Paul is the 16th name on the 2030 list of East Pacific hurricane names, so it is next scheduled for 2030. It is used that year only if the season reaches the letter P. Since 1980, 11 storms have been named Paul; the strongest, in 2000, peaked as a Category 4 cyclone.
No. Paul is on the 2030 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).
Paul is next scheduled for 2030, when the 2030 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. Paul is name 16 of 24, and 29 of the 46 East Pacific seasons from 1980 to 2025 got that far.
Paul formed in the Southern Hemisphere in April 2024 and peaked as a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph (95 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 993 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 4 days.
Tropical Storm Paul (2024): track and historyPaul formed in the East Pacific in September 2018 and peaked as a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 45 mph (75 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 1002 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 7 days.
Tropical Storm Paul (2018): track and historyPaul formed in the East Pacific in October 2012 and peaked as a Category 3 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 120 mph (195 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 959 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 5 days.
Hurricane Paul (2012): track and historyPaul formed in the Southern Hemisphere in March 2010 and peaked as a Category 1 cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 80 mph (130 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 970 mb. The system was tracked for 9 days.
Cyclone Paul (2010): track and historyPaul formed in the East Pacific in October 2006 and peaked as a Category 2 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 105 mph (165 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 970 mb. It made landfall near La Reforma, Mexico. The system was tracked for 5 days.
Hurricane Paul (2006): track and historyPaul formed in the East Pacific in October 2000 and peaked as a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 45 mph (75 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 1003 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 4 days.
Tropical Storm Paul (2000): track and historyPaul formed in the Southern Hemisphere in April 2000 and peaked as a Category 4 cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 150 mph (240 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 915 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 11 days.
Cyclone Paul (2000): track and historyPaul formed in the West Pacific in July 1999 and peaked as a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph (95 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 980 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 9 days.
Tropical Storm Paul (1999): track and historyPaul formed in the East Pacific in September 1994 and peaked as a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 45 mph (75 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 1003 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 6 days.
Tropical Storm Paul (1994): track and historyPaul formed in the East Pacific in September 1982 and peaked as a Category 2 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 110 mph (175 km/h). It made 3 landfalls, first near Moyuta, Guatemala and last near Los Mochis, Mexico. The system was tracked for 12 days.
Hurricane Paul (1982): track and historyPaul formed in the Southern Hemisphere in January 1980 and peaked as a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 70 mph (110 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 985 mb. The system was tracked for 10 days.
Tropical Storm Paul (1980): track and history| Storm | Landfall near | Date (UTC) | Wind |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paul 2010 | 12.3°S 136.8°E | 2010-03-27 12:00 | 35 mph / 55 km/h |
| Paul 2010 | 13.3°S 136.4°E | 2010-03-29 00:00 | 70 mph / 110 km/h |
| Paul 2010 | 13.4°S 136.0°E | 2010-03-29 12:00 | 80 mph / 130 km/h |
| Paul 2010 | 14.2°S 136.5°E | 2010-03-31 18:00 | 40 mph / 65 km/h |
| Paul 2006 | La Reforma, Mexico | 2006-10-26 04:00 | 30 mph / 45 km/h |
| Paul 1982 | Moyuta, Guatemala | 1982-09-20 00:00 | 35 mph / 55 km/h |
| Paul 1982 | Las Veredas, Mexico | 1982-09-29 21:00 | 110 mph / 175 km/h |
| Paul 1982 | Los Mochis, Mexico | 1982-09-30 06:00 | 100 mph / 155 km/h |
| Paul 1980 | 16.8°S 138.5°E | 1980-01-04 00:00 | 35 mph / 55 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 2018, 2012, 2006, 2000 and 1994, Paul was the 16th name used in the East Pacific season.
Seasons where our archive is missing an earlier name are left out, because we can’t confirm the count.
Storms named Paul 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 Tropical Storm Paul in 2024, in the Southern Hemisphere. It formed on April 9, peaked at 60 mph (95 km/h) and lasted 4 days. It did not make landfall. Paul is the 16th name on the 2030 list of East Pacific names. Before that, the name was used in 2018, 2012, 2010, 2006, 2000, 1999, 1994, 1982 and 1980.
Cyclone Paul in 2000 was the strongest, peaking as a Category 4 cyclone with winds of 150 mph (240 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 915 mb. It formed in the Southern Hemisphere in April. The weakest of the 11, in 2018, peaked at 45 mph (75 km/h).