Hurricanes in Guatemala
Hurricanes occur very often in Guatemala. On average, they happen about 10 times a year. The hardest hit regions are Petén and Pacific coast.The hurricane season usually lasts from early June to late November.
The most severe hurricane to make landfall in Guatemala in the past 12 months was »Lisa«. It reached a wind speed of up to 148 km/h on November 2, 2022 at 3:30 pm local time near Melchor de Mencos and was 40 kilometers in diameter at the time. According to the internationally accepted Saffir-Simpson classification, this corresponded to a category 1 hurricane.
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Back to overview: Guatemala
Current satellite image of the North Atlantic
08.06.2023 © CIMSS University of Wisconsin-Madison
Most violent hurricanes in Guatemala since 2018
Lisa: October 30 to November 5, 2022
Region:
Gulf of Mexico
Wind speed:
max. 148 km/h
Diameter:
max. 259 km
Air pressure:
below 985 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 1
Affected regions
Petén
Petén
Lisa: October 27 to November 5, 2022
Region:
Gulf of Mexico
Wind speed:
max. 130 km/h
Diameter:
max. 370 km
Air pressure:
below 988 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 1
The hurricane did not make direct landfall in Guatemala. On November 2nd, 2022 at 9:00 am it had the shortest distance at about 184 km west of Melchor de Mencos in Petén.
Instead, the first landfall occurred near Catemaco in Mexico on November 4th at 9:00 am.
Instead, the first landfall occurred near Catemaco in Mexico on November 4th at 9:00 am.
Julia: October 6-10, 2022
Region:
Caribbean Sea
Wind speed:
max. 139 km/h
on land:
max. 65 km/h
Diameter:
max. 307 km
Air pressure:
below 982 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 1
Affected regions
Pacific coast
Pacific coast
Julia: October 2-10, 2022
Wind speed:
max. 139 km/h
on land:
max. 65 km/h
Diameter:
max. 333 km
Air pressure:
below 982 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 1
Affected regions
Pacific coast
Pacific coast
Bonnie: June 27 to July 11, 2022
Region:
Caribbean Sea
Wind speed:
max. 185 km/h
Diameter:
max. 444 km
Air pressure:
below 964 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 3
The hurricane did not make direct landfall in Guatemala. On July 3rd, 2022 at 3:00 am it had the shortest distance at about 174 km south of Puerto San José in Pacific coast.
Instead, the first landfall occurred near Nueva Guinea in Nicaragua on July 1st at 9:00 pm.
Instead, the first landfall occurred near Nueva Guinea in Nicaragua on July 1st at 9:00 pm.
Bonnie: June 22 to July 9, 2022
Region:
Caribbean Sea
Wind speed:
max. 185 km/h
Diameter:
max. 370 km
Air pressure:
below 964 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 3
The hurricane did not make direct landfall in Guatemala. On July 3rd, 2022 at 3:00 am it had the shortest distance at about 224 km south of Puerto San Jos in Pacific coast.
Instead, the first landfall occurred near San Juan del Sur in Nicaragua on July 2nd at 6:00 am.
Instead, the first landfall occurred near San Juan del Sur in Nicaragua on July 2nd at 6:00 am.
Agatha: May 27 to June 1, 2022
Wind speed:
max. 176 km/h
Diameter:
max. 270 km
Air pressure:
below 964 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 2
The hurricane did not make direct landfall in Guatemala. On June 1st, 2022 at 12:00 am it had the shortest distance at about 300 km northeast of Nentón in Highlands.
Instead, the first landfall occurred near Brisas de Zicatela in Mexico on May 30th at 9:00 am.
Instead, the first landfall occurred near Brisas de Zicatela in Mexico on May 30th at 9:00 am.
Agatha: May 25-31, 2022
Wind speed:
max. 176 km/h
Diameter:
max. 482 km
Air pressure:
below 964 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 2
The hurricane did not make direct landfall in Guatemala. On May 25th, 2022 at 6:00 am it had the shortest distance at about 194 km southeast of Champerico in Pacific coast.
Instead, the first landfall occurred near Brisas de Zicatela in Mexico on May 30th at 12:00 pm.
Instead, the first landfall occurred near Brisas de Zicatela in Mexico on May 30th at 12:00 pm.
Nora: August 24-30, 2021
Wind speed:
max. 139 km/h
on land:
max. 50 km/h
Diameter:
max. 741 km
Air pressure:
below 976 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 1
Affected regions
Pacific coast
Pacific coast
Grace: August 13-21, 2021
Region:
Gulf of Mexico
Wind speed:
max. 194 km/h
on land:
max. 96 km/h
Diameter:
max. 556 km
Eye:
max. 111 km
Air pressure:
below 967 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 3
Affected regions
Petén
Petén
Iota: November 12-18, 2020
Wind speed:
max. 250 km/h
on land:
max. 120 km/h
Diameter:
max. 1000 km
Air pressure:
below 917 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 4
Affected regions
Caribbean coast
Pacific coast
Caribbean coast
Pacific coast
Eta: October 31 to November 14, 2020
Region:
Caribbean Sea
Wind speed:
max. 241 km/h
on land:
max. 65 km/h
Diameter:
max. 815 km
Air pressure:
below 922 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 4
Affected regions
Caribbean coast
Petén
Caribbean coast
Petén
Zeta: October 24-30, 2020
Region:
Gulf of Mexico
Wind speed:
max. 185 km/h
Diameter:
max. 1667 km
Air pressure:
below 970 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 3
The hurricane did not make direct landfall in Guatemala. On October 25th, 2020 at 3:00 pm it had the shortest distance at about 229 km northwest of Puerto Barrios in Caribbean coast.
Instead, the first landfall occurred near Waspam in Nicaragua on October 25th at 6:00 am.
Instead, the first landfall occurred near Waspam in Nicaragua on October 25th at 6:00 am.
Delta: October 4-11, 2020
Region:
Gulf of Mexico
Wind speed:
max. 222 km/h
Diameter:
max. 852 km
Air pressure:
below 953 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 4
The hurricane did not make direct landfall in Guatemala. On October 7th, 2020 at 3:00 am it had the shortest distance at about 303 km northwest of Melchor de Mencos in Petén.
Instead, the first landfall occurred near San Miguel de Cozumel in Mexico on October 6th at 9:00 pm.
Instead, the first landfall occurred near San Miguel de Cozumel in Mexico on October 6th at 9:00 pm.
Gamma: October 2-6, 2020
Region:
Gulf of Mexico
Wind speed:
max. 120 km/h
Diameter:
max. 593 km
Air pressure:
below 978 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 1
Affected regions
Petén
Petén
Julio: September 4-7, 2020
Wind speed:
max. 74 km/h
on land:
max. 56 km/h
Diameter:
max. 556 km
Air pressure:
below 1004 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
tropical storm
Affected regions
Pacific coast
Pacific coast
Marco: August 20-25, 2020
Region:
Caribbean Sea
Wind speed:
max. 120 km/h
on land:
max. 74 km/h
Diameter:
max. 667 km
Air pressure:
below 991 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 1
Affected regions
Petén
Petén
Genevieve: August 16-22, 2020
Wind speed:
max. 213 km/h
Diameter:
max. 556 km
Air pressure:
below 950 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 4
The hurricane did not make direct landfall in Guatemala. On August 16th, 2020 at 6:00 am it had the shortest distance at about 310 km southeast of Ocós in Pacific coast.
Cristobal: June 1-12, 2020
Region:
Gulf of Mexico
Wind speed:
max. 93 km/h
Diameter:
max. 815 km
Air pressure:
below 982 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
tropical storm
Affected regions
Petén
Petén
Amanda: May 30-31, 2020
Wind speed:
max. 65 km/h
Diameter:
max. 1111 km
Air pressure:
below 1003 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
tropical storm
Affected regions
Pacific coast
Pacific coast
These evaluations are based on data from the National Centers for Environmental Information of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Individual data have been summarized or translated.
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