Typhoon Ruth path, 1991

What the record says

Ruth was a typhoon in the Western North Pacific basin that lasted about 18 days, from 16 October 1991 to 3 November 1991. Its peak was Category 5 (145 kt) on 24 October 1991, with a 1-minute sustained wind of 145 kt (167 mph, 269 km/h). Its lowest recorded pressure was 895 hPa.

• Category 5peak intensity
• 145 ktpeak wind (167 mph)
• 895 hPalowest pressure
• 18 dayslifetime

Source of the peak wind: US Joint Typhoon Warning Center (western Pacific). The regional forecast centre (RSMC Tokyo (Japan Meteorological Agency)) gave a peak of 115 kt on its own averaging convention (10-minute winds), so the two figures differ.

It has its own page because it reached category 5 or stronger.

This page gives the official record's figures. It does not describe the human cost of the storm, which is far larger than any wind speed or pressure here.

Where it came ashore

• 27 October 1991: Philippines (100 kt)

A landfall here is the first tropical position over land after time at sea, so it is within about six hours of the real event. The record shows up to 8.

Countries it came within 50 km of

Strongest effect first.

• Philippines
• Federated States of Micronesia

How to read this track

The line joins the storm's six-hourly positions with straight lines, coloured by its intensity at each point, so it shows how the storm strengthened and weakened. The real path curved between the positions. A dashed grey stretch means the storm had become post-tropical. Records before the satellite era (about the 1960s) are estimates.

Source: NOAA NCEI IBTrACS, public domain. See data sources and caveats.