NORTH ATLANTIC · SEASON MAP
1987 Atlantic hurricane season
Every recorded track, mapped · 14 storms · 24 May 1987–4 Nov 1987
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| Unnamed | – | 30 | Tropical depression | — | 1,240 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unnamed | – | 40 | Tropical storm | 1007 | 1,060 |
| Arlene | – | 65 | Cat 1 | 987 | 5,810 |
| Unnamed | – | 30 | Tropical depression | — | 1,060 |
| Bret | – | 45 | Tropical storm | 1000 | 2,150 |
| Unnamed | – | 30 | Tropical depression | — | 960 |
| Cindy | – | 45 | Tropical storm | 1000 | 2,040 |
| Unnamed | – | 30 | Tropical depression | — | 1,210 |
| Unnamed | – | 30 | Tropical depression | — | 450 |
| Dennis | – | 45 | Tropical storm | 1000 | 3,250 |
| Unnamed | – | 30 | Tropical depression | — | 790 |
| Emily | – | 110 | Cat 3 | 958 | 3,970 |
| Floyd | – | 65 | Cat 1 | 993 | 1,350 |
| Unnamed | – | 30 | Tropical depression | — | 870 |
14 storms with an IBTrACS 1987 hurricane season record. Tracks are the archived center positions, first observation 24 May 1987, last 4 Nov 1987.
Tropical-stage US-agency wind of 34 kt or more
64 kt or more, one-minute sustained
96 kt or more, Saffir–Simpson scale
137 kt or more at any tropical-stage observation
110 kt · 127 mph / 204 km/h
Emily, 22 Sept 1987
Arlene, full archive record
Mapped, but outside the counts above
QUICK ANSWERS
The 1987 season in brief
How many hurricanes were there in the 1987 Atlantic hurricane season?
The archive records 3 hurricanes (one-minute winds of 64 kt or more) among 7 tropical storms, with 1 major hurricane reaching 96 kt. Counts use US-agency winds during the tropical stage.
What was the strongest storm of the 1987 Atlantic hurricane season?
Emily, with a peak one-minute sustained wind of 110 kt (Category 3) on 22 Sept 1987, 18:00 UTC and a minimum central pressure of 958 hPa.
How many Category 5 storms were there in 1987?
None. No storm in the 1987 Atlantic hurricane season reached Category 5 on the Saffir–Simpson one-minute wind scale in the archive.
When did the 1987 Atlantic hurricane season start and end?
The first tropical-stage observation is on 24 May 1987 and the last on 4 Nov 1987, from 14 tracked storms in the archive.
What was the first hurricane of the 1987 Atlantic hurricane season?
Arlene, which reached hurricane strength (64 kt) on 22 Aug 1987, 06:00 UTC.
METHODOLOGY
Data sources and limitations
The map and totals are generated from NOAA’s IBTrACS v04r01 archive. A storm belongs to this page when the archive lists it in the North Atlantic basin for the 1987 season, so a December storm whose track ends in January stays with its season. Storms that cross between basins appear on the page of their archive basin only.
Counts use US-agency one-minute winds during the tropical stage: 34 kt for a tropical storm, 64 kt for hurricane strength and 96 kt for major intensity, on the Saffir–Simpson scale in every basin. Local agencies classify storms differently, and official season summaries can differ from the archive. Accumulated cyclone energy sums squared winds at six-hourly synoptic times, counting observations in the calendar year. Storms with no US-agency wind are mapped but cannot enter the counts.
The map frame is the same for every North Atlantic season, so a track that leaves it is cut at the edge. Lines show each storm’s center, not its size, rainfall or flood extent. Coastlines use Natural Earth’s 1:10m land data.
Archive retrieved
NOAA IBTrACS archive · Field documentation
Sources & methodology