Olaf is the 15th name on the 2027 list of East Pacific hurricane names, so it is next scheduled for 2027. It is used that year only if the season reaches the letter O. Since 1985, seven storms have been named Olaf; the strongest, in 2005, peaked as a Category 5 cyclone.
No. Olaf is on the 2027 list of East Pacific names, and it is not among the 22 names NHC lists as retired from the eastern and central Pacific (Tropical Cyclone Naming History and Retired Names).
Olaf is next scheduled for 2027, when the 2027 list is used. The six lists rotate, so each one returns every six years.
A name on the list is used only if the season gets that far. Olaf is name 15 of 24, and 32 of the 46 East Pacific seasons from 1980 to 2025 got that far.
Olaf formed in the East Pacific in September 2021 and peaked as a Category 2 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 105 mph (165 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 975 mb. It made landfall near San José del Cabo, Mexico. The system was tracked for 5 days.
Hurricane Olaf (2021): track and historyOlaf formed in the East Pacific in October 2015 and peaked as a Category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 150 mph (240 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 938 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 14 days.
Hurricane Olaf (2015): track and historyOlaf formed in the East Pacific in September 2009 and peaked as a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 45 mph (75 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 996 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 7 days.
Tropical Storm Olaf (2009): track and historyOlaf formed in the Southern Hemisphere in February 2005 and peaked as a Category 5 cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 165 mph (270 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 892 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 13 days.
Cyclone Olaf (2005): track and historyOlaf formed in the East Pacific in October 2003 and peaked as a Category 1 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph (120 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 987 mb. It made landfall near Cihuatlán, Mexico. The system was tracked for 5 days.
Hurricane Olaf (2003): track and historyOlaf formed in the East Pacific in September 1997 and peaked as a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 70 mph (110 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 989 mb. It made 2 landfalls, first near San Mateo del Mar, Mexico and last near El Colomo, Mexico. The system was tracked for 16 days.
Tropical Storm Olaf (1997): track and historyOlaf formed in the East Pacific in August 1985 and peaked as a Category 1 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph (140 km/h). It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 9 days.
Hurricane Olaf (1985): track and history| Storm | Landfall near | Date (UTC) | Wind |
|---|---|---|---|
| Olaf 2021 | San José del Cabo, Mexico | 2021-09-10 02:50 | 105 mph / 165 km/h |
| Olaf 2003 | Cihuatlán, Mexico | 2003-10-07 08:00 | 60 mph / 95 km/h |
| Olaf 1997 | San Mateo del Mar, Mexico | 1997-09-29 00:00 | 35 mph / 55 km/h |
| Olaf 1997 | El Colomo, Mexico | 1997-10-12 18:00 | 30 mph / 45 km/h |
Names go in alphabetical order, one per storm, as each storm reaches tropical-storm strength (39 mph, 34 knots), so a storm’s place in its season decides its name.
In each of 2021, 2015, 2009, 2003, 1997 and 1985, Olaf was the 15th name used in the East Pacific season.
Storms named Olaf appear in more than one ocean in our archive:
Each ocean region keeps its own name lists, drawn up by its own WMO regional committee (Tropical cyclone naming), so the same name can be given to unrelated storms in different oceans.
The most recent was Hurricane Olaf in 2021, in the East Pacific. It formed on September 6, peaked at 105 mph (165 km/h) and lasted 5 days. It made landfall near San José del Cabo, Mexico. It was the 15th name used in that East Pacific season. Before that, the name was used in 2015, 2009, 2005, 2003, 1997 and 1985.
Cyclone Olaf in 2005 was the strongest, peaking as a Category 5 cyclone with winds of 165 mph (270 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 892 mb. It formed in the Southern Hemisphere in February. The weakest of the seven, in 2009, peaked at 45 mph (75 km/h).