Cyclone Mala path, 2006

What the record says

Mala was a cyclone in the North Indian basin that lasted about 5 days, from 24 April 2006 to 29 April 2006. Its peak was Category 4 (120 kt) on 28 April 2006, with a 1-minute sustained wind of 120 kt (138 mph, 222 km/h). Its lowest recorded pressure was 954 hPa.

• Category 4peak intensity
• 120 ktpeak wind (138 mph)
• 954 hPalowest pressure
• 5 dayslifetime

Source of the peak wind: US Joint Typhoon Warning Center (Indian Ocean). The regional forecast centre (RSMC New Delhi (India Meteorological Department)) gave a peak of 100 kt on its own averaging convention (10-minute winds), so the two figures differ.

It has its own page because it reached category 4 or stronger.

This page gives the official record's figures. It does not describe the human cost of the storm, which is far larger than any wind speed or pressure here.

Where it came ashore

• 29 April 2006: Myanmar (65 kt)

A landfall here is the first tropical position over land after time at sea, so it is within about six hours of the real event. The record shows up to 8.

Countries it came within 50 km of

Strongest effect first.

• Myanmar

How to read this track

The line joins the storm's six-hourly positions with straight lines, coloured by its intensity at each point, so it shows how the storm strengthened and weakened. The real path curved between the positions. A dashed grey stretch means the storm had become post-tropical. Records before the satellite era (about the 1960s) are estimates.

Source: NOAA NCEI IBTrACS, public domain. See data sources and caveats.