2018 Central Pacific hurricane season
Jun 1, 2018 – Nov 30, 2018 · Season ended
The 2018 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 25, 104% of the average.
2018 season at a glance
- Named storms: 1 (1991–2020 average 1.6).
- Hurricanes (64 kt+): 1 (average 0.8).
- Major, 96 kt+: 1, including 1 at Category 5 strength (average 0.5).
- Accumulated cyclone energy: 24.8, 104% of the 24 average.
- Named-storm days: 6.8, counting each six-hourly fix at 34 kt or more as a quarter day.
- First named storm: Walaka, September 29.
- First hurricane: Walaka, September 30.
- First major storm: Walaka, October 1.
- Last storm to dissipate: Walaka, October 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 2018 season
| Storm | Dates | Peak | Min pressure | Landfall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walaka | – | C5 | 921 mb | Yes |
- Walaka: Walaka formed in the Central Pacific in September 2018 and peaked as a Category 5 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 160 mph (260 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 921 mb. The system was tracked for 11 days.
Each summary is built from the storm’s best track.
Strongest storm of 2018
Hurricane Walaka was the strongest storm of the season, peaking at 160 mph (260 km/h), with a lowest pressure of 921 mb, on October 2. That is Category 5 strength on the Saffir-Simpson scale.
2 Central Pacific storms since 1980 peaked higher, and 3 matched it. It produced 100% of the season’s accumulated cyclone energy.
Landfalls in 2018
1 of the season’s 1 systems made landfall, 1 of them at hurricane strength. Each landfall point is listed with the nearest town and the wind at that moment.
- October 4: Walaka, 125 mph (Category 3)
How 2018 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 12th for accumulated cyclone energy.
The record since 1980 is 7 named storms, in 2015, and the highest ACE is 167, in 1992.
2018 storm names
The 2018 season used 1 name: Walaka.
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.
2018 season FAQ
How many named storms were there in 2018?
The 2018 Central Pacific hurricane season had 1 named storm, 1 hurricane and 1 major hurricane, 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 Walaka and the last was Walaka.
What was the strongest storm of 2018?
Hurricane Walaka. It peaked at 160 mph (260 km/h, 140 kt) with a lowest pressure of 921 mb on October 2. That is Category 5 strength on the Saffir-Simpson scale. 2 Central Pacific storms since 1980 peaked higher. It produced 100% of the season’s accumulated cyclone energy.
When did the 2018 season end?
The official season ended on November 30, 2018, as it does every year in the Atlantic, eastern Pacific and Central Pacific. The last system, Walaka, dissipated on October 7. Storms that form in December still count toward that year: 2 Central Pacific storms since 1980 reached tropical-storm strength in December.