1953 Western Pacific typhoon season
Typhoon Nina 1953
Typhoon Nina developed near Micronesia in August 1953 and strengthened into a Category 5 cyclone on its northwestern journey toward China. After reaching the mainland, it turned north and continued toward Japan as its tropical phase ended.
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184 mph
Aug 13, 1953 during the tropical stage
Full archive record, including non-tropical stages if present
Along the recorded center positions
STORM HISTORY
Intensification over the western Pacific
The archive first places Nina near 7.9°N, 154.7°E on 7 August. It moved northwest from Micronesian waters and first reached Category 5 strength at 12:00 UTC on 11 August. Six hours later, US-agency one-minute wind estimates reached 160 kt.
The lowest archived pressure, 885 hPa, occurred at 00:00 UTC on 13 August, after the first peak-wind observation. Nina remained an intense typhoon as it approached China, though its winds declined before the sampled center crossed land.
From China toward Japan
Nina reached China and curved north. At 21:00 UTC on 16 August, the archive places its center over land with winds of 110 kt. Tropical-stage observations continue through 18 August, followed by the later portion of the track toward Japan.
The historical account describes Nina reaching Japan on 20 August as an extratropical cyclone. Its full archived track continues until 23 August, covering more than two weeks from the first observations near Micronesia.
Further reading
QUICK ANSWERS
Nina in brief
What was Typhoon Nina's highest wind speed?
184 mph, the highest one-minute sustained wind in its tropical stage, recorded on Aug 11, 1953, 06:00 PM UTC.
What category was Typhoon Nina?
Category 5 at its peak on the Saffir–Simpson one-minute wind scale, first reaching Category 5 on Aug 11, 1953, 12:00 PM UTC. Other agencies classify storms differently.
What was Typhoon Nina's lowest pressure?
885 mb, the minimum central pressure recorded during its tropical stage, on Aug 13, 1953, 12:00 AM UTC.
When did Typhoon Nina occur?
The archived track runs from Aug 7, 1953, 06:00 AM UTC to Aug 23, 1953, 06:00 AM UTC, with the tropical stage from Aug 7, 1953, 06:00 PM UTC to Aug 18, 1953, 09:00 PM UTC.
Where did Typhoon Nina form?
In the Western Pacific basin, in the 1953 season. Its first archived position is 7.9°N, 154.7°E on Aug 7, 1953, 06:00 AM UTC.
Did Typhoon Nina make landfall?
The archive places its center over land at 1 recorded position; the strongest is 127 mph on Aug 16, 1953, 09:00 PM 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