Storms named Sally

Sally is the 18th name on the 2026 list of Atlantic hurricane names, and it hasn't been used yet in 2026. The season has reached Fay; Sally is used this year only if 12 more storms are named. Otherwise it next comes up in 2032. Since 1986, four storms have been named Sally; the strongest, in 1996, peaked as a Category 5 super typhoon.

Times used

1986–2020

Strongest

1996 · Cat 5

940 mb

Most recent

2020

Atlantic

Next scheduled

2026

Atlantic list, name 18 of 21

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2020200519961986Tracks: IBTrACS / NHC

Has the name Sally been retired?

No. Sally is on the 2026 list of Atlantic names, and it is not among the 100 names NHC lists as retired from the Atlantic (Tropical Cyclone Naming History and Retired Names).

When will Sally be used again?

Sally can still be used in 2026: the season has handed out 6 names so far, and Sally is name 18. If the season ends first, Sally next comes up in 2032, when the 2026 list returns.

A name on the list is used only if the season gets that far. Sally is name 18 of 21, and 10 of the 46 Atlantic seasons from 1980 to 2025 got that far.

Every storm named Sally, newest first

Hurricane Sally (2020)

Dates: September 11, 2020 to September 18, 2020 (7 days)
Peak wind: 110 mph / 175 km/h · Category 2
Lowest pressure: 965 mb
Ocean: Atlantic
Order in season: 18th name of 2020

Sally formed in the Atlantic in September 2020 and peaked as a Category 2 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 110 mph (175 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 965 mb. It made 2 landfalls, first near Cutler, United States and last near Gulf Shores, United States. The system was tracked for 7 days.

Hurricane Sally (2020): track and history

Tropical Storm Sally (2005)

Dates: January 6, 2005 to January 10, 2005 (4 days)
Peak wind: 50 mph / 85 km/h · Tropical storm
Lowest pressure: 991 mb
Ocean: Southern Hemisphere
ACE: 1.2

Sally formed in the Southern Hemisphere in January 2005 and peaked as a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph (85 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 991 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 4 days.

Tropical Storm Sally (2005): track and history

Super Typhoon Sally (1996)

Dates: September 2, 1996 to September 10, 1996 (9 days)
Peak wind: 160 mph / 260 km/h · Category 5
Lowest pressure: 940 mb
Ocean: West Pacific
ACE: 16.8

Sally formed in the West Pacific in September 1996 and peaked as a Category 5 super typhoon with maximum sustained winds of 160 mph (260 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 940 mb. It made landfall near Zhanjiang, China. The system was tracked for 9 days.

Super Typhoon Sally (1996): track and history

Cyclone Sally (1986)

Dates: December 26, 1986 to January 5, 1987 (11 days)
Peak wind: 75 mph / 120 km/h · Category 1
Lowest pressure: 955 mb
Ocean: Southern Hemisphere
ACE: 9.6

Sally formed in the Southern Hemisphere in December 1986 and peaked as a Category 1 cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph (120 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 955 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 11 days.

Cyclone Sally (1986): track and history

Where storms named Sally made landfall

Storm	Landfall near	Date (UTC)	Wind
Sally 2020	Cutler, United States	2020-09-12 06:00	35 mph / 55 km/h
Sally 2020	Gulf Shores, United States	2020-09-16 09:45	110 mph / 175 km/h
Sally 1996	Zhanjiang, China	1996-09-09 03:00	120 mph / 190 km/h

Why was the storm named Sally?

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 2020, Sally was the 18th name used in the Atlantic season.

Sally in other oceans

Storms named Sally appear in more than one ocean in our archive:

Atlantic: 2020
Southern Hemisphere: 1986 and 2005
West Pacific: 1996

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.

Questions about the name Sally

When was the last time a storm was named Sally?

The most recent was Hurricane Sally in 2020, in the Atlantic. It formed on September 11, peaked at 110 mph (175 km/h) and lasted 7 days. It made landfall near Cutler, United States. It was the 18th name used in that Atlantic season. Before that, the name was used in 2005, 1996 and 1986.

What was the strongest storm named Sally?

Super Typhoon Sally in 1996 was the strongest, peaking as a Category 5 super typhoon with winds of 160 mph (260 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 940 mb. It formed in the West Pacific in September and made landfall near Zhanjiang, China. The weakest of the four, in 2005, peaked at 50 mph (85 km/h).