Storm history › West Pacific › 1972 season
Typhoon Rita (1972)
Rita was a Category 5 typhoon of the 1972 West Pacific season. It was tracked from July 5, 1972 to July 30, 1972, about 25 days, and covered 5,305 miles.
At its peak it had winds of 165 mph (270 km/h) and a lowest pressure of 910 mb.
Its closest pass to a major city was 0 miles from Tanggu, China.
- Peak wind
- 165 mph
- Lowest pressure
- 910 mb
- Strongest
- Category 5 typhoon
- Duration
- 25 days
- Track length
- 5,305 mi
- Energy (ACE)
- 62.5
DepressionTropical stormCat 1Cat 2Cat 3Cat 4Cat 5
Closest pass to major cities
| City | Closest pass |
|---|---|
| Tanggu, China | 0 mi (0 km) |
| Ulanqab, China | 1 mi (2 km) |
| Langfang, China | 3 mi (4 km) |
| Weihai, China | 5 mi (8 km) |
| Tianjin, China | 7 mi (11 km) |
| Beijing, China | 17 mi (27 km) |
| Yantai, China | 28 mi (46 km) |
How it compares
- Peak winds: 109th highest of 2,271 West Pacific storms on record, tied with Typhoon Yagi (2024), Typhoon Hinnamnor (2022), Typhoon Noru (2022) and 16 more.
- Lowest pressure: 121st lowest of 2,047 West Pacific storms with a recorded pressure, tied with Typhoon Ragasa (2025), Typhoon Maria (2018), Typhoon Ewiniar (2006) and 30 more.
- Energy: 16% of the 1972 West Pacific season's ACE.