1982–83 Southern Hemisphere cyclone season
Nov 1, 1982 – Apr 30, 1983 · Season ended
The 1982–83 Southern Hemisphere cyclone season produced 25 named storms, 15 at hurricane strength and 5 major storms, against a 1991–2020 average of 26.7, 13.8 and 7.5. Its accumulated cyclone energy was 213, 98% of the average.
1982–83 season at a glance
- Named storms: 25 (1991–2020 average 26.7).
- Hurricane strength (64 kt+): 15 (average 13.8).
- Major, 96 kt+: 5 (average 7.5).
- Accumulated cyclone energy: 213.2, 98% of the 217 average.
- Named-storm days: 150.3, counting each six-hourly fix at 34 kt or more as a quarter day.
- First named storm: Joti, October 31, 1982.
- First storm at hurricane strength: Joti, November 4, 1982.
- First major storm: Elinor, February 23, 1983.
- Last storm to dissipate: Fely, June 24, 1983.
- All systems tracked: 30, including 5 that stayed below tropical-storm strength.
Counts use 1-minute best-track winds: named storms reached 34 kt (39 mph), the next column 64 kt (74 mph) and major storms 96 kt (111 mph). Regional agencies here use 10-minute winds (3-minute in India), so their official counts can differ.
Every storm of the 1982–83 season
| Storm | Dates | Peak | Min pressure | Landfall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TD 1S | – | TD | — | — |
| Arilisy | – | TD | 997 mb | — |
| Joti | – | C1 | 975 mb | Luganville, Vanuatu |
| Kina | – | TS | 990 mb | — |
| Bemany | – | C1 | 966 mb | — |
| Lisa | – | TS | 975 mb | — |
| Clera | – | TD | 997 mb | — |
| Dadafy | – | C1 | 976 mb | — |
| Jane | – | C1 | 947 mb | Yes |
| Elinah | – | C1 | 966 mb | — |
| Des | – | TS | 994 mb | — |
| Mark | – | C1 | 955 mb | — |
| Nano | – | C1 | 970 mb | — |
| TD 11S | – | TS | — | — |
| Elinor | – | C3 | 935 mb | Sarina, Australia |
| Nisha | – | C3 | 925 mb | — |
| Oscar | – | C3 | 920 mb | — |
| Prema | – | TS | 987 mb | — |
| Ken | – | TS | 970 mb | Yes |
| Rewa | – | C2 | 925 mb | — |
| Saba | – | TS | 985 mb | — |
| Sarah | – | C2 | 940 mb | — |
| Unnamed | – | TD | — | — |
| Tomasi | – | C3 | 925 mb | — |
| Lena | – | TS | 980 mb | Port Hedland, Australia |
| Veena | – | C3 | 925 mb | — |
| William | – | C1 | 955 mb | — |
| Naomi | – | TS | 960 mb | — |
| Monty | – | TS | 975 mb | — |
| Fely | – | TD | 1003 mb | — |
- TD 1S: This system formed in the Southern Hemisphere in July 1982 and peaked as a tropical depression with maximum sustained winds of 35 mph (55 km/h). It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 2 days.
- Arilisy: Arilisy formed in the Southern Hemisphere in October 1982 and peaked as a tropical depression with maximum sustained winds of 35 mph (55 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 997 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 4 days.
- Joti: Joti formed in the Southern Hemisphere in October 1982 and peaked as a Category 1 cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph (120 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 975 mb. It made landfall near Luganville, Vanuatu. The system was tracked for 8 days.
- Kina: Kina formed in the Southern Hemisphere in November 1982 and peaked as a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 45 mph (75 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 990 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 8 days.
- Bemany: Bemany formed in the Southern Hemisphere in November 1982 and peaked as a Category 1 cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph (120 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 966 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 10 days.
- Lisa: Lisa formed in the Southern Hemisphere in December 1982 and peaked as a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 65 mph (100 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 975 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 9 days.
- Clera: Clera formed in the Southern Hemisphere in December 1982 and peaked as a tropical depression with maximum sustained winds of 35 mph (55 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 997 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 1 day.
- Dadafy: Dadafy formed in the Southern Hemisphere in December 1982 and peaked as a Category 1 cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph (120 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 976 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 11 days.
- Jane: Jane formed in the Southern Hemisphere in January 1983 and peaked as a Category 1 cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 90 mph (150 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 947 mb. The system was tracked for 9 days.
- Elinah: Elinah formed in the Southern Hemisphere in January 1983 and peaked as a Category 1 cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph (120 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 966 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 7 days.
- Des: Des formed in the Southern Hemisphere in January 1983 and peaked as a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 65 mph (100 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 994 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 11 days.
- Mark: Mark formed in the Southern Hemisphere in January 1983 and peaked as a Category 1 cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 90 mph (150 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 955 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 14 days.
- Nano: Nano formed in the Southern Hemisphere in January 1983 and peaked as a Category 1 cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph (140 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 970 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 8 days.
- TD 11S: This system formed in the Southern Hemisphere in February 1983 and peaked as a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph (65 km/h). It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 3 days.
- Elinor: Elinor formed in the Southern Hemisphere in February 1983 and peaked as a Category 3 cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 115 mph (185 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 935 mb. It made landfall near Sarina, Australia. The system was tracked for 22 days.
- Nisha: Nisha formed in the Southern Hemisphere in February 1983 and peaked as a Category 3 cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 115 mph (185 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 925 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 9 days.
- Oscar: Oscar formed in the Southern Hemisphere in February 1983 and peaked as a Category 3 cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 115 mph (185 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 920 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 12 days.
- Prema: Prema formed in the Southern Hemisphere in February 1983 and peaked as a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 45 mph (75 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 987 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 9 days.
- Ken: Ken formed in the Southern Hemisphere in February 1983 and peaked as a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 65 mph (100 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 970 mb. The system was tracked for 7 days.
- Rewa: Rewa formed in the Southern Hemisphere in March 1983 and peaked as a Category 2 cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 105 mph (165 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 925 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 9 days.
- Saba: Saba formed in the Southern Hemisphere in March 1983 and peaked as a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 65 mph (100 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 985 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 5 days.
- Sarah: Sarah formed in the Southern Hemisphere in March 1983 and peaked as a Category 2 cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 105 mph (165 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 940 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 12 days.
- Unnamed: This system formed in the Southern Hemisphere in March 1983. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 4 days.
- Tomasi: Tomasi formed in the Southern Hemisphere in March 1983 and peaked as a Category 3 cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 115 mph (190 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 925 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 9 days.
- Lena: Lena formed in the Southern Hemisphere in April 1983 and peaked as a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 70 mph (110 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 980 mb. It made landfall near Port Hedland, Australia. The system was tracked for 7 days.
- Veena: Veena formed in the Southern Hemisphere in April 1983 and peaked as a Category 3 cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 115 mph (185 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 925 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 8 days.
- William: William formed in the Southern Hemisphere in April 1983 and peaked as a Category 1 cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph (140 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 955 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 8 days.
- Naomi: Naomi formed in the Southern Hemisphere in April 1983 and peaked as a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 70 mph (110 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 960 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 13 days.
- Monty: Monty formed in the Southern Hemisphere in April 1983 and peaked as a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 65 mph (100 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 975 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 7 days.
- Fely: Fely formed in the Southern Hemisphere in June 1983 and peaked as a tropical depression with maximum sustained winds of 30 mph (45 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 1003 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 2 days.
Each summary is built from the storm’s best track.
Strongest storm of 1982–83
Cyclone Tomasi was the strongest storm of the season, peaking at 115 mph (190 km/h), with a lowest pressure of 925 mb, on March 31, 1983. That is Category 3 strength on the Saffir-Simpson scale.
271 Southern Hemisphere storms since 1980 peaked higher. It produced 5% of the season’s accumulated cyclone energy.
Landfalls in 1982–83
5 of the season’s 30 systems made landfall, 2 of them at hurricane strength. Each landfall point is listed with the nearest town and the wind at that moment.
How 1982–83 ranks since 1980
The season ranks 28th of 47 Southern Hemisphere seasons since 1980 for named storms (tied with 6 other seasons), 13th for hurricane strength (tied with 7 other seasons) and 22nd for accumulated cyclone energy.
The record since 1980 is 37 named storms, in 1997, and the highest ACE is 364, in 1997.
1982–83 storm names
The 1982–83 season used 27 names: Arilisy, Joti, Kina, Bemany, Lisa, Clera, Dadafy, Jane, Elinah, Des, Mark, Nano, Elinor, Nisha, Oscar, Prema, Ken, Rewa, Saba, Sarah, Tomasi, Lena, Veena, William, Naomi, Monty, Fely.
3 systems were tracked without a name and are listed by number.
1982–83 season FAQ
How many named storms were there in 1982–83?
The 1982–83 Southern Hemisphere cyclone season had 25 named storms, 15 at hurricane strength and 5 major storms, from 30 systems tracked in all. The 1991–2020 average is 26.7 named storms, 13.8 at 64 kt or more and 7.5 major per season. The first to form was Joti and the last was Monty.
What was the strongest storm of 1982–83?
Cyclone Tomasi. It peaked at 115 mph (190 km/h, 102 kt) with a lowest pressure of 925 mb on March 31, 1983. That is Category 3 strength on the Saffir-Simpson scale. 271 Southern Hemisphere storms since 1980 peaked higher. It produced 5% of the season’s accumulated cyclone energy.
When did the 1982–83 season end?
Australia’s official season ran from November 1, 1982 to April 30, 1983. Our counts follow IBTrACS, which files every storm from July 1982 to June 1983 under the 1982–83 season. The busiest months are January–February. The last system, Fely, dissipated on June 24, 1983.