2008–09 Southern Hemisphere cyclone season

Nov 1, 2008 – Apr 30, 2009 · Season ended

The 2008–09 Southern Hemisphere cyclone season produced 28 named storms, 8 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 117, 54% of the average.

2007–08 season 2009–10 season All Southern Hemisphere seasons

Named storms

Avg 26.7 (1991–2020)

Hurricane strength

64 kt or stronger · avg 13.8

Major (Cat 3+)

Avg 7.5 per season

Accumulated energy

54% of normal

ACE 117 vs 1991–2020 avg 217

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Tracks colored by peak strengthTSC1C3C4

2008–09 season at a glance

Named storms: 28 (1991–2020 average 26.7).
Hurricane strength (64 kt+): 8 (average 13.8).
Major, 96 kt+: 5 (average 7.5).
Accumulated cyclone energy: 116.5, 54% of the 217 average.
Named-storm days: 84.3, counting each six-hourly fix at 34 kt or more as a quarter day.
First named storm: Asma, October 16, 2008.
First storm at hurricane strength: Billy, December 24, 2008.
First major storm: Billy, December 24, 2008.
Last storm to dissipate: Kirrily, May 1, 2009.
All systems tracked: 28, every one of which reached 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 2008–09 season

Storm	Dates	Peak	Min pressure	Landfall
Asma	Oct 15 – Oct 24	TS	985 mb	—
Bernard	Nov 13 – Nov 21	TS	993 mb	—
Anika	Nov 17 – Nov 22	TS	978 mb	—
Cinda	Dec 13 – Dec 24	TS	982 mb	—
Billy	Dec 16 – Jan 4	C3	941 mb	Yes
Unnamed	Dec 21 – Dec 25	TS	998 mb	—
Dongo	Jan 7 – Jan 14	TS	978 mb	—
Charlotte	Jan 10 – Jan 12	TS	993 mb	Yes
Eric	Jan 16 – Jan 22	TS	993 mb	—
Fanele	Jan 17 – Jan 26	C4	937 mb	Morondava, Madagascar
Dominic	Jan 24 – Jan 28	TS	985 mb	Yes
Hettie	Jan 25 – Jan 29	TS	996 mb	—
Ellie	Jan 30 – Feb 2	TS	996 mb	Atherton, Australia
Gael	Jan 31 – Feb 12	C4	933 mb	—
Freddy	Feb 3 – Feb 15	TS	982 mb	—
Innis	Feb 13 – Feb 19	TS	993 mb	—
Hina	Feb 20 – Mar 2	C1	974 mb	—
Gabrielle	Feb 28 – Mar 6	TS	996 mb	—
Hamish	Mar 4 – Mar 14	C4	922 mb	—
TD 19S	Mar 6 – Mar 13	TS	996 mb	—
Joni	Mar 10 – Mar 14	TS	982 mb	—
Ilsa	Mar 15 – Mar 26	C3	948 mb	—
Ken	Mar 16 – Mar 20	TS	978 mb	—
Izilda	Mar 22 – Mar 29	C1	974 mb	—
Jasper	Mar 23 – Mar 25	TS	989 mb	—
Lin	Apr 2 – Apr 6	TS	982 mb	—
Jade	Apr 2 – Apr 12	C1	948 mb	Maroantsetra, Madagascar
Kirrily	Apr 17 – May 1	TS	989 mb	Dobo, Indonesia

Asma: Asma formed in the Southern Hemisphere in October 2008 and peaked as a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph (95 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 985 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 9 days.
Bernard: Bernard formed in the Southern Hemisphere in November 2008 and peaked as a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 45 mph (75 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 993 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 8 days.
Anika: Anika formed in the Southern Hemisphere in November 2008 and peaked as a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 70 mph (110 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 978 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 5 days.
Cinda: Cinda formed in the Southern Hemisphere in December 2008 and peaked as a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 65 mph (100 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 982 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 11 days.
Billy: Billy formed in the Southern Hemisphere in December 2008 and peaked as a Category 3 cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 125 mph (205 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 941 mb. The system was tracked for 19 days.
Unnamed: This system formed in the Southern Hemisphere in December 2008 and peaked as a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph (65 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 998 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 4 days.
Dongo: Dongo formed in the Southern Hemisphere in January 2009 and peaked as a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 65 mph (100 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 978 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 7 days.
Charlotte: Charlotte formed in the Southern Hemisphere in January 2009 and peaked as a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 45 mph (75 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 993 mb. The system was tracked for 2 days.
Eric: Eric formed in the Southern Hemisphere in January 2009 and peaked as a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph (95 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 993 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 6 days.
Fanele: Fanele formed in the Southern Hemisphere in January 2009 and peaked as a Category 4 cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 130 mph (215 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 937 mb. It made landfall near Morondava, Madagascar. The system was tracked for 9 days.
Dominic: Dominic formed in the Southern Hemisphere in January 2009 and peaked as a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph (95 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 985 mb. The system was tracked for 4 days.
Hettie: Hettie formed in the Southern Hemisphere in January 2009 and peaked as a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph (65 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 996 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 5 days.
Ellie: Ellie formed in the Southern Hemisphere in January 2009 and peaked as a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph (65 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 996 mb. It made landfall near Atherton, Australia. The system was tracked for 3 days.
Gael: Gael formed in the Southern Hemisphere in January 2009 and peaked as a Category 4 cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 140 mph (220 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 933 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 12 days.
Freddy: Freddy formed in the Southern Hemisphere in February 2009 and peaked as a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 65 mph (100 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 982 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 12 days.
Innis: Innis formed in the Southern Hemisphere in February 2009 and peaked as a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 45 mph (75 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 993 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 5 days.
Hina: Hina formed in the Southern Hemisphere in February 2009 and peaked as a Category 1 cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph (120 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 974 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 10 days.
Gabrielle: Gabrielle formed in the Southern Hemisphere in February 2009 and peaked as a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph (65 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 996 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 6 days.
Hamish: Hamish formed in the Southern Hemisphere in March 2009 and peaked as a Category 4 cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 155 mph (250 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 922 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 9 days.
TD 19S: This system formed in the Southern Hemisphere in March 2009 and peaked as a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph (65 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 996 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 7 days.
Joni: Joni formed in the Southern Hemisphere in March 2009 and peaked as a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 65 mph (100 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 982 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 5 days.
Ilsa: Ilsa formed in the Southern Hemisphere in March 2009 and peaked as a Category 3 cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 115 mph (185 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 948 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 12 days.
Ken: Ken formed in the Southern Hemisphere in March 2009 and peaked as a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph (95 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 978 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 5 days.
Izilda: Izilda formed in the Southern Hemisphere in March 2009 and peaked as a Category 1 cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph (120 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 974 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 7 days.
Jasper: Jasper formed in the Southern Hemisphere in March 2009 and peaked as a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph (85 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 989 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 3 days.
Lin: Lin formed in the Southern Hemisphere in April 2009 and peaked as a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 65 mph (100 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 982 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 5 days.
Jade: Jade formed in the Southern Hemisphere in April 2009 and peaked as a Category 1 cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph (120 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 948 mb. It made 2 landfalls, first near Maroantsetra, Madagascar and last near Mananara, Madagascar. The system was tracked for 10 days.
Kirrily: Kirrily formed in the Southern Hemisphere in April 2009 and peaked as a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph (85 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 989 mb. It made landfall near Dobo, Indonesia. The system was tracked for 14 days.

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

Strongest storm of 2008–09

Cyclone Hamish was the strongest storm of the season, peaking at 155 mph (250 km/h), with a lowest pressure of 922 mb, on March 7, 2009. That is Category 4 strength on the Saffir-Simpson scale.

39 Southern Hemisphere storms since 1980 peaked higher, and 13 matched it. It produced 21% of the season’s accumulated cyclone energy.

Landfalls in 2008–09

7 of the season’s 28 systems made landfall, 2 of them at hurricane strength. Each landfall point is listed with the nearest town and the wind at that moment.

December 19, 2008: Billy, 45 mph (tropical storm)
December 21, 2008: Billy, 40 mph (tropical storm)
December 22, 2008: Billy, 45 mph (tropical storm)
December 22, 2008: Billy, 45 mph (tropical storm)
January 11, 2009: Charlotte, 40 mph (tropical depression)
January 21, 2009: Fanele near Morondava, Madagascar, 105 mph (Category 2)
January 26, 2009: Dominic, 50 mph (tropical storm)
February 1, 2009: Ellie near Atherton, Australia, 40 mph (tropical depression)
April 6, 2009: Jade near Maroantsetra, Madagascar, 75 mph (Category 1)
April 6, 2009: Jade near Mananara, Madagascar, 70 mph (tropical storm)
April 27, 2009: Kirrily near Dobo, Indonesia, 40 mph (tropical storm)

How 2008–09 ranks since 1980

The season ranks 20th of 47 Southern Hemisphere seasons since 1980 for named storms (tied with 3 other seasons), 47th for hurricane strength and 47th for accumulated cyclone energy.

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

2008–09 storm names

The 2008–09 season used 26 names: Asma, Bernard, Anika, Cinda, Billy, Dongo, Charlotte, Eric, Fanele, Dominic, Hettie, Ellie, Gael, Freddy, Innis, Hina, Gabrielle, Hamish, Joni, Ilsa, Ken, Izilda, Jasper, Lin, Jade, Kirrily.

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

2008–09 season FAQ

How many named storms were there in 2008–09?

The 2008–09 Southern Hemisphere cyclone season had 28 named storms, 8 at hurricane strength and 5 major storms, from 28 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 Asma and the last was Kirrily.

What was the strongest storm of 2008–09?

Cyclone Hamish. It peaked at 155 mph (250 km/h, 135 kt) with a lowest pressure of 922 mb on March 7, 2009. That is Category 4 strength on the Saffir-Simpson scale. 39 Southern Hemisphere storms since 1980 peaked higher. It produced 21% of the season’s accumulated cyclone energy.

When did the 2008–09 season end?

Australia’s official season ran from November 1, 2008 to April 30, 2009. Our counts follow IBTrACS, which files every storm from July 2008 to June 2009 under the 2008–09 season. The busiest months are January–February. The last system, Kirrily, dissipated on May 1, 2009.