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HurriTracker

2003–04 Southern Hemisphere cyclone season

Nov 1, 2003 – Apr 30, 2004 · Season ended

The 2003–04 Southern Hemisphere cyclone season produced 22 named storms, 15 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 233, 108% of the average.

2002–03 season2004–05 seasonAll Southern Hemisphere seasons
Named storms
22
Avg 26.7 (1991–2020)
Hurricane strength
15
64 kt or stronger · avg 13.8
Major (Cat 3+)
8
Including 2 Category 5
Accumulated energy
108% of normal
ACE 233 vs 1991–2020 avg 217
Loading map…
Tracks colored by peak strengthTDTSC1C3C4C5

2003–04 season at a glance

  • Named storms: 22 (1991–2020 average 26.7).
  • Hurricane strength (64 kt+): 15 (average 13.8).
  • Major, 96 kt+: 8, including 2 at Category 5 strength (average 7.5).
  • Accumulated cyclone energy: 233.4, 108% of the 217 average.
  • Named-storm days: 127.5, counting each six-hourly fix at 34 kt or more as a quarter day.
  • First named storm: Abaimba, September 30, 2003.
  • First storm at hurricane strength: Beni, November 12, 2003.
  • First major storm: Beni, November 13, 2003.
  • Last storm to dissipate: Juba, May 17, 2004.
  • All systems tracked: 24, 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 2003–04 season

StormDatesPeakMin pressureLandfall
Abaimba – TS991 mb—
Beni – C3944 mb—
Cela – C1976 mbIharan̈a, Madagascar
Jana – C1963 mb—
Debbie – C1976 mbYes
Darius – TS984 mb—
Heta – C5898 mb—
Ken – TS997 mb—
Elita – C1976 mbMahajanga, Madagascar
Frank – C4916 mb—
Linda – TS991 mb—
Fritz – TS992 mbYes
Ivy – C3938 mbLuganville, Vanuatu
Monty – C3933 mbYes
Evan – TD998 mbYes
Gafilo – C5898 mbAntakotako, Madagascar
Helma – C1976 mb—
Fay – C4922 mbYes
Grace – TS985 mb—
Itsang – C4927 mb—
TD 21S – TD1002 mb—
TD 50L – C1981 mbAraranguá, Brazil
TD 22P – TS997 mbVaileka, Fiji
Juba – C1976 mb—
  • Abaimba: Abaimba formed in the Southern Hemisphere in September 2003 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 7 days.
  • Beni: Beni formed in the Southern Hemisphere in November 2003 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 17 days.
  • Cela: Cela formed in the Southern Hemisphere in December 2003 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 landfall near Iharan̈a, Madagascar. The system was tracked for 18 days.
  • Jana: Jana formed in the Southern Hemisphere in December 2003 and peaked as a Category 1 cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 90 mph (150 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 963 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 12 days.
  • Debbie: Debbie formed in the Southern Hemisphere in December 2003 and peaked as a Category 1 cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph (120 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 976 mb. The system was tracked for 7 days.
  • Darius: Darius formed in the Southern Hemisphere in December 2003 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 12 days.
  • Heta: Heta formed in the Southern Hemisphere in December 2003 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 did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 18 days.
  • Ken: Ken formed in the Southern Hemisphere in January 2004 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 5 days.
  • Elita: Elita formed in the Southern Hemisphere in January 2004 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 Mahajanga, Madagascar and last near Morondava, Madagascar. The system was tracked for 20 days.
  • Frank: Frank formed in the Southern Hemisphere in January 2004 and peaked as a Category 4 cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 145 mph (230 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 916 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 14 days.
  • Linda: Linda formed in the Southern Hemisphere in January 2004 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 5 days.
  • Fritz: Fritz formed in the Southern Hemisphere in February 2004 and peaked as a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph (65 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 992 mb. The system was tracked for 5 days.
  • Ivy: Ivy formed in the Southern Hemisphere in February 2004 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 made landfall near Luganville, Vanuatu. The system was tracked for 10 days.
  • Monty: Monty formed in the Southern Hemisphere in February 2004 and peaked as a Category 3 cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 125 mph (205 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 933 mb. The system was tracked for 7 days.
  • Evan: Evan formed in the Southern Hemisphere in February 2004 and peaked as a tropical depression with maximum sustained winds of 35 mph (55 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 998 mb. The system was tracked for 6 days.
  • Gafilo: Gafilo formed in the Southern Hemisphere in March 2004 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 2 landfalls, first near Antakotako, Madagascar and last near Morombe, Madagascar. The system was tracked for 17 days.
  • Helma: Helma formed in the Southern Hemisphere in March 2004 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 9 days.
  • Fay: Fay formed in the Southern Hemisphere in March 2004 and peaked as a Category 4 cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 140 mph (220 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 922 mb. The system was tracked for 17 days.
  • Grace: Grace formed in the Southern Hemisphere in March 2004 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 6 days.
  • Itsang: Itsang formed in the Southern Hemisphere in March 2004 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 9 days.
  • TD 21S: This system formed in the Southern Hemisphere in March 2004 and peaked as a tropical depression with maximum sustained winds of 30 mph (45 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 1002 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 5 days.
  • TD 50L: This system formed in the Southern Hemisphere in March 2004 and peaked as a Category 1 cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph (140 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 981 mb. It made landfall near Araranguá, Brazil. The system was tracked for 3 days.
  • TD 22P: This system formed in the Southern Hemisphere in April 2004 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 landfall near Vaileka, Fiji. The system was tracked for 2 days.
  • Juba: Juba formed in the Southern Hemisphere in May 2004 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 13 days.

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

Strongest storm of 2003–04

Cyclone Heta was the strongest storm of the season, peaking at 160 mph (260 km/h), with a lowest pressure of 898 mb, on January 5, 2004. That is Category 5 strength on the Saffir-Simpson scale.

11 Southern Hemisphere storms since 1980 peaked higher, and 25 matched it. It produced 10% of the season’s accumulated cyclone energy.

Landfalls in 2003–04

11 of the season’s 24 systems made landfall, 5 of them at hurricane strength. Each landfall point is listed with the nearest town and the wind at that moment.

  • December 9, 2003: Cela near Iharan̈a, Madagascar, 40 mph (tropical storm)
  • December 20, 2003: Debbie, 70 mph (tropical storm)
  • January 28, 2004: Elita near Mahajanga, Madagascar, 65 mph (tropical storm)
  • January 31, 2004: Elita near Vohimanitra, Madagascar, 30 mph (tropical depression)
  • February 3, 2004: Elita near Morondava, Madagascar, 70 mph (tropical storm)
  • February 12, 2004: Fritz, 30 mph (tropical depression)
  • February 25, 2004: Ivy near Luganville, Vanuatu, 120 mph (Category 3)
  • March 1, 2004: Evan, 35 mph (tropical depression)
  • March 1, 2004: Monty, 95 mph (Category 2)
  • March 1, 2004: Evan, 35 mph (tropical depression)
  • March 7, 2004: Gafilo near Antakotako, Madagascar, 140 mph (Category 4)
  • March 10, 2004: Gafilo near Morombe, Madagascar, 65 mph (tropical storm)
  • March 27, 2004: Fay, 125 mph (Category 3)
  • March 28, 2004: TD 50L near Araranguá, Brazil, 85 mph (Category 1)
  • April 8, 2004: TD 22P near Vaileka, Fiji, 40 mph (tropical storm)

How 2003–04 ranks since 1980

The season ranks 41st of 47 Southern Hemisphere seasons since 1980 for named storms (tied with 2 other seasons), 13th for hurricane strength (tied with 7 other seasons) and 14th for accumulated cyclone energy.

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

2003–04 storm names

The 2003–04 season used 21 names: Abaimba, Beni, Cela, Jana, Debbie, Darius, Heta, Ken, Elita, Frank, Linda, Fritz, Ivy, Monty, Evan, Gafilo, Helma, Fay, Grace, Itsang, Juba.

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

2003–04 season FAQ

How many named storms were there in 2003–04?

The 2003–04 Southern Hemisphere cyclone season had 22 named storms, 15 at hurricane strength and 8 major storms, from 24 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 Abaimba and the last was Juba.

What was the strongest storm of 2003–04?

Cyclone Heta. It peaked at 160 mph (260 km/h, 140 kt) with a lowest pressure of 898 mb on January 5, 2004. That is Category 5 strength on the Saffir-Simpson scale. 11 Southern Hemisphere storms since 1980 peaked higher. It produced 10% of the season’s accumulated cyclone energy.

When did the 2003–04 season end?

Australia’s official season ran from November 1, 2003 to April 30, 2004. Our counts follow IBTrACS, which files every storm from July 2003 to June 2004 under the 2003–04 season. The busiest months are January–February. The last system, Juba, dissipated on May 17, 2004.