NORTH ATLANTIC · 1980 SEASON

Hurricane Allen (1980)

Recorded track and intensity · 31 Jul 1980–11 Aug 1980

PEAK INTENSITYCategory 5
THE COMPLETE TRACKOpen in the explorer
ALLEN: complete recorded track, 31 Jul 1980–11 Aug 1980Recorded track from 31 Jul 1980 to 11 Aug 1980. Colors show the recorded wind category. The highlighted position follows the replay controls.NORTH AMERICAAtlantic Ocean1 Aug, 00:00 UTC2 Aug, 00:00 UTC3 Aug, 00:00 UTC4 Aug, 00:00 UTC5 Aug, 00:00 UTC6 Aug, 00:00 UTC7 Aug, 00:00 UTC8 Aug, 00:00 UTC9 Aug, 00:00 UTC10 Aug, 00:00 UTC11 Aug, 00:00 UTCPeak · Category 531 JUL11 AUG

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DepressionTropical stormCat 1Cat 2Cat 3Cat 4Cat 5Post-tropical
All times UTC

Wind speed & pressure

7 Aug, 18:00 UTC
Wind speed 165 ktPressure 899 hPa
0880909501801020kthPa31 Jul4 Aug8 Aug11 Aug

Forward speed & ACE

7 Aug, 18:00 UTC
Forward speed 16 ktCumulative ACE 33.16 10⁴ kt²
001527.53055kt10⁴ kt²31 Jul4 Aug8 Aug11 Aug

Hover or tap either graph to follow the track. The slider controls both graphs. Each line uses its matching colored axis.

Forward speed measures the center’s motion. ACE accumulates squared one-minute winds at 00, 06, 12 and 18 UTC during tropical or subtropical stages at 34 kt or above. Missing measurements remain gaps.

Maximum sustained wind165 kt

190 mph / 306 km/h

Minimum recorded pressure899 hPa

7 Aug 1980 · tropical stage

Recorded track duration11.25 days

Full archive record, including non-tropical stages if present

Approximate track distance8,150 km

Along the recorded center positions

STORM HISTORY

Track and intensity summary

Allen is listed in the North Atlantic basin for the 1980 season. Its archived track begins on 31 Jul 1980, 12:00 UTC at 11°N, 30°W. The first observation lists sustained winds of 25 knots. These dates describe the available observations, which may include stages before and after the tropical cyclone phase.

The first Category 5 observation appears on 5 Aug 1980, 00:00 UTC. The highest recorded tropical-stage one-minute sustained wind is 165 knots (190 mph / 306 km/h), first recorded on 7 Aug 1980, 18:00 UTC at 21.8°N, 86.4°W. The minimum recorded tropical-stage central pressure is 899 hPa on 7 Aug 1980, 18:00 UTC.

The full record spans 270 hours and approximately 8,150 kilometers along the recorded center positions. The last recorded position is 28.9°N, 102.9°W on 11 Aug 1980, 18:00 UTC.

This summary is calculated from the NOAA IBTrACS archive. Category 5 describes the storm’s peak recorded wind intensity, not its intensity at landfall or the severity of impacts at any location. Landfall times, damage and casualties have not been independently reviewed for this page.

METHODOLOGY

Data sources and limitations

The map and summary are generated from NOAA’s IBTrACS v04r01 archive. Wind and category use US-agency records; minimum pressure is calculated during the tropical stage, with the archive’s pressure source retained. Category 5 refers to the Saffir–Simpson one-minute wind scale; local agencies may use different classifications. Coastlines use Natural Earth’s 1:10m land data.

Track distance adds great-circle distances between consecutive observations, excluding gaps over 12 hours. This track has no gaps over 12 hours. The line shows the storm’s center, not its size, rainfall or flood extent. Converted wind speeds are rounded to the nearest whole unit.

Archive retrieved

NOAA IBTrACS archive · Field documentation

Sources & methodology