Super Typhoon Kujira (2003)
Super Typhoon Kujira reached Category 4 in the Western Pacific between April 8, 2003 and April 25, 2003, with a lowest pressure of 904 mb, and made landfall. It killed 2 people in the United States, by the National Weather Service’s record.
Track and intensity
The whole track of Super Typhoon Kujira, colored by strength, with the other storms of the 2003 season in the same basin behind it, and its wind and pressure hour by hour. Every fix is in the track table below.
The storm
- Basin
- Western Pacific
- Dates
- April 8, 2003 to April 25, 2003
- Peak strength
- Category 4, 135 kt (155 mph)
- Lowest pressure
- 904 mb (26.70 inHg)
- Landfall
- Yes
- Accumulated cyclone energy
- 46.2
- Tropical-storm-force wind reached
- 170 nmi (315 km, 196 mi) from the center at its widest
- Eyewall radius at its peak
- 15 nmi (28 km, 17 mi)
- Overall size
- 150 nmi (278 km, 173 mi) to the outermost closed isobar
- Fastest the center moved
- 40 kt (46 mph)
- Identifier
- WP022003
Deaths and damage
The sources count different things and are not added together.
NOAA Storm Events
2 deaths (2 direct, 0 indirect)none recorded
What National Weather Service offices recorded county by county in 1 states and marine areas, in the United States only. Property and crop damage as each office estimated it, which is not a national loss total.
In the United States
NOAA’s Storm Events database, the record National Weather Service offices compile months after a storm, as compiled March 2026.
- Deaths
- 2 (2 direct, 0 indirect)
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- none recorded
- Crop damage
- none recorded
- Events recorded
- 1 in 1 reports from 1 states and marine areas
State by state
| State or marine area | Deaths | Injuries | Damage | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guam | 2 | 0 | 1 |
What was recorded
1 tropical storm.
Track
| Time (UTC) | Position | Wind | Pressure | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 8, 06:00 | 2.6N 158.8E | 15 kt | 1006 mb | Tropical depression |
| Apr 8, 12:00 | 3.0N 159.5E | 25 kt | 1004 mb | Tropical depression |
| Apr 8, 18:00 | 3.4N 160.0E | 25 kt | 1002 mb | Tropical depression |
| Apr 9, 00:00 | 3.7N 160.2E | 30 kt | 1000 mb | Tropical depression |
| Apr 9, 06:00 | 4.1N 160.4E | 35 kt | 997 mb | Tropical storm |
| Apr 9, 12:00 | 4.6N 160.6E | 35 kt | 997 mb | Tropical storm |
| Apr 9, 18:00 | 5.4N 160.6E | 35 kt | 997 mb | Tropical storm |
| Apr 10, 00:00 | 6.5N 160.4E | 40 kt | 994 mb | Tropical storm |
| Apr 10, 06:00 | 7.5N 159.7E | 40 kt | 994 mb | Tropical storm |
| Apr 10, 12:00 | 8.1N 159.0E | 40 kt | 994 mb | Tropical storm |
| Apr 10, 18:00 | 8.6N 158.3E | 40 kt | 994 mb | Tropical storm |
| Apr 11, 00:00 | 9.1N 157.6E | 40 kt | 994 mb | Tropical storm |
| Apr 11, 06:00 | 9.6N 156.8E | 40 kt | 994 mb | Tropical storm |
| Apr 11, 12:00 | 10.0N 156.0E | 40 kt | 994 mb | Tropical storm |
| Apr 11, 18:00 | 10.2N 155.2E | 50 kt | 987 mb | Tropical storm |
| Apr 12, 00:00 | 10.2N 154.3E | 55 kt | 984 mb | Tropical storm |
| Apr 12, 06:00 | 10.2N 153.4E | 55 kt | 984 mb | Tropical storm |
| Apr 12, 12:00 | 10.2N 152.5E | 55 kt | 984 mb | Tropical storm |
| Apr 12, 18:00 | 10.1N 151.6E | 65 kt | 976 mb | Typhoon |
| Apr 13, 00:00 | 10.1N 150.7E | 65 kt | 976 mb | Typhoon |
| Apr 13, 06:00 | 10.2N 149.8E | 65 kt | 976 mb | Typhoon |
| Apr 13, 12:00 | 10.2N 149.0E | 75 kt | 967 mb | Typhoon |
| Apr 13, 18:00 | 10.3N 148.2E | 75 kt | 967 mb | Typhoon |
| Apr 14, 00:00 | 10.4N 147.3E | 90 kt | 954 mb | Typhoon |
| Apr 14, 06:00 | 10.6N 146.3E | 100 kt | 944 mb | Typhoon |
| Apr 14, 12:00 | 10.7N 145.2E | 110 kt | 933 mb | Typhoon |
| Apr 14, 18:00 | 11.1N 143.9E | 120 kt | 922 mb | Typhoon |
| Apr 15, 00:00 | 11.4N 142.5E | 125 kt | 916 mb | Typhoon |
| Apr 15, 06:00 | 11.9N 141.1E | 125 kt | 916 mb | Typhoon |
| Apr 15, 12:00 | 12.3N 139.6E | 125 kt | 916 mb | Typhoon |
| Apr 15, 18:00 | 12.6N 138.3E | 130 kt | 910 mb | Super typhoon |
| Apr 16, 00:00 | 13.0N 137.0E | 135 kt | 904 mb | Super typhoon |
| Apr 16, 06:00 | 13.4N 136.1E | 135 kt | 904 mb | Super typhoon |
| Apr 16, 12:00 | 13.8N 135.2E | 130 kt | 910 mb | Super typhoon |
| Apr 16, 18:00 | 14.0N 134.4E | 115 kt | 927 mb | Typhoon |
| Apr 17, 00:00 | 14.0N 133.6E | 115 kt | 938 mb | Typhoon |
| Apr 17, 06:00 | 13.7N 132.8E | 110 kt | 938 mb | Typhoon |
| Apr 17, 12:00 | 13.6N 132.0E | 105 kt | 938 mb | Typhoon |
| Apr 17, 18:00 | 13.5N 131.2E | 105 kt | 938 mb | Typhoon |
| Apr 18, 00:00 | 13.5N 130.6E | 115 kt | 927 mb | Typhoon |
| Apr 18, 06:00 | 13.5N 130.0E | 125 kt | 916 mb | Typhoon |
| Apr 18, 12:00 | 13.6N 129.5E | 125 kt | 916 mb | Typhoon |
| Apr 18, 18:00 | 13.9N 129.1E | 120 kt | 922 mb | Typhoon |
| Apr 19, 00:00 | 14.2N 128.7E | 115 kt | 927 mb | Typhoon |
| Apr 19, 06:00 | 14.7N 128.3E | 105 kt | 938 mb | Typhoon |
| Apr 19, 12:00 | 15.2N 127.8E | 95 kt | 949 mb | Typhoon |
| Apr 19, 18:00 | 15.7N 127.3E | 90 kt | 954 mb | Typhoon |
| Apr 20, 00:00 | 16.2N 126.6E | 85 kt | 958 mb | Typhoon |
| Apr 20, 06:00 | 16.7N 126.1E | 95 kt | 949 mb | Typhoon |
| Apr 20, 12:00 | 17.2N 125.6E | 100 kt | 944 mb | Typhoon |
| Apr 20, 18:00 | 17.9N 125.1E | 100 kt | 944 mb | Typhoon |
| Apr 21, 00:00 | 18.4N 124.6E | 100 kt | 944 mb | Typhoon |
| Apr 21, 06:00 | 18.7N 124.3E | 95 kt | 949 mb | Typhoon |
| Apr 21, 12:00 | 19.2N 124.4E | 85 kt | 958 mb | Typhoon |
| Apr 21, 18:00 | 19.7N 124.0E | 75 kt | 967 mb | Typhoon |
| Apr 22, 00:00 | 19.9N 123.5E | 55 kt | 984 mb | Tropical storm |
| Apr 22, 06:00 | 20.3N 123.2E | 50 kt | 987 mb | Tropical storm |
| Apr 22, 12:00 | 20.7N 123.3E | 45 kt | 991 mb | Tropical storm |
| Apr 22, 18:00 | 20.8N 122.9E | 45 kt | 991 mb | Tropical storm |
| Apr 23, 00:00 | 20.8N 122.5E | 35 kt | 997 mb | Tropical storm |
| Apr 23, 06:00 | 20.9N 122.4E | 35 kt | 997 mb | Tropical storm |
| Apr 23, 12:00 | 21.1N 122.4E | 35 kt | 997 mb | Tropical storm |
| Apr 23, 18:00 | 21.6N 122.5E | 35 kt | 997 mb | Tropical storm |
| Apr 24, 00:00 | 22.1N 122.8E | 35 kt | 997 mb | Tropical storm |
| Apr 24, 06:00 | 23.0N 123.2E | 35 kt | 997 mb | Tropical storm |
| Apr 24, 12:00 | 24.8N 124.0E | 35 kt | 997 mb | Tropical storm |
| Apr 24, 18:00 | 26.8N 125.4E | 35 kt | 997 mb | Tropical storm |
| Apr 25, 00:00 | 29.0N 127.3E | 35 kt | 997 mb | Tropical storm |
| Apr 25, 06:00 | 32.1N 130.1E | 30 kt | 1000 mb | Tropical depression |
| Apr 25, 12:00 | 34.2N 134.0E | 30 kt | 1000 mb | Tropical depression |
Other Western Pacific storms of 2003
- Unnamed tropical depressionWestern Pacific · 2003
- Typhoon Chan-HomWestern Pacific · 2003
- Tropical Storm LinfaWestern Pacific · 2003
- Tropical Storm NangkaWestern Pacific · 2003
- Typhoon SoudelorWestern Pacific · 2003
- Typhoon KoniWestern Pacific · 2003
- Super Typhoon ImbudoWestern Pacific · 2003
- Typhoon MorakotWestern Pacific · 2003
- Typhoon EtauWestern Pacific · 2003
- Typhoon KrovanhWestern Pacific · 2003
- Tropical Storm VamcoWestern Pacific · 2003
- Unnamed tropical depressionWestern Pacific · 2003
- Typhoon DujuanWestern Pacific · 2003
- Super Typhoon MaemiWestern Pacific · 2003
- Typhoon Choi-WanWestern Pacific · 2003
- Typhoon KoppuWestern Pacific · 2003
- Unnamed tropical depressionWestern Pacific · 2003
- Unnamed tropical depressionWestern Pacific · 2003
- Typhoon KetsanaWestern Pacific · 2003
- Super Typhoon ParmaWestern Pacific · 2003
- Unnamed tropical depressionWestern Pacific · 2003
- Unnamed tropical stormWestern Pacific · 2003
- Typhoon MelorWestern Pacific · 2003
- Typhoon NepartakWestern Pacific · 2003
- Super Typhoon LupitWestern Pacific · 2003
- Unnamed tropical stormWestern Pacific · 2003
What this means
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.
Sources
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.