developed in the Western North Pacific during the 1984 cyclone season. According to official meteorological records maintained by the World Meteorological Organization responsible agency in Tokyo, Vanessa maintained a track across the basin from October 20, 1984, through October 31, 1984.

Intensity and Meteorological Metrics

During its lifecycle, Vanessa attained extreme intensity over the ocean. The responsible regional reporting center recorded a minimum central atmospheric pressure of 880.0 mb. The peak maximum sustained wind speed reached 120.0 knots (approximately 222.2 km/h) under the official WMO agency assessment.

Track and Chronology

The International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship (IBTrACS) compiles 94 distinct observational records along the main path of Vanessa over an eleven-day period. The storm initially formed at low latitudes in the central tropical Pacific and progressed northwestward before recurving toward the northeast into higher latitudes.

• October 20, 1984 (00:00 UTC): Initial tracking at latitude 4.0°N, longitude 162.5°E.
• October 22, 1984 (21:00 UTC): Position recorded at latitude 9.2°N, longitude 154.1°E.
• October 25, 1984 (18:00 UTC): Position recorded at latitude 14.8°N, longitude 135.6°E.
• October 28, 1984 (18:00 UTC): Recurvature underway at latitude 23.0°N, longitude 132.5°E.
• October 31, 1984 (15:00 UTC): Track point documented at latitude 45.5°N, longitude 178.3°E.

Overall, the mean geographic position of the storm across its recorded track was latitude 17.1°N and longitude 146.49°E. The archive concludes coverage of the main track on October 31, 1984, at 18:00 UTC.