1961 Pacific hurricane season

The 1961 Pacific hurricane season was slightly more active than 1960, which had eight tropical cyclones, compare with 11 during this year. However, in 1960, there were five hurricane, but only two in 1961. Although there were an abnormally high number of tropical cyclones for its time, 1961 fell below the 1995-2008 average number of tropical cyclones, which is 15 tropical cyclones, 9 hurricanes, and 4 major hurricanes.[2] In addition, there were eleven tropical cyclones, two hurricanes, but no major hurricanes. However, in post-analysis, it was noted that "Tropical Storm Madeline" was only a tropical depression, and shouldn't have been named.

Tropical cyclone activity first began about a month after the official start of the season, with Iva developed on June 9. After Iva dissipated on June 11, there was another period of lack of tropical cyclogenesis for almost a month, ending after Tropical Storm Joanne developed on July 10. July was an active month, with four tropical cyclones developing. However, the month of August and September combined featured only two tropical cyclones. After September, there were two tropical cyclones in October, both existing only on October 3 and October 4. Two more tropical cyclones developed in November,[1] which was the first time on record, and would not occur again until 2006.[3]

Operationally, the San Francisco Weather Bureau issued advisories for Tropical Storm Simone, which existed in early November south of Mexico. The system originated from the remnants of Atlantic Hurricane Hattie, crossing into the basin on November 1; on the same day, the system was named Simone. The system consisted of a broad circulation with gale force winds, which the Atlantic hurricane reanalysis committee referred as a Central American gyre; as it lacked a well-defined center, the system was removed as a tropical cyclone in 2019. The gyre intensified before moving ashore Mexico on November 3, whereupon it dissipated.[4]

The following names were used for named storms that formed in the eastern Pacific in 1961. Simone was operationally considered a tropical storm, but was removed as a tropical cyclone by the Atlantic hurricane reanalysis committee in 2019. No names were retired, and the names on this portion of list 1 were used again in the 1968 season. This is the same list as list 1 used during the 1960-1965 Pacific hurricane seasons, names that were not assigned are marked in gray.

The Central Pacific used names and numbers from the Western Pacific's typhoon list. No systems formed in the area, and thus no names were required.

• Tropical cyclone
• List of Pacific hurricanes
• 1961 Atlantic hurricane season
• 1961 Pacific typhoon season
• 1961 North Indian Ocean cyclone season
• Australian region cyclone seasons: 1960–61 1961–62
• South Pacific cyclone seasons: 1960–61 1961–62
• South-West Indian Ocean cyclone seasons: 1960–61 1961–62