Major Cyclones, Typhoons and Hurricanes in News (2025)
Major Cyclones, Typhoons and Hurricanes in News
| Storm Name | Year | Type | Ocean Basin / Region | Areas Affected | Key Points in News |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montha | 2025 | Cyclone | Bay of Bengal | Andhra Pradesh Coast, India | IMD warnings issued; PM assured central support; example used to explain cyclone naming system |
| Ditwah | 2025 | Cyclone | Bay of Bengal | Tamil Nadu Coast (Point Calimere) | Linked with arrival of migratory Amur Falcons at Point Calimere Bird Sanctuary |
| Fung-wong | 2025 | Typhoon | Northwest Pacific | Philippines, Taiwan (forecast) | Landfall with strong winds; 900,000+ evacuations and heavy rainfall |
| Kalmaegi | 2025 | Typhoon | Northwest Pacific | Philippines, Vietnam | One of strongest storms of 2025 season; widespread flooding and casualties |
| Podul | 2025 | Typhoon | Northwest Pacific | Eastern Taiwan | Transport disruption and severe weather warnings |
| Kajiki | 2025 | Typhoon | Northwest Pacific / South China Sea | Philippines, Vietnam, China | Intensified over warm waters; emergency measures taken by Vietnam and China |
| Ragasa | 2025 | Super Typhoon | Northwest Pacific | Philippines, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Southern China | Extremely powerful storm; winds ~220 km/h; large-scale evacuations |
| Bualoi | 2025 | Typhoon | Northwest Pacific | Vietnam, Philippines, Laos | Heavy rainfall (200–350 mm); bridges destroyed and large evacuations |
| Melissa | 2025 | Hurricane | Atlantic Ocean / Caribbean | Jamaica, Cuba | Major hurricane causing severe destruction and flooding |
| Melissa Relief | 2025 | Hurricane | Caribbean | Jamaica | India sent 20 tonnes humanitarian assistance for disaster relief |
| Matmo | 2025 | Typhoon | South China Sea / Northwest Pacific | Philippines, Southern China (Guangdong, Guangxi), Vietnam | Winds ~104 mph (Category-2 equivalent); 151,000+ evacuations; red alert issued |
| Horacio | 2026 | Tropical Cyclone (Category 5) | South Indian Ocean | East of Madagascar (Open Ocean) | First Category-5 cyclone of 2026; winds ~260 km/h; formed over warm waters |
| Gezani | 2026 | Intense Tropical Cyclone | Southwest Indian Ocean | Madagascar → Mozambique Channel | Landfall at Toamasina; winds ~180 km/h; 270,000+ people affected |
| Urmil | 2026 | Tropical Cyclone | South Pacific | Fiji (Western Division) | Triggered flooding and infrastructure disruption; later downgraded to extra-tropical low |
| Penha (Basyang) | 2026 | Typhoon | Northwest Pacific | Philippines (Mindanao, Visayas, Luzon) | 455,000+ people affected; evolved from low-pressure system to typhoon |
| Mitchell | 2026 | Tropical Cyclone | Australian Basin | Western Australia (Pilbara, Karratha) | Forecast to intensify to Category-3 cyclone (~220 km/h winds) |
Tropical Cyclones (Hurricane – Cyclone – Typhoon) : Quick Revision Table
| Aspect | Key Points |
|---|---|
| Basic Definition | Hurricane, Cyclone, and Typhoon are the same phenomenon – all are Tropical Cyclones (intense low-pressure storm systems over warm oceans). |
| Regional Names | Hurricane – Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, Central & Northeast Pacific Typhoon – Northwest Pacific Ocean Cyclone – Bay of Bengal & Arabian Sea (North Indian Ocean) |
| Other Terminology | Tropical Cyclone – Southwest Indian Ocean Severe Tropical Cyclone – Southwestern Pacific & Southeastern Indian Ocean |
| Wind Speed Classification | Tropical Storm – ≥ 39 mph (63 km/h) Hurricane/Typhoon/Cyclone – ≥ 74 mph (119 km/h) |
| Storm Intensity Scale | 5 Categories based on wind speed; Category 5 storms exceed 155 mph (249 km/h) |
| Rotation Direction | Northern Hemisphere – Counterclockwise rotation Southern Hemisphere – Clockwise rotation |
| Measurement Indicators | Meteorologists track wind speed and barometric pressure to assess storm intensity |
| Record Storms | Hurricane Patricia (2015) – strongest winds recorded Typhoon Tip (1979) – lowest barometric pressure recorded |
| Cyclone / Hurricane Seasons | Atlantic & Central Pacific – 1 June to 30 Nov Eastern Pacific – 15 May to 30 Nov Northwest Pacific – Occurs year-round (peak May–Nov) |
| Indian Ocean Season | Bay of Bengal & Arabian Sea – Two main seasons: April–June and September–November |
| Southern Hemisphere Season | South Pacific & Australia – November to April |
| Busiest Cyclone Basin | Northwest Pacific Ocean – highest number of storms due to warm waters, weak wind shear, and active thunderstorms |
| Average Storm Numbers | Northwest Pacific – ~27 named storms annually Atlantic – ~14 named storms annually |
| Triggering Mechanism | Madden–Julian Oscillation (MJO) – moving atmospheric disturbance that enhances tropical storm formation |
| Naming Authority | World Meteorological Organization (WMO) maintains regional lists of storm names |
| Name Retirement | Names causing major destruction or casualties are retired (e.g., Katrina – 2005) |
| Local Naming | Some countries have their own naming system; e.g., the Philippines assigns local names to typhoons |
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