2020 Atlantic hurricane season : earliest named storm records

All dates correspond with the first time the storm reached 35 kt with tropical or subtropical status.

Caveats:

The original records are provided by the National Hurricane Center's best-track archive, HURDAT2. However, the 2020 dates are preliminary and provided by the operational best tracks. Thus 2020 dates are subject to change!

This page provides data valid as of the 18 UTC 16 November operational best tracks. Any additional storms will be added as they form.

	Season & storm name	Original record	2020 storm name	Formation date*	# days prior to previous record
1st	1938 Unnamed	18 UTC 03 Jan	Arthur	00 UTC 17 May
2nd	1951 Able	12 UTC 16 May	Bertha	06 UTC 27 May
3rd	2016 Colin	18 UTC 05 Jun	Cristobal	12 UTC 02 Jun	3.25
4th	2016 Danielle	06 UTC 20 Jun	Dolly	06 UTC 23 Jun
5th	2005 Emily	00 UTC 12 Jul	Edouard	00 UTC 06 Jul	6.0
6th	2005 Franklin	00 UTC 22 Jul	Fay	18 UTC 09 Jul	12.25
7th	2005 Gert	06 UTC 24 Jul	Gonzalo	06 UTC 22 Jul	2.0
8th	2005 Harvey	06 UTC 03 Aug	Hanna	00 UTC 24 Jul	10.25
9th	2005 Irene	12 UTC 07 Aug	Isaias	00 UTC 30 Jul	8.5
10th	2005 Jose	18 UTC 22 Aug	Josephine	12 UTC 13 Aug	9.25
11th	2005 Katrina	12 UTC 24 Aug	Kyle	18 UTC 14 Aug	9.75
12th	1995 Luis	00 UTC 29 Aug	Laura	12 UTC 21 Aug	7.5
13th	2005 Maria / 2011 Lee (tied)	12 UTC 02 Sep	Marco	00 UTC 22 Aug	11.5
14th	2005 Nate	00 UTC 06 Sep	Nana	06 UTC 01 Sep	4.75
15th	2005 Ophelia	06 UTC 07 Sep	Omar	00 UTC 02 Sep	5.25
16th	2005 Philippe	18 UTC 17 Sep	Paulette	12 UTC 07 Sep	10.25
17th	2005 Rita	18 UTC 18 Sep	Rene	18 UTC 07 Sep	11.0
18th	2005 Stan	06 UTC 02 Oct	Sally	18 UTC 12 Sep	19.5
19th	2005 Unnamed subtropical storm	12 UTC 04 Oct	Teddy	06 UTC 14 Sep	20.25
20th	2005 Tammy	06 UTC 05 Oct	Vicky	12 UTC 14 Sep	20.75
21st	2005 Vince	06 UTC 08 Oct	Alpha^	12 UTC 18 Sep	19.75
22nd	2005 Wilma	06 UTC 17 Oct	Wilfred	18 UTC 18 Sep	28.5
23rd	2005 Alpha	18 UTC 22 Oct	Beta	18 UTC 18 Sep	34.0
24th	2005 Beta	06 UTC 27 Oct	Gamma	00 UTC 03 Oct	24.25
25th	2005 Gamma	06 UTC 15 Nov	Delta	12 UTC 05 Oct	40.75
26th	2005 Delta	18 UTC 22 Nov	Epsilon	12 UTC 19 Oct	34.25
27th	2005 Epsilon	06 UTC 29 Nov	Zeta	06 UTC 25 Oct	35.0
28th	2005 Zeta	06 UTC 30 Dec	Eta	00 UTC 01 Nov	59.25
29th	--	--	Theta+	00 UTC 10 Nov	--
30th	--	--	Iota	18 UTC 13 Nov	--

Season & storm name

Original record

2020 storm name

Formation date*

# days prior to previous record

1st

1938 Unnamed

18 UTC 03 Jan

Arthur

00 UTC 17 May

2nd

1951 Able

12 UTC 16 May

Bertha

06 UTC 27 May

3rd

2016 Colin

18 UTC 05 Jun

Cristobal

12 UTC 02 Jun

3.25

4th

2016 Danielle

06 UTC 20 Jun

Dolly

06 UTC 23 Jun

5th

2005 Emily

00 UTC 12 Jul

Edouard

00 UTC 06 Jul

6.0

6th

2005 Franklin

00 UTC 22 Jul

Fay

18 UTC 09 Jul

12.25

7th

2005 Gert

06 UTC 24 Jul

Gonzalo

06 UTC 22 Jul

2.0

8th

2005 Harvey

06 UTC 03 Aug

Hanna

00 UTC 24 Jul

10.25

9th

2005 Irene

12 UTC 07 Aug

Isaias

00 UTC 30 Jul

8.5

10th

2005 Jose

18 UTC 22 Aug

Josephine

12 UTC 13 Aug

9.25

11th

2005 Katrina

12 UTC 24 Aug

Kyle

18 UTC 14 Aug

9.75

12th

1995 Luis

00 UTC 29 Aug

Laura

12 UTC 21 Aug

7.5

13th

2005 Maria / 2011 Lee (tied)

12 UTC 02 Sep

Marco

00 UTC 22 Aug

11.5

14th

2005 Nate

00 UTC 06 Sep

Nana

06 UTC 01 Sep

4.75

15th

2005 Ophelia

06 UTC 07 Sep

Omar

00 UTC 02 Sep

5.25

16th

2005 Philippe

18 UTC 17 Sep

Paulette

12 UTC 07 Sep

10.25

17th

2005 Rita

18 UTC 18 Sep

Rene

18 UTC 07 Sep

11.0

18th

2005 Stan

06 UTC 02 Oct

Sally

18 UTC 12 Sep

19.5

19th

2005 Unnamed subtropical storm

12 UTC 04 Oct

Teddy

06 UTC 14 Sep

20.25

20th

2005 Tammy

06 UTC 05 Oct

Vicky

12 UTC 14 Sep

20.75

21st

2005 Vince

06 UTC 08 Oct

Alpha^

12 UTC 18 Sep

19.75

22nd

2005 Wilma

06 UTC 17 Oct

Wilfred

18 UTC 18 Sep

28.5

23rd

2005 Alpha

18 UTC 22 Oct

Beta

18 UTC 18 Sep

34.0

24th

2005 Beta

06 UTC 27 Oct

Gamma

00 UTC 03 Oct

24.25

25th

2005 Gamma

06 UTC 15 Nov

Delta

12 UTC 05 Oct

40.75

26th

2005 Delta

18 UTC 22 Nov

Epsilon

12 UTC 19 Oct

34.25

27th

2005 Epsilon

06 UTC 29 Nov

Zeta

06 UTC 25 Oct

35.0

28th

2005 Zeta

06 UTC 30 Dec

Eta

00 UTC 01 Nov

59.25

29th

Theta+

00 UTC 10 Nov

30th

Iota

18 UTC 13 Nov

* formation date is from preliminary best-track data and thus subject to change in post-season analysis
^ Alpha’s date is its first best-track time as a subtropical storm
+ Theta broke 2005's named storm record (28) by becoming the 29th named storm of the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season