NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information
Note: This report catalogs recent tropical cyclones across the North Atlantic and East Pacific and places each basin’s tropical cyclone activity in a climate-scale context. It is not updated in real time. Users seeking the real time status and forecasts of tropical cyclones should visit The National Hurricane Center.
North Atlantic
August marks a continuation of a record-long major hurricane (Category 3 or stronger) landfall drought in the United States. The last major hurricane to make landfall in the U.S. was Wilma on October 24, 2005. This major hurricane drought surpassed the length of the eight-years from 1861-1868 when no major hurricane struck the United States' coast. On average, a major hurricane makes landfall in the U.S. about once every three years. The reliable record of landfalling hurricanes in the U.S. dates back to 1851.
| Storm Type | August 2015 | August 1981-2010 Average | Record Most for August Period of Record: 1851-2015 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tropical Storm (Winds > 39 mph) |
3 | 3.3 | 8 (2004) |
| Hurricane (Winds > 74 mph) |
2 | 1.6 |
5 (1893, 1995, 2004) |
| Major Hurricane (Winds > 111 mph) |
1 | 0.7 | 3 (1886, 1893, 1950, 2004) |
| Name | Dates of winds >39 mph |
Maximum Sustained Winds |
Minimum Central Pressure |
Landfall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Danny (Cat. 3) | August 18th–24th | 115 mph | 974 mb | N/A — Remnants impacted the Lesser Antilles |
| Tropical Storm Ericka | August 25th–29th | 50 mph | 1003 mb | Tropical storm effects felt in Puerto Rico. Lanfall in southern Haiti as a weak tropical storm. Remnants impacted Cuba and southern Florida. |
| Hurricane Fred | August 30th–September 6th | 85 mph | 986 mb | Landfall on the Cape Verde Islands – August 31st |
East Pacific
At the end of August, there were three active major hurricanes in the East Pacific Ocean — Kilo, Ignacio, and Jimena. This is the first occurrence of three major hurricanes in the basin at the same time since records began in 1949.
| Storm Type | August 2015 | August 1981-2010 Average | Record Most for August Period of Record: 1949-2015 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tropical Storm (Winds >39 mph) |
7 | 4.2 | 8 (1968) |
| Hurricane (Winds >74 mph) |
6 | 2.2 |
6 (1972, 2015) |
| Major Hurricane (Winds >111 mph) |
4 | 1.1 | 4 (1972, 1993, 2015) |
| Name | Dates of winds >39 mph |
Maximum Sustained Winds |
Minimum Central Pressure |
Landfall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Guillermo (Cat. 2) |
August 29th– 7th | 105 mph | 970 mb | N/A — Remnants brought precipitation to Hawaii |
| Hurricane Hilda (Cat. 4) |
August 29th– 14th | 140 mph | 946 mb | N/A — Remnants brought precipitation to Hawaii |
| Hurricane Kilo (Cat. 4) |
August 20th– September 1st | 140 mph | 940 mb | N/A — Remnants impacted the Johnston Atoll in the Central Pacific Ocean |
| Hurricane Loke (Cat. 1) |
August 21st– 26th | 75 mph | 985 mb | N/A |
| Hurricane Ignacio (Cat. 4) |
August 25th– September 5th | 145 mph | 942 mb | N/A — Outer rainbands impacted Hawaii |
| Hurricane Jimena (Cat. 4) |
August 25th– still active at the time of publication | 150 mph | 936 mb | N/A |
| Tropical Storm Kevin | August 31st– September 5th | 60 mph | 998 mb | N/A — remnants brought precipitation to western Mexico and the southwestern U.S. |