NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information
Summary
|
Tropical Storm
Winds ≥ 39 mph (34 kts)
|
Tropical Cyclone
Winds ≥ 74 mph (64 kts)
|
Major Tropical Cyclone
Winds ≥ 111 mph (96 kts)
|
Category 5 Cyclone
Winds ≥ 157 mph (137 kts)
|
ACE
ACE×10⁴ kt²
|
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Atlantic | 20++ | 7 | 3 | 1+ | 144 |
| Eastern North Pacific | 17 | 10+ | 8+ | 2+ | 166+ |
| Western North Pacific | 17-- | 12- | 8 | 2 | 268 |
| North Indian | 8++ | 4++ | 3++ | 1++ | 56++ |
| South Indian | 9- | 7+ | 4+ | 1++ | 134+ |
| Australia | 9- | 5 | 4+ | 0 | 67 |
| Southwest Pacific | 6 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 31 |
| Global | 78- | 45 | 30+ | 7+ | 854+ |
Seventy-eight named storms occurred across the globe in 2023, which was below the 1991-2020 average of 87.5. Forty-five of those reached tropical cyclone strength (≥74 mph), and thirty reached major tropical cyclone strength (≥111 mph). These also included seven storms that reached category 5 (≥157 mph) on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale. The global accumulated cyclone energy (ACE: an integrated metric of the strength, frequency, and duration of tropical storms) was about 8% above the 1991-2020 average.
The North Atlantic had 20 named storms, which was much above the 1991-2020 average of 14.4. Seven of those were hurricanes, including three major hurricanes. The ACE was about 18% above normal. Idalia was the only billion dollar hurricane to impact the continental United States in 2023. In just 30 hours, Idalia went from a tropical storm to making landfall in the Florida Big Bend region as a major hurricane with widespread flooding. Lee was the strongest storm in the Atlantic in 2023 and the only category 5 storm. Lee's wind field expanded as it weakened, which caused tropical storm conditions on Bermuda, New England, and Atlantic Canada.
The East Pacific hurricane season had 17 named storms, which was near the 1991-2020 average. Of those, 10 became hurricanes including 8 major hurricanes. The ACE was about 25% above the 1991-2020 average. Hilary peaked as a category 4 hurricane before making landfall as a tropical storm on the northern Baja peninsula. It maintained tropical storm strength as it crossed into Southern California bringing heavy rain and flooding to the Southwest. Jova was the first category 5 storm in the East Pacific in 2023, but remained off shore with minimal impacts. The season's other category 5 storm, Otis, rapidly intensified to become the strongest hurricane on record to make landfall along Mexico's west coast. It caused catastrophic damage to Acapulco City.
The West Pacific had 17 named storms, including Dora, which crossed the dateline from the East Pacific. The only year since 1951 with fewer named storms in the West Pacific was 2010 with 15. Twelve of the storms became typhoons including 8 major typhoons. The ACE was about 11% below the 1991-2020 average. Mawar was the first category 5 typhoon of the season. Before reaching its peak strength, it became just the third category 4 (winds ≥130 mph) typhoon to pass within 100 miles of Guam in the Western Pacific. Doksuri was the most destructive West Pacific storm in 2023. It passed near the northern Philippines as a category 4 storm. As it moved northwestward, Doksuri caused heavy rain and flooding in Taiwan and eastern China. Bolaven was the second category 5 typhoon near the Northern Mariana Islands.
The North Indian Ocean had arguably its second most active season on record with three major cyclones and about 225% of the 1991-2020 average ACE. Only 2019 exceeded these levels with five major cyclones and over 375% of the average ACE. The most significant storm of the season was Mocha, which achieved category 5 strength as it approached landfall in Myanmar. It made landfall as a category 4 cyclone, and the winds, rainfall, and storm surge resulted in hundreds of deaths.
The tropical cyclone seasons in the Southern Hemisphere basins begin in July and end in June, so the seasons summarized here are the 2022/23 seasons that ended in June 2023. It is also more common for storms to cross basins in the Southern Hemisphere, so some storms are counted in multiple basins.
The South Indian Ocean ACE was about 40% above the 1991-2020 average. The most noteworthy storm was Freddy, which formed near Indonesia and crossed the Indian Ocean before making landfall over Madagascar and Mozambique. After weakening over southeastern Africa, Freddy redeveloped over the Mozambique Channel and regained major cyclone strength. It eventually made another landfall over Mozambique before dissipating 35 days after it first developed. If verified, this would be the longest lifespan for a tropical cyclone on record. It caused heavy rain and flooding over Madagascar, Malawi, and Mozambique.
The Australian and Southwest Pacific were both near normal in terms of ACE. The remnants of Gabrielle caused over $1 billion USD with heavy rain and flooding in New Zealand, becoming one of the costliest Southern Hemisphere cyclones ever. Ilsa made landfall over Northwest Australia as a category 4 cyclone on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale—setting a record for the strongest winds observed in western Australia. Fortunately, Ilsa made landfall in a sparsely populated portion of northwestern Australia, which limited its impacts.
North Atlantic
| Name |
Maximum CategoryMax Cat |
Dates >39 mph |
Maximum Sustained Winds | Minimum Central Pressure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | TS | June 2Jun 2-3 | 40 mph | 998 mb |
 | TS | June 19Jun 19-24 | 70 mph | 996 mb |
 | TS | June 23Jun 23-26 | 60 mph | 1001 mb |
 | 1 | July 14Jul 14-24 | 75 mph | 988 mb |
 | TS | August 20Aug 20-21 | 50 mph | 1001 mb |
 | 4 | August 20-September 1Aug 20-Sep 1 | 150 mph | 926 mb |
 | TS | August 21Aug 21 | 40 mph | 1006 mb |
 | TS | August 22Aug 22 | 50 mph | 998 mb |
 | 3 | August 27Aug 27-31 | 120 mph | 944 mb |
 | TS | August 31-September 1Aug 31-Sep 1 | 60 mph | 997 mb |
 | TS | September 1Sep 1-4 | 60 mph | 998 mb |
 | TS | September 2Sep 2-3 | 60 mph | 998 mb |
 | 5 | September 5Sep 5-16 | 165 mph | 926 mb |
 | 1 | September 7Sep 7-17 | 90 mph | 970 mb |
 | 2 | September 17Sep 17-22 | 100 mph | 971 mb |
 | TS | September 22Sep 22-23 | 70 mph | 981 mb |
 | TS | September 23-October 6Sep 23-Oct 6 | 50 mph | 998 mb |
 | TS | September 28-October 1Sep 28-Oct 1 | 50 mph | 999 mb |
 | TS | October 11Oct 11-14 | 45 mph | 1004 mb |
 | 2 | October 18Oct 18-29 | 105 mph | 965 mb |
| Storm Type | Count | 1991-2020 Mean |
1981-2023 Rank* |
1851-2023 Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tropical Storm Winds ≥ 39 mph (34 kts) | 20 | 14.4 | 4th | 30 (2020) |
| Hurricane Winds ≥ 74 mph (64 kts) | 7 | 7.2 | 17th (tied with 7 other seasons) | 15 (2005) |
| Major Hurricane Winds ≥ 111 mph (96 kts) | 3 | 3.2 | 14th (tied with 7 other seasons) | 7 (2005, 2020) |
| Accumulated Cyclone Energy ACE×10⁴ kt² | 144.1 | 122.5 | 13th | 258.6 (1933) |
East Pacific
| Name |
Maximum CategoryMax Cat |
Dates >39 mph |
Maximum Sustained Winds | Minimum Central Pressure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 2 | June 27-July 2Jun 27-Jul 2 | 105 mph | 970 mb |
 | 1 | June 29-July 1Jun 29-Jul 1 | 85 mph | 992 mb |
 | 3 | July 12Jul 12-19 | 125 mph | 955 mb |
 | 4 | August 1Aug 1-14 | 145 mph | 942 mb |
 | TS | August 5Aug 5-7 | 70 mph | 992 mb |
| Dora | 2 | August 12Aug 12 | 100 mph | 972 mb |
 | 4 | August 13Aug 13-17 | 130 mph | 955 mb |
 | TS | August 14Aug 14-17 | 50 mph | 1000 mb |
 | 4 | August 16Aug 16-21 | 145 mph | 939 mb |
 | TS | August 27Aug 27-29 | 45 mph | 997 mb |
 | 5 | September 5Sep 5-10 | 160 mph | 929 mb |
 | TS | September 19Sep 19-22 | 50 mph | 1000 mb |
 | 4 | October 3Oct 3-11 | 140 mph | 942 mb |
 | TS | October 9Oct 9-10 | 65 mph | 991 mb |
 | 4 | October 17Oct 17-23 | 130 mph | 941 mb |
 | 5 | October 22Oct 22-25 | 165 mph | 923 mb |
 | TS | October 30-November 5Oct 30-Nov 5 | 60 mph | 996 mb |
 | TS | November 25Nov 25-26 | 45 mph | 1002 mb |
| Storm Type | Count | 1991-2020 Mean |
1981-2023 Rank* |
1949-2023 Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tropical Storm Winds ≥ 39 mph (34 kts) | 17 | 17.0 | 23rd (tied with 4 other seasons) | 27 (1992) |
| Hurricane Winds ≥ 74 mph (64 kts) | 10 | 8.8 | 14th (tied with 5 other seasons) | 16 (1990, 1992, 2014, 2015) |
| Major Hurricane Winds ≥ 111 mph (96 kts) | 8 | 4.6 | 6th (tied with 2 other seasons) | 11 (2015) |
| Accumulated Cyclone Energy ACE×10⁴ kt² | 166.3 | 132.8 | 14th | 318.1 (2018) |
West Pacific
| Name |
Maximum CategoryMax Cat |
Dates >39 mph |
Maximum Sustained Winds | Minimum Central Pressure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | TS | April 20Apr 20-21 | 50 mph | 999 mb |
 | 5 | May 20-June 3May 20-Jun 3 | 185 mph | 897 mb |
 | 2 | June 6Jun 6-13 | 100 mph | 956 mb |
 | 1 | July 15Jul 15-18 | 80 mph | 971 mb |
 | 4 | July 22Jul 22-28 | 145 mph | 926 mb |
 | 4 | July 28-August 10Jul 28-Aug 10 | 135 mph | 928 mb |
| 4 | August 1Aug 1-14 | 145 mph† | 942 mb† |
 | 4 | August 8Aug 8-17 | 130 mph | 936 mb |
 | 4 | August 24-September 3Aug 24-Sep 3 | 155 mph | 921 mb |
 | 1 | August 25Aug 25-28 | 75 mph | 977 mb |
 | 3 | August 28-September 4Aug 28-Sep 4 | 120 mph | 947 mb |
 | TS | August 30-September 2Aug 30-Sep 2 | 70 mph | 991 mb |
 | TS | September 6Sep 6-8 | 45 mph | 992 mb |
 | 4 | September 30-October 9Sep 30-Oct 9 | 135 mph | 940 mb |
 | 5 | October 7Oct 7-14 | 175 mph | 903 mb |
 | TS | October 18Oct 18-20 | 45 mph | 1001 mb |
 | TS | December 17Dec 17 | 40 mph | 1002 mb |
| †Value occurred in the Eastern North Pacific | ||||
| Storm Type | Count | 1991-2020 Mean |
1981-2023 Rank* |
1945-2023 Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tropical Storm Winds ≥ 39 mph (34 kts) | 17 | 26.0 | 41st | 38 (1964) |
| Typhoon Winds ≥ 74 mph (64 kts) | 12 | 16.1 | 34th (tied with 4 other seasons) | 26 (1964) |
| Major Typhoon Winds ≥ 111 mph (96 kts) | 8 | 9.4 | 23rd (tied with 5 other seasons) | 16 (2015) |
| Accumulated Cyclone Energy ACE×10⁴ kt² | 268.2 | 299.8 | 25th | 588.3 (1997) |
North Indian
| Name |
Maximum CategoryMax Cat |
Dates >39 mph |
Maximum Sustained Winds | Minimum Central Pressure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 5 | May 11May 11-14 | 160 mph | 918 mb |
 | 3 | June 6Jun 6-16 | 120 mph | 945 mb |
 | TS | June 9Jun 9-10 | 45 mph | 991 mb |
 | TS | July 31-August 1Jul 31-Aug 1 | 45 mph | 987 mb |
 | 3 | October 20Oct 20-24 | 125 mph | 956 mb |
 | 1 | October 23Oct 23-25 | 90 mph | 978 mb |
 | TS | November 16Nov 16-17 | 45 mph | 1001 mb |
 | TS | December 3Dec 3-5 | 70 mph | 987 mb |
| Storm Type | Count | 1991-2020 Mean |
1981-2023 Rank* |
1972-2023 Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tropical Storm Winds ≥ 39 mph (34 kts) | 8 | 5.4 | 3rd (tied with 3 other seasons) | 11 (1992) |
| Cyclone Winds ≥ 74 mph (64 kts) | 4 | 2.1 | 3rd (tied with 4 other seasons) | 6 (2019) |
| Major Cyclone Winds ≥ 111 mph (96 kts) | 3 | 1.1 | 2nd (tied with 1 other season) | 5 (2019) |
| Accumulated Cyclone Energy ACE×10⁴ kt² | 56.0 | 24.6 | 2nd | 93.0 (2019) |
South Indian
| Name |
Maximum CategoryMax Cat |
Dates >39 mph |
Maximum Sustained Winds | Minimum Central Pressure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | TS | September 26Sep 26-27 | 45 mph | 998 mb |
 | TS | October 6Oct 6-9 | 45 mph | 998 mb |
 | 4 | December 18Dec 18-31 | 155 mph | 922 mb |
 | 1 | January 17Jan 17-30 | 90 mph | 967 mb |
 | 5 | February 6Feb 6-24 | 160 mph | 924 mb |
 | 1 | February 9Feb 9-16 | 90 mph | 976 mb |
 | 1 | February 22Feb 22-28 | 85 mph | 984 mb |
 | 3 | March 4Mar 4-13 | 115 mph | 957 mb |
 | 3 | May 14May 14-21 | 115 mph | 962 mb |
| Storm Type | Count | 1991-2020 Mean |
1981-2023 Rank* |
1956-2023 Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tropical Storm Winds ≥ 39 mph (34 kts) | 9 | 10.4 | 30th (tied with 2 other seasons) | 16 (1997) |
| Cyclone Winds ≥ 74 mph (64 kts) | 7 | 6.0 | 11th (tied with 5 other seasons) | 11 (2019) |
| Major Cyclone Winds ≥ 111 mph (96 kts) | 4 | 3.5 | 7th (tied with 11 other seasons) | 9 (2019) |
| Accumulated Cyclone Energy ACE×10⁴ kt² | 133.7 | 94.3 | 7th | 186.9 (1994) |
Australia
| Name |
Maximum CategoryMax Cat |
Dates >39 mph |
Maximum Sustained Winds | Minimum Central Pressure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | TS | July 29Jul 29-31 | 50 mph | 995 mb |
 | TS | November 3Nov 3-5 | 40 mph | 1004 mb |
| 4 | December 18Dec 18-31 | 155 mph‡ | 922 mb‡ |
 | TS | December 22-January 4Dec 22-Jan 4 | 45 mph | 990 mb |
 | TS | January 6Jan 6-8 | 50 mph | 992 mb |
| 5 | February 6Feb 6-24 | 160 mph‡ | 924 mb‡ |
 | 2 | February 8Feb 8-12 | 100 mph | 958 mb |
 | 4 | March 29-April 2Mar 29-Apr 2 | 145 mph | 932 mb |
 | 4 | April 8Apr 8-13 | 145 mph | 929 mb |
| ‡Value occurred in the South Indian | ||||
| ‖Value occurred in the South Indian | ||||
| Storm Type | Count | 1991-2020 Mean |
1981-2023 Rank* |
1956-2023 Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tropical Storm Winds ≥ 39 mph (34 kts) | 9 | 10.6 | 28th (tied with 1 other season) | 19 (1999) |
| Tropical Cyclone Winds ≥ 74 mph (64 kts) | 5 | 4.8 | 14th (tied with 7 other seasons) | 9 (1992, 1996) |
| Major Tropical Cyclone Winds ≥ 111 mph (96 kts) | 4 | 2.4 | 5th (tied with 4 other seasons) | 6 (2015) |
| Accumulated Cyclone Energy ACE×10⁴ kt² | 66.6 | 59.5 | 12th | 111.3 (1999) |
Southwest Pacific
| Name |
Maximum CategoryMax Cat |
Dates >39 mph |
Maximum Sustained Winds | Minimum Central Pressure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TS | January 6Jan 6-8 | 50 mph | 992 mb‖ |
 | TS | January 18Jan 18-19 | 60 mph | 992 mb |
 | TS | January 20Jan 20-21 | 40 mph | 999 mb |
| 2 | February 8Feb 8-12 | 100 mph‖ | 958 mb‖ |
 | 3 | February 27-March 4Feb 27-Mar 4 | 125 mph | 941 mb |
 | 4 | March 1Mar 1-7 | 155 mph | 918 mb |
| ‖Value occurred in the Southwest Pacific | ||||
| **Value occurred in the Southwest Pacific | ||||
| Storm Type | Count | 1991-2020 Mean |
1981-2023 Rank* |
1956-2023 Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tropical Storm Winds ≥ 39 mph (34 kts) | 6 | 7.0 | 17th (tied with 10 other seasons) | 16 (1998) |
| Tropical Cyclone Winds ≥ 74 mph (64 kts) | 3 | 3.8 | 19th (tied with 9 other seasons) | 10 (1998) |
| Major Tropical Cyclone Winds ≥ 111 mph (96 kts) | 2 | 1.9 | 13th (tied with 6 other seasons) | 6 (2003) |
| Accumulated Cyclone Energy ACE×10⁴ kt² | 30.7 | 50.4 | 25th | 128.8 (1998) |
Global
| Name |
Maximum CategoryMax Cat |
Dates >39 mph |
Maximum Sustained Winds | Minimum Central Pressure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TS | December 22-January 4Dec 22-Jan 4 | 45 mph | 990 mb |
| TS | January 6Jan 6-8 | 50 mph | 992 mb |
| 1 | January 17Jan 17-30 | 90 mph | 967 mb |
| TS | January 18Jan 18-19 | 60 mph | 992 mb |
| TS | January 20Jan 20-21 | 40 mph | 999 mb |
| 5 | February 6Feb 6-24 | 160 mph | 924 mb |
| 2 | February 8Feb 8-12 | 100 mph | 958 mb |
| 1 | February 9Feb 9-16 | 90 mph | 976 mb |
| 1 | February 22Feb 22-28 | 85 mph | 984 mb |
| 3 | February 27-March 4Feb 27-Mar 4 | 125 mph | 941 mb |
| 4 | March 1Mar 1-7 | 155 mph | 918 mb |
| 3 | March 4Mar 4-13 | 115 mph | 957 mb |
| 4 | March 29-April 2Mar 29-Apr 2 | 145 mph | 932 mb |
| 4 | April 8Apr 8-13 | 145 mph | 929 mb |
| TS | April 20Apr 20-21 | 50 mph | 999 mb |
| 5 | May 11May 11-14 | 160 mph | 918 mb |
| 3 | May 14May 14-21 | 115 mph | 962 mb |
| 5 | May 20-June 3May 20-Jun 3 | 185 mph | 897 mb |
| TS | June 2Jun 2-3 | 40 mph | 998 mb |
| 3 | June 6Jun 6-16 | 120 mph | 945 mb |
| 2 | June 6Jun 6-13 | 100 mph | 956 mb |
| TS | June 9Jun 9-10 | 45 mph | 991 mb |
| TS | June 19Jun 19-24 | 70 mph | 996 mb |
| TS | June 23Jun 23-26 | 60 mph | 1001 mb |
| 2 | June 27-July 2Jun 27-Jul 2 | 105 mph | 970 mb |
| 1 | June 29-July 1Jun 29-Jul 1 | 85 mph | 992 mb |
| 3 | July 12Jul 12-19 | 125 mph | 955 mb |
| 1 | July 14Jul 14-24 | 75 mph | 988 mb |
| 1 | July 15Jul 15-18 | 80 mph | 971 mb |
| 4 | July 22Jul 22-28 | 145 mph | 926 mb |
| 4 | July 28-August 10Jul 28-Aug 10 | 135 mph | 928 mb |
| TS | July 31-August 1Jul 31-Aug 1 | 45 mph | 987 mb |
| 4 | August 1Aug 1-14 | 145 mph | 942 mb |
| TS | August 5Aug 5-7 | 70 mph | 992 mb |
| 4 | August 8Aug 8-17 | 130 mph | 936 mb |
| Dora | 2 | August 12Aug 12 | 100 mph | 972 mb |
| 4 | August 13Aug 13-17 | 130 mph | 955 mb |
| TS | August 14Aug 14-17 | 50 mph | 1000 mb |
| 4 | August 16Aug 16-21 | 145 mph | 939 mb |
| TS | August 20Aug 20-21 | 50 mph | 1001 mb |
| 4 | August 20-September 1Aug 20-Sep 1 | 150 mph | 926 mb |
| TS | August 21Aug 21 | 40 mph | 1006 mb |
| TS | August 22Aug 22 | 50 mph | 998 mb |
| 4 | August 24-September 3Aug 24-Sep 3 | 155 mph | 921 mb |
| 1 | August 25Aug 25-28 | 75 mph | 977 mb |
| TS | August 27Aug 27-29 | 45 mph | 997 mb |
| 3 | August 27Aug 27-31 | 120 mph | 944 mb |
| 3 | August 28-September 4Aug 28-Sep 4 | 120 mph | 947 mb |
| TS | August 30-September 2Aug 30-Sep 2 | 70 mph | 991 mb |
| TS | August 31-September 1Aug 31-Sep 1 | 60 mph | 997 mb |
| TS | September 1Sep 1-4 | 60 mph | 998 mb |
| TS | September 2Sep 2-3 | 60 mph | 998 mb |
| 5 | September 5Sep 5-16 | 165 mph | 926 mb |
| 5 | September 5Sep 5-10 | 160 mph | 929 mb |
| TS | September 6Sep 6-8 | 45 mph | 992 mb |
| 1 | September 7Sep 7-17 | 90 mph | 970 mb |
| 2 | September 17Sep 17-22 | 100 mph | 971 mb |
| TS | September 19Sep 19-22 | 50 mph | 1000 mb |
| TS | September 22Sep 22-23 | 70 mph | 981 mb |
| TS | September 23-October 6Sep 23-Oct 6 | 50 mph | 998 mb |
| TS | September 28-October 1Sep 28-Oct 1 | 50 mph | 999 mb |
| 4 | September 30-October 9Sep 30-Oct 9 | 135 mph | 940 mb |
| 4 | October 3Oct 3-11 | 140 mph | 942 mb |
| 5 | October 7Oct 7-14 | 175 mph | 903 mb |
| TS | October 9Oct 9-10 | 65 mph | 991 mb |
| TS | October 11Oct 11-14 | 45 mph | 1004 mb |
| 4 | October 17Oct 17-23 | 130 mph | 941 mb |
| 2 | October 18Oct 18-29 | 105 mph | 965 mb |
| TS | October 18Oct 18-20 | 45 mph | 1001 mb |
| 3 | October 20Oct 20-24 | 125 mph | 956 mb |
 | 4 | October 21Oct 21-25 | 135 mph | 941 mb |
| 5 | October 22Oct 22-25 | 165 mph | 923 mb |
| 1 | October 23Oct 23-25 | 90 mph | 978 mb |
| TS | October 30-November 5Oct 30-Nov 5 | 60 mph | 996 mb |
 | 1 | November 13Nov 13-16 | 85 mph | 977 mb |
| TS | November 16Nov 16-17 | 45 mph | 1001 mb |
| TS | November 25Nov 25-26 | 45 mph | 1002 mb |
| TS | December 3Dec 3-5 | 70 mph | 987 mb |
 | 4 | December 5Dec 5-14 | 135 mph | 937 mb |
| TS | December 17Dec 17 | 40 mph | 1002 mb |
| Storm Type | Count | 1991-2020 Mean |
1981-2023 Rank* |
1972-2023 Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tropical Storm Winds ≥ 39 mph (34 kts) | 78 | 87.5 | 34th (tied with 4 other seasons) | 106 (2020) |
| Tropical Cyclone Winds ≥ 74 mph (64 kts) | 45 | 47.6 | 24th (tied with 3 other seasons) | 59 (1990, 2018) |
| Major Tropical Cyclone Winds ≥ 111 mph (96 kts) | 30 | 25.6 | 6th (tied with 1 other season) | 39 (2015) |
| Accumulated Cyclone Energy ACE×10⁴ kt² | 853.6 | 784.3 | 11th | 1,148.5 (1992) |
Data Description
The data in this report are derived from NCEI's IBTrACS dataset (Knapp et al. 2010; Schreck et al. 2014). IBTrACS tropical cyclone track and intensity data from agencies and sources around the globe. In this report, data from NOAA's National Hurricane Center (NHC) are used for the North Atlantic and East Pacific. The other basins use data from the U.S. Military's Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC).
Historical values use the "best track" data that have been analyzed by forecasters after the season using all available data. Operational procedures and observing systems have changed with time and between regions, which makes these data heterogeneous. Intensity data are generally the most reliable since the early 1970s in the Atlantic (Landsea and Franklin 2013) and since the mid-1980s in other regions (Chu et al. 2002). The number of short-lived storms (≤2 days) has also increased since around 2000 due to improvements in observations and analysis techniques (Landsea et al. 2010).
Values for the current year are provisional values from the operational forecast advisories. IBTrACS obtains these from NCEP's TC Vitals, the NCAR Tropical Cyclone Guidance Project, and NHC provisional data. These values are subject to change during the post-season best track analysis. They also only include 6-hourly storm fixes, which means they may miss special advisories at landfall, peak intensity, etc.
The tropical cyclone seasons in the Southern Hemisphere begin in July and end in June, while the Northern Hemisphere seasons are counted from January to December. Storms are counted in all basins, months, and years in which they occur, which means some storms may appear more than once. However, the global totals only include each storm one time.
References
- Chu, J.-H., C. R. Sampson, A. S. Levine, and E. Fukada, 2002: The joint typhoon warning center tropical cyclone best-tracks, 1945–2000. Naval Research Laboratory, Reference Number NRL/MR/7540-02-16, 22 pp., https://www.metoc.navy.mil/jtwc/products/best-tracks/tc-bt-report.html.
- Knapp, K. R., M. C. Kruk, D. H. Levinson, H. J. Diamond, and C. J. Neumann, 2010: The International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship (IBTrACS). Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc., 91, 363–376, https://doi.org/10.1175/2009BAMS2755.1.
- Landsea, C. W., and J. L. Franklin, 2013: Atlantic Hurricane database uncertainty and presentation of a new database format. Mon. Wea. Rev., 141, 3576–3592, https://doi.org/10.1175/MWR-D-12-00254.1.
- ——, G. A. Vecchi, L. Bengtsson, and T. R. Knutson, 2010: Impact of duration thresholds on Atlantic tropical cyclone counts. J. Climate, 23, 2508–2519, https://doi.org/10.1175/2009JCLI3034.1.
- Schreck, C. J., K. R. Knapp, and J. P. Kossin, 2014: The Impact of Best Track Discrepancies on Global Tropical Cyclone Climatologies using IBTrACS. Mon. Wea. Rev., 142, 3881–3899, https://doi.org/10.1175/MWR-D-14-00021.1.