NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information
Summary
Eleven named storms occurred across the globe in October, which was near the 1991-2020 average of 12.0. Seven of those reached tropical cyclone strength (≥74 mph), and four reached major tropical cyclone strength (≥111 mph). The global accumulated cyclone energy (ACE: an integrated metric of the strength, frequency, and duration of tropical storms) was about 85% of the 1991-2020 average for October.
The Atlantic basin saw five named storms occur during the month of October. This is above the average of 3.2 named storms occurring during October. Four tropical cyclone strength storms occurred during the month, two of which became major tropical cyclones. These are both above the average of 1.7 tropical cyclones and 0.8 major tropical cyclones for October. As a result Atlantic ACE values for the month of October were over 300% higher than average. The first named storm of the month was Hurricane Kirk, which peaked as a Category 4 with winds of 145 mph and a minimum central pressure of 934 mb. The storm remained over open waters throughout its life, though the extratropical remnants brought high winds and rain to parts of Europe causing extensive damage. The second storm of the month Hurricane Leslie peaked as a Category 2 hurricane with winds of 105 mph and a minimum central pressure of 972 mb. The storm remained away from land over the central Atlantic. The third storm, Hurricane Milton, was the most noteworthy storm of the month. Milton peaked as an extremely intense Category 5 hurricane over the southern Gulf of Mexico, before weakening and making landfall as a major hurricane on the west coast of Florida just to the south of Tampa Bay. Milton peaked as one of the strongest storms in Atlantic history, with winds of 175 mph and a minimum central pressure of 901 mb. Despite weakening to a Category 3 hurricane prior to landfall, the storm caused catastrophic damage in Florida due to high winds, heavy rainfall, and significant storm surge. The storm surge impacted parts of the Florida coast which had recently dealt with surge impacts from Hurricane Helene in late September. The final two storms of the month were Tropical Storm Nadine and Hurricane Oscar. Nadine peaked as a low end tropical storm before making landfall in Belize. The remnants of Nadine would cross into the Pacific and eventually lead to the formation of Hurricane Kristy in the East Pacific. Hurricane Oscar was a very compact hurricane that formed and intensified very rapidly before striking Cuba as a Category 1 storm.
The East Pacific basin saw below-average activity during October with the occurrence of just one named storm. This is below the mean of 2.8 named storms during the month. The only storm, Hurricane Kristy, originated from the remnants of Tropical Storm Nadine which had crossed Central America after landfall in Belize. Hurricane Kristy peaked as a Category 5 hurricane with winds of 160 mph and a minimum central pressure of 926 mb. Kristy remained away from land after formation.
The West Pacific basin saw five named storms occur during the month of October, which is near the average of 4.2. The first two storms, Typhoon Jebi and Super Typhoon Krathon had formed in late September but persisted into early October. Typhoon Jebi peaked as a Category 1 equivalent typhoon with winds of 80 mph and a minimum central pressure of 976 mb. Super Typhoon Krathon was the most notable storm of the month in the West Pacific peaking as a Category 4 equivalent typhoon with maximum sustained winds of 145 mph and a minimum central pressure of 927 mb. Krathon moved erratically and slowly to the south of Taiwan, weakening before eventually making landfall as a Category 1 equivalent typhoon. The storm brought high winds and heavy rain to the area causing extensive damage. After Krathon, October saw the formation of two weak systems, Tropical Storm Barijat and Tropical Storm Trami. Barijat peaked as a weak tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 45 mph and a minimum central pressure of 988 mb, while Trami peaked as a moderate strength tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph and a minimum central pressure of 988 mb. At the end of the month, Typhoon Kong-Rey formed. Kong-Rey peaked as a strong Category 4-equivalent Typhoon with maximum sustained winds of 145 mph and a minimum central pressure of 927 mb. Kong-Rey made landfall in Taiwan as a powerful major tropical cyclone, causing extensive damage due to high winds and heavy rain. Overall, ACE values in the West Pacific were only around 60% of average for the month.
The North Indian Ocean saw the occurrence of one named storm during the month of October, Cyclonic Storm Dana. Dana peaked as a strong tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 70 mph and a minimum central pressure of 988 mb. The storm brought heavy rains and gusty winds to parts of coastal India along the Bay of Bengal.
The South Indian Ocean saw the occurrence of one named storm during the month of October as well. Severe Tropical Storm Ancha peaked as a moderate tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph and a minimum central pressure of 954 mb. Ancha remained over open water and did not impact land.
No other storms formed globally during the month of October, which made for a near average month for tropical cyclones. No storms formed in the Australian region or in the Southwest Pacific, which is typical for the month. Through the end of October there have been 70 named storms, 33 tropical cyclone strength storms, and 16 major tropical cyclone strength storms. This is below the average of 76.1 for named storms, tropical cyclones strength storms (41.6) and major tropical cyclones strength storms (22.6). As a result, global ACE values through the end of October are only about 65% of average, as many of the tropical cyclones thus far this year have been weak/short lived.
North Atlantic
| Name |
Maximum CategoryMax Cat |
Dates >39 mph |
Maximum Sustained Winds | Minimum Central Pressure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 4 | September 30-October 7Sep 30-Oct 7 | 145 mph | 934 mb |
 | 2 | October 3Oct 3-12 | 105 mph | 972 mb |
 | 5 | October 5Oct 5-10 | 175 mph | 901 mb |
 | 1 | October 19Oct 19-22 | 85 mph | 986 mb |
 | 5 | October 19Oct 19-27 | 160 mph‡ | 926 mb‡ |
| †Some ACE occurred in September. | ||||
| ‡Value occurred in the East Pacific basin. | ||||
| ‖Some ACE occurred in the East Pacific basin. | ||||
| Storm Type | Count | 1991-2020 Mean |
1981-2024 Rank* |
1851-2024 Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tropical Storm Winds ≥ 39 mph (34 kts) | 5 | 3.2 | 6th (tied with 2 other Octobers) | 9 (1950) |
| Hurricane Winds ≥ 74 mph (64 kts) | 4 | 1.7 | 2nd (tied with 4 other Octobers) | 5 (1870, 1878, 1950, 2010) |
| Major Hurricane Winds ≥ 111 mph (96 kts) | 2 | 0.8 (8 in 10 Octobers) | 2nd (tied with 4 other Octobers) | 3 (2020) |
| Accumulated Cyclone Energy ACE×10⁴ kt² | 67.0 | 21.4 | 2nd | 87.8 (1878) |
| Storm Type | Count | 1991-2020 Mean |
1981-2024 Rank* |
1851-2024 Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tropical Storm Winds ≥ 39 mph (34 kts) | 15 | 13.5 | 11th (tied with 3 other seasons) | 27 (2020) |
| Hurricane Winds ≥ 74 mph (64 kts) | 10 | 6.6 | 5th (tied with 2 other seasons) | 14 (2005) |
| Major Hurricane Winds ≥ 111 mph (96 kts) | 4 | 3.0 | 8th (tied with 4 other seasons) | 7 (2005) |
| Accumulated Cyclone Energy ACE×10⁴ kt² | 145.3 | 115.6 | 11th | 252.6 (1933) |
East Pacific
| Name |
Maximum CategoryMax Cat |
Dates >39 mph |
Maximum Sustained Winds | Minimum Central Pressure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | October 19Oct 19-27 | 160 mph | 926 mb |
| **Some ACE occurred in the North Atlantic basin. | ||||
| Storm Type | Count | 1991-2020 Mean |
1981-2024 Rank* |
1949-2024 Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tropical Storm Winds ≥ 39 mph (34 kts) | 1 | 2.8 | 37th (tied with 5 other Octobers) | 6 (1992, 2018) |
| Hurricane Winds ≥ 74 mph (64 kts) | 1 | 1.3 | 20th (tied with 14 other Octobers) | 3 (11 Octobers) |
| Major Hurricane Winds ≥ 111 mph (96 kts) | 1 | 0.7 (7 in 10 Octobers) | 9th (tied with 18 other Octobers) | 3 (1983, 1992, 2018, 2023) |
| Accumulated Cyclone Energy ACE×10⁴ kt² | 21.6 | 18.2 | 18th | 78.0 (2018) |
| Storm Type | Count | 1991-2020 Mean |
1981-2024 Rank* |
1949-2024 Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tropical Storm Winds ≥ 39 mph (34 kts) | 12 | 16.4 | 37th (tied with 2 other seasons) | 27 (1992) |
| Hurricane Winds ≥ 74 mph (64 kts) | 5 | 8.6 | 40th (tied with 1 other season) | 16 (1990, 1992) |
| Major Hurricane Winds ≥ 111 mph (96 kts) | 3 | 4.6 | 27th (tied with 5 other seasons) | 10 (1992, 2015, 2018) |
| Accumulated Cyclone Energy ACE×10⁴ kt² | 81.9 | 130.1 | 36th | 315.3 (2018) |
West Pacific
| Name |
Maximum CategoryMax Cat |
Dates >39 mph |
Maximum Sustained Winds | Minimum Central Pressure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 1 | September 27-October 2Sep 27-Oct 2 | 80 mph | 976 mb |
 | 4 | September 28-October 3Sep 28-Oct 3 | 145 mph | 927 mb |
 | TS | October 7Oct 7-10 | 45 mph | 988 mb |
 | TS | October 22Oct 22-27 | 70 mph | 978 mb |
 | 4 | October 25-November 1Oct 25-Nov 1 | 145 mph | 927 mb |
| †Some ACE occurred in September. | ||||
| ††Some ACE occurred in November. | ||||
| Storm Type | Count | 1991-2020 Mean |
1981-2024 Rank* |
1945-2024 Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tropical Storm Winds ≥ 39 mph (34 kts) | 5 | 4.2 | 14th (tied with 8 other Octobers) | 9 (1984, 2013) |
| Typhoon Winds ≥ 74 mph (64 kts) | 3 | 3.2 | 16th (tied with 14 other Octobers) | 7 (1992, 2013) |
| Major Typhoon Winds ≥ 111 mph (96 kts) | 2 | 2.1 | 12th (tied with 18 other Octobers) | 5 (1962, 2013) |
| Accumulated Cyclone Energy ACE×10⁴ kt² | 35.0 | 58.1 | 31st | 127.6 (1992) |
| Storm Type | Count | 1991-2020 Mean |
1981-2024 Rank* |
1945-2024 Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tropical Storm Winds ≥ 39 mph (34 kts) | 19 | 22.6 | 35th (tied with 2 other seasons) | 34 (1994) |
| Typhoon Winds ≥ 74 mph (64 kts) | 11 | 14.2 | 32nd (tied with 6 other seasons) | 23 (1971) |
| Major Typhoon Winds ≥ 111 mph (96 kts) | 6 | 8.3 | 27th (tied with 6 other seasons) | 14 (1965, 2015) |
| Accumulated Cyclone Energy ACE×10⁴ kt² | 141.4 | 256.2 | 39th | 471.1 (1997) |
North Indian
| Name |
Maximum CategoryMax Cat |
Dates >39 mph |
Maximum Sustained Winds | Minimum Central Pressure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 1 | October 23Oct 23-25 | 75 mph | 985 mb |
| Storm Type | Count | 1991-2020 Mean |
1981-2024 Rank* |
1972-2024 Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tropical Storm Winds ≥ 39 mph (34 kts) | 1 | 1.1 | 15th (tied with 19 other Octobers) | 2 (14 Octobers) |
| Cyclone Winds ≥ 74 mph (64 kts) | 1 | 0.4 (4 in 10 Octobers) | 5th (tied with 6 other Octobers) | 2 (1999, 2014, 2018, 2023) |
| Major Cyclone Winds ≥ 111 mph (96 kts) | 0 | 0.3 (3 in 10 Octobers) | 9th (tied with 35 other Octobers) | 2 (1999, 2014) |
| Accumulated Cyclone Energy ACE×10⁴ kt² | 2.9 | 5.3 | 14th | 26.2 (2019) |
| Storm Type | Count | 1991-2020 Mean |
1981-2024 Rank* |
1972-2024 Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tropical Storm Winds ≥ 39 mph (34 kts) | 3 | 3.3 | 17th (tied with 9 other seasons) | 6 (5 seasons) |
| Cyclone Winds ≥ 74 mph (64 kts) | 1 | 1.2 | 12th (tied with 15 other seasons) | 4 (2019, 2023) |
| Major Cyclone Winds ≥ 111 mph (96 kts) | 0 | 0.8 (8 in 10 seasons) | 21st (tied with 23 other seasons) | 3 (1999, 2019, 2023) |
| Accumulated Cyclone Energy ACE×10⁴ kt² | 6.2 | 15.4 | 27th | 68.9 (2019) |
South Indian
| Name |
Maximum CategoryMax Cat |
Dates >39 mph |
Maximum Sustained Winds | Minimum Central Pressure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | TS | October 1Oct 1-3 | 60 mph | 954 mb |
| Storm Type | Count | 1991-2020 Mean |
1981-2024 Rank* |
1956-2024 Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tropical Storm Winds ≥ 39 mph (34 kts) | 1 | 0.5 (5 in 10 Octobers) | 3rd (tied with 15 other Octobers) | 2 (1993, 2002) |
| Cyclone Winds ≥ 74 mph (64 kts) | 0 | 0.1 (1 in 10 Octobers) | 5th (tied with 40 other Octobers) | 1 (1982, 1984, 1997, 2013) |
| Major Cyclone Winds ≥ 111 mph (96 kts) | 0 | 0.0 (0 in 10 Octobers) | 2nd (tied with 43 other Octobers) | 1 (2013) |
| Accumulated Cyclone Energy ACE×10⁴ kt² | 1.6 | 1.0 | 9th | 12.5 (2013) |
| Storm Type | Count | 1991-2020 Mean |
1981-2024 Rank* |
1956-2024 Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tropical Storm Winds ≥ 39 mph (34 kts) | 1 | 0.8 (8 in 10 seasons) | 8th (tied with 17 other seasons) | 3 (1997) |
| Cyclone Winds ≥ 74 mph (64 kts) | 0 | 0.1 (1 in 10 seasons) | 6th (tied with 39 other seasons) | 1 (5 seasons) |
| Major Cyclone Winds ≥ 111 mph (96 kts) | 0 | 0.0 (0 in 10 seasons) | 2nd (tied with 43 other seasons) | 1 (2013) |
| Accumulated Cyclone Energy ACE×10⁴ kt² | 1.6 | 1.6 | 14th | 12.5 (2013) |
Australia
No Australia Tropical Cyclones occurred during October 2024.
| Storm Type | Count | 1991-2020 Mean |
1981-2024 Rank* |
1956-2024 Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tropical Storm Winds ≥ 39 mph (34 kts) | 0 | 0.1 (1 in 10 Octobers) | 6th (tied with 39 other Octobers) | 1 (5 Octobers) |
| Tropical Cyclone Winds ≥ 74 mph (64 kts) | 0 | 0.0 (0 in 10 Octobers) | 2nd (tied with 43 other Octobers) | 1 (1984) |
| Major Tropical Cyclone Winds ≥ 111 mph (96 kts) | 0 | 0.0 (0 in 10 Octobers) | 1st (tied with 44 other Octobers) | 0 |
| Accumulated Cyclone Energy ACE×10⁴ kt² | 0.0 | 0.2 (2 in 10 Octobers) | 6th (tied with 39 other Octobers) | 2.2 (1984) |
| Storm Type | Count | 1991-2020 Mean |
1981-2024 Rank* |
1956-2024 Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tropical Storm Winds ≥ 39 mph (34 kts) | 0 | 0.3 (3 in 10 seasons) | 12th (tied with 33 other seasons) | 2 (1997) |
| Tropical Cyclone Winds ≥ 74 mph (64 kts) | 0 | 0.0 (0 in 10 seasons) | 2nd (tied with 43 other seasons) | 1 (1984) |
| Major Tropical Cyclone Winds ≥ 111 mph (96 kts) | 0 | 0.0 (0 in 10 seasons) | 1st (tied with 44 other seasons) | 0 |
| Accumulated Cyclone Energy ACE×10⁴ kt² | 0.0 | 0.3 (3 in 10 seasons) | 12th (tied with 33 other seasons) | 2.2 (1984) |
Southwest Pacific
No Southwest Pacific Tropical Cyclones occurred during October 2024.
| Storm Type | Count | 1991-2020 Mean |
1981-2024 Rank* |
1956-2024 Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tropical Storm Winds ≥ 39 mph (34 kts) | 0 | 0.2 (2 in 10 Octobers) | 6th (tied with 39 other Octobers) | 3 (1998) |
| Tropical Cyclone Winds ≥ 74 mph (64 kts) | 0 | 0.0 (0 in 10 Octobers) | 3rd (tied with 42 other Octobers) | 1 (2007, 2024) |
| Major Tropical Cyclone Winds ≥ 111 mph (96 kts) | 0 | 0.0 (0 in 10 Octobers) | 3rd (tied with 42 other Octobers) | 1 (2007, 2024) |
| Accumulated Cyclone Energy ACE×10⁴ kt² | 0.0 | 0.5 (5 in 10 Octobers) | 6th (tied with 39 other Octobers) | 12.4 (2024) |
| Storm Type | Count | 1991-2020 Mean |
1981-2024 Rank* |
1956-2024 Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tropical Storm Winds ≥ 39 mph (34 kts) | 0 | 0.3 (3 in 10 seasons) | 8th (tied with 37 other seasons) | 3 (1998) |
| Tropical Cyclone Winds ≥ 74 mph (64 kts) | 0 | 0.0 (0 in 10 seasons) | 3rd (tied with 42 other seasons) | 1 (2007, 2024) |
| Major Tropical Cyclone Winds ≥ 111 mph (96 kts) | 0 | 0.0 (0 in 10 seasons) | 3rd (tied with 42 other seasons) | 1 (2007, 2024) |
| Accumulated Cyclone Energy ACE×10⁴ kt² | 0.0 | 0.6 (6 in 10 seasons) | 7th (tied with 38 other seasons) | 12.4 (2024) |
Global
| Name |
Maximum CategoryMax Cat |
Dates >39 mph |
Maximum Sustained Winds | Minimum Central Pressure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 27-October 2Sep 27-Oct 2 | 80 mph | 976 mb |
| 4 | September 28-October 3Sep 28-Oct 3 | 145 mph | 927 mb |
| 4 | September 30-October 7Sep 30-Oct 7 | 145 mph | 934 mb |
| TS | October 1Oct 1-3 | 60 mph | 954 mb |
| 2 | October 3Oct 3-12 | 105 mph | 972 mb |
| 5 | October 5Oct 5-10 | 175 mph | 901 mb |
| TS | October 7Oct 7-10 | 45 mph | 988 mb |
| 1 | October 19Oct 19-22 | 85 mph | 986 mb |
| 5 | October 19Oct 19-27 | 160 mph | 926 mb |
| TS | October 22Oct 22-27 | 70 mph | 978 mb |
| 1 | October 23Oct 23-25 | 75 mph | 985 mb |
| 4 | October 25-November 1Oct 25-Nov 1 | 145 mph | 927 mb |
| †Some ACE occurred in September. | ||||
| ††Some ACE occurred in November. | ||||
| Storm Type | Count | 1991-2020 Mean |
1981-2024 Rank* |
1972-2024 Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tropical Storm Winds ≥ 39 mph (34 kts) | 12 | 12.0 | 18th (tied with 7 other Octobers) | 20 (1992) |
| Tropical Cyclone Winds ≥ 74 mph (64 kts) | 9 | 6.7 | 4th (tied with 5 other Octobers) | 11 (1992) |
| Major Tropical Cyclone Winds ≥ 111 mph (96 kts) | 5 | 4.0 | 8th (tied with 5 other Octobers) | 7 (5 Octobers) |
| Accumulated Cyclone Energy ACE×10⁴ kt² | 128.0 | 104.8 | 12th | 206.3 (2018) |
| Storm Type | Count | 1991-2020 Mean |
1981-2024 Rank* |
1972-2024 Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tropical Storm Winds ≥ 39 mph (34 kts) | 71 | 76.1 | 30th (tied with 2 other seasons) | 92 (2018) |
| Tropical Cyclone Winds ≥ 74 mph (64 kts) | 35 | 41.6 | 37th (tied with 5 other seasons) | 53 (1990) |
| Major Tropical Cyclone Winds ≥ 111 mph (96 kts) | 17 | 22.6 | 33rd (tied with 1 other season) | 35 (2015) |
| Accumulated Cyclone Energy ACE×10⁴ kt² | 499.0 | 686.5 | 37th | 1,012.3 (2018) |
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.