2015 South Indian cyclone season
Cyclone Bansi 2015
Bansi reached Category 5 strength north of Mauritius, then followed an eastward and southeastward track across the Indian Ocean. Its center remained offshore throughout the archived journey.
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161 mph
Jan 13, 2015 during the tropical stage
Full archive record, including non-tropical stages if present
Along the recorded center positions
STORM HISTORY
An early turn before rapid growth
Bansi's track begins on January 8 near 19 degrees south and 54 degrees east. The early circulation moved northward before curving east and then slightly south. As it turned, its winds increased sharply, reaching an archived maximum of 140 knots on January 13.
The strongest phase occurred near 17 degrees south and 57 degrees east, north of Mauritius. Bansi then moved eastward with lower winds before briefly regaining some strength farther along the track. No archived position places the cyclone's center over land.
An eastward departure into open water
After passing 60 degrees east, Bansi curved southeastward and traveled into the central southern Indian Ocean. Its winds declined as it moved farther south, and the tropical stage ended early on January 18. The later archived positions continue into January 19, carrying the remaining circulation well east of the waters where it first developed.
Further reading
QUICK ANSWERS
Bansi in brief
What was Cyclone Bansi's highest wind speed?
161 mph, the highest one-minute sustained wind in its tropical stage, recorded on Jan 13, 2015, 12:00 AM UTC.
What category was Cyclone Bansi?
Category 5 at its peak on the Saffir–Simpson one-minute wind scale, first reaching Category 5 on Jan 13, 2015, 12:00 AM UTC. Other agencies classify storms differently.
What was Cyclone Bansi's lowest pressure?
918 mb, the minimum central pressure recorded during its tropical stage, on Jan 13, 2015, 12:00 AM UTC.
When did Cyclone Bansi occur?
The archived track runs from Jan 8, 2015, 12:00 PM UTC to Jan 19, 2015, 12:00 PM UTC, with the tropical stage from Jan 10, 2015, 12:00 PM UTC to Jan 18, 2015, 03:00 AM UTC.
Where did Cyclone Bansi form?
In the South Indian basin, in the 2015 season. Its first archived position is 18.9°S, 53.9°E on Jan 8, 2015, 12:00 PM UTC.
Did Cyclone Bansi make landfall?
No archived position places Cyclone Bansi's center over land, but positions are six-hourly and a brief landfall can fall between them.
METHODOLOGY
Data sources and limitations
The map and summary are generated from NOAA's IBTrACS v04r01 archive. Wind and category use US-agency records; minimum pressure is calculated during the tropical stage, with the archive's pressure source retained. Category 5 refers to the Saffir–Simpson one-minute wind scale; local agencies may use different classifications. Coastlines use Natural Earth's 1:10m land data.
Track distance adds great-circle distances between consecutive observations, excluding gaps over 12 hours. This track has no gaps over 12 hours. The line shows the storm's center, not its size, rainfall or flood extent. Converted wind speeds are rounded to the nearest whole unit.
Archive retrieved
NOAA IBTrACS archive and Field documentation
Sources & methodology