93Storms
Tropical storms and hurricanes of 1981
93 tropical storms formed worldwide in 1981: 47 became hurricanes, typhoons or cyclones and 16 reached category 3 or more. The strongest was Typhoon Elsie, with winds of 278 km/h.
93Storms
47Hurricanes, typhoons, cyclones
16Category 3 or more
571.7Accumulated cyclone energy (ACE)
C5 · category 5C4 · category 4C3 · category 3C2 · category 2C1 · category 1TS · tropical stormTD · tropical depression
The strongest storms
C5Typhoon Elsie278 km/h · Western PacificC4Typhoon Irma250 km/h · Western PacificC4Typhoon Clara222 km/h · Western PacificC4Cyclone Olga222 km/h · South Indian OceanC4Typhoon Kit213 km/h · Western PacificC4Hurricane Harvey213 km/h · North AtlanticC3Hurricane Norma204 km/h · Eastern PacificC3Cyclone Florine194 km/h · South Indian Ocean
By ocean basin
Western Pacific30 · 16 · 6
South Indian Ocean17 · 8 · 4
North Atlantic12 · 7 · 3
Eastern Pacific15 · 8 · 1
South Pacific16 · 6 · 2
North Indian Ocean3 · 2 · 0
Storms · Hurricanes, typhoons, cyclones · Category 3 or more — ACE
Every storm of the year
| Formed | Storms | Peak wind | Lowest pressure | Landfalls | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Jan – 11 Jan | C3 | Cyclone FlorineSouth Indian Ocean | 194 km/h | – | – |
| 11 Jan – 17 Jan | C1 | Cyclone ArthurSouth Pacific | 139 km/h | 965 hPa | Fiji |
| 12 Jan – 21 Jan | C3 | Cyclone MabelSouth Indian Ocean | 185 km/h | 930 hPa | – |
| 14 Jan – 18 Jan | TS | Tropical Storm GaelleSouth Indian Ocean | 83 km/h | – | – |
| 16 Jan – 20 Jan | TD | Tropical Depression GaelleSouth Indian Ocean | – | – | – |
| 28 Jan – 6 Feb | TS | Tropical Storm HelyetteSouth Indian Ocean | 83 km/h | – | Madagascar, Mauritius |
| 30 Jan – 4 Feb | TS | Tropical Storm BetsySouth Pacific | 74 km/h | 990 hPa | – |
| 8 Feb – 15 Feb | C1 | Cyclone CliffSouth Pacific | 139 km/h | 970 hPa | Australia |
| 8 Feb – 15 Feb | TS | Tropical Storm EddieSouth Pacific | 74 km/h | 980 hPa | Australia |
| 16 Feb – 21 Feb | TS | Tropical Storm of 16 February 1981South Pacific | 93 km/h | 985 hPa | – |
| 16 Feb – 25 Feb | TS | Tropical Storm IadineSouth Indian Ocean | 102 km/h | – | Madagascar |
| 20 Feb – 24 Feb | TS | Tropical Storm DamanSouth Pacific | 102 km/h | 980 hPa | – |
| 22 Feb – 7 Mar | TS | Tropical Storm of 22 February 1981South Pacific | 74 km/h | 990 hPa | – |
| 24 Feb – 7 Mar | C3 | Cyclone NeilSouth Indian Ocean | 185 km/h | 940 hPa | Australia |
| 24 Feb – 9 Mar | C1 | Cyclone FredaSouth Pacific | 139 km/h | 955 hPa | Australia |
| 1 Mar – 5 Mar | TS | Tropical Storm EsauSouth Pacific | 93 km/h | 980 hPa | – |
| 1 Mar – 11 Mar | C1 | Cyclone JohanneSouth Indian Ocean | 148 km/h | – | Madagascar |
| 8 Mar – 13 Mar | C1 | Cyclone TahmarSouth Pacific | 120 km/h | 970 hPa | – |
| 9 Mar – 19 Mar | C3 | Cyclone MaxSouth Pacific | 185 km/h | 960 hPa | Australia |
| 11 Mar – 18 Mar | C3 | Typhoon FredaWestern Pacific | 185 km/h | 945 hPa | – |
| 17 Mar – 24 Mar | TS | Tropical Storm FranSouth Pacific | 93 km/h | 985 hPa | – |
| 27 Mar – 31 Mar | TS | Tropical Storm of 27 March 1981South Pacific | 65 km/h | 995 hPa | – |
| 28 Mar – 8 Apr | TS | Tropical Storm KlaraSouth Indian Ocean | 74 km/h | – | – |
| 4 Apr – 18 Apr | C4 | Cyclone OlgaSouth Indian Ocean | 222 km/h | 940 hPa | – |
| 6 Apr – 16 Apr | TS | Tropical Storm LisaSouth Indian Ocean | 74 km/h | – | – |
| 12 Apr – 23 Apr | TS | Tropical Storm GeraldWestern Pacific | 111 km/h | 980 hPa | – |
| 19 Apr – 20 Apr | TD | Tropical Depression GeraldWestern Pacific | – | – | – |
| 28 Apr – 10 May | TS | Tropical Storm HollyWestern Pacific | 83 km/h | 996 hPa | – |
| 6 May – 9 May | TS | Tropical Storm ArleneNorth Atlantic | 93 km/h | 999 hPa | Cuba |
| 22 May – 30 May | TS | Tropical Storm PaddySouth Indian Ocean | 65 km/h | 973 hPa | – |
| 30 May – 4 Jun | TS | Tropical Storm AdrianEastern Pacific | 74 km/h | – | – |
| 7 Jun – 17 Jun | C1 | Typhoon IkeWestern Pacific | 120 km/h | 965 hPa | Taiwan |
| 15 Jun – 26 Jun | C1 | Typhoon JuneWestern Pacific | 139 km/h | 965 hPa | Japan, Taiwan |
| 25 Jun – 6 Jul | C1 | Typhoon KellyWestern Pacific | 139 km/h | 975 hPa | China, Philippines, Vietnam |
| 27 Jun – 8 Jul | TS | Tropical Storm LynnWestern Pacific | 102 km/h | 985 hPa | China, Philippines |
| 28 Jun – 4 Jul | C1 | Hurricane BeatrizEastern Pacific | 139 km/h | – | – |
| 29 Jun – 1 Jul | TS | Tropical Storm BretNorth Atlantic | 111 km/h | 996 hPa | United States |
| 4 Jul – 9 Jul | TS | Tropical Storm CalvinEastern Pacific | 83 km/h | – | – |
| 10 Jul – 16 Jul | C1 | Hurricane DoraEastern Pacific | 148 km/h | – | – |
| 14 Jul – 25 Jul | TS | Tropical Storm MauryWestern Pacific | 102 km/h | 985 hPa | China, Taiwan |
| 16 Jul – 21 Jul | TS | Tropical Storm EugeneEastern Pacific | 83 km/h | – | – |
| 21 Jul – 28 Jul | TS | Tropical Storm NinaWestern Pacific | 65 km/h | 992 hPa | China |
| 26 Jul – 1 Aug | C1 | Typhoon OgdenWestern Pacific | 120 km/h | 975 hPa | Japan |
| 31 Jul – 8 Aug | TS | Tropical Storm PhyllisWestern Pacific | 102 km/h | 975 hPa | Russia |
| 31 Jul – 2 Aug | TS | Tropical Storm of 31 July 1981Western Pacific | 74 km/h | 988 hPa | – |
| 2 Aug – 11 Aug | TS | Tropical Storm RoyWestern Pacific | 93 km/h | 985 hPa | China, Vietnam |
| 2 Aug – 5 Aug | TS | Tropical Storm CindyNorth Atlantic | 93 km/h | 1002 hPa | – |
| 6 Aug – 15 Aug | TS | Tropical Storm SusanWestern Pacific | 111 km/h | 980 hPa | – |
| 6 Aug – 13 Aug | C2 | Hurricane FernandaEastern Pacific | 167 km/h | – | – |
| 7 Aug – 22 Aug | C1 | Hurricane DennisNorth Atlantic | 130 km/h | 995 hPa | Cuba, United States |
| 13 Aug – 22 Aug | C1 | Hurricane GregEastern Pacific | 120 km/h | – | – |
| 14 Aug – 23 Aug | TS | Tropical Storm VanessaWestern Pacific | 102 km/h | 980 hPa | – |
| 14 Aug – 21 Aug | TS | Tropical Storm WarrenWestern Pacific | 83 km/h | 992 hPa | China, Vietnam |
| 15 Aug – 25 Aug | C2 | Typhoon ThadWestern Pacific | 157 km/h | 955 hPa | Japan, Russia |
| 21 Aug – 28 Aug | C1 | Hurricane HilaryEastern Pacific | 139 km/h | – | – |
| 25 Aug – 6 Sept | C2 | Typhoon AgnesWestern Pacific | 176 km/h | 950 hPa | Japan, Russia |
| 27 Aug – 31 Aug | TS | Tropical Storm IrwinEastern Pacific | 83 km/h | – | Mexico |
| 31 Aug – 12 Sept | C1 | Hurricane EmilyNorth Atlantic | 148 km/h | 966 hPa | – |
| 1 Sept – 8 Sept | C2 | Typhoon BillWestern Pacific | 157 km/h | 960 hPa | – |
| 3 Sept – 12 Sept | C3 | Hurricane FloydNorth Atlantic | 185 km/h | 975 hPa | – |
| 7 Sept – 15 Sept | C2 | Hurricane GertNorth Atlantic | 167 km/h | 988 hPa | Puerto Rico |
| 11 Sept – 20 Sept | C4 | Hurricane HarveyNorth Atlantic | 213 km/h | 946 hPa | – |
| 13 Sept – 2 Oct | C4 | Typhoon ClaraWestern Pacific | 222 km/h | 925 hPa | China, Japan, South Korea |
| 14 Sept – 21 Sept | C1 | Hurricane JovaEastern Pacific | 139 km/h | – | – |
| 17 Sept – 24 Sept | C1 | Typhoon DoyleWestern Pacific | 148 km/h | 965 hPa | – |
| 19 Sept – 21 Sept | TS | Tropical Storm KnutEastern Pacific | 102 km/h | – | Mexico |
| 21 Sept – 3 Oct | C3 | Hurricane IreneNorth Atlantic | 194 km/h | 959 hPa | – |
| 22 Sept – 6 Oct | C5 | Typhoon ElsieWestern Pacific | 278 km/h | 895 hPa | Russia |
| 6 Oct – 8 Oct | TS | Tropical Storm LidiaEastern Pacific | 83 km/h | – | Mexico |
| 7 Oct – 10 Oct | TS | Tropical Storm MaxEastern Pacific | 83 km/h | – | – |
| 8 Oct – 12 Oct | C3 | Hurricane NormaEastern Pacific | 204 km/h | – | – |
| 10 Oct – 16 Oct | TS | Tropical Storm FabianWestern Pacific | 83 km/h | 994 hPa | Philippines, Vietnam |
| 13 Oct – 23 Oct | C2 | Typhoon GayWestern Pacific | 176 km/h | 950 hPa | – |
| 18 Oct – 27 Oct | C2 | Cyclone AlexSouth Indian Ocean | 157 km/h | – | – |
| 24 Oct – 30 Oct | C1 | Hurricane OtisEastern Pacific | 139 km/h | – | – |
| 25 Oct – 2 Nov | TS | Tropical Storm of 25 October 1981North Indian Ocean | 111 km/h | – | India, Sri Lanka |
| 29 Oct – 2 Nov | TS | Tropical Storm JoseNorth Atlantic | 83 km/h | 998 hPa | – |
| 1 Nov – 20 Nov | C1 | Cyclone Armelle:bessiSouth Indian Ocean | 148 km/h | 976 hPa | – |
| 3 Nov – 7 Nov | C1 | Hurricane KatrinaNorth Atlantic | 139 km/h | 980 hPa | Cuba |
| 12 Nov – 23 Nov | C3 | Typhoon HazenWestern Pacific | 185 km/h | 955 hPa | China, Philippines |
| 12 Nov – 17 Nov | TS | Tropical Storm of 12 November 1981North Atlantic | 111 km/h | 978 hPa | – |
| 15 Nov – 27 Nov | C4 | Typhoon IrmaWestern Pacific | 250 km/h | 905 hPa | Philippines |
| 17 Nov – 20 Nov | C1 | Cyclone of 17 November 1981North Indian Ocean | 139 km/h | – | Bangladesh |
| 20 Nov – 26 Nov | TS | Tropical Storm JeffWestern Pacific | 65 km/h | 1000 hPa | – |
| 30 Nov – 7 Dec | TS | Tropical Storm AmeliaSouth Pacific | 83 km/h | 996 hPa | Australia |
| 3 Dec – 7 Dec | TD | Tropical Depression AmeliaSouth Indian Ocean | – | – | Australia |
| 5 Dec – 10 Dec | C1 | Cyclone of 5 December 1981North Indian Ocean | 139 km/h | – | India |
| 9 Dec – 22 Dec | C4 | Typhoon KitWestern Pacific | 213 km/h | 925 hPa | Philippines |
| 17 Dec – 25 Dec | C1 | Cyclone BenedicteSouth Indian Ocean | 133 km/h | 954 hPa | Mozambique |
| 18 Dec – 29 Dec | C3 | Cyclone GyanSouth Pacific | 185 km/h | 925 hPa | New Caledonia |
| 19 Dec – 27 Dec | TS | Tropical Storm of 19 December 1981South Pacific | 83 km/h | 988 hPa | Australia |
| 21 Dec – 29 Dec | C2 | Typhoon LeeWestern Pacific | 176 km/h | 950 hPa | Philippines |
| 29 Dec – 7 Jan | TS | Tropical Storm ClarisseeSouth Indian Ocean | 83 km/h | 997 hPa | – |