There’s Always Somewhere on Earth Under Cyclone Threat

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🌀 The Cyclone’s Calendar, Month by Month.

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Instead of just reading about disasters, you’ll step inside them:

• A short immersive story,
• 3 critical choices,
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See you next week!
Hydrau

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Do you know the expression 'The sun never sets on the British Empire'?

It was a phrase used in the 19th century to describe how vast the British Empire was at its height.

It meant that at any given time, the sun was shining on at least one part of the Empire.

Well, maybe you only hear about hurricanes every autumn, when a major U.S. city is struck and disaster hits the headlines.

But let me tell you this:

There is always somewhere on Earth under cyclone threat.

And here is the calendar.

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January – March

One of the worst times of the year...

But not for hurricanes 🙂

Nope, in the Atlantic basin, it’s actually pretty quiet. (Unless, of course, if a historic winter storm decides to sneak in!)

But on the other side of the world, it’s a different story.

Cyclone season is in full swing in the Southern Hemisphere

It’s the peak of the season in the Southwest Indian Ocean (Madagascar, Mauritius, Réunion), and also in the South Pacific (Australia, Fiji, New Caledonia).

These two basins are active from November to April, but the start of the year is the most active period due to the southern summer.

It warms the waters in the region, creating the ideal conditions for tropical storms, the precursors to every cyclone.

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April – June

We stay in the southern hemisphere, and here, cyclones are starting to shift northward.

It is now the turn of the North Indian Ocean (Bay of Bengal, Arabian Sea) to see its first cyclone of the year.

And… this is the region where the deadliest cyclones of all time have occurred:

🥉 Cyclone Nargis (2008) – 138,373 fatalities

🥈 Bangladesh Cyclone (1991) – 138,866 fatalities

🥇 Cyclone Bhola (1970) – 300,000 to 500,000 fatalities

So… if there’s a season you definitely want to avoid, it’s probably this one.

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June – November

Northern Hemisphere time!

This is the busiest time of the year for tropical cyclones

➡️ In the Atlantic (Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, U.S.), the season runs from June 1 to November 30.

With the worst part around September.

➡️ In the Northeast Pacific (Mexico’s west coast, Hawaii), storms can start as early as mid-May.

This basin produces some of the strongest hurricanes (🥇Hurricane Patricia– 345 km/h | 215 mph),

But luckily, many stay at sea.

➡️ Meanwhile, the Northwest Pacific is basically always active.

But from July to October, it's peak for typhoons especially for the Philippines, Japan, and Taiwan.

It’s the most famous and well-known season because of the regions it hits.

However, it’s not the deadliest, thanks to strong preparedness and early warnings.

But, it is the most destructive and costliest of all.

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November – December

As the Northern Hemisphere season fades, cyclones return south to complete the loop.

The North Indian Ocean sees its second peak (October - November) after the one in April-June

And the South Pacific and Southwest Indian Ocean seasons restart. (November - April).

It’s the calmest time of the global cyclone calendar.

So… is the southern spring the best time to visit these regions…?

Nature sure knows how to set things up.

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Final Words (For Quick Glancers)

At any time of the year, there’s a tropical cyclone threatening somewhere on Earth.

But if you want to know the worst time to be in the worst place, here are the top 3 to avoid:

• September in the Atlantic
• August–October in the Northwest Pacific
• January–March in the South Indian Ocean

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Thank you for taking the time!
Hydrau

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Next Week’s Historic Date 📜

37 years ago…

On September 8, 1988, Hurricane Gilbert unleashed its first gusts.