Hurricane History Map

1973 Western North Pacific season

30 storms formed in the Western North Pacific basin in 1973, from 28 June 1973 to 27 December 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 30 storms for the 1973 Western North Pacific season, of which 22 had names.21 reached tropical storm strength (34 knots or more), 12 reached typhoon strength (category 1 or more) and 4 were major (category 3 or more). 7 have no wind speed in the record.

  • 30storms
  • 21tropical storm strength or more
  • 12typhoon strength or more
  • 4major (category 3 to 5)
  • 148accumulated 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

  • Nora (1973)1 October 1973 to 11 October 1973, peak Category 5 (160 kt), 875 hPa
  • Patsy (1973)5 October 1973 to 15 October 1973, peak Category 5 (140 kt), 895 hPa
  • Billie (1973)11 July 1973 to 20 July 1973, peak Category 4 (130 kt), 915 hPa
  • Ellen (1973)16 July 1973 to 29 July 1973, peak Category 3 (105 kt), 940 hPa
  • Ruth (1973)10 October 1973 to 21 October 1973, peak Category 2 (90 kt), 960 hPa

All 30 storms of 1973

StormPeak
Wilda Tropical storm
Anita Category 1
Billie Category 4
Dot Category 2
Clara Tropical storm
Ellen Category 3
Fran Tropical storm
Georgia Category 1
Iris Category 2
Hope Tropical storm
Unnamed storm Tropical depression
Joan Tropical storm
Kate Tropical storm
Joan Unknown intensity
Unnamed storm Unknown intensity
Unnamed storm Tropical depression
Louise Category 1
Marge Category 1
Unnamed storm Unknown intensity
Nora Category 5
Opal Category 1
Patsy Category 5
Ruth Category 2
Unnamed storm Unknown intensity
Sarah Tropical storm
Thelma Tropical storm
Vera Tropical storm
Unnamed storm Unknown intensity
Unnamed storm Unknown intensity
Unnamed storm Unknown intensity

← 1972 · 1974 → · All seasons

Other basins in 1973

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