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2015 Sets a New Record for Category 4 and 5 Hurricanes and Typhoons

A record 22 hurricanes or typhoons have reached Category 4 or 5 strength in the Northern Hemisphere this year.

Tracks of Category 4 or 5 central and eastern Pacific hurricanes in 2015.

Tracks of Category 4 or 5 western Pacific typhoons in 2015.

Hurricane Joaquin on Oct. 3 when it became a Category 4 for the second time. Joaquin is the only Atlantic storm to reach Category 4 status this season.
(NASA)

The record was broken on Oct. 17 when Koppu became the nineteenth storm to reach this intensity prior to slamming into the Philippines as a super typhoon. Since then, Super Typhoon Champi, Hurricane Olaf and Hurricane Patricia added to the total.

The old record for the Northern Hemisphere was 18 set in 2004, according to Dr. Phil Klotzbach of Colorado State University and blogger for wunderground.com. For perspective, an average of 12.5 Category 4 or 5 storms have been recorded during the 1990-2014 period, Klotzbach added.

Category 4 and 5 hurricanes or equivalent typhoons are the two most extreme classifications on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.

(MORE: Three Category 4 Hurricanes Simultaneously)

Most of the typhoons or hurricanes in 2015 that have maxed out at Category 4 or 5 strength have been in the western, central or eastern Pacific basins. Hurricane Joaquin is the only Atlantic hurricane to reach Category 4 intensity this season.

This is different than 2004, which had four hurricanes (Charley, Frances, Ivan and Karl) contribute to the aforementioned Northern Hemisphere record of 18 Category 4 or 5 storms in a calendar year.

El Niño is likely playing a role in the very active Pacific that we've seen this year, partially by reducing the amount of wind shear in the central and eastern Pacific. The Pacific tropical activity can also be attributed to the impressively warm ocean water that we've seen.

(MORE: Strong El Nino Through this Winter)

A record eight named storms have developed in the central Pacific basin this year (Halola, Ela, Iune, Kilo, Loke, Malia, Niala and Oho). The old record was four in 1982, according to Klotzbach.

2015 Category 4 or 5 Hurricanes and Typhoons

Super Typhoon Maysak was the first to reach this extreme intensity when it was a Category 5 at the end of March. Maysak was only the sixth super typhoon of record prior to April 1.

Since then, we've had at least one typhoon or hurricane at Category 4 or 5 strength in each month through late October. Below is a list of all the hurricanes and typhoons that have reached Category 4 or 5 status so far in 2015, and the month(s) that this occurred.