1964 Western Pacific typhoon season
Typhoon Cora 1964
Typhoon Cora approached the Philippines in July 1964 after a rapid rise in estimated intensity. It then weakened sharply before reaching the islands, crossing southeastern Luzon as a much weaker system. Its historical wind estimates also became a subject of later scientific scrutiny.
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161 mph
Jul 7, 1964 during the tropical stage
Full archive record, including non-tropical stages if present
Along the recorded center positions
STORM HISTORY
Rapid development over the Philippine Sea
Cora developed from an interaction between a tropical wave and a polar trough west of Chuuk. It organized southwest of Guam and became a typhoon by the end of 6 July. The current archive records a peak one-minute wind estimate of 140 kt on 8 July.
Reconnaissance estimates near the surface were much higher than flight-level winds and the pressure evidence suggested. A later pressure-based study identified Cora among historical storms whose wind estimates were likely too high. The site retains the archived Category 5 estimate.
Weakening before the Philippine crossing
As Cora neared northern Samar and southern Luzon on 9 July, it slowed and lost strength. Forecasters issued warnings for southeastern Luzon, but the winds continued to decline. By 10 July, Cora had weakened to a tropical depression; it crossed southeastern Luzon and dissipated in the South China Sea the next day.
Further reading
QUICK ANSWERS
Cora in brief
What was Typhoon Cora's highest wind speed?
161 mph, the highest one-minute sustained wind in its tropical stage, recorded on Jul 8, 1964, 06:00 AM UTC.
What category was Typhoon Cora?
Category 5 at its peak on the Saffir–Simpson one-minute wind scale, first reaching Category 5 on Jul 8, 1964, 03:00 AM UTC. Other agencies classify storms differently.
What was Typhoon Cora's lowest pressure?
970 mb, the minimum central pressure recorded during its tropical stage, on Jul 7, 1964, 06:00 AM UTC.
When did Typhoon Cora occur?
The archived track runs from Jul 5, 1964, 12:00 AM UTC to Jul 11, 1964, 12:00 PM UTC, with the tropical stage from Jul 6, 1964, 12:00 AM UTC to Jul 11, 1964, 12:00 PM UTC.
Where did Typhoon Cora form?
In the Western Pacific basin, in the 1964 season. Its first archived position is 7°N, 150°E on Jul 5, 1964, 12:00 AM UTC.
Did Typhoon Cora make landfall?
The archive places its center over land at 1 recorded position; the strongest is an unrecorded wind on Jul 10, 1964, 09:00 AM UTC. Positions are six-hourly, so this is not a landfall chronology.
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 and Field documentation
Sources & methodology