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| Tropical cyclones in 2018 | |
|---|---|
 Year summary map | |
| Year boundaries | |
| First system | 07U |
| Formed | January 1, 2018 |
| Last system | Penny |
| Dissipated | January 9, 2019 |
| Strongest system | |
| Name | Kong-rey & Yutu |
| Lowest pressure | 900 mbar (hPa); 26.58 inHg |
| Longest lasting system | |
| Name | Iris & Leslie |
| Duration | 21 days |
| Year statistics | |
| Total systems | 145 |
| Named systems | 101 |
| Total fatalities | 1,383 total |
| Total damage | > $86.65 billion (2018 USD) |
During 2018, 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 151 tropical cyclones had formed this year to date. 102 tropical cyclones were named by either a Regional Specialized Meteorological Center (RSMC) or a Tropical Cyclone Warning Center (TCWC).
With 151 tropical cyclones, 2018 was one of the most active years on record, also was regarded as the second-most intense tropical cyclone years on record, featuring eleven Category 5 tropical cyclones, according to the Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale (SSHWS), only behind 1997. The most active basin in the year was the Western Pacific, which documented 28 named systems. The Eastern Pacific also saw an incredibly above-average year with 23 named systems, reaching the highest Accumulated Cyclone Energy (ACE) on record in the basin. Activity in the Atlantic Basin was unusually above-average with 15 tropical storms developing, despite the El Niño, which would usually suppress Atlantic activity. The North Indian Ocean was also above-average, documented seven named storms, making it the second-most active season in the basin's history since reliable records began. Activity across the Southern Hemisphere's three basins—South-West Indian, Australian, and South Pacific—was spread evenly, with each region recording seven named storms apiece. The accumulated cyclone energy (ACE) index for the 2018 (seven basins combined), as calculated by Colorado State University (CSU) was 1108.4 units, the second-highest since 1997.
The strongest tropical cyclones were Typhoon Kong-rey and Typhoon Yutu with a minimum pressure of 900 mbar/hPa (26.58 inHg), while the costliest tropical cyclone of the year was Hurricane Michael in the Atlantic which struck Florida in October causing US$25.1 billion in damage. The deadliest tropical cyclone of the year was Tropical Storm Son-Tinh in the West Pacific which killed 170 people in Vietnam and Laos.