Hurricane History Map

1988 Western North Pacific season

35 storms formed in the Western North Pacific basin in 1988, from 5 January 1988 to 27 December 1988.

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Years1988
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 1988 season in numbers

The record holds 35 storms for the 1988 Western North Pacific season, of which 25 had names.29 reached tropical storm strength (34 knots or more), 13 reached typhoon strength (category 1 or more) and 7 were major (category 3 or more). 5 have no wind speed in the record.

  • 35storms
  • 29tropical storm strength or more
  • 13typhoon strength or more
  • 7major (category 3 to 5)
  • 227accumulated 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 1988

  • Nelson (1988)30 September 1988 to 12 October 1988, peak Category 5 (140 kt), 915 hPa
  • Ruby (1988)20 October 1988 to 29 October 1988, peak Category 4 (125 kt), 950 hPa
  • Skip (1988)3 November 1988 to 12 November 1988, peak Category 4 (125 kt), 950 hPa
  • Roy (1988)5 January 1988 to 19 January 1988, peak Category 4 (115 kt), 940 hPa
  • Warren (1988)11 July 1988 to 20 July 1988, peak Category 4 (115 kt), 940 hPa

All 35 storms of 1988

StormPeak
Roy Category 4
Susan Category 1
Unnamed storm Tropical depression
Thad Category 1
Vanessa Tropical storm
Unnamed storm Unknown intensity
Warren Category 4
Agnes Tropical storm
Unnamed storm Tropical storm
Unnamed storm Unknown intensity
Bill Tropical storm
Clara Tropical storm
Unnamed storm Unknown intensity
Doyle Category 4
Unnamed storm Tropical storm
Unnamed storm Tropical storm
Fabian Category 1
Elsie Tropical storm
Gay Tropical storm
Hal Category 3
Jeff Tropical storm
Irma Tropical storm
Lee Tropical storm
Kit Tropical storm
Mamie Tropical storm
Unnamed storm Unknown intensity
Nelson Category 5
Unnamed storm Tropical storm
Odessa Category 2
Unnamed storm Unknown intensity
Pat Category 1
Ruby Category 4
Tess Category 1
Skip Category 4
Val Tropical storm

← 1987 · 1989 → · All seasons

Other basins in 1988

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