Hurricane History Map

1978 Western North Pacific season

38 storms formed in the Western North Pacific basin in 1978, from 6 January 1978 to 18 December 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 38 storms for the 1978 Western North Pacific season, of which 27 had names.28 reached tropical storm strength (34 knots or more), 14 reached typhoon strength (category 1 or more) and 2 were major (category 3 or more). 6 have no wind speed in the record.

  • 38storms
  • 28tropical storm strength or more
  • 14typhoon strength or more
  • 2major (category 3 to 5)
  • 195accumulated 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

  • Viola (1978)16 November 1978 to 27 November 1978, peak Category 4 (125 kt), 910 hPa
  • Faye (1978)25 August 1978 to 11 September 1978, peak Category 3 (105 kt), 935 hPa
  • Phyllis (1978)13 October 1978 to 23 October 1978, peak Category 2 (95 kt), 955 hPa
  • Judy (1978)9 September 1978 to 17 September 1978, peak Category 2 (90 kt), 950 hPa
  • Olive (1978)15 April 1978 to 1 May 1978, peak Category 2 (85 kt), 955 hPa

All 38 storms of 1978

StormPeak
Nadine Tropical storm
Olive Category 2
Polly Tropical storm
Rose Tropical storm
Unnamed storm Unknown intensity
Shirley Tropical storm
Unnamed storm Unknown intensity
Trix Category 1
Wendy Category 1
Virginia Category 1
Agnes Tropical storm
Bess:bonnie Tropical storm
Carmen Category 1
Della Tropical storm
Unnamed storm Tropical depression
Unnamed storm Unknown intensity
Elaine Category 1
Faye Category 3
Gloria Tropical storm
Hester Tropical storm
Unnamed storm Unknown intensity
Judy Category 2
Irma Category 1
Unnamed storm Unknown intensity
Kit Tropical storm
Lola Category 1
Mamie Category 1
Nina Tropical storm
Unnamed storm Tropical depression
Ora Category 2
Unnamed storm Tropical depression
Phyllis Category 2
Unnamed storm Tropical storm
Tess Tropical storm
Unnamed storm Tropical depression
Viola Category 4
Winnie Tropical storm
Unnamed storm Unknown intensity

← 1977 · 1979 → · All seasons

Other basins in 1978

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