Cyclones in Vanuatu
Cyclones occurfrequently in Vanuatu. On average, they happen about 8 times a year. The hardest hit regions are Tafea and Sanma.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 Vanuatu in the past 12 months was »Kevin«. It reached a wind speed of up to 194 km/h on March 4, 2023 at 5:00 am local time near Isangel and was 13 kilometers in diameter at the time. According to the internationally accepted Saffir-Simpson classification, this corresponded to a category 3 cyclone. On the open sea, speeds of up to 248 km/h were measured (category 4).
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Back to overview: Vanuatu
Current satellite image of the southwest Pacific Ocean
04.06.2023 © CIMSS University of Wisconsin-Madison
Most violent cyclones in Vanuatu since 2018
Kevin: March 1-6, 2023
Wind speed:
max. 248 km/h
on land:
max. 194 km/h
Diameter:
max. 963 km
Air pressure:
below 918 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 4
Affected regions
Sanma
Shefa
Tafea
Sanma
Shefa
Tafea
Judy: February 27-28, 2023
Wind speed:
max. 156 km/h
Diameter:
max. 404 km
Air pressure:
below 964 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 2
Affected regions
Torba
Sanma
Malampa
Shefa
Torba
Sanma
Malampa
Shefa
Judy: February 27 to March 4, 2023
Wind speed:
max. 165 km/h
on land:
max. 65 km/h
Diameter:
max. 1148 km
Air pressure:
below 959 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 2
Affected regions
Torba
Tafea
Torba
Tafea
Hale: January 6-8, 2023
Wind speed:
max. 83 km/h
Diameter:
max. 759 km
Air pressure:
below 992 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
tropical storm
The cyclone did not make direct landfall in Vanuatu. On January 8th, 2023 at 11:00 am it had the shortest distance at about 279 km southeast of Isangel in Tafea.
Instead, the first landfall occurred near Nouméa in New Caledonia on January 8th at 8:00 am.
Instead, the first landfall occurred near Nouméa in New Caledonia on January 8th at 8:00 am.
Dovi: February 9-12, 2022
Wind speed:
max. 165 km/h
on land:
max. 83 km/h
Diameter:
max. 241 km
Air pressure:
below 956 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 2
Affected regions
Tafea
Tafea
Dovi: February 7-12, 2022
Wind speed:
max. 167 km/h
on land:
max. 65 km/h
Air pressure:
below 942 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 2
Affected regions
Tafea
Tafea
Niran: March 1-7, 2021
Wind speed:
max. 256 km/h
Diameter:
max. 222 km
Eye:
max. 37 km
Air pressure:
below 917 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 5
The cyclone did not make direct landfall in Vanuatu. On March 6th, 2021 at 5:00 pm it had the shortest distance at about 438 km southeast of Isangel in Tafea.
Instead, the first landfall occurred near Bourail in New Caledonia on March 6th at 2:00 pm.
Instead, the first landfall occurred near Bourail in New Caledonia on March 6th at 2:00 pm.
Niran: February 27 to March 7, 2021
Wind speed:
max. 250 km/h
on land:
max. 180 km/h
Diameter:
max. 700 km
Eye:
max. 37 km
Air pressure:
below 921 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 4
Affected regions
Tafea
Tafea
Lucas: January 31 to February 4, 2021
Wind speed:
max. 119 km/h
Diameter:
max. 222 km
Air pressure:
below 980 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
tropical storm
The cyclone did not make direct landfall in Vanuatu. On February 3rd, 2021 at 2:00 am it had the shortest distance at about 159 km east of Isangel in Tafea.
Instead, the first landfall occurred near Fayaou in New Caledonia on February 2nd at 11:00 pm.
Instead, the first landfall occurred near Fayaou in New Caledonia on February 2nd at 11:00 pm.
Ana: January 28 to February 3, 2021
Wind speed:
max. 120 km/h
on land:
max. 46 km/h
Diameter:
max. 778 km
Air pressure:
below 970 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 1
Affected regions
Shefa
Shefa
Bina: January 29 to February 1, 2021
Wind speed:
max. 93 km/h
on land:
max. 56 km/h
Diameter:
max. 704 km
Air pressure:
below 988 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
tropical storm
Affected regions
Sanma
Torba
Sanma
Torba
Lucas: January 29 to February 4, 2021
Wind speed:
max. 115 km/h
on land:
max. 93 km/h
Diameter:
max. 907 km
Air pressure:
below 975 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
tropical storm
Affected regions
Shefa
Tafea
Shefa
Tafea
Yasa: December 12-19, 2020
Wind speed:
max. 256 km/h
Diameter:
max. 259 km
Air pressure:
below 914 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 5
The cyclone did not make direct landfall in Vanuatu. On December 14th, 2020 at 8:00 pm it had the shortest distance at about 378 km northwest of Port-Vila in Shefa.
Yasa: December 11-21, 2020
Wind speed:
max. 254 km/h
on land:
max. 56 km/h
Diameter:
max. 796 km
Eye:
max. 74 km
Air pressure:
below 916 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 5
Affected regions
Torba
Torba
Harold: April 1-11, 2020
Wind speed:
max. 278 km/h
on land:
max. 263 km/h
Diameter:
max. 3741 km
Eye:
max. 56 km
Air pressure:
below 903 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 5
Affected regions
Sanma
Malampa
Shefa
Sanma
Malampa
Shefa
Gretel: March 13-19, 2020
Wind speed:
max. 115 km/h
Diameter:
max. 993 km
Air pressure:
below 971 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
tropical storm
The cyclone did not make direct landfall in Vanuatu. On March 16th, 2020 at 2:00 am it had the shortest distance at about 203 km southeast of Isangel in Tafea.
Instead, the first landfall occurred near Poum in New Caledonia on March 15th at 2:00 pm.
Instead, the first landfall occurred near Poum in New Caledonia on March 15th at 2:00 pm.
Uesi: February 6-17, 2020
Wind speed:
max. 143 km/h
on land:
max. 69 km/h
Diameter:
max. 852 km
Eye:
max. 37 km
Air pressure:
below 969 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 1
Affected regions
Sanma
Sanma
Tino: January 15-20, 2020
Wind speed:
max. 157 km/h
on land:
max. 46 km/h
Diameter:
max. 963 km
Air pressure:
below 956 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 2
Affected regions
Torba
Torba
Rita: November 22-29, 2019
Wind speed:
max. 130 km/h
Diameter:
max. 630 km
Eye:
max. 56 km
Air pressure:
below 980 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 1
The cyclone did not make direct landfall in Vanuatu. On November 27th, 2019 at 2:00 pm it had the shortest distance at about 119 km northwest of Lakatoro in Malampa.
Oma: February 11-28, 2019
Wind speed:
max. 139 km/h
Diameter:
max. 3741 km
Eye:
max. 111 km
Air pressure:
below 968 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 1
Affected regions
Malampa
Sanma
Tafea
Shefa
Malampa
Sanma
Tafea
Shefa
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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