Impressive Surface Observations in Typhoons (1980 Onwards)

[doomhaMwx]

This is a thread of impressive/significant land-based (e.g., manned and automated weather stations) and sea-based (e.g., buoys and ships) surface observations taken during typhoons in the NW Pacific. Aircraft reconnaissance data are not included. Generally, systems posted here are those with sea-level pressure (SLP) obs of <940mb and if available, the winds recorded during the event. Feel free to include data that you think is notable. To avoid going "too historical", the time period is limited to 1980 onwards (that's also when we started to have good satellite coverage).

Note: This is not a thread to discuss the intensity of typhoons. If you think a particular system warrants more discussion about its intensity, there are other threads already created for that. Thank you.

[doomhaMwx]

Here is a nice list compiled by another member.

List of events with recorded MSLP below 940 hPa

1987
Super Typhoon Nina - 909.5 hPa (Recorded by Station in Legazpi City, Albay) - current national record low in Philippines

2005
Typhoon Longwang - 924.5 hP a (interpolated based on data gathered by a UAV "Aerosonde"

2012
Typhoon Bolaven - 934.3 hPa - Reported by a station in Nago, Okinawa

Super Typhoon Sanba - 939.4 hPa - Reported by a station in Nago, Okinawa

2013
Super Typhoon Usagi - 922.7 hPa - recorded at Basco Radar site

Super Typhoon Haiyan - 910 hPa* - recorded by station in Guiuan Samar - *this is station pressure

2014
Super Typhoon Rammasun - 899.2 hPa - recorded by an AWS in Quizou Island

2015
Super Typhoon Soudelor - 939 hPa - recorded in Saipan during the passage of the typhoon's extremely small micro eye

2016
Super Typhoon Nepartak - 911.5 hPa - recorded by NTU 2 Buoy near Orchid island
"We have recovered the barometer at NTU2 during a buoy service cruise in early August and sent it to the Taiwan's Central Weather Bureau for calibrating the pressure sensor. After a carefully calibration procedure, we corrected the pressure data and obtained the lowest atmospheric pressure of 911.5 hPa instead of 897 hPa when the center of Nepartak was the closest to NTU2.”

Super Typhoon Meranti - 877.9 hPa? (unverified) - recorded by a DOST-ASTI Automatic Weather Station (AWS) at Itabayat Municipal Hall. A 1700z SYNOP from Itbayat Station reported 933.6 hPa followed by a mysterious 983 hPa reading at 1800z (which is believed by some as an error and suggested that it's actually 883 hPa?)

Typhoon Malakas - 936.9 hPa - recorded by station in Yonagunijima


2017
Super Typhoon Lan - 925 hPa - observed via dropsonde by a rare eye penetration by Japanese reconnaissance (T-PARCII)

2018
Super Typhoon Trami - 918.8 hPa - observed via dropsonde (T-PARCII)

Super Typhoon Mangkhut - 936.2 hPa - measured by an AWS in Gattaran, Cagayan Province despite being way inland from the landfall point.

Super Typhoon Yutu - 921.7 hPa - eyewall pressure recorded by a barometer set up by Dr. Mark Lander in Saipan

2020
Super Typhoon Haishen - 919 hPa - recorded by a buoy

Super Typhoon Goni - 912.1 hPa - recorded by manned station in Virac, Catanduanes

2021

Super Typhoon Chanthu - 927.8 hPa - recorded at the Basco Synoptic Station (98134)

Super Typhoon Mindulle - 932.4 hPa - recorded via dropsonde by a reconnaissance mission of Nagoya University / University of the Ryukyus (T-PARCII)

[doomhaMwx]

MAEMI (2003)

SLP of 912mb and max gust of 74.1 m/s (144kts) at Miyakojima.
https://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/da ... 30910.html
https://www.dpri.kyoto-u.ac.jp/nenpo/no ... 7b0t40.pdf

[doomhaMwx]

MALAKAS (2016)

SLP of 936.7 mb recorded by NTU-1 buoy.

[doomhaMwx]

IOKE (2006)

A drifting buoy (ID: 52609) ~130km east of Wake Island recorded 920.8 mb SLP in the eye. Articles online say that the lowest pressure was 921.5 mb on 08/31/2006 03Z, but I checked the original data and it actually dropped further to 920.8 mb at 04Z!




A station on Wake Island later recorded 934 mb in the eyewall, with the anemometer registering an 87-kt gust before failing.

[doomhaMwx]

SURIGAE (2021)

Drifting buoy "5102790" east of Luzon recorded an SLP of 948.6 mb in Surigae's eyewall on April 18 07Z. The buoy then drifted north and ultimately recorded 934.2 mb inside the eye on April 19 20Z (before the storm's secondary peak).

[doomhaMwx]

HINNAMNOR (2022)

927.9 mb SLP and 55.2 m/s (107kts) gust recorded by an oil platform in the East China Sea.
 https://twitter.com/CyanideCN_/status/1566525113142374400

[doomhaMwx]

NANMADOL (2022)

932.3 mb SLP when the eye passed over Yakushima. Max sustained winds and gusts recorded in the eyewall was 36.6 m/s (71kts) and 50.9 m/s (99kts), respectively.

[Hurricane2022]

HINNAMNOR (2022)

927.9 mb SLP and 55.2 m/s (107kts) gust recorded by an oil platform in the East China Sea.
https://twitter.com/CyanideCN_/status/1566525113142374400?t=PJGkbTQfnxwpaxqR0_6anQ&s=19

Hinnamnor had winds between 105 - 115 kt, but had a minimum pressure of around 925 hPa.

Ian had winds between 130 - 140 kt, but had a minimum pressure of around 935 hPa.

That even seems ironic

[doomhaMwx]

List of events with recorded MSLP below 940 hPa

1987
Super Typhoon Nina - 909.5 hPa (Recorded by Station in Legazpi City, Albay) - current national record low in Philippines
...

Is there another source for that pressure mentioned in Dr. Karl Hoarau's account? The official records maintained by PAGASA show that the lowest SLP at the Legazpi station on Nov 25, 1987, was 929.5 mb instead of 909.5 mb (which would also not be a national record low in the Philippines). One of them probably made a typo with that 2 or 0. Hmmm...

[Foxfires]

List of events with recorded MSLP below 940 hPa

1987
Super Typhoon Nina - 909.5 hPa (Recorded by Station in Legazpi City, Albay) - current national record low in Philippines
...

Is there another source for that pressure mentioned in Dr. Karl Hoarau's account? The official records maintained by PAGASA show that the lowest SLP at the Legazpi station on Nov 25, 1987, was 929.5 mb instead of 909.5 mb (which would also not be a national record low in the Philippines). One of them probably made a typo with that 2 or 0. Hmmm...

https://i.imgur.com/eohKqL2.png

Even if 909.5mb is the record, I'm actually surprised the Philippine (officially verified) record isn't lower than that. Japan's record verified pressure is actually lower than that (Babe '77 - 907.3mb). There're a number of potential storms but eye readings for very intense systems seem quite rare.

[Monisae]

Little-known observations at okinotorishima
1994 Zelda 922.43mb https://www.jamstec.go.jp/j/database/okitori/data/CD-ROM/databank/meteor1994.txt
2002 Haishen 931.54mb https://www.jamstec.go.jp/j/database/okitori/data/CD-ROM/databank2/meteor2002.txt
The gust was strong in aforementioned cases by the time the minimum pressure was recorded.
Some other observation in Japan since 1980
You can find historical observations in Japan from https://www.data.jma.go.jp/gmd/risk/obsdl/index.php
2003 Maemi 912.0mb 宮古島

2006 Shanshan 923.8mb 西表島

926.4mb 石垣島

2004 Songda 924.4mb 名護
2007 Wipha 926.8mb 西表島
1996 Herb 927.1mb 西表島
1993 Yancy 928.1mb 久米島
2007 Krosa 929.2mb 与那国島
1996 Herb 930.6mb 与那国島
1995 Oscar 932.4mb 八丈島
1983 Marge 932.5mb 父島
1982 Cecil 933.2mb 西表島
2016 Chaba 933.5mb 久米島
2013 Danas 934.1mb 与論島 http://www.mri-jma.go.jp/Publish/Technical/DATA/VOL_75/03-8.pdf
2012 Bolaven 934.3mb 名護
2005 Nabi 936.8mb 南大東
1994 Fred 939.1mb 石垣島
2007 Nari 939.3mb 久米島
2012 Sanba 939.4hPa 名護
2007 Man-yi 939.7mb 那覇

[mrbagyo]

List of events with recorded MSLP below 940 hPa

1987
Super Typhoon Nina - 909.5 hPa (Recorded by Station in Legazpi City, Albay) - current national record low in Philippines
...

Is there another source for that pressure mentioned in Dr. Karl Hoarau's account? The official records maintained by PAGASA show that the lowest SLP at the Legazpi station on Nov 25, 1987, was 929.5 mb instead of 909.5 mb (which would also not be a national record low in the Philippines). One of them probably made a typo with that 2 or 0. Hmmm...

https://i.imgur.com/eohKqL2.png

Might indeed be a typo on the part of Dr. Hoarau. He actually misnamed Sisang as Rosing too add to the fact that 929.5 is actually close to JMA's estimate.

If that's not the Philippine's national record, then which one holds the crown?

IIRC, there was a steamship USC&GS Fathomer (not really a land based reading) that got grounded on a reef near the port of San Vicente (Sta Ana Cagayan) during the American Occupation era (15 August 1936) which recorded a sub 915 hPa SLP.

[doomhaMwx]

Little-known observations at okinotorishima
1994 Zelda 922.43mb https://www.jamstec.go.jp/j/database/okitori/data/CD-ROM/databank/meteor1994.txt
2002 Haishen 931.54mb https://www.jamstec.go.jp/j/database/okitori/data/CD-ROM/databank2/meteor2002.txt
The gust was strong in aforementioned cases by the time the minimum pressure was recorded.
...

The pressure values provided on that website are station level (26m ASL), so a slight adjustment needs to be done. Actual MSLP would be:
ZELDA - 925.18 mb (Max gust of 65.35 m/s or 127kts)
HAISHEN - 934.31 mb (Max gust of 69.62 m/s or 135kts)

These SLPs are still very impressive though (especially for Haishen, which was severely underestimated).

For those unaware, Okinotorishima is a tiny atoll in the Philippine Sea administered by Japan.

[doomhaMwx]

BILIS (2000)

931.2 mb MSLP and max gust of 78.4 m/s (152kts) at Chenggong, Taitung County, Taiwan.
https://e-service.cwb.gov.tw/HistoryDat ... tude=33.5m

The website above only has hourly obs, so the lowest SLP listed is 937.8 mb. A separate document shows that the lowest SLP recorded was 931.2 mb.

[Foxfires]

Little-known observations at okinotorishima
1994 Zelda 922.43mb https://www.jamstec.go.jp/j/database/okitori/data/CD-ROM/databank/meteor1994.txt
2002 Haishen 931.54mb https://www.jamstec.go.jp/j/database/okitori/data/CD-ROM/databank2/meteor2002.txt
The gust was strong in aforementioned cases by the time the minimum pressure was recorded.
...

The pressure values provided on that website are station level (26m ASL), so a slight adjustment needs to be done. Actual MSLP would be:
ZELDA - 925.18 mb (Max gust of 65.35 m/s or 127kts)
HAISHEN - 934.31 mb (Max gust of 69.62 m/s or 135kts)

These SLPs are still very impressive though (especially for Haishen, which was severely underestimated).

For those unaware, Okinotorishima is a tiny atoll in the Philippine Sea administered by Japan.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c8/Okinotorishima-en.svg/640px-Okinotorishima-en.svg.png
https://cdn-japantimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/n-okinotori-a-20160716-870x489.jpg

Wow Haishen did not look good for its intensity. I can see why it was so underestimated. Didn't know it was possible for a sub-940mb to look like that, at least on IR. Correct me if someone finds an image of Haishen looking really good.

Edit: Correction, that was past peak intensity/best appearance.

[Monisae]

BILIS (2000)

935.2 mb MSLP and max gust of 78.4 m/s (152kts) at Chenggong, Taitung County, Taiwan.
https://e-service.cwb.gov.tw/HistoryDat ... tude=33.5m

The website above only has hourly obs, so the lowest SLP listed is 937.8 mb. A separate document shows that the lowest station pressure recorded was 931.2 mb, which converts to 935.2 mb SLP using an elevation of ~37.5m (the 33.5m indicated on the website seems wrong).

https://www.nrlmry.navy.mil/tcdat/tc00/WPAC/18W.BILIS/ir/geo/1km/20000822.1331.gms-5.ir.x.BILIS.18W.jpg

You can find the minimum station pressure from mouthly data（月報表），931.2mb has been corrected to sea level.
https://e-service.cwb.gov.tw/HistoryDataQuery/MonthDataController.do?command=viewMain&station=467610&stname=%25E6%2588%2590%25E5%258A%259F&datepicker=2000-08&altitude=33.5m

[doomhaMwx]

BILIS (2000)

935.2 mb MSLP and max gust of 78.4 m/s (152kts) at Chenggong, Taitung County, Taiwan.
https://e-service.cwb.gov.tw/HistoryDat ... tude=33.5m

The website above only has hourly obs, so the lowest SLP listed is 937.8 mb. A separate document shows that the lowest station pressure recorded was 931.2 mb, which converts to 935.2 mb SLP using an elevation of ~37.5m (the 33.5m indicated on the website seems wrong).

https://www.nrlmry.navy.mil/tcdat/tc00/WPAC/18W.BILIS/ir/geo/1km/20000822.1331.gms-5.ir.x.BILIS.18W.jpg

You can find the minimum station pressure from mouthly data（月報表），931.2mb has been corrected to sea level.
https://e-service.cwb.gov.tw/HistoryDataQuery/MonthDataController.do?command=viewMain&station=467610&stname=%25E6%2588%2590%25E5%258A%259F&datepicker=2000-08&altitude=33.5m

Thank you. I corrected my original post.

[doomhaMwx]

LINGLING (2019)

927.7 mb MSLP recorded by an oil platform in the East China Sea.
 https://twitter.com/squirtleinhk/status/1169841446066642944

[Hurricane2022]

 https://twitter.com/CyanideCN_/status/1631192517545971712