Tropics
Record 4 Category 5 hurricanes in the eastern and central Pacific in 2026
By Ryan Hall, Y'all Weather Desk · Published · Updated
Written by our automated news desk from National Weather Service data.
What's new: Removed the radar loop, which doesn't cover Pacific storms. The rest of the story is unchanged.
Key points
- What: Nolo is the fourth Category 5 hurricane this year in the eastern and central Pacific. The old best for one season was three.
- Where: About 400 miles southwest of Honolulu at 2 AM Hawaii time that day, before it reached that strength.
- When: Sept. 28. That was more than six weeks ago, so this is a record story, not a warning.
- What it means: 2026 now stands alone for Category 5 count east of the Date Line, based on records from 1949 through 2025.
- Right now: Tropical Storm Pena is the only active storm, and it is not a threat to land. In the lower 48, today's only severe risk is a Level 1 of 5 in Texas.
Hurricane Nolo became the fourth Category 5 hurricane of 2026 in the eastern and central Pacific on Sept. 28, the most in any season east of the Date Line since records began in 1949. At 2 AM Hawaii time that day, Nolo was about 400 miles southwest of Honolulu with 155 mph winds and a central pressure of 929 millibars, and the official forecast showed it reaching 165 mph. Nothing about this record affects the lower 48, but it says a lot about how active this Pacific season has been.
Four Category 5 storms, one season
Category 5 is the top of the hurricane scale, for storms with winds of 157 mph or more. This year's four, in order, were Genevieve on July 27, Lowell in early September, Polo from Sept. 22 to 26, and Nolo on Sept. 28.
The hurricane record for this part of the Pacific goes back to 1949. In all those years, no season east of the Date Line had more than three Category 5 storms. Three happened in 1994, 2002 and 2018. 2026 beat all of them.
Nolo itself was an annular, ring-shaped storm. At 2 AM Hawaii time on Sept. 28 it had 155 mph winds, just under the Category 5 line, and the advisory said it could reach Category 5 later that day. The official forecast had it at 165 mph by 8 AM.
What is happening in the Pacific today
The only active storm is Tropical Storm Pena. As of 5 AM Hawaii time Tuesday, Pena had 40 mph winds and was about 835 miles southwest of Honolulu. It is moving west at about 12 mph. No watches or warnings are in effect, and the official advisory lists no hazards to land.
Pena is fighting wind shear, which is winds changing with height that tear a storm's structure apart. Little change in strength is expected for several days. It is forecast to cross the Date Line late this week, and it could eventually fade into a remnant low or open into a trough. You can follow it on our Pena page.
Back in the lower 48
Texas has a Level 1 of 5 (Marginal) severe storm risk today. That is the lowest step on the scale, so a few storms could get strong, but it is not a big day. Wednesday brings another Level 1 across Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee and Illinois. Thursday has no severe storms expected, and no flash flood risk is outlined through Thursday.
Out West, a flood advisory covers Multnomah County in northwestern Oregon until 2 PM Pacific for urban and small stream flooding from heavy rain. Coastal flood advisories are up around the San Francisco Bay area and Southern California, and the San Diego area has surf of 3 to 7 feet on west-facing beaches. Up north, a Marginal winter weather risk covers the upper Great Lakes on Wednesday and Thursday.
What to do
If you live in the lower 48, you don't need to do anything about Nolo or Pena. In Texas, keep an eye on the sky today and check our severe storm outlooks if your plans are outdoors. Every active alert is on our warnings page, updated live.
If you have family or travel plans in Hawaii, nothing in Pena's forecast brings it near the islands. Sign up for free Y'all Alerts if you want a heads up when something changes.
Bottom line
Nolo was the fourth Category 5 hurricane in the eastern and central Pacific in 2026, the most for any season on a record that starts in 1949. The Pacific is quiet now, with only Tropical Storm Pena out there and no land threatened.
Explained: Flood Advisory, Watch, Warning and Flash Flood Warning explained
More on Hurricane Nolo 2026
Places in this story: Honolulu, HI