1992 East Pacific hurricane season

May 15, 1992 – Nov 30, 1992 · Season ended

The 1992 East Pacific hurricane season produced 25 named storms, 15 hurricanes and 9 major hurricanes, against a 1991–2020 average of 15.6, 8.4 and 4.4. Its accumulated cyclone energy was 280, 220% of the average.

1991 season 1993 season All East Pacific seasons

Named storms

Avg 15.6 (1991–2020)

Hurricanes

64 kt or stronger · avg 8.4

Major (Cat 3+)

Avg 4.4 per season

Accumulated energy

≈2.2× normal

ACE 280 vs 1991–2020 avg 127

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Tracks colored by peak strengthTDTSC1C2C3C4

1992 season at a glance

Named storms: 25 (1991–2020 average 15.6).
Hurricanes (64 kt+): 15 (average 8.4).
Major, 96 kt+: 9 (average 4.4).
Accumulated cyclone energy: 280.4, 220% of the 127 average.
Named-storm days: 146.8, counting each six-hourly fix at 34 kt or more as a quarter day.
First named storm: Agatha, June 2.
First hurricane: Celia, June 24.
First major storm: Celia, June 26.
Last storm to dissipate: Zeke, October 30.
All systems tracked: 27, 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 1992 season

Storm	Dates	Peak	Min pressure	Landfall
Agatha	Jun 1 – Jun 5	TS	990 mb	—
TD 2E	Jun 16 – Jun 18	TD	—	—
Celia	Jun 22 – Jul 4	C4	935 mb	—
Blas	Jun 22 – Jun 23	TS	1004 mb	—
Darby	Jul 2 – Jul 10	C3	968 mb	—
Estelle	Jul 9 – Jul 17	C4	943 mb	—
Frank	Jul 13 – Jul 23	C4	935 mb	—
Georgette	Jul 14 – Jul 27	C2	964 mb	—
Howard	Jul 26 – Jul 31	TS	992 mb	—
Isis	Jul 28 – Aug 2	TS	992 mb	—
Javier	Jul 30 – Aug 12	C1	985 mb	—
TD 12E	Aug 10 – Aug 13	TD	—	—
Kay	Aug 18 – Aug 22	TS	1000 mb	—
Lester	Aug 20 – Aug 24	C1	985 mb	Villa Alberto Andrés Alvarado Arámburo, Mexico
Newton	Aug 27 – Aug 31	TS	999 mb	—
Madeline	Aug 27 – Aug 31	TS	999 mb	—
Orlene	Sep 2 – Sep 14	C4	934 mb	—
Iniki	Sep 5 – Sep 13	C4	938 mb	—
Paine	Sep 11 – Sep 16	C1	987 mb	—
Roslyn	Sep 13 – Sep 30	C2	975 mb	—
Tina	Sep 17 – Oct 11	C4	932 mb	—
Seymour	Sep 17 – Sep 27	C1	980 mb	—
Virgil	Oct 1 – Oct 5	C4	948 mb	Coahuayana de Hidalgo, Mexico
Winifred	Oct 6 – Oct 10	C3	960 mb	Manzanillo, Mexico
Xavier	Oct 13 – Oct 15	TS	1003 mb	—
Yolanda	Oct 15 – Oct 22	TS	993 mb	—
Zeke	Oct 25 – Oct 30	TS	1000 mb	—

Agatha: Agatha formed in the East Pacific in June 1992 and peaked as a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 70 mph (110 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 990 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 4 days.
TD 2E: This system formed in the East Pacific in June 1992 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 2 days.
Celia: Celia formed in the East Pacific in June 1992 and peaked as a Category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 145 mph (230 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 935 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 12 days.
Blas: Blas formed in the East Pacific in June 1992 and peaked as a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph (65 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 1004 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 1 day.
Darby: Darby formed in the East Pacific in July 1992 and peaked as a Category 3 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 120 mph (195 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 968 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 8 days.
Estelle: Estelle formed in the East Pacific in July 1992 and peaked as a Category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 140 mph (220 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 943 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 8 days.
Frank: Frank formed in the East Pacific in July 1992 and peaked as a Category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 145 mph (230 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 935 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 11 days.
Georgette: Georgette formed in the East Pacific in July 1992 and peaked as a Category 2 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 110 mph (175 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 964 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 13 days.
Howard: Howard formed in the East Pacific in July 1992 and peaked as a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 65 mph (100 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 992 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 5 days.
Isis: Isis formed in the East Pacific in July 1992 and peaked as a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 65 mph (100 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 992 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 5 days.
Javier: Javier formed in the East Pacific in July 1992 and peaked as a Category 1 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 80 mph (130 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 985 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 12 days.
TD 12E: This system formed in the East Pacific in August 1992 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 3 days.
Kay: Kay formed in the East Pacific in August 1992 and peaked as a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph (85 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 1000 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 5 days.
Lester: Lester formed in the East Pacific in August 1992 and peaked as a Category 1 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 80 mph (130 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 985 mb. It made 2 landfalls, first near Villa Alberto Andrés Alvarado Arámburo, Mexico and last near Bahía de Kino, Mexico. The system was tracked for 5 days.
Newton: Newton formed in the East Pacific in August 1992 and peaked as a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph (85 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 999 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 4 days.
Madeline: Madeline formed in the East Pacific in August 1992 and peaked as a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph (85 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 999 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 4 days.
Orlene: Orlene formed in the East Pacific in September 1992 and peaked as a Category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 145 mph (230 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 934 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 12 days.
Iniki: Iniki formed in the East Pacific in September 1992 and peaked as a Category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 145 mph (230 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 938 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 9 days.
Paine: Paine formed in the East Pacific in September 1992 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 did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 6 days.
Roslyn: Roslyn formed in the East Pacific in September 1992 and peaked as a Category 2 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 100 mph (155 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 975 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 17 days.
Tina: Tina formed in the East Pacific in September 1992 and peaked as a Category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 150 mph (240 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 932 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 24 days.
Seymour: Seymour formed in the East Pacific in September 1992 and peaked as a Category 1 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph (140 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 980 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 10 days.
Virgil: Virgil formed in the East Pacific in October 1992 and peaked as a Category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 130 mph (215 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 948 mb. It made landfall near Coahuayana de Hidalgo, Mexico. The system was tracked for 5 days.
Winifred: Winifred formed in the East Pacific in October 1992 and peaked as a Category 3 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 115 mph (185 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 960 mb. It made landfall near Manzanillo, Mexico. The system was tracked for 4 days.
Xavier: Xavier formed in the East Pacific in October 1992 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 1 day.
Yolanda: Yolanda formed in the East Pacific in October 1992 and peaked as a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 65 mph (100 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 993 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 7 days.
Zeke: Zeke formed in the East Pacific in October 1992 and peaked as a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph (85 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 1000 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 5 days.

Each summary is built from the storm’s best track.

Strongest storm of 1992

Hurricane Tina was the strongest storm of the season, peaking at 150 mph (240 km/h), with a lowest pressure of 932 mb, on September 30. That is Category 4 strength on the Saffir-Simpson scale.

32 East Pacific storms since 1980 peaked higher, and 14 matched it. It produced 17% of the season’s accumulated cyclone energy.

Landfalls in 1992

3 of the season’s 27 systems made landfall, 3 of them at hurricane strength. Each landfall point is listed with the nearest town and the wind at that moment.

August 23: Lester near Villa Alberto Andrés Alvarado Arámburo, Mexico, 75 mph (Category 1)
August 23: Lester near Bahía de Kino, Mexico, 60 mph (tropical storm)
October 4: Virgil near Coahuayana de Hidalgo, Mexico, 110 mph (Category 2)
October 9: Winifred near Manzanillo, Mexico, 100 mph (Category 2)

How 1992 ranks since 1980

The season ranks 1st of 47 East Pacific seasons since 1980 for named storms, 2nd for hurricanes (tied with 1 other season) and 2nd for accumulated cyclone energy.

The record since 1980 is 25 named storms, in 1992, and the highest ACE is 294, in 2018.

1992 storm names

The 1992 season used 25 names: Agatha, Celia, Blas, Darby, Estelle, Frank, Georgette, Howard, Isis, Javier, Kay, Lester, Newton, Madeline, Orlene, Iniki, Paine, Roslyn, Tina, Seymour, Virgil, Winifred, Xavier, Yolanda, Zeke.

2 systems were tracked without a name and are listed by number.

Atlantic and East Pacific lists repeat every six years. See how storms are named.

The WMO later retired the name Iniki, so it will not be used again.

1992 season FAQ

How many named storms were there in 1992?

The 1992 East Pacific hurricane season had 25 named storms, 15 hurricanes and 9 major hurricanes, from 27 systems tracked in all. The 1991–2020 average is 15.6 named storms, 8.4 at 64 kt or more and 4.4 major per season. The first to form was Agatha and the last was Zeke.

What was the strongest storm of 1992?

Hurricane Tina. It peaked at 150 mph (240 km/h, 130 kt) with a lowest pressure of 932 mb on September 30. That is Category 4 strength on the Saffir-Simpson scale. 32 East Pacific storms since 1980 peaked higher. It produced 17% of the season’s accumulated cyclone energy.

When did the 1992 season end?

The official season ended on November 30, 1992, as it does every year in the Atlantic, eastern Pacific and Central Pacific. The last system, Zeke, dissipated on October 30. Storms that form in December still count toward that year: 1 East Pacific storm since 1980 reached tropical-storm strength in December.