&sq=Qlik&lang=&file=File:Olaf_1997-09-27_2115Z.jpg) Olaf approaching Mexico at peak intensity on September 27 | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | September 26, 1997 |
| Dissipated | October 12, 1997 |
| Tropical storm | |
| 1-minute sustained (SSHWS/NWS) | |
| Highest winds | 70 mph (110 km/h) |
| Lowest pressure | 989 mbar (hPa); 29.21 inHg |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 18 |
| Damage | Unknown |
| Areas affected | Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala |
| IBTrACS | |
Part of the 1997 Pacific hurricane season | |
Tropical Storm Olaf was an erratic and long-lived tropical cyclone that brought heavy rainfall to regions of Mexico, which would be devastated by Hurricane Pauline a week later. The sixteenth named storm of the 1997 season, Olaf formed on September 26 off the southern coast of Mexico. It moved northward and quickly intensified, reaching peak winds of 70 mph (110 km/h) before weakening and hitting Oaxaca as a tropical depression. In Mexico, El Salvador, and Guatemala, the system brought heavy rainfall, which killed 18 people and caused flooding and damage. It was originally thought that Olaf dissipated over Mexico, although its remnants continued westward for a week. It interacted with Hurricane Pauline, which caused Olaf to turn to the southeast and later to the north to strike Mexico again, finally dissipating on October 12.