Recalling Wutip, February's first Category 5 typhoon

This Day In Weather History is a daily podcast by Chris Mei from The Weather Network, featuring stories about people, communities and events and how weather impacted them.

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Typhoon Wutip, known in the Philippines as Tropical Depression Betty, is the first Category 5-equivalent typhoon recorded in February.

It all started on Feb. 16th, when a low-pressure formed south of the Marshall Islands. It continued to develop as it moved westward. On the 18th, the system officially turned into a tropical depression.

By the 20th, the depression strengthened into a tropical storm and received the name Wutip from the Japan Meteorological Agency. The next day, Wutip intensified into a typhoon.

Wutip passed over the Federated States of Micronesia from Feb 19–22 as a Category 2.

Over the next three days, Wutip continued to intensify until it reached its first peak on Feb. 23rd. As a Category 5-equivalent super typhoon, it passed over the southwest of Guam. It sustained winds of 195 km/h for at least 10 minutes, and winds of 270 km/h for at least a minute.

On Feb. 25th, Wutip reached its second peak with winds of 185 km/h for at least 10 minutes, and winds of 260 km/h for at least one minute.

Wutip surpassed Typhoon Higos from 2015 as the strongest Feb. cyclone on record.

Overall, Wutip caused at least US$3.3 million in damages in Guam and Micronesia and destroyed aroaund 160 houses in Gaum.

To learn more about Typhoon Wutip, listen to today's episode of "This Day In Weather History."

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Thumbnail courtesy of Wikipedia