Hurricane History Map

1972 Eastern and central Pacific season

16 storms formed in the Eastern and central Pacific basin in 1972, from 1 June 1972 to 21 November 1972.

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Years1972
Ocean basin

Choosing a minimum category hides storms with no wind speed in the record. To see which storms have passed near you, search a town or ZIP code, or tap the map.

Key
  • Tropical depression Winds below 34 knots (39 mph)
  • Tropical storm 34 to 63 knots (39 to 73 mph)
  • Category 1 64 to 82 knots (74 to 95 mph)
  • Category 2 83 to 95 knots (96 to 110 mph)
  • Category 3 96 to 112 knots (111 to 129 mph), major
  • Category 4 113 to 136 knots (130 to 156 mph), major
  • Category 5 137 knots (157 mph) or more, major
  • Unknown intensity No wind speed in the record
  • Post-tropical Storm has become post-tropical (dashed line)

How to read the lines. Each line is the track of one storm, drawn through its six-hourly positions and coloured by its intensity at each point (the Saffir-Simpson scale), so a line changes colour as the storm strengthens or weakens. Tap a line for its details, or tap anywhere else to see which storms have passed nearby. Weaker storms appear as you zoom in. Hurricanes, typhoons and cyclones are the same kind of storm with different names in different oceans.

The 1972 season in numbers

The record holds 16 storms for the 1972 Eastern and central Pacific season, of which 15 had names.14 reached tropical storm strength (34 knots or more), 9 reached hurricane strength (category 1 or more) and 5 were major (category 3 or more).

  • 16storms
  • 14tropical storm strength or more
  • 9hurricane strength or more
  • 5major (category 3 to 5)
  • 151accumulated cyclone energy

Accumulated cyclone energy adds up the squared wind speed of every position of 34 knots or more, divided by 10,000. It is approximate here because the winds are 1-minute equivalents, and it is mostly useful for comparing seasons of one basin.

Strongest storms of 1972

  • Celeste (1972)6 August 1972 to 22 August 1972, peak Category 4 (115 kt), 940 hPa
  • Gwen (1972)22 August 1972 to 31 August 1972, peak Category 3 (110 kt), 941 hPa
  • Hyacinth (1972)28 August 1972 to 7 September 1972, peak Category 3 (110 kt), 962 hPa
  • Ruby (1972)11 November 1972 to 21 November 1972, peak Category 3 (110 kt), 940 hPa
  • Fernanda (1972)20 August 1972 to 1 September 1972, peak Category 3 (100 kt), 948 hPa

All 16 storms of 1972

StormPeak
Annette Category 1
Bonny Tropical storm
Celeste Category 4
Diana Category 2
Estelle Category 1
Fernanda Category 3
Gwen Category 3
Hyacinth Category 3
Iva Tropical storm
June Tropical storm
Unnamed storm Tropical depression
Joanne Category 2
Kathleen Tropical storm
Olga Tropical depression
Ruby Category 3
Liza Tropical storm

← 1971 · 1973 → · All seasons

Other basins in 1972

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