Skip to content
HurriTracker

2017–18 Southern Hemisphere cyclone season

Nov 1, 2017 – Apr 30, 2018 · Season ended

The 2017–18 Southern Hemisphere cyclone season produced 22 named storms, 15 at hurricane strength and 7 major storms, against a 1991–2020 average of 26.7, 13.8 and 7.5. Its accumulated cyclone energy was 202, 93% of the average.

2016–17 season2018–19 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+)
7
Including 1 Category 5
Accumulated energy
93% of normal
ACE 202 vs 1991–2020 avg 217
Loading map…
Tracks colored by peak strengthTSC1C2C3C4C5

2017–18 season at a glance

  • Named storms: 22 (1991–2020 average 26.7).
  • Hurricane strength (64 kt+): 15 (average 13.8).
  • Major, 96 kt+: 7, including 1 at Category 5 strength (average 7.5).
  • Accumulated cyclone energy: 201.6, 93% of the 217 average.
  • Named-storm days: 117.0, counting each six-hourly fix at 34 kt or more as a quarter day.
  • First named storm: Cempaka, November 26, 2017.
  • First storm at hurricane strength: Cempaka, November 27, 2017.
  • First major storm: Berguitta, January 15, 2018.
  • Last storm to dissipate: Flamboyan, May 4, 2018.
  • All systems tracked: 22, 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 2017–18 season

StormDatesPeakMin pressureLandfall
Cempaka – C1990 mb—
Dahlia – TS988 mb—
Hilda – TS990 mbBroome, Australia
Ava – C2958 mbToamasina, Madagascar
Irving – C2962 mb—
Joyce – TS987 mbYes
Berguitta – C3950 mb—
Cebile – C4942 mb—
Fehi – TS970 mb—
Gita – C4929 mb—
Kelvin – C1971 mbYes
Dumazile – C3941 mb—
Hola – C3950 mbLuganville, Vanuatu
Linda – TS989 mb—
Eliakim – C1982 mbMananara, Madagascar
Marcus – C5906 mbPalmerston, Australia
Nora – C3956 mbYes
Iris – TS987 mb—
Josie – TS994 mb—
Keni – C2968 mb—
Fakir – C1982 mb—
Flamboyan – C1982 mb—
  • Cempaka: Cempaka formed in the Southern Hemisphere in November 2017 and peaked as a Category 1 cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 80 mph (130 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 990 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 4 days.
  • Dahlia: Dahlia formed in the Southern Hemisphere in November 2017 and peaked as a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 65 mph (100 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 988 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 10 days.
  • Hilda: Hilda formed in the Southern Hemisphere in December 2017 and peaked as a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph (95 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 990 mb. It made landfall near Broome, Australia. The system was tracked for 5 days.
  • Ava: Ava formed in the Southern Hemisphere in December 2017 and peaked as a Category 2 cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 110 mph (175 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 958 mb. It made landfall near Toamasina, Madagascar. The system was tracked for 11 days.
  • Irving: Irving formed in the Southern Hemisphere in January 2018 and peaked as a Category 2 cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 110 mph (175 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 962 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 7 days.
  • Joyce: Joyce formed in the Southern Hemisphere in January 2018 and peaked as a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph (95 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 987 mb. The system was tracked for 8 days.
  • Berguitta: Berguitta formed in the Southern Hemisphere in January 2018 and peaked as a Category 3 cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 120 mph (195 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 950 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 14 days.
  • Cebile: Cebile formed in the Southern Hemisphere in January 2018 and peaked as a Category 4 cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 130 mph (215 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 942 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 16 days.
  • Fehi: Fehi formed in the Southern Hemisphere in January 2018 and peaked as a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph (95 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 970 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 6 days.
  • Gita: Gita formed in the Southern Hemisphere in February 2018 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.
  • Kelvin: Kelvin formed in the Southern Hemisphere in February 2018 and peaked as a Category 1 cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph (140 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 971 mb. The system was tracked for 9 days.
  • Dumazile: Dumazile formed in the Southern Hemisphere in March 2018 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 9 days.
  • Hola: Hola formed in the Southern Hemisphere in March 2018 and peaked as a Category 3 cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 120 mph (195 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 950 mb. It made landfall near Luganville, Vanuatu. The system was tracked for 8 days.
  • Linda: Linda formed in the Southern Hemisphere in March 2018 and peaked as a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 65 mph (100 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 989 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 5 days.
  • Eliakim: Eliakim formed in the Southern Hemisphere in March 2018 and peaked as a Category 1 cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph (120 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 982 mb. It made 2 landfalls, first near Mananara, Madagascar and last near Maroantsetra, Madagascar. The system was tracked for 9 days.
  • Marcus: Marcus formed in the Southern Hemisphere in March 2018 and peaked as a Category 5 cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 175 mph (280 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 906 mb. It made landfall near Palmerston, Australia. The system was tracked for 11 days.
  • Nora: Nora formed in the Southern Hemisphere in March 2018 and peaked as a Category 3 cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 115 mph (185 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 956 mb. The system was tracked for 8 days.
  • Iris: Iris formed in the Southern Hemisphere in March 2018 and peaked as a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 65 mph (100 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 987 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 18 days.
  • Josie: Josie formed in the Southern Hemisphere in March 2018 and peaked as a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph (95 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 994 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 5 days.
  • Keni: Keni formed in the Southern Hemisphere in April 2018 and peaked as a Category 2 cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 105 mph (165 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 968 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 6 days.
  • Fakir: Fakir formed in the Southern Hemisphere in April 2018 and peaked as a Category 1 cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph (140 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 982 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 6 days.
  • Flamboyan: Flamboyan formed in the Southern Hemisphere in April 2018 and peaked as a Category 1 cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 80 mph (130 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 982 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 7 days.

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

Strongest storm of 2017–18

Cyclone Marcus was the strongest storm of the season, peaking at 175 mph (280 km/h), with a lowest pressure of 906 mb, on March 21, 2018. That is Category 5 strength on the Saffir-Simpson scale.

4 Southern Hemisphere storms since 1980 peaked higher, and 2 matched it. It produced 15% of the season’s accumulated cyclone energy.

Landfalls in 2017–18

8 of the season’s 22 systems made landfall, 4 of them at hurricane strength. Each landfall point is listed with the nearest town and the wind at that moment.

  • December 26, 2017: Hilda, 40 mph (tropical depression)
  • December 27, 2017: Hilda near Broome, Australia, 55 mph (tropical storm)
  • January 5, 2018: Ava near Toamasina, Madagascar, 90 mph (Category 1)
  • January 12, 2018: Joyce, 50 mph (tropical storm)
  • February 14, 2018: Kelvin, 30 mph (tropical depression)
  • February 18, 2018: Kelvin, 80 mph (Category 1)
  • March 7, 2018: Hola near Luganville, Vanuatu, 65 mph (tropical storm)
  • March 16, 2018: Eliakim near Mananara, Madagascar, 70 mph (tropical storm)
  • March 16, 2018: Marcus, 60 mph (tropical storm)
  • March 16, 2018: Eliakim near Maroantsetra, Madagascar, 60 mph (tropical storm)
  • March 17, 2018: Marcus near Palmerston, Australia, 70 mph (tropical storm)
  • March 18, 2018: Marcus, 75 mph (Category 1)
  • March 24, 2018: Nora, 75 mph (Category 1)

How 2017–18 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 28th for accumulated cyclone energy.

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

2017–18 storm names

The 2017–18 season used 22 names: Cempaka, Dahlia, Hilda, Ava, Irving, Joyce, Berguitta, Cebile, Fehi, Gita, Kelvin, Dumazile, Hola, Linda, Eliakim, Marcus, Nora, Iris, Josie, Keni, Fakir, Flamboyan.

2017–18 season FAQ

How many named storms were there in 2017–18?

The 2017–18 Southern Hemisphere cyclone season had 22 named storms, 15 at hurricane strength and 7 major storms, from 22 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 Cempaka and the last was Flamboyan.

What was the strongest storm of 2017–18?

Cyclone Marcus. It peaked at 175 mph (280 km/h, 150 kt) with a lowest pressure of 906 mb on March 21, 2018. That is Category 5 strength on the Saffir-Simpson scale. 4 Southern Hemisphere storms since 1980 peaked higher. It produced 15% of the season’s accumulated cyclone energy.

When did the 2017–18 season end?

Australia’s official season ran from November 1, 2017 to April 30, 2018. Our counts follow IBTrACS, which files every storm from July 2017 to June 2018 under the 2017–18 season. The busiest months are January–February. The last system, Flamboyan, dissipated on May 4, 2018.