Hurricane History Map

1973 South-West Indian season

23 storms formed in the South-West Indian basin in 1973, from 26 November 1972 to 9 May 1973.

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Years1973
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 1973 season in numbers

The record holds 23 storms for the 1973 South-West Indian season, of which 22 had names.6 reached tropical storm strength (34 knots or more), 3 reached cyclone strength (category 1 or more) and 0 were major (category 3 or more). 17 have no wind speed in the record.

  • 23storms
  • 6tropical storm strength or more
  • 3cyclone strength or more
  • 0major (category 3 to 5)
  • 26accumulated 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 1973

  • Flores (1973)26 April 1973 to 30 April 1973, peak Category 2 (91 kt), 950 hPa
  • Kerry (1973)19 January 1973 to 24 January 1973, peak Category 2 (85 kt)
  • Marcelle (1973)28 April 1973 to 9 May 1973, peak Category 1 (68 kt), 972 hPa
  • Nellie (1973)13 March 1973 to 23 March 1973, peak Tropical storm (60 kt)
  • Bella (1973)20 March 1973 to 25 March 1973, peak Tropical storm (46 kt), 998 hPa

All 23 storms of 1973

StormPeak
Ariane Unknown intensity
Ariane Unknown intensity
Beatrice:ivy Unknown intensity
Charlotte Unknown intensity
Jean Unknown intensity
Dorothee Unknown intensity
Emmanuelle Unknown intensity
Faustine Unknown intensity
Kerry Category 2
Gertrude:leila Unknown intensity
Hortense Unknown intensity
Maud Unknown intensity
Jessy Unknown intensity
Isis Unknown intensity
Kitty Unknown intensity
Lydie Unknown intensity
Nellie Tropical storm
Bella Tropical storm
Paula Tropical storm
Roma Unknown intensity
Flores Category 2
Marcelle Category 1
Unnamed storm Unknown intensity

← 1972 · 1974 → · All seasons

Other basins in 1973

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