Hurricane History Map

1986 North Atlantic season

10 storms formed in the North Atlantic basin in 1986, from 5 June 1986 to 21 November 1986.

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Years1986
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 1986 season in numbers

The record holds 10 storms for the 1986 North Atlantic season, of which 6 had names.6 reached tropical storm strength (34 knots or more), 4 reached hurricane strength (category 1 or more) and 0 were major (category 3 or more).

  • 10storms
  • 6tropical storm strength or more
  • 4hurricane strength or more
  • 0major (category 3 to 5)
  • 36accumulated 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 1986

  • Earl (1986)10 September 1986 to 20 September 1986, peak Category 2 (90 kt), 979 hPa
  • Bonnie (1986)23 June 1986 to 28 June 1986, peak Category 1 (75 kt), 992 hPa
  • Frances (1986)18 November 1986 to 21 November 1986, peak Category 1 (75 kt), 1,000 hPa
  • Charley (1986)13 August 1986 to 30 August 1986, peak Category 1 (70 kt), 987 hPa
  • Danielle (1986)7 September 1986 to 10 September 1986, peak Tropical storm (50 kt), 1,000 hPa

All 10 storms of 1986

StormPeak
Andrew Tropical storm
Bonnie Category 1
Unnamed storm Tropical depression
Unnamed storm Tropical depression
Charley Category 1
Unnamed storm Tropical depression
Unnamed storm Tropical depression
Danielle Tropical storm
Earl Category 2
Frances Category 1

← 1985 · 1987 → · All seasons

Other basins in 1986

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