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| Tropical cyclones in 2021 | |
|---|---|
 Year summary map | |
| Year boundaries | |
| First system | Imogen |
| Formed | January 1, 2021 |
| Last system | Seth |
| Dissipated | January 6, 2022 |
| Strongest system | |
| Name | Surigae |
| Lowest pressure | 895 mbar (hPa); 26.43 inHg |
| Longest lasting system | |
| Name | Habana, Omais and Sam |
| Duration | 14 days |
| Year statistics | |
| Total systems | 136 |
| Named systems | 94 |
| Total fatalities | 1,421 total |
| Total damage | $90.52 billion (2021 USD) |
During 2021, tropical cyclones formed in seven major bodies of water, commonly known as tropical cyclone basins. Tropical cyclones will be assigned names by various weather agencies if they attain maximum sustained winds of 35 knots (65 km/h; 40 mph). During the year, 136 systems have formed and 94 were named, including one subtropical depression and excluding one system, which was unofficial. One storm was given two names by the same RSMC. The most intense storm of the year was Typhoon Surigae, with maximum 10-minute sustained wind speeds of 220 km/h (140 mph) and a minimum pressure of 895 hPa (26.43 inHg). The deadliest tropical cyclone was Typhoon Rai, which caused 410 fatalities in the Philippines and 1 in Vietnam, while the costliest was Hurricane Ida, which caused an estimated $75.25 billion USD in damage after striking Louisiana and the Northeastern United States.
Like last year, 2021 had an above average amount of tropical cyclones globally. The most active basin of the year was the West Pacific, which had another below average season, with only 23 named storms. The North Atlantic had another very active season, producing 21 named storms, while the East Pacific featured average activity, with 19 named storms forming in the basin. The North Indian basin was also average, featuring 5 named storms. The Southern Hemisphere featured relatively average activity, with Cyclones Faraji and Niran both attaining Category 5 intensity. The rest of the Category 5 tropical cyclones occurred in the West Pacific, totalling to six Category 5 tropical cyclones that formed during the year, tying 2003. However, the number of major tropical cyclones across the world was below average, with only 16 forming. The accumulated cyclone energy (ACE) index for 2021 (seven basins combined), as calculated by Colorado State University (CSU) was 621.1 units overall, which was below the 1991-2020 mean of 789.0 units globally.[1][2]
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).
- ^ [email protected]. "Annual 2021 Tropical Cyclones Report | National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI)". www.ncei.noaa.gov. Retrieved 2024-03-19.
- ^ "Global Metrics of Tropical Cyclones".