Hurricane History Map

1998 South-West Indian season

14 storms formed in the South-West Indian basin in 1998, from 18 July 1997 to 22 April 1998.

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Years1998
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 1998 season in numbers

The record holds 14 storms for the 1998 South-West Indian season, of which 9 had names.13 reached tropical storm strength (34 knots or more), 5 reached cyclone strength (category 1 or more) and 2 were major (category 3 or more).

  • 14storms
  • 13tropical storm strength or more
  • 5cyclone strength or more
  • 2major (category 3 to 5)
  • 69accumulated 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 1998

  • Tiffany (1998)22 January 1998 to 2 February 1998, peak Category 4 (120 kt), 940 hPa
  • Anacelle (1998)5 February 1998 to 14 February 1998, peak Category 4 (115 kt), 950 hPa
  • Elsie (1998)4 March 1998 to 20 March 1998, peak Category 2 (90 kt), 975 hPa
  • Gemma (1998)6 April 1998 to 16 April 1998, peak Category 1 (70 kt), 985 hPa
  • Selwyn (1998)25 December 1997 to 3 January 1998, peak Category 1 (65 kt), 960 hPa

All 14 storms of 1998

StormPeak
Unnamed storm Tropical storm
Sid Tropical storm
Selwyn Category 1
Unnamed storm Tropical storm
Tiffany Category 4
Beltane Tropical storm
Anacelle Category 4
Unnamed storm Tropical storm
Elsie Category 2
Donaline Tropical storm
Fiona Tropical storm
Gemma Category 1
Unnamed storm Tropical depression
Unnamed storm Tropical storm

← 1997 · 1999 → · All seasons

Other basins in 1998

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