The 1978 hurricane season

Every storm track on one map · Atlantic & Pacific · 43 systems

Atlantic storms
12
5 hurricanes · 2 major
Atlantic ACE
63
1991–2020 avg ≈ 123
Strongest
138 mph
Ella
Landfalling
0
Atlantic storms
Pacific storms
19
14 hurricanes · 7 major
Pacific strongest
138 mph
Fico

TD TS Cat 1 2 3 4 5 · hover a track to highlight it, click to open the storm’s own page with an animated replay.

01 · Summary

How the 1978 season went

The 1978 Atlantic season produced 12 tropical storms, 5 hurricanes and 2 major hurricanes (Cat 3+), with an accumulated cyclone energy (ACE) of 63. The strongest was Hurricane Ella at 138 mph / 956 mb. 0 storms made landfall.

The 1978 Eastern Pacific season (Eastern and Central Pacific) produced 19 tropical storms, 14 hurricanes and 7 major hurricanes (Cat 3+), with an accumulated cyclone energy (ACE) of 207. The strongest was Hurricane Fico at 138 mph. 0 storms made landfall.

02 · Timeline

Storm by storm, month by month

JANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVUnnamed storm #1 — January 18–23, 1978Unnamed storm #1 TSHurricane Aletta — May 30 – June 1, 1978Aletta Cat 1Tropical Storm Bud — June 17–20, 1978Bud TSHurricane Carlotta — June 17–25, 1978Carlotta Cat 4Unnamed storm #2 — June 21–22, 1978Unnamed storm #2 TDHurricane Daniel — June 26 – July 3, 1978Daniel Cat 3Tropical Storm Emilia — July 6–10, 1978Emilia TSHurricane Fico — July 9–28, 1978Fico Cat 4Unnamed storm #3 — July 10–12, 1978Unnamed storm #3 TDHurricane Gilma — July 13–20, 1978Gilma Cat 3Hurricane Hector — July 22–29, 1978Hector Cat 4Tropical Storm Amelia — July 30 – August 1, 1978Amelia TSTropical Storm Bess — August 5–8, 1978Bess TSHurricane Cora — August 7–12, 1978Cora Cat 1Unnamed storm #7 — August 7–11, 1978Unnamed storm #7 TDUnnamed storm #8 — August 9–10, 1978Unnamed storm #8 TDHurricane Iva — August 11–15, 1978Iva Cat 1Hurricane John — August 18–30, 1978John Cat 2Hurricane Kristy — August 18–28, 1978Kristy Cat 2Tropical Storm Lane — August 19–24, 1978Lane TSHurricane Miriam — August 23 – September 2, 1978Miriam Cat 1Tropical Storm Debra — August 26–29, 1978Debra TSHurricane Ella — August 30 – September 5, 1978Ella Cat 4Unnamed storm #11 — August 30 – September 1, 1978Unnamed storm #11 TDHurricane Norman — August 30 – September 7, 1978Norman Cat 4Unnamed storm #12 — September 3–11, 1978Unnamed storm #12 TDHurricane Flossie — September 4–16, 1978Flossie Cat 2Unnamed storm #14 — September 8–10, 1978Unnamed storm #14 TDTropical Storm Hope — September 12–21, 1978Hope TSHurricane Greta — September 13–20, 1978Greta Cat 4Unnamed storm #17 — September 18–29, 1978Unnamed storm #17 TDHurricane Olivia — September 20–23, 1978Olivia Cat 1Unnamed storm #18 — September 21–23, 1978Unnamed storm #18 TDTropical Storm Paul — September 23–27, 1978Paul TSTropical Storm Irma — October 2–5, 1978Irma TSHurricane Rosa — October 2–7, 1978Rosa Cat 1Tropical Storm Juliet — October 7–11, 1978Juliet TSUnnamed storm #21 — October 13–17, 1978Unnamed storm #21 TDHurricane Susan — October 18–24, 1978Susan Cat 4Tropical Storm Sergio — October 18–21, 1978Sergio TSUnnamed storm #22 — October 26–29, 1978Unnamed storm #22 TDHurricane Kendra — October 28 – November 3, 1978Kendra Cat 1Unnamed storm #24 — November 3–5, 1978Unnamed storm #24 TD

Each bar is one storm’s life, colored by its strength at that moment (faded = post-tropical). Click a bar to open the storm.

03 · Atlantic

Atlantic storms of 1978

StormDatesPeakPressureLandfallACE
Unnamed storm #1Jan 18 – Jan 23TS 46 mph1002 mb—1.7
Unnamed storm #2Jun 21 – Jun 22TD 29 mph——0.0
Unnamed storm #3Jul 10 – Jul 12TD 35 mph——0.0
Tropical Storm AmeliaJul 30 – Aug 1TS 52 mph1005 mb—0.5
Tropical Storm BessAug 5 – Aug 8TS 52 mph1005 mb—1.2
Hurricane CoraAug 7 – Aug 12Cat 1 92 mph980 mb—4.4
Unnamed storm #7Aug 7 – Aug 11TD 35 mph——0.0
Unnamed storm #8Aug 9 – Aug 10TD 29 mph——0.0
Tropical Storm DebraAug 26 – Aug 29TS 58 mph1000 mb—0.4
Hurricane EllaAug 30 – Sep 5Cat 4 138 mph956 mb—19.2
Unnamed storm #11Aug 30 – Sep 1TD 35 mph——0.0
Unnamed storm #12Sep 3 – Sep 11TD 35 mph——0.0
Hurricane FlossieSep 4 – Sep 16Cat 2 98 mph976 mb—11.7
Unnamed storm #14Sep 8 – Sep 10TD 35 mph——0.0
Tropical Storm HopeSep 12 – Sep 21TS 63 mph987 mb—5.4
Hurricane GretaSep 13 – Sep 20Cat 4 132 mph947 mb—11.6
Unnamed storm #17Sep 18 – Sep 29TD 35 mph——0.0
Unnamed storm #18Sep 21 – Sep 23TD 35 mph——0.0
Tropical Storm IrmaOct 2 – Oct 5TS 52 mph1001 mb—0.9
Tropical Storm JulietOct 7 – Oct 11TS 52 mph1006 mb—2.4
Unnamed storm #21Oct 13 – Oct 17TD 35 mph——0.0
Unnamed storm #22Oct 26 – Oct 29TD 29 mph——0.0
Hurricane KendraOct 28 – Nov 3Cat 1 81 mph990 mb—3.8
Unnamed storm #24Nov 3 – Nov 5TD 29 mph——0.0

04 · Pacific

Eastern & Central Pacific storms of 1978

StormDatesPeakPressureLandfallACE
Hurricane AlettaMay 30 – Jun 1Cat 1 75 mph——1.4
Tropical Storm BudJun 17 – Jun 20TS 58 mph——1.9
Hurricane CarlottaJun 17 – Jun 25Cat 4 132 mph——20.0
Hurricane DanielJun 26 – Jul 3Cat 3 115 mph——11.4
Tropical Storm EmiliaJul 6 – Jul 10TS 63 mph——2.7
Hurricane FicoJul 9 – Jul 28Cat 4 138 mph——62.8
Hurricane GilmaJul 13 – Jul 20Cat 3 115 mph——12.3
Hurricane HectorJul 22 – Jul 29Cat 4 138 mph——16.6
Hurricane IvaAug 11 – Aug 15Cat 1 75 mph——4.4
Hurricane JohnAug 18 – Aug 30Cat 2 104 mph——13.1
Hurricane KristyAug 18 – Aug 28Cat 2 104 mph——15.9
Tropical Storm LaneAug 19 – Aug 24TS 52 mph——2.0
Hurricane MiriamAug 23 – Sep 2Cat 1 92 mph——5.2
Hurricane NormanAug 30 – Sep 7Cat 4 138 mph——14.8
Hurricane OliviaSep 20 – Sep 23Cat 1 75 mph——3.3
Tropical Storm PaulSep 23 – Sep 27TS 46 mph——0.6
Hurricane RosaOct 2 – Oct 7Cat 1 86 mph——5.4
Hurricane SusanOct 18 – Oct 24Cat 4 132 mph——12.6
Tropical Storm SergioOct 18 – Oct 21TS 40 mph——0.7
← Previous season1977Next season →1979

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