Storm history › West Pacific › 1973 season
Typhoon Opal (1973)
Opal was a Category 1 typhoon of the 1973 West Pacific season. It was tracked from October 3, 1973 to October 12, 1973, about 8 days, and covered 1,294 miles.
At its peak it had winds of 85 mph (140 km/h) and a lowest pressure of 970 mb.
Its closest pass to a major city was 3 miles from Qui Nhon, Vietnam.
- Peak wind
- 85 mph
- Lowest pressure
- 970 mb
- Strongest
- Category 1 typhoon
- Duration
- 8 days
- Track length
- 1,294 mi
- Energy (ACE)
- 6.2
DepressionTropical stormCat 1Cat 2Cat 3Cat 4Cat 5
Closest pass to major cities
| City | Closest pass |
|---|---|
| Qui Nhon, Vietnam | 3 mi (4 km) |
| Buôn Ma Thuột, Vietnam | 90 mi (145 km) |
| Nha Trang, Vietnam | 103 mi (165 km) |
| Da Nang, Vietnam | 133 mi (214 km) |
How it compares
- Peak winds: 1043rd highest of 2,271 West Pacific storms on record, tied with Typhoon Chaba (2022), Typhoon Kulap (2022), Typhoon Nalgae (2022) and 97 more.
- Lowest pressure: 928th lowest of 2,047 West Pacific storms with a recorded pressure, tied with Typhoon Bang-Lang (2026), Typhoon Dujuan (2026), Typhoon Wipha (2025) and 66 more.
- Energy: 4% of the 1973 West Pacific season's ACE.