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WESTERN PACIFIC · 1972 SEASON

Typhoon Rita (1972)

Recorded track and intensity · 5 Jul 1972–30 Jul 1972

PEAK INTENSITYCategory 5
THE COMPLETE TRACKOpen in the explorer
RITA: complete recorded track, 5 Jul 1972–30 Jul 1972Recorded track from 5 Jul 1972 to 30 Jul 1972. Colors show the recorded wind category. The highlighted position follows the replay controls.JAPANPHILIPPINESINDIA5 Jul, 00:00 UTC6 Jul, 00:00 UTC7 Jul, 00:00 UTC8 Jul, 00:00 UTC9 Jul, 00:00 UTC10 Jul, 00:00 UTC11 Jul, 00:00 UTC12 Jul, 00:00 UTC13 Jul, 00:00 UTC14 Jul, 00:00 UTC15 Jul, 00:00 UTC16 Jul, 00:00 UTC17 Jul, 00:00 UTC18 Jul, 00:00 UTC19 Jul, 00:00 UTC20 Jul, 00:00 UTC21 Jul, 00:00 UTC22 Jul, 00:00 UTC23 Jul, 00:00 UTC24 Jul, 00:00 UTC25 Jul, 00:00 UTC26 Jul, 00:00 UTC27 Jul, 00:00 UTC28 Jul, 00:00 UTC29 Jul, 00:00 UTC30 Jul, 00:00 UTCPeak · Category 55 JUL30 JUL

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

Wind speed & pressure

11 Jul, 00:00 UTC
Wind speed 145 ktPressure 910 hPa
0900809601601020kthPa5 Jul13 Jul21 Jul30 Jul

Forward speed & ACE

11 Jul, 00:00 UTC
Forward speed 5 ktCumulative ACE 17.45 10⁴ kt²
001532.53065kt10⁴ kt²5 Jul13 Jul21 Jul30 Jul

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 wind145 kt

167 mph / 269 km/h

Minimum recorded pressure910 hPa

11 Jul 1972 · tropical stage

Recorded track duration25 days

Full archive record, including non-tropical stages if present

Approximate track distance8,630 km

Along the recorded center positions

STORM HISTORY

Track and intensity summary

Rita is listed in the Western Pacific basin for the 1972 season. Its archived track begins on 5 Jul 1972, 00:00 UTC at 9.5°N, 150.5°E. The first observation lists sustained winds of 10 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 10 Jul 1972, 09:00 UTC. The highest recorded tropical-stage one-minute sustained wind is 145 knots (167 mph / 269 km/h), first recorded on 11 Jul 1972, 00:00 UTC at 17.7°N, 134.2°E. The minimum recorded tropical-stage central pressure is 910 hPa on 11 Jul 1972, 00:00 UTC.

The full record spans 600 hours and approximately 8,630 kilometers along the recorded center positions. The last recorded position is 48°N, 117.6°E on 30 Jul 1972, 00:00 UTC. The final tropical-stage observation is earlier, on 26 Jul 1972, 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