1991 Central Pacific hurricane season
Jun 1, 1991 – Nov 30, 1991 · Season ended
The 1991 Central Pacific hurricane season produced 1 named storm, 1 hurricane and 0 major hurricanes, against a 1991–2020 average of 1.6, 0.8 and 0.5. Its accumulated cyclone energy was 10, 41% of the average.
1991 season at a glance
- Named storms: 1 (1991–2020 average 1.6).
- Hurricanes (64 kt+): 1 (average 0.8).
- Major, 96 kt+: 0 (average 0.5).
- Accumulated cyclone energy: 9.7, 41% of the 24 average.
- Named-storm days: 6.3, counting each six-hourly fix at 34 kt or more as a quarter day.
- First named storm: Zelda, November 28.
- First hurricane: Zelda, November 29.
- Last storm to dissipate: Zelda, December 7.
- All systems tracked: 1, every one of which reached 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 1991 season
| Storm | Dates | Peak | Min pressure | Landfall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zelda | – | C1 | 975 mb | — |
- Zelda: Zelda formed in the Central Pacific in November 1991 and peaked as a Category 1 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 90 mph (150 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 975 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 12 days.
Each summary is built from the storm’s best track.
Strongest storm of 1991
Hurricane Zelda was the strongest storm of the season, peaking at 90 mph (150 km/h), with a lowest pressure of 975 mb, on November 30. That is Category 1 strength on the Saffir-Simpson scale.
28 Central Pacific storms since 1980 peaked higher, and 3 matched it. It produced 100% of the season’s accumulated cyclone energy.
Landfalls in 1991
No storm in the 1991 Central Pacific hurricane season made landfall, according to the best track.
How 1991 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 23rd for accumulated cyclone energy.
The record since 1980 is 7 named storms, in 2015, and the highest ACE is 167, in 1992.
1991 storm names
The 1991 season used 1 name: Zelda.
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.
1991 season FAQ
How many named storms were there in 1991?
The 1991 Central Pacific hurricane season had 1 named storm, 1 hurricane and 0 major hurricanes, from 1 system 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 Zelda and the last was Zelda.
What was the strongest storm of 1991?
Hurricane Zelda. It peaked at 90 mph (150 km/h, 80 kt) with a lowest pressure of 975 mb on November 30. That is Category 1 strength on the Saffir-Simpson scale. 28 Central Pacific storms since 1980 peaked higher. It produced 100% of the season’s accumulated cyclone energy.
When did the 1991 season end?
The official season ended on November 30, 1991, as it does every year in the Atlantic, eastern Pacific and Central Pacific. The last system, Zelda, dissipated on December 7. Storms that form in December still count toward that year: 2 Central Pacific storms since 1980 reached tropical-storm strength in December.