1972 Pacific hurricane season

Infobox hurricane season
Basin=EPac
Year=1972
Track=1972 Pacific hurricane season map.png First storm formed=June 1, 1972
Last storm dissipated=November 20, 1972
Strongest storm name=Celeste
Strongest storm pressure=940
Strongest storm winds=115
Average wind speed=1
Total depressions=19
Total storms=14
Total hurricanes=8
Total intense=4
Fatalities=
Da

Inflated=
five seasons=1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974The 1972 Pacific hurricane season began on May 15, 1972 in the east Pacific, and on June 1, 1972 in the central Pacific. It ended on November 30, 1972. These dates conventionally delimit the period of time when tropical cyclones form in the east Pacific Ocean.

This season had a below average number of storms. There were twelve tropical cyclones. Of those, four were tropical storms, eight were hurricanes, and four were major hurricanes that reached Category 3 or higher on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale. In the central Pacific, two tropical storms and two tropical depressions formed. One of the depressions and one of the storms crossed the dateline to become typhoons.

__TOC__

torms

Hurricane Annette

Infobox Hurricane Small
Basin=EPac


Track=Annette 1972 track.pngFormed=June 1
Dissipated=June 7
1-min winds=75
Prepressure=≤
Pressure=993On June 1, a tropical storm formed and moved slowly north. It intensified into a hurricane before weakening again. It made landfall in western Mexico on June 7 and dissipated the next day.

Tropical Storm Bonny

Infobox Hurricane Small
Basin=EPac

---

Formed=July 27
Dissipated=July 30
1-min winds=45
Pressure=996

Hurricane Celeste

Infobox Hurricane Small
Basin=EPac


Track=Celeste 1972 track.pngFormed=August 6
Dissipated=August 22
1-min winds=115
Pressure=940Celeste was the strongest storm of the season. It passed close to Johnston Atoll where it did a heavy damage. Many buildings on the weather station on the island lost roof tiles, and parts of most buildings were sandblasted by the wind. Hawaii's Big Island was also pounded with waves. The specifics regarding extent, type, and cost of damage to military facilities on the island is unavailable. However, Program 437, an anti-satellite weapons system, was destroyed.

After raking Johnston, Celeste turned north and was quickly destroyed by wind shear on August 22.

Hurricane Diana

Infobox Hurricane Small
Basin=EPac


Track=Diana 1972 track.pngFormed=August 11
Dissipated=August 20
1-min winds=95As a tropical storm, Diana briefly threatened the Hawaiian Islands. Instead, it veered north and dumped rain. At Vacationland, surf swept four homes off their foundations, doing extensive damage to one of them. Another home was flooded. Debris was carried inland, and 200 feet of private roads were washed away. Diana dissipated August 20.

Hurricane Estelle

Infobox Hurricane Small
Basin=EPac

---

Formed=August 15
Dissipated=August 22
1-min winds=70

Hurricane Fernanda

Infobox Hurricane Small
Basin=EPac

---

Formed=August 20
Dissipated=September 1
1-min winds=100
Prepressure=≤
Pressure=948

Hurricane Gwen

Infobox Hurricane Small
Basin=EPac

---

Formed=August 22
Dissipated=August 31
1-min winds=110
Prepressure=≤
Pressure=941

Hurricane Hyacinth

Infobox Hurricane Small
Basin=EPac


Track=Hyacinth 1972 track.pngFormed=August 28
Dissipated=September 6
1-min winds=110
Prepressure=≤
Pressure=962Hyacinth was a Category 3 major hurricane. It headed out to sea. After weakening to a tropical storm, it recurved and headed straight for California. It made landfall in the state as a depression and dissipated September 7.

Tropical Storm Iva

Infobox Hurricane Small
Basin=EPac

---

Formed=September 14
Dissipated=September 22
1-min winds=45
Prepressure=≤
Pressure=999

Tropical Storm June

Infobox Hurricane Small
Basin=EPac

---

Formed=September 24
Dissipated=September 28
1-min winds=50

Hurricane Joanne

Infobox Hurricane Small
Basin=EPac


Track=Joanne 1972 track.pngFormed=September 30
Dissipated=October 6
1-min winds=85
Prepressure=≤
Pressure=971Hurricane Joanne recurved and made landfall in Baja California as a fast-moving tropical storm. It continued north, and maintained gale-force winds and a closed circulation as it entered Arizona, the first recorded time this had happened. There was severe flooding in the areas of Clifton, Duncan, and Safford. Heavy rains were recorded elsewhere in the region, but the damage total is not known. Joanne dissipated October 7.

Tropical Storm Kathleen

Infobox Hurricane Small
Basin=EPac

---

Formed=October 18
Dissipated=October 19
1-min winds=40

Tropical Storm Ruby

Infobox Hurricane Small
Basin=EPac

---

Formed=November 11
Dissipated=November 14
1-min winds=45Ruby reached typhoon strength in the western Pacific after crossing the dateline. An area of disturbed weather organized into a depression on November 11. It moved west and slowly intensified. Ruby became a typhoon just after crossing the dateline. On November 16, Ruby peaked at Category 3 strength and 944 mb. The typhoon then weakened. Ruby was torn apart by wind shear on November 19, located about midway between Wake and Guam.

Tropical Storm Liza

Infobox Hurricane Small
Basin=EPac

---

Formed=November 13
Dissipated=November 15
1-min winds=45A tropical depression formed on November 13, a few hundred miles west of Central America. Liza moved westward, and became a tropical storm on November 14. It reached peak strength of 65 mph, estimated by satellite imagery. Liza dissipated on November 16.

Other storms

A tropical depression formed September 28 east of the Hawaiian Islands. It headed towards the archipelago and dissipated on the afternoon of October 3. It remnants dumped nearly a foot of rain on the mountains of the Big Island.

1972 Storm Names

These names were used for storms that formed in the east Pacific ocean this season. It is the same list used in the 1968 season. No names were retired, so this list was used again in the 1976 season.The central Pacific used names and numbers from the west Pacific's typhoon list. Two names — June and Ruby — were required.

ee also

*List of Pacific hurricanes
*List of Pacific hurricane seasons
*1972 Atlantic hurricane season
*1972 Pacific typhoon season
*1972 North Indian Ocean cyclone season
*Southern Hemisphere tropical cyclone seasons: 1971–72, 1972–73

External links

* [http://docs.lib.noaa.gov/rescue/mwr/101/mwr-101-04-0339.pdf Eastern North Pacific Hurricane Season of 1972]
* [http://www.prh.noaa.gov/cphc/summaries/1972.php CPHC Season Summary]
* [http://metocph.nmci.navy.mil/jtwc/atcr/1972atcr/pdf/annexa.pdf ATCR Eastern Pacific summary]
* [http://www.weather.unisys.com/hurricane/e_pacific/1972/index.html Unisys Storm Tracks]
* [http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/psr/tropics/hurricanes.htm Arizona's tropical cyclones]