Cyclones in Mozambique

Cyclones only occur occasionally in Mozambique. On average, they happen about 5 times a year. Characteristically, most cyclones not only enter Mozambique's sphere of influence but also make landfall. Only very few storms turn away beforehand. The most affected regions are Nampula, Zambézia and Sofala.

The typical cyclone season depends on the summer monsoon. In the months before (May to June) and after (October to November), the most severe storms occur.

The most severe cyclone to make landfall in Mozambique in the past 12 months was »Chido«. It reached a wind speed of up to 132 mph on December 15, 2024 at 2:00 am local time near Pemba and was 31 miles in diameter at the time. According to the internationally accepted Saffir-Simpson classification, this corresponded to a category 4 cyclone. On the open sea, speeds of up to 137 mph were measured.

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