Super Typhoon Opal (1962)

Basin

Western Pacific

Dates

July 30, 1962 to August 14, 1962

Peak strength

Category 5, 145 kt (167 mph)

Lowest pressure

900 mb (26.58 inHg)

Landfall

Yes

Accumulated cyclone energy

19.0

Fastest the center moved

31 kt (36 mph)

Identifier

WP101962

No source this site reads publishes a machine-readable casualty or damage figure for a storm of this era. The National Hurricane Center’s season tables begin in 1995 and carry deaths and damage only from 2005 in the Atlantic and 2020 in both basins; the US Storm Events record begins in 1996.

• Tropical Storm FranWestern Pacific · 1962Tropical Storm45 kt · 1002 mb
• Super Typhoon GeorgiaWestern Pacific · 1962Cat 4130 kt · 930 mb
• Typhoon HopeWestern Pacific · 1962Cat 180 kt · 980 mb
• Unnamed tropical depressionWestern Pacific · 1962Tropical Depression
• Tropical Storm IrisWestern Pacific · 1962Tropical Storm60 kt · 990 mb
• Typhoon JoanWestern Pacific · 1962Cat 180 kt · 985 mb
• Unnamed tropical depressionWestern Pacific · 1962Tropical Depression
• Unnamed tropical depressionWestern Pacific · 1962Tropical Depression
• Typhoon KateWestern Pacific · 1962Cat 180 kt · 970 mb
• Unnamed tropical depressionWestern Pacific · 1962Tropical Depression
• Typhoon LouiseWestern Pacific · 1962Cat 180 kt · 960 mb
• Typhoon NoraWestern Pacific · 1962Cat 175 kt · 968 mb
• Tropical Storm MargeWestern Pacific · 1962Tropical Storm40 kt · 1002 mb
• Unnamed tropical depressionWestern Pacific · 1962Tropical Depression
• Typhoon PatsyWestern Pacific · 1962Cat 165 kt · 988 mb
• Super Typhoon RuthWestern Pacific · 1962Cat 5160 kt · 915 mb
• Typhoon SarahWestern Pacific · 1962Cat 175 kt · 975 mb
• Unnamed tropical depressionWestern Pacific · 1962Tropical Depression
• Typhoon ThelmaWestern Pacific · 1962Cat 4115 kt · 950 mb
• Typhoon VeraWestern Pacific · 1962Cat 170 kt · 990 mb
• Typhoon WandaWestern Pacific · 1962 · 183 deathsCat 295 kt · 960 mb
• Super Typhoon AmyWestern Pacific · 1962Cat 5140 kt · 940 mb
• Unnamed tropical depressionWestern Pacific · 1962Tropical Depression
• Tropical Storm Babe:BabsWestern Pacific · 1962Tropical Storm55 kt · 994 mb
• Unnamed tropical depressionWestern Pacific · 1962Tropical Depression1002 mb
• Typhoon Carla:ClaraWestern Pacific · 1962Cat 170 kt · 985 mb
• Unnamed tropical depressionWestern Pacific · 1962Tropical Depression
• Unnamed tropical depressionWestern Pacific · 1962Tropical Depression
• Typhoon DinahWestern Pacific · 1962Cat 3100 kt · 955 mb
• Super Typhoon EmmaWestern Pacific · 1962Cat 5140 kt · 890 mb
• Typhoon FredaWestern Pacific · 1962Cat 3100 kt · 950 mb
• Typhoon GildaWestern Pacific · 1962Cat 4115 kt · 955 mb
• Tropical Storm HarrietWestern Pacific · 1962Tropical Storm50 kt · 1000 mb
• Unnamed tropical depressionWestern Pacific · 1962Tropical Depression
• Typhoon IvyWestern Pacific · 1962Cat 3100 kt · 996 mb
• Typhoon JeanWestern Pacific · 1962Cat 290 kt · 975 mb
• Super Typhoon KarenWestern Pacific · 1962Cat 5160 kt · 900 mb
• Typhoon LucyWestern Pacific · 1962Cat 3100 kt · 975 mb
• Unnamed tropical depressionWestern Pacific · 1962Tropical Depression
• Tropical Storm MaryWestern Pacific · 1962Tropical Storm45 kt
• Tropical Storm NadineWestern Pacific · 1962Tropical Storm50 kt · 974 mb

A best track is the record a warning agency settles on after the storm, not what it said at the time: position, maximum sustained wind and central pressure every six hours, revised against every observation that came in later. Category is the Saffir-Simpson scale, which runs from Category 1 at 64 kt to Category 5 at 137 kt and reads wind only, so it says nothing about surge or rain. Accumulated cyclone energy adds up the square of the wind through the storm's life, so it counts strength and duration together.

Storm history from NOAA NCEI’s International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship (IBTrACS), which merges the official best track of every warning agency. Live storms, cones, watches and warnings from the National Hurricane Center and the Central Pacific Hurricane Center. Archived radar from NOAA’s Level II archive.

• Wikipedia article: Typhoon Opal