2002 South Indian cyclone season
Cyclone Hary 2002
Cyclone Hary reached its strongest phase just off eastern Madagascar in March 2002. A brief passage over the coast preceded a southeastward turn that brought heavy rain to Réunion.
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161 mph
Mar 10, 2002 during the tropical stage
Full archive record, including non-tropical stages if present
Along the recorded center positions
STORM HISTORY
Strengthening near Madagascar
Hary developed within the monsoon trough and moved west across the Indian Ocean. Favorable upper-level conditions supported rapid strengthening on March 7. After an eyewall replacement interrupted its growth, the cyclone turned southwest toward Madagascar and intensified again.
Maximum one-minute winds reached 140 kt on March 10, equivalent to Category 5. Hary struck the coast southeast of Antalaha, then turned south and moved back offshore. The brief land passage damaged crops and destroyed four bridges. Three people died in Madagascar, including one from electrocution.
Mountain rainfall on Réunion
Hary accelerated southeast after leaving Madagascar. Its eastern circulation reached Réunion, where mountain rainfall totals climbed to 1,344 millimeters, far above amounts near the coast. Flooding killed one person, and about 20,000 people lost electricity.
The cyclone became extratropical on March 13. Its remnants persisted for several more days as a strong storm over the southern Indian Ocean, beyond the tropical part of the track.
Further reading
QUICK ANSWERS
Hary in brief
What was Cyclone Hary's highest wind speed?
161 mph, the highest one-minute sustained wind in its tropical stage, recorded on Mar 10, 2002, 12:00 AM UTC.
What category was Cyclone Hary?
Category 5 at its peak on the Saffir–Simpson one-minute wind scale, first reaching Category 5 on Mar 10, 2002, 12:00 AM UTC. Other agencies classify storms differently.
What was Cyclone Hary's lowest pressure?
898 mb, the minimum central pressure recorded during its tropical stage, on Mar 10, 2002, 12:00 AM UTC.
When did Cyclone Hary occur?
The archived track runs from Mar 3, 2002, 12:00 PM UTC to Mar 17, 2002, 12:00 PM UTC, with the tropical stage from Mar 3, 2002, 12:00 PM UTC to Mar 13, 2002, 03:00 AM UTC.
Where did Cyclone Hary form?
In the South Indian basin, in the 2002 season. Its first archived position is 10.5°S, 65.8°E on Mar 3, 2002, 12:00 PM UTC.
Did Cyclone Hary make landfall?
The archive places its center over land at 1 recorded position; the strongest is 161 mph on Mar 10, 2002, 06:00 AM UTC. Positions are six-hourly, so this is not a landfall chronology.
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