All storm pages · 1997 Pacific season
Hurricane Oliwa 1997
Category 5 hurricane · Eastern and Central Pacific · August 28 to September 17, 1997
Oliwa produced 43.2 units of accumulated cyclone energy (ACE), the tenth-most of any eastern and central Pacific storm since 1949. It lasted 20.00 days as a tropical or subtropical cyclone, the sixth-longest lifespan of the 1,262 eastern and central Pacific storms. It was still a hurricane at 33.0°N, tied for the seventh-farthest north reach of hurricane strength among 603 eastern and central Pacific hurricanes.
Strength over time
- First record (tropical depression) 855 miles southwest of Lihue, Hawaii
- Tropical storm far out at sea, at 13.3°N, 178.2°W
- Hurricane far out at sea, at 18.0°N, 161.0°E
- Major hurricane far out at sea, at 18.1°N, 156.2°E
- Peak far out at sea, at 18.4°N, 153.5°E
- Last record (tropical depression) far out at sea, at 37.7°N, 138.4°E
Against every Pacific storm since 1949
More from the record
It reached Category 5 with 160 mph winds, one of 24 eastern and central Pacific storms to do so since 1949.
Its winds climbed 75 mph in the 24 hours to September 9.
In the 1997 season
Storm 14 of 24 in 1997, hurricane 6 of 11; it formed after Jimena and before Kevin. Oliwa ranks joint third by peak wind in the season. See the season.
Closest to land
Nearest town of 10,000 people or more: Lihue, Hawaii, 843 miles from the center on August 28 (depression stage).
Also peaked at 160 mph
Of 14 storms from other Pacific seasons, the nearest in time:
- Emilia (1994)926 mb, no landfall record
- Gilma (1994)920 mb, no landfall record
- Elida (2002)921 mb, no landfall record
- Hernan (2002)921 mb, no landfall record