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EASTERN PACIFIC · 1973 SEASON

Hurricane Ava (1973)

Recorded track and intensity · 2 Jun 1973–12 Jun 1973

PEAK INTENSITYCategory 5
THE COMPLETE TRACKOpen in the explorer
AVA: complete recorded track, 2 Jun 1973–12 Jun 1973Recorded track from 2 Jun 1973 to 12 Jun 1973. Colors show the recorded wind category. The highlighted position follows the replay controls.MEXICO2 Jun, 00:00 UTC3 Jun, 00:00 UTC4 Jun, 00:00 UTC5 Jun, 00:00 UTC6 Jun, 00:00 UTC7 Jun, 00:00 UTC8 Jun, 00:00 UTC9 Jun, 00:00 UTC10 Jun, 00:00 UTC11 Jun, 00:00 UTC12 Jun, 00:00 UTCPeak · Category 52 JUN12 JUN

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DepressionTropical stormCat 1Cat 2Cat 3Cat 4Cat 5Post-tropical
All times UTC

Wind speed & pressure

7 Jun, 00:00 UTC
Wind speed 140 ktPressure Not recorded
0900809501601000kthPa2 Jun5 Jun9 Jun12 Jun

Forward speed & ACE

7 Jun, 00:00 UTC
Forward speed 14 ktCumulative ACE 12.80 10⁴ kt²
0010152030kt10⁴ kt²2 Jun5 Jun9 Jun12 Jun

Hover or tap either graph to follow the track. The slider controls both graphs. Each line uses its matching colored axis.

Forward speed measures the center’s motion. ACE accumulates squared one-minute winds at 00, 06, 12 and 18 UTC during tropical or subtropical stages at 34 kt or above. Missing measurements remain gaps.

Maximum sustained wind140 kt

161 mph / 259 km/h

Minimum recorded pressure915 hPa

6 Jun 1973 · tropical stage

Recorded track duration10.5 days

Full archive record, including non-tropical stages if present

Approximate track distance4,240 km

Along the recorded center positions

STORM HISTORY

Track and intensity summary

Ava is listed in the Eastern Pacific basin for the 1973 season. Its archived track begins on 2 Jun 1973, 00:00 UTC at 11.5°N, 94.1°W. The first observation lists sustained winds of 30 knots. These dates describe the available observations, which may include stages before and after the tropical cyclone phase.

The first Category 5 observation appears on 7 Jun 1973, 00:00 UTC. The highest recorded tropical-stage one-minute sustained wind is 140 knots (161 mph / 259 km/h), first recorded on 7 Jun 1973, 00:00 UTC at 12.1°N, 108.8°W. The minimum recorded tropical-stage central pressure is 915 hPa on 6 Jun 1973, 18:00 UTC.

The full record spans 252 hours and approximately 4,240 kilometers along the recorded center positions. The last recorded position is 17°N, 131°W on 12 Jun 1973, 12:00 UTC. The final tropical-stage observation is earlier, on 11 Jun 1973, 09:00 UTC.

This summary is calculated from the NOAA IBTrACS archive. Category 5 describes the storm’s peak recorded wind intensity, not its intensity at landfall or the severity of impacts at any location. Landfall times, damage and casualties have not been independently reviewed for this page.

METHODOLOGY

Data sources and limitations

The map and summary are generated from NOAA’s IBTrACS v04r01 archive. Wind and category use US-agency records; minimum pressure is calculated during the tropical stage, with the archive’s pressure source retained. Category 5 refers to the Saffir–Simpson one-minute wind scale; local agencies may use different classifications. Coastlines use Natural Earth’s 1:10m land data.

Track distance adds great-circle distances between consecutive observations, excluding gaps over 12 hours. This track has no gaps over 12 hours. The line shows the storm’s center, not its size, rainfall or flood extent. Converted wind speeds are rounded to the nearest whole unit.

Archive retrieved

NOAA IBTrACS archive · Field documentation

Sources & methodology

Browse all Category 5 storm pages