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1973 Pacific typhoon season
Season summary map
Seasonal boundaries
First system formed	May 12, 1973
Last system dissipated	December 27, 1973
Strongest storm
Name	Nora
• Maximum winds	295 km/h (185 mph) (1-minute sustained)
• Lowest pressure	875 hPa (mbar)
Seasonal statistics
Total depressions	39
Total storms	21
Typhoons	12
Super typhoons	3 (unofficial)
Total fatalities	>1,011
Total damage	> $7 million (1973 USD)
Related articles
1973 Atlantic hurricane season 1973 Pacific hurricane season 1973 North Indian Ocean cyclone season
Pacific typhoon seasons 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975

The 1973 Pacific typhoon season, in comparison to the two years preceding it, was a below average season, with only 21 named storms and 12 typhoons forming. However, it featured Typhoon Nora, which ties Typhoon June of 1975 for the second strongest typhoon on record. It has no official bounds; it ran year-round in 1973, but most tropical cyclones tend to form in the northwestern Pacific Ocean between June and December. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the northwestern Pacific Ocean.

The scope of this article is limited to the Pacific Ocean, north of the equator and west of the International Date Line. Storms that form east of the date line and north of the equator are called hurricanes; see 1973 Pacific hurricane season. Tropical Storms formed in the entire west pacific basin were assigned a name by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. Tropical depressions in this basin have the "W" suffix added to their number. Tropical depressions that enter or form in the Philippine area of responsibility are assigned a name by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration or PAGASA. This can often result in the same storm having two names.

Season summary

Systems

25 tropical depressions formed this year in the Western Pacific, of which 21 became tropical storms. 12 storms reached typhoon intensity, of which 3 reached super typhoon strength.

Severe Tropical Storm Wilda (Atring)

Severe tropical storm (JMA)
Tropical storm (SSHWS)
Duration	June 28 – July 6
Peak intensity	110 km/h (70 mph) (1-min); 980 hPa (mbar)

Tropical Storm Wilda formed as a disturbance east of the Philippines. It traveled northwest and became a tropical depression as it made landfall on Luzon on June 30. It crossed the island, and became a tropical storm as it entered the South China Sea on 1 July. It traveled north and made landfall in southern China on the 3rd. The remnants of Wilda dissipated inland a few days later.

Typhoon Anita

Typhoon (JMA)
Category 1-equivalent typhoon (SSHWS)
Duration	July 4 – July 10
Peak intensity	130 km/h (80 mph) (1-min); 980 hPa (mbar)

Typhoon Billie (Bining)

Typhoon (JMA)
Category 4-equivalent typhoon (SSHWS)
Duration	July 11 – July 19
Peak intensity	240 km/h (150 mph) (1-min); 915 hPa (mbar)

Tropical Storm Billie, which developed on July 12 east of the Philippines, rapidly strengthened on the 14th and 15th to a 150 mph super typhoon. It tracked due north, fluctuating in intensity for the next 3 days. A building ridge over the Sea of Japan forced Billie to the northwest, where it weakened greatly, first to a tropical storm on the 18th, then to a tropical depression on the 19th as it passed over northeastern China. The storm dissipated on the 20th.

Typhoon Dot

Typhoon (JMA)
Category 2-equivalent typhoon (SSHWS)
Duration	July 11 – July 21
Peak intensity	155 km/h (100 mph) (1-min); 975 hPa (mbar)

Typhoon Dot struck Hong Kong causing sustained storm force winds, killing one person.

Severe Tropical Storm Clara

Severe tropical storm (JMA)
Tropical storm (SSHWS)
Duration	July 11 – July 15
Peak intensity	100 km/h (65 mph) (1-min); 985 hPa (mbar)

Typhoon Ellen

Typhoon (JMA)
Category 3-equivalent typhoon (SSHWS)
Duration	July 16 – July 29
Peak intensity	195 km/h (120 mph) (1-min); 940 hPa (mbar)

Typhoon Ellen formed as a disturbance on July 16 in the vicinity of Okinotorishima, from a trough in the convergence zone trailing to the southeast of Typhoon Billie the day before. Its circulation closed up by 17 July, and at 0900 JST (0000 UTC) on the following day, the JMA upgraded it to a tropical storm. Due to its sluggish, erratic movements, Shikoku and Kyushu received heavy rains between July 23 and July 26. This contributed to the above-average monthly precipitation for July 1973 in southern Shikoku and eastern Kyushu, when the rest of Japan was suffering from droughts.

Tropical Storm Fran (Kuring)

Tropical storm (JMA)
Tropical storm (SSHWS)
Duration	July 23 – July 30
Peak intensity	75 km/h (45 mph) (1-min); 1000 hPa (mbar)

Typhoon Georgia

Typhoon (JMA)
Category 1-equivalent typhoon (SSHWS)
Duration	August 5 – August 15
Peak intensity	130 km/h (80 mph) (1-min); 980 hPa (mbar)

Typhoon Iris (Daling)

Typhoon (JMA)
Category 2-equivalent typhoon (SSHWS)
Duration	August 6 – August 21
Peak intensity	155 km/h (100 mph) (1-min); 970 hPa (mbar)

Iris struck North Korea and Japan.

Tropical Storm Hope

Tropical storm (JMA)
Tropical storm (SSHWS)
Duration	August 8 – August 13
Peak intensity	85 km/h (50 mph) (1-min); 1000 hPa (mbar)

Tropical Depression 11W

Tropical depression (JMA)
Tropical depression (SSHWS)
Duration	August 10 – August 18
Peak intensity	55 km/h (35 mph) (1-min); 1008 hPa (mbar)

Tropical Storm Joan (Elang)

Tropical storm (JMA)
Tropical storm (SSHWS)
Duration	August 18 – August 22
Peak intensity	85 km/h (50 mph) (1-min); 990 hPa (mbar)

Severe Tropical Storm Kate (Goring)

Severe tropical storm (JMA)
Tropical storm (SSHWS)
Duration	August 20 – August 26
Peak intensity	110 km/h (70 mph) (1-min); 975 hPa (mbar)

Tropical Depression 14W

Tropical depression (JMA)
Tropical depression (SSHWS)
Duration	August 28 – September 3
Peak intensity	55 km/h (35 mph) (1-min); 1002 hPa (mbar)

Typhoon Louise (Huling)

Typhoon (JMA)
Category 1-equivalent typhoon (SSHWS)
Duration	August 30 – September 6
Peak intensity	140 km/h (85 mph) (1-min); 975 hPa (mbar)

Typhoon Marge (Ibiang)

Typhoon (JMA)
Category 1-equivalent typhoon (SSHWS)
Duration	September 10 – September 15
Peak intensity	150 km/h (90 mph) (1-min); ≤960 hPa (mbar)

Hainan, Qionghai Jiaji town recorded a minimum central pressure of 937.8 hPa when Marge made landfall. Marge killed 903 people in Hainan. Marge made its final landfall in Tam Diep Mountains (border of Ninh Binh and Thanh Hoa provinces) Vietnam in late September 14, 1973; brought heavay rainfall and flooding in North Vietnam.

Typhoon Nora (Luming)

Typhoon (JMA)
Category 5-equivalent super typhoon (SSHWS)
Duration	October 1 – October 10
Peak intensity	295 km/h (185 mph) (1-min); 875 hPa (mbar)

The monsoon trough spawned a tropical depression east of the Philippines on October 1. Under weak steering currents, it meandered westward, where favorable conditions allowed for it to strengthen, first to a tropical storm on the 2nd, then to a typhoon on the 3rd. Nora continued to the northwest, and explosively deepened on the 5th and 6th to a 185 mph super typhoon. At the time, it had a minimum central pressure of 875 millibars, the lowest pressure on record at the time and currently tied for 9th. The typhoon weakened as it headed to the northwest, and struck northeastern Luzon on the 7th as a 115 mph typhoon. Nora continued to the northwest, weakening to a minimal typhoon as it hit southeast China on the 10th. The typhoon caused 18 fatalities, with over $2 million in damage.

Typhoon Opal

Typhoon (JMA)
Category 1-equivalent typhoon (SSHWS)
Duration	October 3 – October 8
Peak intensity	140 km/h (85 mph) (1-min); 970 hPa (mbar)

Typhoon Patsy (Miling)

Typhoon (JMA)
Category 5-equivalent super typhoon (SSHWS)
Duration	October 5 – October 15
Peak intensity	260 km/h (160 mph) (1-min); 895 hPa (mbar)

Typhoon Ruth (Narsing)

Typhoon (JMA)
Category 2-equivalent typhoon (SSHWS)
Duration	October 11 – October 19
Peak intensity	165 km/h (105 mph) (1-min); 960 hPa (mbar)

27 people were killed when Typhoon Ruth crossed Luzon on October 15 and caused $5 million in damage. Ruth continued to the northwest, and hit Hainan Island and Quang Ninh, Vietnam on the 19th, respectively.

Severe Tropical Storm Sarah

Severe tropical storm (JMA)
Tropical storm (SSHWS)
Duration	November 9 – November 12
Peak intensity	100 km/h (65 mph) (1-min); 985 hPa (mbar)

On November 12 this system emerged in the Bay of Bengal and became Tropical Storm Thirteen (13B)

Severe Tropical Storm Thelma

Severe tropical storm (JMA)
Tropical storm (SSHWS)
Duration	November 13 – November 18
Peak intensity	100 km/h (65 mph) (1-min); 990 hPa (mbar)

Severe Tropical Storm Vera (Openg)

Severe tropical storm (JMA)
Tropical storm (SSHWS)
Duration	November 18 – November 26
Peak intensity	95 km/h (60 mph) (1-min); 990 hPa (mbar)

One of the strongest tropical cyclones to hit Visayas when it entered on November 20, although the system didn't reach typhoon status. Tropical Storm Openg affected around 3.4 million people.

Storm names

Western North Pacific tropical cyclones were named by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. The first storm of 1973 was named Wilda and the final one was named Vera.

Philippines

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration uses its own naming scheme for tropical cyclones in their area of responsibility. PAGASA assigns names to tropical depressions that form within their area of responsibility and any tropical cyclone that might move into their area of responsibility. Should the list of names for a given year prove to be insufficient, names are taken from an auxiliary list, the first 10 of which are published each year before the season starts. This is the same list used for the 1969 season. PAGASA uses its own naming scheme that starts in the Filipino alphabet, with names of Filipino female names ending with "ng" (A, B, K, D, etc.).

Season effects

This table will list all the storms that developed in the northwestern Pacific Ocean west of the International Date Line and north of the equator during 1973. It will include their intensity, duration, name, areas affected, deaths, missing persons (in parentheses), and damage totals. Classification and intensity values will be based on estimations conducted by the JMA, however due to lack of information around this time sustained winds were recorded by the JTWC. All damage figures will be in 1973 USD. Damages and deaths from a storm will include when the storm was a precursor wave or an extratropical low.

See also

• 1973 Pacific hurricane season
• 1973 Atlantic hurricane season
• 1973 North Indian Ocean cyclone season
• Australian cyclone seasons: 1972–73, 1973–74
• South Pacific cyclone seasons: 1972–73, 1973–74
• South-West Indian Ocean cyclone seasons: 1972–73, 1973–74

Footnotes

1. Okinotorishima is located at 20°25′21″N 136°05′24″E / 20.4225°N 136.0900°E / 20.4225; 136.0900, while Ellen formed at coordinates 20°00′N 136°03′E / 20.00°N 136.05°E / 20.00; 136.05.

References

1. ^ "1973 ATCR TABLE OF CONTENTS". Archived from the original on 2011-06-06. Retrieved 2009-12-25.
2. "Historical Information". Archived from the original on 2015-05-16. Retrieved 2007-12-17.
3. "1973 Typhoon Ellen (1973197N20136)". International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship. Retrieved 2024-05-29.
4. ^ Buckmaster, Albert T.; Atkinson, Gary D. (1975-01-01). 1973 Annual Typhoon Report (PDF) (Report). Guam, Mariana Islands: Fleet Weather Central/Joint Typhoon Warning Center. pp. 28–29. Retrieved 2024-06-10.
5. "台風経路図　昭和48年（1973年）" [Tropical Cyclone Tracks of Showa 48 (1973)]. Japan Meteorological Agency. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
6. "昭和４８年７・８つきの高温・少雨　昭和48年（1973年）　６月～９月" [High Temperatures and Low Precipitation in July and August of 1973: Showa 48 (1973) June-September] (in Japanese). Japan Meteorological Agency. Retrieved 2024-06-10.
7. 1973 Super Typhoon MARGE (1973253N14129), IBTrACS
8. TÌNH HÌNH KTTV VÀ ẢNH HƯỞNG CỦA NÓ ĐẾN SẢN XUẤT NÔNG NGHIỆP 10 NĂM QUA (1971-1980), Vietnam Journalist of Hydro and Meteorology
9. de la Cruz, Gwen; Romulo, Mica (August 2, 2014). "Worst natural disasters in the Philippines". Rappler. Rappler. Retrieved March 2, 2016.

External links

• Japan Meteorological Agency
• Joint Typhoon Warning Center Archived 2010-03-01 at the Wayback Machine.
• China Meteorological Agency
• National Weather Service Guam
• Hong Kong Observatory
• Macau Meteorological Geophysical Services
• Korea Meteorological Agency
• Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
• Taiwan Central Weather Bureau
• Digital Typhoon - Typhoon Images and Information
• Typhoon2000 Philippine typhoon website

• 1973 Pacific typhoon season