The 1982 Pacific hurricane season was, at the time, the most active and costliest Pacific hurricane season on record, with 23 named storms. Of those, 12 became hurricanes, with 5 intensifying into major hurricanes (Category 3 or above on the Saffir–Simpson scale). The season officially started on May 15 in the eastern Pacific basin and June 1 in the central Pacific basin. The season in both basins ended on November 30. These dates conventionally delimit the period during which most tropical cyclones form in these regions of the Pacific Ocean. The first tropical cyclone of the season, Tropical Storm Aletta, formed on May 20, and the final one of the season, Hurricane Iwa, dissipated on November 25. A strengthening El Niño that year fueled the season's above normal activity.
The strongest system of the season was Hurricane Olivia, which reached peak intensity on September 21, with maximum sustained winds of 145 mph (230 km/h). Its remnants brought heavy rain to a wide swath of the Western United States. Hurricane Paul, the deadliest system, developed as a tropical depression just offshore Central America on September 18, briefly moved inland two days later, then turned, and headed westward out to sea. Paul was responsible for 1,625 fatalities, most of them in El Salvador, and $520 million (1982 USD) in damage. Hurricanes Daniel and Gilma both briefly threatened Hawaii, while Iwa caused heavy damage on Kauai and Niihau.
Seasonal summary
During the 1982 Pacific hurricane season, a total of 23 named storms formed. Tropical cyclogenesis began in the Eastern Pacific basin (east of 140°W) on May 20 with the formation of tropical storm Aletta, and ended on October 26 with the dissipation of Tropical Storm Tara. Within the basin, 19 named storms formed, 32% above the 16‑year (1966‑82) average of 14.4. Of those, 11 reached hurricane strength, 49% above the average of 5.5 during the same period. Six systems crossed into the Central Pacific Hurricane Center's area of responsibility (between 140°W and the International Date Line) in 1982, three times as many as did so in the previous season; Hurricane Daniel was the first to do so, on July 16. A then‑record four named storms formed in the Central Pacific basin in 1982. The first, Tropical Storm Akoni, formed on August 30, and the last, season, Hurricane Iwa, dissipated on November 25.
A strengthening El Niño in 1982 fueled the season's above normal activity, warming sea surface temperatures across the equatorial Central Pacific nearly 5 °F (2.8 °C) above normal. Its effects included the large numbers of central Pacific systems, among them Iwa, the strongest hurricane on record, up to that time to traverse the Hawaiian Islands, and the ability for five eastern Pacific systems to reach major hurricane strength. Iwa caused $312 million (1982 USD) in damage in Hawaii, and was directly responsible for one fatality there. Reports of damage and casualties in Central America and Mexico during the season were mostly in conjunction with hurricanes Olivia and Paul. Paul, the only Pacific hurricane to make landfall during the season, was a particularly deadly and destructive system. It was responsible for the deaths of 1,625 people and for causing $520 million in damage, mostly in Central America. The remnants of Olivia and Paul, along with those of Hurricane Norman, produced scattered rainfall over the Southwestern United States.
Systems
Tropical Storm Aletta
The origins of Aletta are from a tropical disturbance that was first noted on May 18 about 500 mi (805 km) south-southwest of Acapulco. On May 20, the disturbance was upgraded into a tropical depression. Moving northwest, the depression became Tropical Storm Aletta 36 hours later. The system re-curved towards the northeast due to strong upper-level westerlies, reaching its peak intensity of 65 mph (105 km/h) on May 23. Shortly after its peak, Tropical Storm Aletta began to weaken. However, the system briefly leveled off in intensity for 30 hours before resuming a weakening trend. On May 25, Aletta slowed and moved in a large clockwise loop until May 28. Shortly thereafter, Tropical Storm Aletta was downgraded into a depression. Tropical Depression Aletta dissipated on May 29 roughly 180 mi (290 km/h) southwest of Acapulco.
Tropical Depression Two-E
This system originated as a low in the western Caribbean on the morning of May 27. The next day it moved southwest into Guatemala with significant thunderstorm activity, emerging into the Gulf of Tehuantepec around noon on May 29. By May 31, it was organized enough to be considered a tropical depression. Slowly weakening on June 1 as it remained quasi-stationary, the system dissipated in the Gulf of Tehuantepec on June 4.
Tropical Depression Three-E
This cyclone formed well to the west-southwest of Mexico on June 12. The depression slowly recurved due to an upper-level low located well to its north-northwest. By June 15, vertical wind shear had taken its toll and the system dissipated about 300 mi (485 km) north of where it formed.
Tropical Storm Bud
On June 15, this cyclone formed about 460 mi (740 km) southwest of Acapulco. Drifting west-northwest, it quickly strengthened into a tropical storm. Maximum sustained winds peaked near 50 mph (80 km/h) late on June 15. Turning south of due west, vertical wind shear weakened Bud, with the cyclone dissipating by the morning of June 17 about 23 miles (37 km) north-northwest of Clipperton Island.
Tropical Depression Five-E
Late on June 16, deep convection organized in the Gulf of Tehuantepec into a tropical depression. Transcribing a small clockwise loop, the system moved west-northwest. Interaction with Mexico likely played a role in its weakening as water temperatures under the system were never below 82 °F (28 °C). The system dissipated about 90 mi (145 km) south of Puerto Ángel by the morning of June 19.
Tropical Storm Carlotta
A tropical wave crossed Central America on June 26, creating an area of thunderstorms just inside the tropical eastern Pacific that morning. Cyclonic turning was evident by the night of June 30 while located roughly 350 mi (565 km) south of Manzanillo as the system continued westward. Slowly turning northwest, the system was upgraded to a tropical depression early on July 1 and a tropical storm by nightfall. Maximum sustained winds increased to 60 mph (95 km/h) by noon July 3. Increasingly southwest flow aloft turned Carlotta more northward into cooler waters, causing the cyclone to regain tropical depression status on the evening of July 4, ultimately dissipating southwest of Cabo San Lucas the next evening.
Tropical Depression Seven-E
The system formed between Tropical Storm Carlotta and the Hawaiian Islands on the evening of July 2. Slowly recurving north and northeast, the system moved into cooler waters and dissipated about 100 miles (160 km) north of where it formed by the afternoon of July 3.
Hurricane Daniel
Tropical Depression Eight-E formed south of Mexico on July 7. Moving west-northwest, the cyclone slowly strengthened into a tropical storm around noon on July 8 before becoming a hurricane late in the afternoon of July 9. Daniel reached its maximum intensity of 115 mph (185 km/h) early in the morning of July 11 a few hundred miles southwest of Manzanillo, Mexico. As the storm moved westward, it slowly weakened. Daniel regained tropical storm status during the night of July 14, entering the Central Pacific Basin as a weakening tropical storm on the morning of July 16. Daniel retained tropical storm intensity for the next few days before weakening into a tropical depression about 280 mi (450 km) south southwest of the Big Island of Hawaii, being sheared by the same upper trough that caused Emilia's dissipation a few days earlier. Daniel turned northward, and on July 22, dissipated in the Alenuihaha Channel between Maui and the Big Island of Hawaii.
Tropical Storm Emilia
Tropical Depression Nine-E developed near 10.0° N 136.5° W on the morning of July 12. Intensifying, the cyclone became a tropical storm later that day. Emilia moved westward around 13 miles per hour (21 km/h) and entered the Central Pacific Basin on the night of July 12. Over the next day, the storm moved west-northwest, reaching maximum sustained winds of 65 mph (105 km/h). An upper trough to the west weakened Emilia rapidly due to vertical wind shear, and the cyclone weakened to tropical depression status early on the morning of July 15. Dissipation of the tropical depression was noted by afternoon.
Tropical Depression Ten-E
To the east of Daniel, a tropical depression formed on the evening of July 13 a few hundred miles west-southwest of Manzanillo. The system moved westward and weakened thereafter, dissipating about 200 mi (320 km) west of where it had formed by the afternoon of July 14.
Tropical Depression Eleven-E
A tropical disturbance was spotted about 650 mi (1,045 km) southwest of Acapulco on July 12. By the evening of July 15, cyclonic turning was evident and the system was upgraded to a tropical depression. Moving unsteadily to the west-northwest, the system weakened, dissipating a few hundred miles west-northwest of where it had formed.
Hurricane Fabio
The cyclone developed as a tropical depression southeast of Manzanillo on July 17. Over the next couple of days, it strengthened rapidly into a hurricane as it moved northwest, peaking in intensity with 75 mph (120 km/h) winds. Gradual weakening occurred as Fabio turned westward along the 19th parallel north into cooler waters, eventually dissipating late on July 24.
Hurricane Gilma
Tropical Depression Thirteen-E formed near 9.5°N 117°30'W and moved slightly north of west. Tropical storm status was attained near noon on July 26, and the cyclone crossed the threshold of hurricane strength late on the night of July 27. By noon on July 29, Gilma reached it maximum intensity of 125 mph (200 km/h) well to the east-southeast of Hawaii. The cyclone weakened and sped up its motion to the west-northwest, crossing into the Central Pacific Basin as a category one hurricane very early on July 30. Gilma was downgraded to a tropical storm late in the morning of July 30, and a tropical depression early on the morning of August 1 as the circulation passed 50 mi (80 km) south of South Point. The cyclone dissipated late on August 1 as it passed 200 mi (300 km) south of Kauai.
Hurricane Hector
On July 23, a tropical wave moved off the Colombian coast. The related convection moved westward at over 20 mph (30 km/h). By the evening of July 27, the system slowed its forward motion. The next evening, a tropical depression organized within the thunderstorm activity well to the south of Baja California. Strengthening continued, as Hector became a tropical storm on the morning of July 29 and a hurricane by noon on July 30. A combination of vertical wind shear and cooler waters ahead of the cyclone led to its weakening trend, which hastened on August 1. It weakened to a tropical storm on the morning of August 2 and to a depression soon thereafter while located midway between the Hawaiian Islands and southern Baja California.
Tropical Storm Iva
A tropical disturbance was discovered 300 mi (485 km) south of Acapulco on July 31. Moving west-northwest, it achieved tropical depression status that night and tropical storm status on August 2 while 800 mi (1,340 km) west-southwest of Acapulco. Northeasterly upper-level shear appears to have been Iva's nemesis, as the system weakened back into a tropical depression by the afternoon of August 3 as it turned west-southwest. The depression maintained strength for another several days before dissipating well east-southwest of Hilo, Hawaii, on the morning of August 8.
Hurricane John
Tropical Depression Sixteen-E formed on August 3 in the East Pacific between Hawaii and Mexico. The system intensified into a tropical storm by noon August 4, and a hurricane on the morning of August 5. John reached its peak intensity of 115 mph (185 km/h) as it moved into the Central Pacific Basin on August 6. Weakening commenced on August 7 due to westerly vertical wind shear caused by the semi-permanent mid-oceanic upper trough, and John weakened to a tropical storm on the night of August 8. It passed by as a tropical depression about 180 mi (290 km) south of the Island of Hawaii, and dissipated late on August 10 to the southwest of Hawaii.
Hurricane Kristy
Tropical Depression Seventeen-E formed by noon on August 8 in the East Pacific. The low moved west, intensified, and became Tropical Storm Kristy by midnight, and a hurricane by midnight on the night of August 9. Weakening as it entered the Central Pacific, Kristy regained tropical storm status late on August 10 while moving south of due west at a rapid 30 mph (48 km/h). As it slowed down and turned northwest, Kristy began to restrengthen. Hurricane intensity was reached again on the evening of August 13. By noon on August 14, the cyclone passed 250 mi (400 km) south of South Point, Hawaii. Westerly winds aloft slowed Kristy's forward motion down additionally, and Kristy weakened back into a tropical storm on August 15. Turning more to the west with the low level wind flow, the cyclone was downgraded to a tropical depression by noon on August 16 and dissipated that night southwest of Hawaii.