Storms near Paracel Islands
The record holds 280 tropical cyclones whose tracks passed within 50 km of Paracel Islands, People's Republic of China between 1886 and 2025. The busiest month is September, with 67 of them. The strongest, measured where each came closest to the place, reached category 4 strength. 145 of the storms have no wind speed in the record.
- 280storms within 50 km
- 13major (category 3 to 5) near here
- 53at category 1 strength or more
A storm counts once, however many times it came close. The category is the storm's strongest point within 50 km, which can be weaker than its peak elsewhere.
How strong were the storms near Paracel Islands?
| Category near here | Storms | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Tropical depression | 33 | 12% |
| Tropical storm | 49 | 18% |
| Category 1 | 27 | 10% |
| Category 2 | 13 | 5% |
| Category 3 | 8 | 3% |
| Category 4 | 5 | 2% |
| Category 5 | 0 | 0% |
| Unknown intensity | 145 | 52% |
The agency behind most of the intensity figures here is the US Joint Typhoon Warning Center (western Pacific).
Paracel Islands storms over time
The 2020s only run to 2025, so that bar is for a shorter period. This place's record starts in 1886, and records before the satellite era (about the 1960s) are far less complete.
Show the numbers
| Period | Count |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 6 |
| 1890s | 16 |
| 1900s | 18 |
| 1910s | 17 |
| 1920s | 15 |
| 1930s | 18 |
| 1940s | 12 |
| 1950s | 16 |
| 1960s | 31 |
| 1970s | 26 |
| 1980s | 26 |
| 1990s | 27 |
| 2000s | 18 |
| 2010s | 17 |
| 2020s | 17 |
Earlier decades hold fewer storms partly because they were harder to see. Before weather satellites (about the 1960s) many storms that stayed at sea went unrecorded, so compare decades with care.
Show the numbers
| Period | Count |
|---|---|
| Jan | 2 |
| Feb | 0 |
| Mar | 0 |
| Apr | 4 |
| May | 19 |
| Jun | 20 |
| Jul | 36 |
| Aug | 41 |
| Sep | 67 |
| Oct | 62 |
| Nov | 26 |
| Dec | 3 |
Strongest storms near Paracel Islands
- Noru (2022)21 September 2022 to 29 September 2022, Category 4 (130 kt) near here, peak Category 5 (145 kt), 940 hPa
- Harriet (1971)30 June 1971 to 8 July 1971, peak Category 4 (125 kt), 925 hPa
- Betty (1987)7 August 1987 to 17 August 1987, Category 4 (115 kt) near here, peak Category 5 (140 kt), 890 hPa
- Xangsane (2006)25 September 2006 to 2 October 2006, peak Category 4 (125 kt), 940 hPa
- Vamco (2020)8 November 2020 to 16 November 2020, peak Category 4 (115 kt), 955 hPa
Most recent storms near Paracel Islands
- Bualoi (2025)22 September 2025 to 30 September 2025, peak Category 1 (80 kt), 975 hPa, provisional
- Nongfa (2025)27 August 2025 to 31 August 2025, Tropical depression (29 kt) near here, peak Tropical storm (39 kt), 996 hPa, provisional
- Kajiki (2025)21 August 2025 to 27 August 2025, Category 1 (64 kt) near here, peak Category 2 (93 kt), 950 hPa, provisional
Many of these storms killed people and destroyed homes. The figures are the official record's, and this page says nothing about their human cost.