Hurricane History Map

1978 North Atlantic season

24 storms formed in the North Atlantic basin in 1978, from 18 January 1978 to 5 November 1978.

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Years1978
Ocean basin

Choosing a minimum category hides storms with no wind speed in the record. To see which storms have passed near you, search a town or ZIP code, or tap the map.

Key
  • Tropical depression Winds below 34 knots (39 mph)
  • Tropical storm 34 to 63 knots (39 to 73 mph)
  • Category 1 64 to 82 knots (74 to 95 mph)
  • Category 2 83 to 95 knots (96 to 110 mph)
  • Category 3 96 to 112 knots (111 to 129 mph), major
  • Category 4 113 to 136 knots (130 to 156 mph), major
  • Category 5 137 knots (157 mph) or more, major
  • Unknown intensity No wind speed in the record
  • Post-tropical Storm has become post-tropical (dashed line)

How to read the lines. Each line is the track of one storm, drawn through its six-hourly positions and coloured by its intensity at each point (the Saffir-Simpson scale), so a line changes colour as the storm strengthens or weakens. Tap a line for its details, or tap anywhere else to see which storms have passed nearby. Weaker storms appear as you zoom in. Hurricanes, typhoons and cyclones are the same kind of storm with different names in different oceans.

The 1978 season in numbers

The record holds 24 storms for the 1978 North Atlantic season, of which 11 had names.12 reached tropical storm strength (34 knots or more), 5 reached hurricane strength (category 1 or more) and 2 were major (category 3 or more).

  • 24storms
  • 12tropical storm strength or more
  • 5hurricane strength or more
  • 2major (category 3 to 5)
  • 67accumulated cyclone energy

Accumulated cyclone energy adds up the squared wind speed of every position of 34 knots or more, divided by 10,000. It is approximate here because the winds are 1-minute equivalents, and it is mostly useful for comparing seasons of one basin.

Strongest storms of 1978

  • Ella (1978)30 August 1978 to 5 September 1978, peak Category 4 (120 kt), 956 hPa
  • Greta:olivia (1978)13 September 1978 to 23 September 1978, peak Category 4 (115 kt), 947 hPa
  • Flossie (1978)4 September 1978 to 16 September 1978, peak Category 2 (85 kt), 976 hPa
  • Cora (1978)7 August 1978 to 12 August 1978, peak Category 1 (80 kt), 980 hPa
  • Kendra (1978)28 October 1978 to 3 November 1978, peak Category 1 (70 kt), 990 hPa

All 24 storms of 1978

StormPeak
Unnamed storm Tropical storm
Unnamed storm Tropical depression
Unnamed storm Tropical depression
Amelia Tropical storm
Bess Tropical storm
Unnamed storm Tropical depression
Cora Category 1
Unnamed storm Tropical depression
Debra Tropical storm
Ella Category 4
Unnamed storm Tropical depression
Unnamed storm Tropical depression
Flossie Category 2
Unnamed storm Tropical depression
Hope Tropical storm
Greta:olivia Category 4
Unnamed storm Tropical depression
Unnamed storm Tropical depression
Irma Tropical storm
Juliet Tropical storm
Unnamed storm Tropical depression
Unnamed storm Tropical depression
Kendra Category 1
Unnamed storm Tropical depression

← 1977 · 1979 → · All seasons

Other basins in 1978

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