What the record says
Zuman was a cyclone in the South Pacific and Australian region basin that lasted about 13 days, from 28 March 1998 to 10 April 1998. Its peak was Category 3 (100 kt) on 31 March 1998, with a 1-minute sustained wind of 100 kt (115 mph, 185 km/h). Its lowest recorded pressure was 955 hPa.
- Category 3peak intensity
- 100 ktpeak wind (115 mph)
- 955 hPalowest pressure
- 13 dayslifetime
Source of the peak wind: US Joint Typhoon Warning Center (southern hemisphere). The regional forecast centre (RSMC Nadi (Fiji Meteorological Service)) gave a peak of 80 kt on its own averaging convention (10-minute winds), so the two figures differ.
It has its own page because it reached category 3 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
The record shows no landfall: the storm stayed at sea.
Countries it came within 50 km of
Strongest effect first.
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.
Other notable storms of the 1998 South Pacific and Australian region season
- Susan (1998)Category 5
- Ron (1998)Category 5
- Martin (1998)Category 3
Other notable storms near Vanuatu
- Pam (2015)7 March 2015 to 20 March 2015, peak Category 5 (150 kt), 896 hPa
- Harold (2020)1 April 2020 to 11 April 2020, peak Category 5 (145 kt), 920 hPa
- Anne (1988)5 January 1988 to 14 January 1988, peak Category 5 (140 kt), 925 hPa
- Fran (1992)4 March 1992 to 21 March 1992, peak Category 5 (140 kt), 920 hPa
- Kevin (2023)27 February 2023 to 8 March 2023, peak Category 4 (135 kt), 913 hPa
The 1998 South Pacific and Australian region season · All notable storms