1996 North Indian cyclone season
Apr–Jun · Oct–Dec · Season ended
The 1996 North Indian cyclone season produced 8 named storms, 4 at hurricane strength and 1 major storm, against a 1991–2020 average of 6.3, 2.0 and 1.0. Its accumulated cyclone energy was 34, 144% of the average.
1996 season at a glance
- Named storms: 8 (1991–2020 average 6.3).
- Hurricane strength (64 kt+): 4 (average 2.0).
- Major, 96 kt+: 1 (average 1.0).
- Accumulated cyclone energy: 33.9, 144% of the 24 average.
- Named-storm days: 32.3, counting each six-hourly fix at 34 kt or more as a quarter day.
- First named storm: Tropical Storm 1B, May 7.
- First storm at hurricane strength: Cyclone 4A, June 18.
- First major storm: Cyclone 7B, November 6.
- Last storm to dissipate: Cyclone 8B, December 7.
- All systems tracked: 10, including 2 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 1996 season
| Storm | Dates | Peak | Min pressure | Landfall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TD 1B | – | TS | 1000 mb | Cox’s Bāzār, Bangladesh |
| TD 2A | – | TS | — | Yes |
| TD 3B | – | TS | 992 mb | Bhīmunipatnam, India |
| TD 4A | – | C1 | 972 mb | Una, India |
| Unnamed | – | TD | — | — |
| Unnamed | – | TD | 1000 mb | Kāvali, India |
| TD 5B | – | C1 | 994 mb | — |
| TD 6B | – | TS | 998 mb | Canning, India |
| TD 7B | – | C4 | 988 mb | Yanam, India |
| TD 8B | – | C1 | 984 mb | Tirupporūr, India |
- TD 1B: This system formed in the North Indian in May 1996 and peaked as a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 45 mph (75 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 1000 mb. It made landfall near Cox’s Bāzār, Bangladesh. The system was tracked for 8 days.
- TD 2A: This system formed in the North Indian in June 1996 and peaked as a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 45 mph (75 km/h). The system was tracked for 4 days.
- TD 3B: This system formed in the North Indian in June 1996 and peaked as a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph (85 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 992 mb. It made landfall near Bhīmunipatnam, India. The system was tracked for 8 days.
- TD 4A: This system formed in the North Indian in June 1996 and peaked as a Category 1 cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph (120 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 972 mb. It made landfall near Una, India. The system was tracked for 11 days.
- Unnamed: This system formed in the North Indian in July 1996. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 2 days.
- Unnamed: This system formed in the North Indian in October 1996 and peaked as a tropical depression with maximum sustained winds of 35 mph (55 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 1000 mb. It made landfall near Kāvali, India. The system was tracked for 1 day.
- TD 5B: This system formed in the North Indian in October 1996 and peaked as a Category 1 cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph (120 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 994 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 19 days.
- TD 6B: This system formed in the North Indian in October 1996 and peaked as a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph (85 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 998 mb. It made landfall near Canning, India. The system was tracked for 8 days.
- TD 7B: This system formed in the North Indian in November 1996 and peaked as a Category 4 cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 130 mph (215 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 988 mb. It made landfall near Yanam, India. The system was tracked for 7 days.
- TD 8B: This system formed in the North Indian in November 1996 and peaked as a Category 1 cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph (140 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 984 mb. It made landfall near Tirupporūr, India. The system was tracked for 11 days.
Each summary is built from the storm’s best track.
Strongest storm of 1996
Cyclone 7B was the strongest storm of the season, peaking at 130 mph (215 km/h), with a lowest pressure of 988 mb, on November 6. That is Category 4 strength on the Saffir-Simpson scale.
18 North Indian storms since 1980 peaked higher, and 4 matched it. It produced 25% of the season’s accumulated cyclone energy.
Landfalls in 1996
8 of the season’s 10 systems made landfall, 1 of them at hurricane strength. Each landfall point is listed with the nearest town and the wind at that moment.
- May 8: TD 1B near Cox’s Bāzār, Bangladesh, 45 mph (tropical storm)
- June 11: TD 2A, 40 mph (tropical storm)
- June 16: TD 3B near Bhīmunipatnam, India, 50 mph (tropical storm)
- June 19: TD 4A near Una, India, 70 mph (tropical storm)
- October 1: Unnamed near Kāvali, India, 35 mph (tropical depression)
- October 28: TD 6B near Canning, India, 45 mph (tropical storm)
- November 6: TD 7B near Yanam, India, 130 mph (Category 4)
- December 6: TD 8B near Tirupporūr, India, 45 mph (tropical storm)
How 1996 ranks since 1980
The season ranks 7th of 47 North Indian seasons since 1980 for named storms (tied with 4 other seasons), 4th for hurricane strength (tied with 2 other seasons) and 8th for accumulated cyclone energy.
The record since 1980 is 11 named storms, in 1998, and the highest ACE is 85, in 2019.
1996 storm names
No storm in the 1996 season was named.
10 systems were tracked without a name and are listed by number.
1996 season FAQ
How many named storms were there in 1996?
The 1996 North Indian cyclone season had 8 named storms, 4 at hurricane strength and 1 major storm, from 10 systems tracked in all. The 1991–2020 average is 6.3 named storms, 2.0 at 64 kt or more and 1.0 major per season. The first to form was Tropical Storm 1B and the last was Cyclone 8B.
What was the strongest storm of 1996?
Cyclone 7B. It peaked at 130 mph (215 km/h, 115 kt) with a lowest pressure of 988 mb on November 6. That is Category 4 strength on the Saffir-Simpson scale. 18 North Indian storms since 1980 peaked higher. It produced 25% of the season’s accumulated cyclone energy.
When did the 1996 season end?
The North Indian Ocean has no official season, so the 1996 season is the calendar year: every storm that formed by December 31 counts. The last system, Cyclone 8B, dissipated on December 7. Since 1980, 31 North Indian storms reached tropical-storm strength in December.