Cyclones in Zimbabwe
Cyclones occur rarely in Zimbabwe. On average, they happen about once per year. The hardest hit regions are Mashonaland East and Manicaland.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 Zimbabwe in the past 12 months was »Ana«. It reached a wind speed of up to 37 km/h on January 25, 2022 at 2:00 pm local time near Mutoko and was 23 kilometers in diameter at the time. According to the internationally accepted Saffir-Simpson classification, this corresponded to a tropical depression cyclone. On the open sea, speeds of up to 93 km/h were even measured (tropical storm).
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Current satellite image of the Indian Ocean
20.05.2022 © CIMSS University of Wisconsin-Madison
Most violent cyclones in Zimbabwe since 2018
Gombe: 8th to 14th March 2022
Wind speed:
max. 183 km/h
Diameter:
max. 111 km
Air pressure:
below 959 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 3
The cyclone did not make direct landfall. On March 13th, 2022 at 8:00 am it had the shortest distance at about 271 km northwest of Mutoko in Mashonaland East.
Ana: 23rd to 25th January 2022
Wind speed:
max. 93 km/h
on land:
max. 37 km/h
Diameter:
max. 148 km
Air pressure:
below 993 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
tropical storm
Affected regions
Mashonaland East
Mashonaland East
Chalane: 25th to 30th December 2020
Wind speed:
max. 111 km/h
Diameter:
max. 241 km
Air pressure:
below 990 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
tropical storm
The cyclone did not make direct landfall. On December 30th, 2020 at 2:00 am it had the shortest distance at about 346 km west of Chimanimani in Manicaland.
Idai: 4th to 16th March 2019
Wind speed:
max. 213 km/h
on land:
max. 87 km/h
Diameter:
max. 185 km
Eye:
max. 167 km
Air pressure:
below 940 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 4
Affected regions
Manicaland
Mashonaland East
Manicaland
Mashonaland East
Desmond: 17th to 22nd January 2019
Wind speed:
max. 83 km/h
Diameter:
max. 296 km
Air pressure:
below 989 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
tropical storm
The cyclone did not make direct landfall. On January 17th, 2019 at 5:00 pm it had the shortest distance at about 328 km southwest of Chiredzi in Masvingo.
These evaluations are based on data from the National Centers for Environmental Information of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Individual data have been summarized or translated.
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