Hurricane History Map

1956 Western North Pacific season

41 storms formed in the Western North Pacific basin in 1956, from 18 January 1956 to 1 January 1957.

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Years1956
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 1956 season in numbers

The record holds 41 storms for the 1956 Western North Pacific season, of which 19 had names.22 reached tropical storm strength (34 knots or more), 18 reached typhoon strength (category 1 or more) and 9 were major (category 3 or more). 19 have no wind speed in the record.

  • 41storms
  • 22tropical storm strength or more
  • 18typhoon strength or more
  • 9major (category 3 to 5)
  • 305accumulated 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 1956

  • Wanda (1956)24 July 1956 to 5 August 1956, peak Category 5 (160 kt), 915 hPa
  • Thelma (1956)16 April 1956 to 25 April 1956, peak Category 5 (150 kt), 935 hPa
  • Gilda (1956)17 September 1956 to 25 September 1956, peak Category 5 (140 kt), 935 hPa
  • Emma (1956)1 September 1956 to 11 September 1956, peak Category 4 (135 kt), 930 hPa
  • Jean (1956)14 October 1956 to 26 October 1956, peak Category 4 (130 kt), 940 hPa

All 41 storms of 1956

StormPeak
Unnamed storm Unknown intensity
Sarah Category 4
Unnamed storm Tropical storm
Thelma Category 5
Unnamed storm Unknown intensity
Unnamed storm Tropical storm
Unnamed storm Unknown intensity
Unnamed storm Unknown intensity
Vera Category 1
Unnamed storm Unknown intensity
Unnamed storm Unknown intensity
Wanda Category 5
Unnamed storm Unknown intensity
Amy Category 1
Unnamed storm Unknown intensity
Unnamed storm Unknown intensity
Unnamed storm Tropical storm
Babs Category 3
Unnamed storm Unknown intensity
Unnamed storm Unknown intensity
Charlotte Category 3
Unnamed storm Unknown intensity
Dinah Category 2
Emma Category 4
Unnamed storm Unknown intensity
Unnamed storm Unknown intensity
Freda Category 2
Gilda Category 5
Harriet Category 3
Ivy Category 1
Unnamed storm Unknown intensity
Jean Category 4
Unnamed storm Tropical storm
Karen:lucille Category 2
Unnamed storm Unknown intensity
Mary Unknown intensity
Unnamed storm Unknown intensity
Nadine Category 1
Olive Category 1
Polly Category 2
Unnamed storm Unknown intensity

← 1955 · 1957 → · All seasons

Other basins in 1956

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