All seasons · Eastern and Central Pacific
1978 Pacific hurricane season
The 1978 Pacific season has 19 storms in the best-track record; 19 reached tropical-storm strength and 14 became hurricanes, 7 of them major. Its accumulated cyclone energy of 207.1 is the ninth-highest of the 77 seasons in the eastern and central Pacific record since 1949. For hurricanes it is tied for the fifth-busiest season. Fico was the strongest, peaking at 140 mph as a Category 4 hurricane. Like most Pacific seasons before 1989, it has no landfall records in the file. The first record is dated May 30, the last October 24.
Storm by storm
More storms formed in August than in any other month of 1978: 6 of 19. Fico both lasted longest, 19.8 days as a tropical or subtropical system, and contributed the most energy, 30% of the season's ACE.
| Storm | Dates | Peak | Strength | Lowest | Landfalls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aletta | May 30–31 | 75 mph | Category 1 | – | – |
| Bud | Jun 17–20 | 60 mph | Tropical storm | – | – |
| Carlotta | Jun 17–25 | 130 mph | Category 4 | – | – |
| Daniel | Jun 26 – Jul 3 | 115 mph | Category 3 | – | – |
| Emilia | Jul 6–10 | 65 mph | Tropical storm | – | – |
| Fico | Jul 9–28 | 140 mph | Category 4 | – | – |
| Gilma | Jul 13–20 | 115 mph | Category 3 | – | – |
| Hector | Jul 22–29 | 140 mph | Category 4 | – | – |
| Iva | Aug 11–15 | 75 mph | Category 1 | – | – |
| John | Aug 18–30 | 105 mph | Category 2 | – | – |
| Kristy | Aug 18–28 | 105 mph | Category 2 | – | – |
| Lane | Aug 19–24 | 50 mph | Tropical storm | – | – |
| Miriam | Aug 23 – Sep 2 | 90 mph | Category 1 | – | – |
| Norman | Aug 30 – Sep 6 | 140 mph | Category 4 | – | – |
| Olivia | Sep 20–23 | 75 mph | Category 1 | – | – |
| Paul | Sep 23–26 | 45 mph | Tropical storm | – | – |
| Rosa | Oct 2–7 | 85 mph | Category 1 | – | – |
| Susan | Oct 18–24 | 130 mph | Category 4 | – | – |
| Sergio | Oct 18–20 | 40 mph | Tropical storm | – | – |
Against other Pacific seasons
Accumulated cyclone energy of every season; the red bar is 1978.