Hurricane History Map

1986 South-West Indian season

22 storms formed in the South-West Indian basin in 1986, from 22 September 1985 to 15 May 1986.

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Years1986
Ocean basin

Choosing a minimum category hides storms with no wind speed in the record. To see which storms have passed near you, search a town or ZIP code, or tap the map.

Key
  • Tropical depression Winds below 34 knots (39 mph)
  • Tropical storm 34 to 63 knots (39 to 73 mph)
  • Category 1 64 to 82 knots (74 to 95 mph)
  • Category 2 83 to 95 knots (96 to 110 mph)
  • Category 3 96 to 112 knots (111 to 129 mph), major
  • Category 4 113 to 136 knots (130 to 156 mph), major
  • Category 5 137 knots (157 mph) or more, major
  • Unknown intensity No wind speed in the record
  • Post-tropical Storm has become post-tropical (dashed line)

How to read the lines. Each line is the track of one storm, drawn through its six-hourly positions and coloured by its intensity at each point (the Saffir-Simpson scale), so a line changes colour as the storm strengthens or weakens. Tap a line for its details, or tap anywhere else to see which storms have passed nearby. Weaker storms appear as you zoom in. Hurricanes, typhoons and cyclones are the same kind of storm with different names in different oceans.

The 1986 season in numbers

The record holds 22 storms for the 1986 South-West Indian season, of which 20 had names.22 reached tropical storm strength (34 knots or more), 10 reached cyclone strength (category 1 or more) and 5 were major (category 3 or more).

  • 22storms
  • 22tropical storm strength or more
  • 10cyclone strength or more
  • 5major (category 3 to 5)
  • 172accumulated cyclone energy

Accumulated cyclone energy adds up the squared wind speed of every position of 34 knots or more, divided by 10,000. It is approximate here because the winds are 1-minute equivalents, and it is mostly useful for comparing seasons of one basin.

Strongest storms of 1986

  • Erinesta (1986)29 January 1986 to 11 February 1986, peak Category 4 (115 kt), 927 hPa
  • Delifina (1986)7 January 1986 to 19 January 1986, peak Category 3 (110 kt), 976 hPa
  • Honorinina (1986)7 March 1986 to 23 March 1986, peak Category 3 (110 kt), 941 hPa
  • Victor (1986)2 March 1986 to 9 March 1986, peak Category 3 (105 kt), 930 hPa
  • Jefotra (1986)25 March 1986 to 5 April 1986, peak Category 3 (105 kt), 954 hPa

All 22 storms of 1986

StormPeak
Unnamed storm Tropical storm
Nicholas Category 1
Alifredy Tropical storm
Berobia Tropical storm
Delifina Category 3
Ophelia Tropical storm
Costa Category 1
Unnamed storm Tropical storm
Hector Tropical storm
Pancho Tropical storm
Erinesta Category 4
Filomena Tropical storm
Rhonda Tropical storm
Gista Category 2
Selwyn Tropical storm
Tiffany Tropical storm
Victor Category 3
Honorinina Category 3
Iarima Tropical storm
Jefotra Category 3
Alison:krisostoma Category 1
Billy:lila Category 2

← 1985 · 1987 → · All seasons

Other basins in 1986

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