2015–16 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season
The 2015–16 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season was a slightly below average event in tropical cyclone formation. The annual cyclone season began on November 15, 2015, with the first storm, Annabelle, forming four days following. The final and strongest storm, Fantala, dissipated on April 23, 2016, a week before the season ended on April 30 for most of the region. In Mauritius and the Seychelles, the cyclone season ended half a month later, on May 15. The season's activity was influenced by an ongoing El Niño, and a positive Indian Ocean Dipole.
| 2015–16 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season | |
|---|---|
Season summary map | |
| Seasonal boundaries | |
| First system formed | 19 November 2015 |
| Last system dissipated | 23 April 2016 |
| Strongest storm | |
| Name | Fantala |
| • Maximum winds | 250 km/h (155 mph) (10-minute sustained) |
| • Lowest pressure | 910 hPa (mbar) |
| Seasonal statistics | |
| Total disturbances | 8 |
| Total depressions | 8 |
| Total storms | 8 |
| Tropical cyclones | 3 |
| Intense tropical cyclones | 3 |
| Very intense tropical cyclones | 1 |
| Total fatalities | 13 total |
| Total damage | $4.5 million (2016 USD) |
| Related articles | |
The South-West Indian Ocean basin consists of the portion of the Indian Ocean west of 90°E and south of the Equator. Tropical cyclone activity was monitored by Météo-France office in Réunion, the Regional Specialized Meteorological Centre for the basin. The basin is also unofficially monitored by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center, which uses one-minute sustained winds to estimate wind speeds within systems, while Météo-France uses ten-minute sustained winds and its own intensity scale.
Eight moderate tropical storms in total developed or existed within the bounds of the basin, slightly below the average of ten. Most systems during the season remained weak, with only three storms (Uriah, Emeraude, and Fantala) reaching at least tropical cyclone strength with winds of 120 km/h (75 mph), compared to the average of five. However, the season featured Cyclone Fantala, which became the strongest tropical cyclone on record in the basin in terms of 10-minute sustained winds at 250 km/h (155 mph) and in terms of 1-minute sustained winds at 285 km/h (180 mph).