2012–13 Southern Hemisphere cyclone season
Nov 1, 2012 – Apr 30, 2013 · Season ended
The 2012–13 Southern Hemisphere cyclone season produced 24 named storms, 15 at hurricane strength and 9 major storms, against a 1991–2020 average of 26.7, 13.8 and 7.5. Its accumulated cyclone energy was 192, 89% of the average.
2012–13 season at a glance
- Named storms: 24 (1991–2020 average 26.7).
- Hurricane strength (64 kt+): 15 (average 13.8).
- Major, 96 kt+: 9 (average 7.5).
- Accumulated cyclone energy: 192.0, 89% of the 217 average.
- Named-storm days: 112.8, counting each six-hourly fix at 34 kt or more as a quarter day.
- First named storm: Anais, October 12, 2012.
- First storm at hurricane strength: Anais, October 13, 2012.
- First major storm: Anais, October 14, 2012.
- Last storm to dissipate: Jamala, May 16, 2013.
- All systems tracked: 24, 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 2012–13 season
| Storm | Dates | Peak | Min pressure | Landfall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anais | – | C4 | 937 mb | — |
| Boldwin | – | TS | 982 mb | — |
| Claudia | – | C4 | 937 mb | — |
| Evan | – | C4 | 929 mb | — |
| Freda | – | C3 | 941 mb | — |
| Mitchell | – | TS | 989 mb | — |
| Dumile | – | C1 | 967 mb | — |
| Narelle | – | C4 | 933 mb | — |
| Emang | – | TS | 996 mb | — |
| Garry | – | C2 | 959 mb | — |
| Oswald | – | TS | 989 mb | Yes |
| Peta | – | TS | 996 mb | Karratha, Australia |
| Felleng | – | C4 | 937 mb | — |
| Haley | – | TS | 989 mb | — |
| Gino | – | C2 | 956 mb | — |
| Haruna | – | C3 | 944 mb | Pebane, Mozambique |
| TD 18S | – | TS | 993 mb | — |
| Rusty | – | C3 | 948 mb | Yes |
| Sandra | – | C3 | 941 mb | — |
| Tim | – | TS | 985 mb | — |
| Imelda | – | C2 | 959 mb | — |
| Victoria | – | C1 | 967 mb | — |
| Zane | – | C1 | 974 mb | — |
| Jamala | – | TS | 989 mb | — |
- Anais: Anais formed in the Southern Hemisphere in October 2012 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 did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 9 days.
- Boldwin: Boldwin formed in the Southern Hemisphere in November 2012 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 6 days.
- Claudia: Claudia formed in the Southern Hemisphere in December 2012 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 did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 12 days.
- Evan: Evan formed in the Southern Hemisphere in December 2012 and peaked as a Category 4 cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 145 mph (230 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 929 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 16 days.
- Freda: Freda formed in the Southern Hemisphere in December 2012 and peaked as a Category 3 cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 125 mph (205 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 941 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 8 days.
- Mitchell: Mitchell formed in the Southern Hemisphere in December 2012 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 5 days.
- Dumile: Dumile formed in the Southern Hemisphere in December 2012 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 10 days.
- Narelle: Narelle formed in the Southern Hemisphere in January 2013 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 10 days.
- Emang: Emang formed in the Southern Hemisphere in January 2013 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 11 days.
- Garry: Garry formed in the Southern Hemisphere in January 2013 and peaked as a Category 2 cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 100 mph (155 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 959 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 11 days.
- Oswald: Oswald formed in the Southern Hemisphere in January 2013 and peaked as a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph (85 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 989 mb. The system was tracked for 9 days.
- Peta: Peta formed in the Southern Hemisphere in January 2013 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 Karratha, Australia. The system was tracked for 6 days.
- Felleng: Felleng formed in the Southern Hemisphere in January 2013 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 did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 11 days.
- Haley: Haley formed in the Southern Hemisphere in February 2013 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 6 days.
- Gino: Gino formed in the Southern Hemisphere in February 2013 and peaked as a Category 2 cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 105 mph (165 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 956 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 8 days.
- Haruna: Haruna formed in the Southern Hemisphere in February 2013 and peaked as a Category 3 cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 120 mph (195 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 944 mb. It made 2 landfalls, first near Pebane, Mozambique and last near Morombe, Madagascar. The system was tracked for 14 days.
- TD 18S: This system formed in the Southern Hemisphere in February 2013 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.
- Rusty: Rusty formed in the Southern Hemisphere in February 2013 and peaked as a Category 3 cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 115 mph (185 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 948 mb. The system was tracked for 8 days.
- Sandra: Sandra formed in the Southern Hemisphere in March 2013 and peaked as a Category 3 cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 125 mph (205 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 941 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 12 days.
- Tim: Tim formed in the Southern Hemisphere in March 2013 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 8 days.
- Imelda: Imelda formed in the Southern Hemisphere in April 2013 and peaked as a Category 2 cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 100 mph (155 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 959 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 17 days.
- Victoria: Victoria formed in the Southern Hemisphere in April 2013 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 6 days.
- Zane: Zane formed in the Southern Hemisphere in April 2013 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 6 days.
- Jamala: Jamala formed in the Southern Hemisphere in May 2013 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 9 days.
Each summary is built from the storm’s best track.
Strongest storm of 2012–13
Cyclone Evan was the strongest storm of the season, peaking at 145 mph (230 km/h), with a lowest pressure of 929 mb, on December 17, 2012. That is Category 4 strength on the Saffir-Simpson scale.
80 Southern Hemisphere storms since 1980 peaked higher, and 33 matched it. It produced 14% of the season’s accumulated cyclone energy.
Landfalls in 2012–13
4 of the season’s 24 systems made landfall, 2 of them at hurricane strength. Each landfall point is listed with the nearest town and the wind at that moment.
- January 21, 2013: Oswald, 45 mph (tropical storm)
- January 22, 2013: Oswald, 35 mph (tropical depression)
- January 23, 2013: Peta near Karratha, Australia, 40 mph (tropical storm)
- February 16, 2013: Haruna near Pebane, Mozambique, 30 mph (tropical depression)
- February 22, 2013: Haruna near Morombe, Madagascar, 100 mph (Category 2)
- February 27, 2013: Rusty, 85 mph (Category 1)
How 2012–13 ranks since 1980
The season ranks 35th of 47 Southern Hemisphere seasons since 1980 for named storms (tied with 4 other seasons), 13th for hurricane strength (tied with 7 other seasons) and 31st for accumulated cyclone energy.
The record since 1980 is 37 named storms, in 1997, and the highest ACE is 364, in 1997.
2012–13 storm names
The 2012–13 season used 23 names: Anais, Boldwin, Claudia, Evan, Freda, Mitchell, Dumile, Narelle, Emang, Garry, Oswald, Peta, Felleng, Haley, Gino, Haruna, Rusty, Sandra, Tim, Imelda, Victoria, Zane, Jamala.
1 system was tracked without a name and is listed by number.
2012–13 season FAQ
How many named storms were there in 2012–13?
The 2012–13 Southern Hemisphere cyclone season had 24 named storms, 15 at hurricane strength and 9 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 Anais and the last was Jamala.
What was the strongest storm of 2012–13?
Cyclone Evan. It peaked at 145 mph (230 km/h, 125 kt) with a lowest pressure of 929 mb on December 17, 2012. That is Category 4 strength on the Saffir-Simpson scale. 80 Southern Hemisphere storms since 1980 peaked higher. It produced 14% of the season’s accumulated cyclone energy.
When did the 2012–13 season end?
Australia’s official season ran from November 1, 2012 to April 30, 2013. Our counts follow IBTrACS, which files every storm from July 2012 to June 2013 under the 2012–13 season. The busiest months are January–February. The last system, Jamala, dissipated on May 16, 2013.