Tropical cyclones in 2010

During 2010, tropical cyclones formed within seven different tropical cyclone basins, located within various parts of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. During the year, a total of 111 tropical cyclones developed, with 64 of them being named by either a Regional Specialized Meteorological Center (RSMC) or a Tropical Cyclone Warning Center (TCWC). The most active basin was the North Atlantic, which documented 19 named systems, while the North Indian Ocean, despite only amounting to five named systems, was its basin's most active since 1998. Conversely, both the West Pacific typhoon and East Pacific hurricane seasons experienced the fewest cyclones reaching tropical storm intensity in recorded history, numbering 14 and 8, respectively. Activity across the southern hemisphere's three basins—South-West Indian, Australian, and South Pacific—was spread evenly, with each region recording 7 named storms apiece. The southern hemisphere's strongest tropical cyclone was Cyclone Edzani, which bottomed out with a barometric pressure of 910 mbar (hPa; 910 mbar) in the South-West Indian Ocean. Nineteen Category 3 tropical cyclones formed, including four Category 5 tropical cyclones in the year. The accumulated cyclone energy (ACE) index for the 2010 (seven basins combined), as calculated by Colorado State University was 573.8 units.

The strongest of these tropical cyclones was Typhoon Megi, which strengthened to a minimum barometric pressure of 885 mbar (hPa; 885 mbar) before striking the east coast of Luzon in the Philippines. The costliest tropical cyclone in 2010 was Hurricane Karl, which struck the Veracruz, Mexico area in September, causing US$5.6 billion in damage. Hurricane Alex, Tropical Storm Matthew, and Tropical Storm Agatha were the only other tropical cyclones worldwide in 2010 to accrue over US$1 billion in damage. Agatha was also the year's deadliest storm, killing 190 people primarily in Guatemala after lasting for only one day over the waters of the East Pacific.

Global atmospheric and hydrological conditions
The previous El Niño event broke down during the first quarter of 2010. The climate of the Pacific Ocean subsequently returned to neutral conditions by the end of April, while climate models used and developed by various meteorological agencies, subsequently started to show signs that a La Niña event would develop later in 2010. Over the next month the Pacific Ocean started to show various signals that indicated a La Niña event was developing and as a result, a La Niña watch was issued by the United States Climate Prediction Center during their June 2010 ENSO diagnostic discussion. As the ocean's surface temperature cooling progressed, more colder anomalies appeared at the International Date Line rather than over eastern Pacific, what made the event a Modoki La Nina.

January
During the month of January, a total of twelve tropical cyclones formed, with only five receiving names by their meteorological agencies of responsibility. The most intense tropical cyclone of the month was Cyclone Edzani, peaking with 910 hPa and 150 mph in 10-minute sustained winds.

February
The month of February was quite inactive, with only seven tropical cyclones forming, with five becoming named storms. Cyclone Gelane was the most intense of the month, peaking at 930 hPa, along with 10-minute sustained winds of 125 mph. No one was killed by a tropical cyclone in the month.

March
March was somewhat active with eight tropical cyclones forming with seven receiving names. Cyclone Ului was the most intense for March, as it was one of the fastest intensifying tropical cyclones on record. Ului was a Category 5 tropical cyclone (in 1-minute sustained winds) for a near-record breaking 30 hours. When Ului made landfall in Queensland, Brisbane, damages totaled to be US$72 million ($100 million AUD)

April
April was an unusually inactive month with only three tropical cyclones forming and two of them being named. No tropical cyclones attained pressure less than 980 hPa, which makes Cyclone Robyn the most intense of the month, attaining that intensity, as well as 10-minute sustained winds of 70 miles per hour. No deaths occurred during this month.

May
May was a relatively inactive month with five tropical cyclones forming and all five received names. Tropical Storm Agatha was the deadliest and costliest of the month, killing around 204 people and inflicting $1.11 billion in damage. Cyclone Phet was the most intense tropical cyclone in the month. As Category 4 tropical cyclone on the Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale (SSHWS), Phet was the least intense for that category on record, with a high pressure of 970 hPa. Phet attained 3-minute sustained winds of 100 MPH.

June
June was relatively inactive with only six systems forming all within the northern hemisphere, with four further developing into tropical storms and receiving names. Hurricane Celia was the strongest and most intense tropical cyclone of the month which became a Category 5 hurricane on the Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale; the first Category 5 in the month of June in the Eastern Pacific basin since Ava in 1973. Hurricane Alex is tied with 1957's Hurricane Audrey as the most intense hurricane in the month of June on record in the Atlantic, peaking at 946 hPa.

July
July was a very inactive month and the least active July on record for any given year, with only eight tropical cyclones forming, three of which becoming named tropical storms. Only two reached hurricane strength, with no major-hurricane equivalent tropical cyclones. Typhoon Chanthu was the most intense tropical cyclone in the month, with a minimum pressure of 965 hPa, and 10-minute sustained winds of 80 mph.

August
August was above average, featuring 16 systems with 12 of them being named. The strongest storm was Hurricane Earl, with a minimum pressure of 927 hPa, and 1-minute sustained winds of 145 MPH.

September
September was fairly-above average, featuring 15 storms, with 13 of them being named. Igor was the strongest system, with a minimum pressure of 924 hPa and 1-minute sustained winds of 155 MPH.

October
October was slightly-below average, featuring 15 storms, with 9 of them being named. October featured Typhoon Megi, the strongest storm of the year, with a minimum pressure of 885 hPa and 10-minute sustained winds of 145 MPH.

November
November was extremely inactive, featuring 5 storms and only 2 named storms. Due to this inactivity, Cyclone Abele was the strongest of the month, with a minimum barometric pressure of 974 hPa and 10-minute sustained winds of 80 MPH.

December
December was very inactive. But, it did feature ten tropical cyclones forming. Only two made it to become named storms; Omeka and Tasha; the last two names of the year. Since Omeka only lasts for a day, Tasha became the strongest of the month, with a minimum pressure of 993 hPa and 10-minute sustained winds of 45 MPH