Tropical cyclones in 2011

Tropical cyclones in 2011
Year summary map
Year boundaries
First system03
FormedJanuary 2, 2011
Last systemBenilde
DissipatedJanuary 4, 2012
Strongest system
NameSongda
Lowest pressure920 mbar (hPa); 27.17 inHg
Longest lasting system
NamePhilippe
Duration14 days
Year statistics
Total systems131
Named systems71
Total fatalities3,702 total
Total damage$29.86 billion (2011 USD)
Related articles
Other years
2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013
Satellite photos of the 21 tropical cyclones worldwide that reached at least Category 3 on the Saffir–Simpson scale during 2011, from Wilma in January to Kenneth in November.
Among them, Songda (third-to-last image in the first row) was the most intense, with a minimum central pressure of 920 hPa.

During 2011, 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 131 tropical cyclones had formed this year to date. 71 tropical cyclones had been named by either a Regional Specialized Meteorological Center (RSMC) or a Tropical Cyclone Warning Center (TCWC). Thirty-nine of these named systems eventually intensified into hurricane-equivalent tropical cyclones. The most active basin in the year was the Western Pacific, which documented 21 named storms. North Atlantic basin documented 19 named storms, continuing the consecutive third-most active season trends from the previous year, due to the 2010–12 La Niña event. Conversely, the Eastern Pacific basin featured slightly more activity than the previous season, with 11 named storms. The least active basin in the year was the North Indian Ocean basin which documented only 2 named storms, the lowest since the 1993 season. Activity across the Southern Hemisphere were almost evenly spread, with the South-West Indian Ocean basin recording 10 tropical cyclones, the Australian region recording 17 tropical cyclones, and the South Pacific basin also recording 10 tropical cyclones, respectively. Twenty-one Category 3 tropical cyclones formed in the year, including three Category 5 tropical cyclones. The accumulated cyclone energy (ACE) index for the 2011 (seven basins combined), as calculated by Colorado State University was 573.8 units.

The strongest tropical cyclone of the year was Typhoon Songda, with a minimum central pressure of 920 hPa (mbar). The costliest tropical cyclone of the year was Hurricane Irene, which caused $14.2 billion worth of damage. The deadliest tropical cyclone of the year was Severe Tropical Storm Washi, which killed 2,546 people.