Tropical cyclones in 2016

Tropical cyclones in 2016
Year summary map
Year boundaries
First systemPali
FormedJanuary 7, 2016
Last systemNock-ten
DissipatedDecember 28, 2016
Strongest system
NameWinston[nb 1]
Lowest pressure884 mbar (hPa); 26.10 inHg
Longest lasting system
NameWinston
Duration24 days
Year statistics
Total systems140
Named systems84
Total fatalities2,157 total
Total damage$41.46 billion (2016 USD)
Related articles
Other years
2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018

During 2016, tropical cyclones formed within seven different tropical cyclone basins, located within various parts of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. During the year, 140 tropical cyclones formed in bodies of water known as tropical cyclone basins. Of these, 84, including two subtropical cyclones in the South Atlantic Ocean and two tropical-like cyclones in the Mediterranean, were named by various weather agencies when they attained maximum sustained winds of 35 knots (65 km/h; 40 mph). The strongest storm of the year was Winston, peaking with a pressure of 884 hPa (26.10 inHg) and with 10-minute sustained winds of 285 km/h (175 mph) before striking Fiji.[1] The costliest and deadliest tropical cyclone in 2016 was Hurricane Matthew, which impacted Haiti, Cuba, Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas, causing US$15.09 billion in damage.[2] Matthew killed 603 people; 546 in Haiti,[3] 47 in United States, 4 in Cuba and Dominican Republic,[4][5] and 1 in Colombia and St. Vincent.[6]

2016 had a slightly above average amount of tropical cyclones forming in the year. The most active basin of the year was the Western Pacific documenting a record 26 named storms. The Eastern Pacific also had an above-average season with 21 named storms forming. The North Atlantic similarly was the first above-average since 2012 with 15 named storms and 7 hurricanes forming. The above activity can be blamed on a La Niña pattern which formed during the summer of the year. In the North Indian Ocean was a relatively below-average season which featured four named storms. The Southern Hemisphere had relatively average activity throughout much of the year– with the exception of the Australian region which remained below average because of positive IOD[7]– the other South-West Indian Ocean and South Pacific basins featured above-average seasons. Eight Category 5 tropical cyclones were formed in 2016. The accumulated cyclone energy (ACE) index for the 2016 (seven basins combined), as calculated by Colorado State University (CSU) was 806.5 units.

Tropical cyclones are primarily monitored by a group of ten warning centers, which have been designated as a Regional Specialized Meteorological Centre (RSMC) or a Tropical Cyclone Warning Center (TCWC) by the World Meteorological Organization. These are the United States National Hurricane Center (NHC) and Central Pacific Hurricane Center, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), Météo-France (MFR), Indonesia's Badan Meteorologi, Klimatologi, dan Geofisika, the Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BOM), Papua New Guinea's National Weather Service, the Fiji Meteorological Service (FMS) as well as New Zealand's MetService. Other notable warning centers include the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), the United States Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC), and the Brazilian Navy Hydrographic Center(BNHC).

Taken by various of satellites throughout 2016, these are the 24 tropical cyclones that reached at least Category 3 on the Saffir-Simpson scale during that year, from Winston in February to Nock-ten in December. Among them, Winston (first image in the first row) was the most intense with a minimum central pressure of 884 hPa.


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  1. ^ Diamond, Howard (5 July 2017). "Southwest Pacific Enhanced Archive for Tropical Cyclones (SPEArTC)". Retrieved 6 July 2017.
  2. ^ Stewart, Stacy R (April 3, 2017). Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Matthew (PDF) (Technical report). United States National Hurricane Center. Retrieved April 5, 2017.
  3. ^ "Haiti: Cholera spreads from Hurricane Mathew, death toll reaches 546". News Ghana.com. News Ghana. Retrieved 14 October 2016.
  4. ^ "Bridge damaged by Hurricane Matthew collapses in Cuba, killing 4". BNO News. November 23, 2016. Archived from the original on November 24, 2016. Retrieved November 23, 2016.
  5. ^ "Hurricane Matthew slams Haiti, takes aim at US East Coast". Associated Press.
  6. ^ "One dead as Matthew batters Eastern Caribbean". Jamaica Observer. Kingstown, St. Vincent. Caribbean Media Corporation. September 30, 2016. Retrieved September 30, 2016.
  7. ^ "Indian Ocean Dipole: What is it and why is it linked to floods and bushfires?". BBC News. 2019-12-07. Retrieved 2021-01-03.