Tropical cyclones in 2026: Difference between revisions

In 2026, tropical cyclones have been forming in seven major bodies of water, commonly known as tropical cyclone basins. Tropical cyclones will be named by various weather agencies when they attain maximum sustained winds of 35 knots (65 km/h; 40 mph). So far, the strongest system is Cyclone Narelle in the Australian basin, which attained a minimum barometric pressure of 931 hPa (27.49 inHg). The deadliest and costliest system so far was Cyclone Gezani in the South-West Indian Ocean which caused 63 deaths and over $142 million mostly in Madagascar. The accumulated cyclone energy (ACE) index for the year (seven basins combined), as calculated by Colorado State University (CSU), was 111.1 units overall.^[1]

Tropical cyclones are primarily monitored by 10 warning centers around the world, which are designated as a Regional Specialized Meteorological Center (RSMC) or a Tropical Cyclone Warning Center (TCWC) by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). These centers are: National Hurricane Center (NHC), Central Pacific Hurricane Center (CPHC), Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), Météo-France (MFR), Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysical Agency (BMKG), Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BoM), Papua New Guinea’s National Weather Service (PNGNWS), Fiji Meteorological Service (FMS), and New Zealand’s MetService. Unofficial, but still notable, warning centers include the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA; albeit official within the Philippines), the United States’s Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC), and the Brazilian Navy Hydrographic Center.

This section is empty. You can help by adding to it. (January 2026)

There has so far been no tropical cyclones in the North Atlantic Ocean. The first name that will be used is Arthur.^[2]

There has so far been no tropical cyclones in the Eastern & Central Pacific Oceans. The first name on the list for the Eastern Pacific is Amanda^[3] while in the Central Pacific, the next name on the list is Lala.^[4]

A tropical depression formed east of the Philippines on 13 January, marking the start of the season. The depression was subsequently named Ada by PAGASA^[5] and later Nokaen by the JMA^[6] respectively on January 14 and 15, marking it the earliest start to a season since 2019. A tropical depression formed near Guam on February 3, it later entered the PAR and was named Basyang, it was named Penha the following day. Tropical Storm Nuri formed northeast of Yap on March 10. The next name on the international list is Sinlaku, while the next name on the Philippine list is Caloy.

BOB 01 formed in the Bay of Bengal.^[7] It was the first depression of the year in that area. The next name on the list is Arnab.^[8]

The first cyclone of the year for this basin was Grant, which entered the basin on December 27 and rapidly intensified into an Intense Tropical Cyclone, and persisted into the new year.^[9] In mid-January, Dudzai formed, and rapidly intensified into an Intense tropical cyclone.^[10] Ewetse formed and made landfall in Madagascar the following day. Zone of Disturbed Weather 08 formed on February 27. Fytia formed in the Mozambique Channel and intensified into a tropical cyclone on January 30. Gezani soon formed two days after Fytia dissipated. Horacio formed less than one day after Gezani turned post-tropical. Horacio strengthened into category 5 on 24 February, making it the first tropical cyclone to reach that intensity this year. Tropical Depression 12 formed on March 12 and Cyclone Indusa formed on April 1. The next name is Juluka.^[11]

07U formed in the Arafura Sea on December 14, it didn’t dissipate until January 1. Iggy formed near Indonesia on December 29. Jenna followed suit on 3 January, and Koji formed off the northeast Queensland coast on 10 January. After developing in the Coral Sea and reaching Category 2 intensity, Tropical Cyclone Koji weakened to a tropical low before making landfall between Ayr and Bowen, Queensland, on the morning of 11 January, 2026, where it delivered life-threatening rainfall and flash flooding. Tropical Cyclone Luana formed from Koji’s remnants on January 18, and Mitchell on 6 February. Tropical Low 23U formed on February 11, 26U formed on February 24. Tropical Lows 30U, 28U, 31U and 29U formed on March 1 and 2, and Cyclone Narelle formed March 17. A week after Narelle became extratropical, Cyclone Maila formed, it was the first tropical cyclone in the Port Moresby’s area of responsibility since Cyclone Guba. The next name for the Australian area of responsibility is Owen, the next name for TCWC Jakarta’s area of responsibility is Cempaka. For Port Moresby list, they are assigned in a random order.

A tropical disturbance spotted near American Samoa on December 29, and was designated 04F by FMS. Tropical Low 14U, Tropical Storm 16P and Tropical Low 17U crossed into the South Pacific basin and was designated 05F, 06F and 07F.
Tropical Disturbances 08F and Urmil also formed. Urmil became the latest tropical cyclone to be named, surpassing Bart in 2017. Tropical Depression 10F and Tropical Disturbance 11F formed. The next name is Vaianu.

On February 28, a subtropical depression formed off the coast of the State of Rio De Janeiro in the South Atlantic. A second subtropical depression to its north formed two days later, the depression intensified into a subtropical storm then got named Caiobá. This is the first occasion 2 (sub)tropical storms co-existed in the South Atlantic, the next name is Endy.

A European windstorm named Samuel, known as Jolina in Germany, transitioned into a tropical-like cyclone over the south-central Mediterranean sea. It moved inland over Libya on 18 March.

January was an unusually active month, with fifteen tropical cyclones forming and seven of them being named, the highest number since 2021. Out of the fifteen, Dudzai is the strongest cyclone of the month. Two cyclones, Grant and Iggy, persisted from the previous year into the current year. In the Northern Indian Ocean, BOB 01 formed on January 7, making it one of the earliest depressions ever recorded in the basin. Also, the Western Pacific season began with the formation of Tropical Storm Nokaen (locally known as Ada in the Philippines), which was named on January 15, although it originally formed two days earlier as a tropical depression. Nokaen became the first tropical cyclone to form in the Western Pacific in January since Tropical Storm Pabuk in 2019.
In the Southwestern Indian Ocean, Cyclones Dudzai, Ewetse and Fytia formed, with the latter two affecting Madagascar and the former, Dudzai, intensifying into the month’s strongest system. To add on, Fytia rapidly intensified into a Category 3-equivalent cyclone in the Mozambique Channel before making landfall in Madagascar.

February was below average in activity, however, it spawned several powerful tropical cyclones, including Horacio, which rapidly intensified into a Category 5 tropical cyclone, becoming the first tropical cyclone to do so this year. Eight tropical cyclones have formed this month, with five of them being named. February started with Cyclone Fytia persisting from the previous month into this month. The series of early-season systems of the Western Pacific continued with Basyang, which formed near Yap on February 2. It was later named Penha two days later, becoming the first tropical cyclone to form in the month of February since Tropical Storm Dujuan in 2021. Penha went on to make landfall in Bayabas, Surigao del Sur on February 5 and was followed by multiple landfalls in Visayas the next day. Afterwards, land interaction and hostile conditions caused the storm to degenerate into a tropical depression. In the Australian region, Cyclone Mitchell formed from a meandering tropical low. It then rapidly intensified into a Category 3-equivalent cyclone on the Australian scale. On February 10, Gezani caused over 63 deaths in Madagascar. On February 24, Horacio rapidly intensified into a Category 5 tropical cyclone. In the South Pacific basin, Urmil developed on February 27, becoming the latest-forming first-named tropical cyclone of the season within that basin, breaking the record set by Cyclone Bart during the 2016-17 season. On February 28, a Subtropical Depression formed off the coast of the State of Rio De Janeiro in the South Atlantic.

March was slightly inactive, featuring eleven storms, four of which were named. Out of the four, Narelle was the strongest storm of the month, and remains the strongest of the year worldwide. It started with the dissipation of Cyclone Urmil, a subtropical depression, and Tropical Low 26U persisting from the previous month into this month. Subtropical Storm Caiobá soon followed suit in the South Atlantic, coexisting with the previously mentioned subtropical depression, the first time in recorded history where two simultaneous subtropical cyclones existed in the South Atlantic. Meanwhile in the Western Pacific Basin, Tropical Storm Nuri and a Tropical Depression formed northeast of Yap on 10 March, continuing the early-season activity. On 15 March, Cyclone Narelle formed off the Australian coast, and then rapidly intensified upon its formation and naming, eventually becoming the strongest cyclone in the basin since Cyclone Ilsa in 2023. Narelle would later cross Australia and reach secondary peak as a Category 4. On 17 March, a European windstorm named Samuel, or Jolina in Germany, transitioned into a Mediterranean tropical-like cyclone before making landfall in Libya early the next day.

The month of April got off to a rather active start. Three tropical cyclones formed within the first three days of the month, those being Indusa in the South-West Indian basin, Maila in the Australian region, and 11F in the South Pacific. Indusa formed on the first day and was upgraded to a tropical cyclone on 3 April. Maila formed a day after Indusa and became a very rare system, having been named by Port Moresby on 4 April, the first to do since Cyclone Guba in 2007.

There are a total of 7 tropical cyclone basins that tropical cyclones typically form in. In this table, data from all these basins are added.^[15]

Regional Specialized Meteorological Centers

Tropical Cyclone Warning Centers

Other Warning Centres