1961 Western Pacific typhoon season
Typhoon Nancy 1961
Typhoon Nancy, known in Japan as the Second Muroto Typhoon, crossed the country in September 1961. It had spent days at exceptional intensity over the Pacific before turning through the Ryukyus toward Cape Muroto and Osaka. Its passage caused extensive destruction and more than 200 deaths.
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213 mph
Sep 12, 1961 during the tropical stage
Full archive record, including non-tropical stages if present
Along the recorded center positions
STORM HISTORY
Days of exceptional intensity
Nancy developed near Kwajalein and intensified rapidly while moving west. The archive first reaches Category 5 on 9 September and records a peak one-minute wind estimate of 185 kt on 12 September. The historical account notes the uncertainty in the very high reconnaissance wind estimates from this period.
From the Ryukyus across Japan
Nancy passed near Okinawa and over Naze before turning sharply toward Japan as its steering ridge weakened. On 16 September, it crossed Cape Muroto and made another landfall near Osaka. It accelerated along Honshu, then crossed Hokkaido and entered the Sea of Okhotsk.
The storm caused at least 202 confirmed deaths and nearly 5,000 injuries in Japan and elsewhere. Eight people remained missing in the saved account. Damage reached an estimated US$500 million in 1961 dollars.
Beyond the tropical phase
Nancy lost its tropical character after crossing Japan. The archived tropical stage ends late on 16 September, while later positions continue through 20 September. Its subsequent circulation traveled toward Kamchatka and the northern Pacific.
Further reading
QUICK ANSWERS
Nancy in brief
What was Typhoon Nancy's highest wind speed?
213 mph, the highest one-minute sustained wind in its tropical stage, recorded on Sep 12, 1961, 12:00 AM UTC.
What category was Typhoon Nancy?
Category 5 at its peak on the Saffir–Simpson one-minute wind scale, first reaching Category 5 on Sep 9, 1961, 03:00 AM UTC. Other agencies classify storms differently.
What was Typhoon Nancy's lowest pressure?
890 mb, the minimum central pressure recorded during its tropical stage, on Sep 12, 1961, 12:00 AM UTC.
When did Typhoon Nancy occur?
The archived track runs from Sep 6, 1961, 12:00 PM UTC to Sep 20, 1961, 12:00 AM UTC, with the tropical stage from Sep 7, 1961, 06:00 PM UTC to Sep 16, 1961, 09:00 PM UTC.
Where did Typhoon Nancy form?
In the Western Pacific basin, in the 1961 season. Its first archived position is 7.1°N, 173°E on Sep 6, 1961, 12:00 PM UTC.
Did Typhoon Nancy make landfall?
The archive places its center over land at 2 recorded positions; the strongest is 81 mph on Sep 16, 1961, 06:00 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