2016 South Indian cyclone season
Cyclone Fantala 2016
Fantala reached exceptional strength north of Madagascar and damaged the Seychelles' Farquhar islands. Repeated changes of direction prolonged its stay over the southwest Indian Ocean.
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178 mph
Apr 18, 2016 during the tropical stage
Full archive record, including non-tropical stages if present
Along the recorded center positions
STORM HISTORY
Strengthening westward toward the Seychelles
Fantala developed south of Diego Garcia on April 11 and moved westward beneath a ridge to its south. Warm water and declining wind shear supported intensification. The archive records peak sustained winds of 155 knots early on April 18, after it reached Category 5 strength the previous day.
Near its peak, Fantala passed close to the Farquhar Group in the Seychelles. Most buildings in the small island group were damaged, despite the archive containing no center position over land. The islands' small size makes the storm's close passage more informative than the land-position count alone.
Repeated reversals and rain farther west
Fantala slowed and reversed direction after its peak, fluctuated in strength, then reversed course again near Madagascar. The circulation eventually broke down into a remnant low. Its remnants continued toward Tanzania, where heavy rain washed away roads and homes and caused fatal flooding. Rain also extended into Kenya.
IMPACT
Reported impact
| Areas affected | India |
|---|
Facts from Wikidata.
Further reading
QUICK ANSWERS
Fantala in brief
What was Cyclone Fantala's highest wind speed?
178 mph, the highest one-minute sustained wind in its tropical stage, recorded on Apr 18, 2016, 12:00 AM UTC.
What category was Cyclone Fantala?
Category 5 at its peak on the Saffir–Simpson one-minute wind scale, first reaching Category 5 on Apr 17, 2016, 09:00 AM UTC. Other agencies classify storms differently.
What was Cyclone Fantala's lowest pressure?
907 mb, the minimum central pressure recorded during its tropical stage, on Apr 18, 2016, 12:00 AM UTC.
When did Cyclone Fantala occur?
The archived track runs from Apr 10, 2016, 06:00 PM UTC to Apr 26, 2016, 06:00 PM UTC, with the tropical stage from Apr 11, 2016, 06:00 AM UTC to Apr 23, 2016, 03:00 PM UTC.
Where did Cyclone Fantala form?
In the South Indian basin, in the 2016 season. Its first archived position is 11.9°S, 74.2°E on Apr 10, 2016, 06:00 PM UTC.
Did Cyclone Fantala make landfall?
No archived position places Cyclone Fantala'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