Timeline of the 1980 Atlantic hurricane season

Timeline of the
1980 Atlantic hurricane season
Season summary map
Season boundaries
First system formedJuly 17, 1980
Last system dissipatedNovember 28, 1980
Strongest system
NameAllen
Maximum winds190 mph (305 km/h)
(1-minute sustained)
Lowest pressure899 mbar (hPa; 26.55 inHg)
Longest lasting system
NameFrances
Duration14.75 days
Storm articles

The 1980 Atlantic hurricane season was an event in the annual tropical cyclone season in the north Atlantic Ocean. It was an average Atlantic hurricane season in which eleven named storms formed. The season officially began on June 1, 1980 and ended November 30, 1980. These dates, adopted by convention, historically describe the period in each year when most Atlantic systems form. Even so, Tropical Depression One did not form until July 17. The season's final storm, Hurricane Karl, dissipated on November 28.

The season produced fourteen tropical depressions, of which 12 intensified into tropical storms, four became hurricanes and two became major hurricanes. The only significant storm during the season was Hurricane Allen, a long-lived Cape Verde-type hurricane that became one of the strongest hurricanes recorded in the Atlantic Ocean, as well as the earliest Category 5 hurricane on the Saffir–Simpson scale ever recorded, a record that stood until Hurricane Emily during the 2005 season. Allen reached its peak intensity with maximum sustained winds of 190 mph (305 km/h) with a minimum barometric pressure of 899 mbar (hPa; 26.55 inHg).

This timeline documents tropical cyclone formations, strengthening, weakening, landfalls, extratropical transitions, and dissipations during the season. It includes information that was not released throughout the season, meaning that data from post-storm reviews by the National Hurricane Center, such as a storm that was not initially warned upon, has been included.

The time stamp for each event is first stated using Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), the 24-hour clock where 00:00 = midnight UTC. The NHC uses both UTC and the time zone where the center of the tropical cyclone is currently located. The time zones utilized (east to west) prior to 2020 were: Atlantic, Eastern, and Central. In this timeline, the respective area time is included in parentheses. Additionally, figures for maximum sustained winds and position estimates are rounded to the nearest 5 units (miles, or kilometers), following National Hurricane Center practice. Direct wind observations are rounded to the nearest whole number. Atmospheric pressures are listed to the nearest millibar and nearest hundredth of an inch of mercury.