1983 Central Pacific hurricane season
Jun 1, 1983 – Nov 30, 1983 · Season ended
The 1983 Central Pacific hurricane season produced 1 named storm, 1 hurricane and 1 major hurricane, against a 1991–2020 average of 1.6, 0.8 and 0.5. Its accumulated cyclone energy was 23, 95% of the average.
1983 season at a glance
- Named storms: 1 (1991–2020 average 1.6).
- Hurricanes (64 kt+): 1 (average 0.8).
- Major, 96 kt+: 1 (average 0.5).
- Accumulated cyclone energy: 22.5, 95% of the 24 average.
- Named-storm days: 11.0, counting each six-hourly fix at 34 kt or more as a quarter day.
- First named storm: Ellen, August 29.
- First hurricane: Ellen, September 3.
- First major storm: Ellen, September 5.
- Last storm to dissipate: Ellen, September 10.
- All systems tracked: 3, including 2 that stayed below tropical-storm strength.
Counts use 1-minute best-track winds: named storms reached 34 kt (39 mph), the next column 64 kt (74 mph) and major storms 96 kt (111 mph).
Every storm of the 1983 season
- Unnamed: This system formed in the Central Pacific in August 1983 and peaked as a tropical depression with maximum sustained winds of 35 mph (55 km/h). It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 1 day.
- Ellen: Ellen formed in the Central Pacific in August 1983 and peaked as a Category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 145 mph (230 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 925 mb. It made landfall near Zhongshan, China. The system was tracked for 14 days.
- Unnamed: This system formed in the Central Pacific in August 1983 and peaked as a tropical depression with maximum sustained winds of 35 mph (55 km/h). It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 1 day.
Each summary is built from the storm’s best track.
Strongest storm of 1983
Hurricane Ellen was the strongest storm of the season, peaking at 145 mph (230 km/h), with a lowest pressure of 925 mb, on September 6. That is Category 4 strength on the Saffir-Simpson scale.
9 Central Pacific storms since 1980 peaked higher, and 1 matched it. It produced 100% of the season’s accumulated cyclone energy.
Landfalls in 1983
1 of the season’s 3 systems made landfall, none of them at hurricane strength. Each landfall point is listed with the nearest town and the wind at that moment.
- September 9: Ellen near Zhongshan, China, 65 mph (tropical storm)
How 1983 ranks since 1980
The season ranks 21st of 47 Central Pacific seasons since 1980 for named storms (tied with 15 other seasons), 8th for hurricanes (tied with 18 other seasons) and 14th for accumulated cyclone energy.
The record since 1980 is 7 named storms, in 2015, and the highest ACE is 167, in 1992.
1983 storm names
The 1983 season used 1 name: Ellen.
2 systems were tracked without a name and are listed by number.
Central Pacific names are used in order across years from four lists, so a season picks up where the last one stopped. See the Central Pacific name lists.
1983 season FAQ
How many named storms were there in 1983?
The 1983 Central Pacific hurricane season had 1 named storm, 1 hurricane and 1 major hurricane, from 3 systems tracked in all. The 1991–2020 average is 1.6 named storms, 0.8 at 64 kt or more and 0.5 major per season. The first to form was Ellen and the last was Ellen.
What was the strongest storm of 1983?
Hurricane Ellen. It peaked at 145 mph (230 km/h, 125 kt) with a lowest pressure of 925 mb on September 6. That is Category 4 strength on the Saffir-Simpson scale. 9 Central Pacific storms since 1980 peaked higher. It produced 100% of the season’s accumulated cyclone energy.
When did the 1983 season end?
The official season ended on November 30, 1983, as it does every year in the Atlantic, eastern Pacific and Central Pacific. The last system, Ellen, dissipated on September 10. Storms that form in December still count toward that year: 2 Central Pacific storms since 1980 reached tropical-storm strength in December.