2001–02 Southern Hemisphere cyclone season

Nov 1, 2001 – Apr 30, 2002 · Season ended

The 2001–02 Southern Hemisphere cyclone season produced 25 named storms, 12 at hurricane strength and 8 major storms, against a 1991–2020 average of 26.7, 13.8 and 7.5. Its accumulated cyclone energy was 200, 92% of the average.

2000–01 season 2002–03 season All Southern Hemisphere seasons

Named storms

Avg 26.7 (1991–2020)

Hurricane strength

64 kt or stronger · avg 13.8

Major (Cat 3+)

Including 1 Category 5

Accumulated energy

92% of normal

ACE 200 vs 1991–2020 avg 217

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Tracks colored by peak strengthTDTSC1C3C4C5

2001–02 season at a glance

Named storms: 25 (1991–2020 average 26.7).
Hurricane strength (64 kt+): 12 (average 13.8).
Major, 96 kt+: 8, including 1 at Category 5 strength (average 7.5).
Accumulated cyclone energy: 199.7, 92% of the 217 average.
Named-storm days: 107.0, counting each six-hourly fix at 34 kt or more as a quarter day.
First named storm: Tropical Storm 1S, October 6, 2001.
First storm at hurricane strength: Bako, December 1, 2001.
First major storm: Waka, December 31, 2001.
Last storm to dissipate: Upia, May 29, 2002.
All systems tracked: 29, including 4 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 2001–02 season

Storm	Dates	Peak	Min pressure	Landfall
TD 1S	Oct 4 – Oct 8	TS	997 mb	—
Alex	Oct 24 – Nov 8	TS	984 mb	—
TD 3P	Nov 16 – Nov 23	TS	997 mb	Merauke, Indonesia
TD 4S	Nov 20 – Nov 24	TS	997 mb	—
Bako	Nov 25 – Dec 9	C1	967 mb	—
Trina	Nov 30 – Dec 3	TS	997 mb	—
Vicky	Dec 22 – Dec 26	TD	996 mb	—
Waka	Dec 28 – Jan 6	C3	944 mb	—
Cyprien	Dec 30 – Jan 3	TS	987 mb	Morombe, Madagascar
Bernie	Dec 30 – Jan 6	TS	991 mb	—
Unnamed	Dec 31 – Jan 4	TD	—	—
Unnamed	Jan 15 – Jan 16	TD	—	—
Dina	Jan 16 – Jan 28	C4	910 mb	—
Eddy	Jan 22 – Jan 30	C1	967 mb	—
Francesca	Jan 30 – Feb 14	C4	927 mb	—
Chris	Feb 2 – Feb 7	C4	916 mb	Yes
Unnamed	Feb 9 – Feb 24	TD	994 mb	—
Claudia	Feb 10 – Feb 15	C1	967 mb	—
Guillaume	Feb 14 – Feb 23	C4	922 mb	—
TD 16P	Feb 23 – Feb 26	TS	997 mb	—
Des	Mar 3 – Mar 9	TS	987 mb	—
Hary	Mar 3 – Mar 17	C5	898 mb	Antalaha, Madagascar
TD 19P	Mar 13 – Mar 16	TS	997 mb	—
Ikala	Mar 21 – Apr 3	C3	933 mb	—
Dianne	Apr 5 – Apr 13	C3	938 mb	—
Bonnie	Apr 7 – Apr 15	TS	987 mb	Soe, Indonesia
Kesiny	May 2 – May 11	C1	976 mb	Sadjoavato, Madagascar
Errol	May 8 – May 14	TS	991 mb	—
Upia	May 23 – May 29	TS	996 mb	Yes

TD 1S: This system formed in the Southern Hemisphere in October 2001 and peaked as a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph (65 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 997 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 4 days.
Alex: Alex formed in the Southern Hemisphere in October 2001 and peaked as a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 65 mph (100 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 984 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 15 days.
TD 3P: This system formed in the Southern Hemisphere in November 2001 and peaked as a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph (65 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 997 mb. It made 2 landfalls, first near Merauke, Indonesia and last near Dobo, Indonesia. The system was tracked for 7 days.
TD 4S: This system formed in the Southern Hemisphere in November 2001 and peaked as a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph (65 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 997 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 4 days.
Bako: Bako formed in the Southern Hemisphere in November 2001 and peaked as a Category 1 cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph (140 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 967 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 15 days.
Trina: Trina formed in the Southern Hemisphere in November 2001 and peaked as a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph (65 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 997 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 4 days.
Vicky: Vicky formed in the Southern Hemisphere in December 2001. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 4 days.
Waka: Waka formed in the Southern Hemisphere in December 2001 and peaked as a Category 3 cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 115 mph (185 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 944 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 9 days.
Cyprien: Cyprien formed in the Southern Hemisphere in December 2001 and peaked as a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph (95 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 987 mb. It made landfall near Morombe, Madagascar. The system was tracked for 5 days.
Bernie: Bernie formed in the Southern Hemisphere in December 2001 and peaked as a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph (85 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 991 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 6 days.
Unnamed: This system formed in the Southern Hemisphere in December 2001. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 4 days.
Unnamed: This system formed in the Southern Hemisphere in January 2002. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 1 day.
Dina: Dina formed in the Southern Hemisphere in January 2002 and peaked as a Category 4 cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 150 mph (240 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 910 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 12 days.
Eddy: Eddy formed in the Southern Hemisphere in January 2002 and peaked as a Category 1 cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph (140 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 967 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 8 days.
Francesca: Francesca formed in the Southern Hemisphere in January 2002 and peaked as a Category 4 cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 130 mph (215 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 927 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 15 days.
Chris: Chris formed in the Southern Hemisphere in February 2002 and peaked as a Category 4 cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 145 mph (230 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 916 mb. The system was tracked for 5 days.
Unnamed: This system formed in the Southern Hemisphere in February 2002 and peaked as a tropical depression with maximum sustained winds of 30 mph (45 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 994 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 16 days.
Claudia: Claudia formed in the Southern Hemisphere in February 2002 and peaked as a Category 1 cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph (140 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 967 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 5 days.
Guillaume: Guillaume formed in the Southern Hemisphere in February 2002 and peaked as a Category 4 cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 140 mph (220 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 922 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 10 days.
TD 16P: This system formed in the Southern Hemisphere in February 2002 and peaked as a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph (65 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 997 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 3 days.
Des: Des formed in the Southern Hemisphere in March 2002 and peaked as a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph (95 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 987 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 6 days.
Hary: Hary formed in the Southern Hemisphere in March 2002 and peaked as a Category 5 cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 160 mph (260 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 898 mb. It made landfall near Antalaha, Madagascar. The system was tracked for 14 days.
TD 19P: This system formed in the Southern Hemisphere in March 2002 and peaked as a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph (65 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 997 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 3 days.
Ikala: Ikala formed in the Southern Hemisphere in March 2002 and peaked as a Category 3 cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 125 mph (205 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 933 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 12 days.
Dianne: Dianne formed in the Southern Hemisphere in April 2002 and peaked as a Category 3 cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 120 mph (195 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 938 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 8 days.
Bonnie: Bonnie formed in the Southern Hemisphere in April 2002 and peaked as a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph (95 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 987 mb. It made 2 landfalls, first near Soe, Indonesia and last near Waingapu, Indonesia. The system was tracked for 8 days.
Kesiny: Kesiny formed in the Southern Hemisphere in May 2002 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 made 3 landfalls, first near Sadjoavato, Madagascar and last near Marovoay, Madagascar. The system was tracked for 10 days.
Errol: Errol formed in the Southern Hemisphere in May 2002 and peaked as a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph (85 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 991 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 6 days.
Upia: Upia formed in the Southern Hemisphere in May 2002 and peaked as a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph (65 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 996 mb. The system was tracked for 7 days.

Each summary is built from the storm’s best track.

Strongest storm of 2001–02

Cyclone Hary was the strongest storm of the season, peaking at 160 mph (260 km/h), with a lowest pressure of 898 mb, on March 10, 2002. That is Category 5 strength on the Saffir-Simpson scale.

11 Southern Hemisphere storms since 1980 peaked higher, and 25 matched it. It produced 16% of the season’s accumulated cyclone energy.

Landfalls in 2001–02

7 of the season’s 29 systems made landfall, 2 of them at hurricane strength. Each landfall point is listed with the nearest town and the wind at that moment.

November 17, 2001: TD 3P near Merauke, Indonesia, 30 mph (tropical depression)
November 20, 2001: TD 3P near Dobo, Indonesia, 30 mph (tropical depression)
January 2, 2002: Cyprien near Morombe, Madagascar, 50 mph (tropical storm)
February 5, 2002: Chris, 135 mph (Category 4)
March 10, 2002: Hary near Antalaha, Madagascar, 160 mph (Category 5)
April 10, 2002: Bonnie near Soe, Indonesia, 35 mph (tropical depression)
April 11, 2002: Bonnie near Waingapu, Indonesia, 50 mph (tropical storm)
May 9, 2002: Kesiny near Sadjoavato, Madagascar, 70 mph (tropical storm)
May 11, 2002: Kesiny near Marovatolena, Madagascar, 35 mph (tropical depression)
May 11, 2002: Kesiny near Marovoay, Madagascar, 30 mph (tropical depression)
May 23, 2002: Upia, 30 mph (tropical depression)

How 2001–02 ranks since 1980

The season ranks 28th of 47 Southern Hemisphere seasons since 1980 for named storms (tied with 6 other seasons), 34th for hurricane strength (tied with 1 other season) and 29th for accumulated cyclone energy.

The record since 1980 is 37 named storms, in 1997, and the highest ACE is 364, in 1997.

2001–02 storm names

The 2001–02 season used 21 names: Alex, Bako, Trina, Vicky, Waka, Cyprien, Bernie, Dina, Eddy, Francesca, Chris, Claudia, Guillaume, Des, Hary, Ikala, Dianne, Bonnie, Kesiny, Errol, Upia.

8 systems were tracked without a name and are listed by number.

2001–02 season FAQ

How many named storms were there in 2001–02?

The 2001–02 Southern Hemisphere cyclone season had 25 named storms, 12 at hurricane strength and 8 major storms, from 29 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 Tropical Storm 1S and the last was Upia.

What was the strongest storm of 2001–02?

Cyclone Hary. It peaked at 160 mph (260 km/h, 140 kt) with a lowest pressure of 898 mb on March 10, 2002. That is Category 5 strength on the Saffir-Simpson scale. 11 Southern Hemisphere storms since 1980 peaked higher. It produced 16% of the season’s accumulated cyclone energy.

When did the 2001–02 season end?

Australia’s official season ran from November 1, 2001 to April 30, 2002. Our counts follow IBTrACS, which files every storm from July 2001 to June 2002 under the 2001–02 season. The busiest months are January–February. The last system, Upia, dissipated on May 29, 2002.