Tropical cyclones in 2020: Difference between revisions

Tropical cyclones in 2020
Year summary map
Year boundaries
First system	Blake
Formed	January 4, 2020
Strongest system
Name	Goni
Lowest pressure	905 mbar (hPa); 26.72 inHg
Longest lasting system
Name	Paulette
Duration	16 days
Year statistics
Total systems	127
Named systems	96
Total fatalities	1,279 total
Total damage	> $60.482 billion (2020 USD)
Related articles 2020 Atlantic hurricane season 2020 Pacific hurricane season 2020 Pacific typhoon season 2020 North Indian Ocean cyclone season 2019–20 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season 2020–21 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season 2019–20 Australian region cyclone season 2020–21 Australian region cyclone season 2019–20 South Pacific cyclone season 2020–21 South Pacific cyclone season

Throughout 2020, 127 tropical cyclones have formed in bodies of water known as tropical cyclone basins. Of these, 96, including two subtropical cyclones in the South Atlantic Ocean and a tropical-like cyclone in the Mediterranean Sea, have been named by various weather agencies when they attained maximum sustained winds of 35 knots (65 km/h, 40 mph). The strongest storm of the year so far was Typhoon Goni peaking with a pressure of 905 hPa (26.72 inHg) and with winds of 315 km/h (195 mph). The deadliest storm of the year was Hurricane Eta which caused 216 fatalities and another 120 to be missing in Central America and the U.S, while the costliest storm of the year was Hurricane Laura, with a damage cost around $14.1 billion in the Greater Antilles, The Bahamas, and the Gulf Coast of the United States.

Tropical cyclones are primarily monitored by a group of ten warning centres, which have been designated as a Regional Specialized Meteorological Center (RSMC) or a Tropical Cyclone Warning Center (TCWC) by the World Meteorological Organization. These are the United States National Hurricane Center (NHC) and Central Pacific Hurricane Center, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), Météo-France (MFR), Indonesia's Badan Meteorologi, Klimatologi, dan Geofisika, the Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BOM), Papua New Guinea's National Weather Service, the Fiji Meteorological Service (FMS) as well as New Zealand's MetService. Other notable warning centres include the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), the United States's Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC), and the Brazilian Navy Hydrographic Center.

Six tropical cyclones swirl over two oceans on September 16. From left to right: Tropical Storm Karina, Hurricane Sally, Hurricane Paulette, Tropical Depression Rene, Tropical Storm Teddy, Tropical Storm Vicky

Global conditions

Three tropical cyclones present in the western Pacific Ocean simultaneously on October 28. From left to right: Molave, Goni, and a low-pressure area which later became Atsani (at bottom-right).

As 2020 began, sea surface temperatures were above normal in the eastern Pacific Ocean near the equator, which had the potential to develop into El Niño conditions. On January 9, a group of climate scientists writing for ENSO Blog published their forecast for atmospheric conditions. They believed that there was a 60% chance that the environment would remain in neutral conditions related to the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO); this was based on the expectation that the above normal water temperatures would return to normal. By March, there was little evidence of increased rainfall near the equator. Trade winds were enhanced in the central and tropical Pacific Ocean, and water temperatures remained above normal. On April 9, ENSO Blog reaffirmed their belief that environmental conditions would remain neutral. However, the sea surface temperatures near the equatorial pacific began to cool well below average, indicating a developing La Niña. As a result, the ENSO Blog issued La Niña watch, stating a 50-55% chance of a strong La Niña. In September, NOAA confirmed that the environment shifted to a La Niña pattern, based on lower than normal water temperatures in the eastern Pacific Ocean near the equator. The ENSO Blog estimated a 75% chance that La Niña conditions would persist through the end of the year, in part due to a strengthening Walker circulation.

Meanwhile, in the Atlantic, sea surface temperatures were near normal in the early parts of the year. However, they began to warm up significantly that Spring, with the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico and the Main Development Region all having well above-average sea surface temperatures. This was mainly due to the developing La Niña.

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the response to tropical cyclones during the year. In the South Pacific island nation of Vanuatu, COVID-19, travel and social distancing restrictions associated with the pandemic were lifted for those seeking safe houses and evacuation shelters during Cyclone Harold. When Typhoon Vongfong struck the Philippines in May, evacuation shelters were filled to half-capacity to comply with social distancing guidelines, requiring more evacuation centers to house refugees. As a result of the use of schools as quarantine facilities for COVID-19, some schools could not be used as evacuation shelters. When Cyclone Amphan was approaching India in May, shelter capacity in West Bengal was reduced from 500,000 people to 200,000 people due to social distancing restrictions. Movement restrictions in El Salvador were temporarily lifted to allow people to purchase supplies ahead of Tropical Storm Amanda.

Summary

Systems

January

Cyclone Claudia

The month of January was moderately active in terms of named storms and systems formed, but minimally active in terms of intensity in the Southern Hemisphere, however, no tropical cyclones developed within the Northern Hemisphere. A total of ten storms developed, with six of these systems were named and had gale-force winds, while two of these named storms developed hurricane-force winds and were classified as severe tropical cyclones. As the month began, both Calvinia and Sarai were weakening and gradually dissipated over the next few days. Blake subsequently became the first named storm of the year and made two landfalls in the Kimberley Region, bringing heavy rainfall throughout the region. Adding on, Tino brought considerable damage throughout the South Pacific in the middle portion of the month, and a rare South Atlantic tropical cyclone formed, named Kurumí, becoming the first of its kind to be named in January later on in the month.

Tropical cyclones formed in January 2020

Storm name	Dates active	Max wind km/h (mph)	Pressure (hPa)	Areas affected	Damage (USD)	Deaths	Refs
Blake	January 4 – 11	75 (45)	986	Western Australia	Minor	None
Claudia	January 4 – 17	150 (90)	969	Eastern Indonesia, Top End, Kimberley	None	None
Tino	January 11 – 20	120 (75)	970	Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji, Wallis and Futuna, Samoan Islands, Tuvalu, Tonga	$5.83 million	2
05	January 19 – 23	55 (35)	999	None	None	None
Diane	January 22 – 26	75 (45)	990	Madagascar, Mauritius, Réunion	Unknown	31
Kurumí	January 23 – 25	65 (40)	998	São Paulo Minas Gerais Espírito Santo Rio de Janeiro	Unknown	70
Esami	January 23 – 26	85 (50)	990	Rodrigues	None	None
TL	January 23 – 30	Unspecified	998	Northern Territory, Queensland	None	None
05F	January 24 – 26	Unspecified	1003	Samoan Islands	None	None
TL	January 31 – February 4	Unspecified	1007	Christmas Island, Cocos Islands	None	None

February

Cyclone Gabekile

The month of February was fairly active, seeing thirteen tropical cyclones develop, with eight being named. Damien became the first and strongest storm of the month, impacting the Pilbara Region of Western Australia as a Category 2 tropical cyclone on the Saffir-Simpson scale. Uesi also impacted the east coast of Australia and New Caledonia, killing one person. Later in the month, activity increased in the South Pacific with Vicky and Wasi forming, bringing heavy rain to the Samoan Islands. Consequently, activity also increased in the Australian basin with Esther and Ferdinand forming, with Ferdinand staying north of the Australian coastline its entire lifetime.

Tropical cyclones formed in February 2020

Storm name	Dates active	Max wind km/h (mph)	Pressure (hPa)	Areas affected	Damage (USD)	Deaths	Refs
Damien	February 2 – 11	165 (105)	955	Northern Australia, Kimberley	$4.3 million	None
Uesi	February 3 – 15	120 (75)	970	Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, Lord Howe Island, New Zealand, New South Wales, South East Queensland	Minor	1
Francisco	February 3 – 15	80 (50)	994	Madagascar	Minor	1
TL	February 6 – 8	Unspecified	1007	Cocos Islands	None	None
TL	February 13	Unspecified	1009	None	None	None
Gabekile	February 13 – 17	165 (105)	950	None	None	None
07F	February 14 – 21	Unspecified	998	Tuvalu, American Samoa, Tokelau	None	None
TL	February 15 – 17	Unspecified	1002	Solomon Islands	None	None
08F	February 17 – 18	65 (40)	994	American Samoa, Niue	None	None
Vicky	February 19–22	85 (50)	988	Samoan Islands, Niue	None	None
Wasi	February 21 – 23	85 (50)	990	Wallis and Futuna, Samoan Islands	None	None
Esther	February 21 - March 5	75 (45)	988	Far North Queensland, Northern Territory, Kimberley	None	None
Ferdinand	February 22 – March 4	155 (100)	960	Lesser Sunda Islands	None	None

March

Cyclone Herold

With only four tropical cyclones forming in March, the month is currently the least active of 2020. Despite that, Gretel and Herold formed, with the latter becoming the first major tropical cyclone of 2020.

Tropical cyclones formed in March 2020

Storm name	Dates active	Max wind km/h (mph)	Pressure (hPa)	Areas affected	Damage (USD)	Deaths	Refs
09U	March 9 – 14	75 (45)	999	Java, Bali, West Nusa Tenggara Western Australia	None	None
Gretel	March 10 – 17	100 (65)	980	Top End, New Guinea, Queensland, New Caledonia, Norfolk Island, New Zealand	None	None
Herold	March 12 – 20	175 (110)	955	Madagascar, Tromelin Island	Unknown	5
11U	March 29 – April 2	Unspecified	1005	New Guinea, Cape York Peninsula	None	None

April

Cyclone Harold

The month of April was fairly inactive with only five storms developing and three being named, however the month featured Harold responsible for devastating damage in Vanuatu and the first category 5-equivalent storm of 2020, as well as the first to be featured in the South Pacific since Gita in 2018. It also featured Tropical Depression One-E in the Eastern Pacific, becoming its earliest forming tropical cyclone in the basin proper, and the first storm in the Northern Hemisphere in 2020.

Tropical cyclones formed in April 2020

Storm name	Dates active	Max wind km/h (mph)	Pressure (hPa)	Areas affected	Damage (USD)	Deaths	Refs
Irondro	April 1 – 7	175 (110)	950	None	None	None
Harold	April 1 – 11	230 (145)	920	Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji, Tonga	>$123.5 million	≥30
TL	April 3	Unspecified	1008	None	None	None
Jeruto	April 10 – 16	65 (40)	999	None	None	None
One-E	April 25 – 26	55 (35)	1006	None	None	None

May

Cyclone Amphan

The month of May was marginally active with eight tropical cyclones developing and six of those being named. Vongfong (Ambo) became the first storm of the Pacific typhoon season, marking the latest start to the basin since 2016 and dealing significant damage in the Philippines. Arthur also developed in the month, giving the North Atlantic season six consecutive seasons with pre-season activity. Amphan became the strongest of the month, and also became one of the strongest cyclones in the North Indian Ocean on record as well as the costliest storm in the basin on record. Later in the month, Mangga formed as an off-season tropical storm in the Australian region. Furthermore, Bertha formed in the Atlantic and marked the first time since 2016 that two pre-season storms have formed in the Atlantic, as well as the first time since 2012 that two tropical depressions or storms formed in the month of May.

Tropical cyclones formed in May 2020

Storm name	Dates active	Max wind km/h (mph)	Pressure (hPa)	Areas affected	Damage (USD)	Deaths	Refs
TD	May 3–10	55 (35)	1004	Mentawai Islands, Sumatra	None	None
Vongfong (Ambo)	May 10–18	155 (100)	960	Palau, Philippines, Taiwan, Ryukyu Islands	$50 million	5
Amphan	May 16–21	240 (150)	920	Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, India, Bhutan	>$13.6 billion	128
Arthur	May 16–19	95 (60)	990	Cuba, Florida, The Bahamas, North Carolina, Bermuda	$112.000	None
Mangga	May 19 – 23	65 (40)	995	Cocos Islands, Mentawai Islands, Sumatra, Western Australia	None	None
Bertha	May 27–28	85 (50)	1004	Florida, Bahamas, East Coast of the United States	$130,000	1
ARB 01	May 29–31	45 (30)	1000	Oman, Yemen	Unknown	3
Amanda	May 30–31	65 (40)	1003	Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Belize, Costa Rica	>$200 million	40

June

Cyclone Nisarga

June was slightly inactive with just six tropical cyclones forming and five of them being named. In the North Indian Ocean, Nisarga formed near southwest India and historically affected the cities of Alibag and Mumbai. Cristobal formed from the remnants of Amanda in May and affected Mexico and the United States, becoming the earliest third named storm in the North Atlantic Ocean on record. Nuri formed on the eastern coast of the Philippines, becoming the second storm of the typhoon season in the West Pacific but quickly weakened before landfall. Near the end of the month, Dolly formed in the North Atlantic Ocean and became the third-earliest fourth named storm in the basin on record but dissipated before reaching inland.

Tropical cyclones formed in June 2020

Storm name	Dates active	Max wind km/h (mph)	Pressure (hPa)	Areas affected	Damage (USD)	Deaths	Refs
Nisarga	June 1–4	110 (70)	984	West India	$665 million	6
Cristobal	June 1–10	95 (60)	992	Guatemala, El Salvador, Belize, Mexico, Gulf Coast of the United States, Midwestern United States, Eastern Canada	$665 million	15
Nuri (Butchoy)	June 10–15	75 (45)	996	Philippines, China	Minimal	1
Dolly	June 22–24	75 (45)	1002	East Coast of the United States, Atlantic Canada	None	None
Boris	June 24 – 28	65 (40)	1005	None	None	None
Four-E	June 30	55 (35)	1004	None	None	None

July

Hurricane Douglas

The month of July was active, with 14 tropical cyclones forming and 9 being named. Edouard which developed on July 4, officially became the earliest-forming fifth named storm in the basin on July 6, surpassing the July 11 record set by 2005's Emily. It was later joined by Fay on July 9, which became the earliest-forming sixth named storm in the basin and making an unusual landfall in New Jersey, surpassing the previous July 21 record set by Franklin (2005). In the West Pacific, the third tropical depression of the formed on July 11 and at the end of the month featured Typhoon Hagupit, the second typhoon of the season, and Tropical Storm Sinlaku. Category 4 Hurricane Douglas then became one of the latest first hurricanes in the Eastern Pacific and would become the first major hurricane of the East Pacific hurricane season, which would also be the strongest storm of the month. Douglas made an unusually close pass to the Hawaiian Islands, as a Category 1 hurricane but caused little to no damage. Near the end of the month, Gonzalo, Hanna and Isaias marked the earliest seventh, eighth, and ninth-named storms on record in the Atlantic, beating the record set by Gert, Harvey and Irene all in 2005 respectively. Hurricane Hanna and Isaias together would become the first and second hurricanes of the Atlantic hurricane season, with Isaias in particular spawning a damaging tornado outbreak in the Eastern United States.

Tropical cyclones formed in July 2020

Storm name	Dates active	Max wind km/h (mph)	Pressure (hPa)	Areas affected	Damage (USD)	Deaths	Refs
Edouard	July 4 – 6	75 (45)	1007	Bermuda, Ireland, United Kingdom, The Netherlands, Denmark, Poland, Russia	Minimal	None
Cristina	July 6 – 13	110 (70)	993	Socorro Island	None	None
Fay	July 9 – 11	95 (60)	998	Mid-Atlantic United States, New England	$350 million	6
Carina	July 11 – 15	55 (35)	1004	Philippines, Taiwan	Minimal	None
Six-E	July 13 – 14	55 (35)	1007	None	None	None
Seven-E	July 20 – 21	55 (35)	1007	None	None	None
Douglas	July 20 – 29	215 (130)	954	Hawaii	Minimal	None
Gonzalo	July 21 – 25	100 (65)	997	Windward Islands, Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela, Leeward Islands	Minimal	None
Hanna	July 23 – 27	150 (90)	973	Hispaniola, Cuba, Gulf Coast of the United States, Mexico	$875 million	5
TD	July 27 – 30	Not specified	1010	None	None	None
Isaias	July 30 – August 5	140 (85)	987	Windward Islands, Puerto Rico, Hispaniola, Lucayan Archipelago, East Coast of the United States, Eastern Canada	$4.7 billion	18
Sinlaku	July 31 – August 3	65 (40)	992	South China, Vietnam	$12.9 million	6
Hagupit (Dindo)	July 31 – August 5	130 (80)	975	Ryukyu Islands, Taiwan, East China	$411 million	17
Ten	July 31 – August 2	55 (35)	1007	West Africa, Cabo Verde Islands	None	None

August

Hurricane Laura

Typhoon Haishen

August was the second most active month of the year, seeing 18 tropical cyclones forming and 15 named storms. Storms Josephine, Kyle, Laura, and Marco became the earliest 10th, 11th, 12th, and 13th named storms on record in the Atlantic and forming on August 13, 14, 21, and 22, respectively. Hurricane Laura made its track through the Caribbean and eventually strengthened into a high-end Category 4 hurricane, making the strongest hurricane landfall ever recorded in the U.S state of Louisiana and causing over 14 billion USD in damage. In the eastern Pacific, a tropical cyclone outbreak resulted in the formation of Elida, Fausto, Genevieve, Hernan, and Iselle. Although not directly making landfall, Hurricane Genevieve passed very close to Baja California Sur and caused minor damage. Activity in the Western Pacific increased significantly with the formation of Jangmi, Mekkhala, a tropical depression that didn't affect land, and Higos in the South China Sea. Following after Higos, a series of typhoons named Bavi, Maysak, and Haishen formed, all impacting South Korea and Haishen becoming the strongest of the month as a near-Category 5 equivalent typhoon.

Tropical cyclones formed in August 2020

Storm name	Dates active	Max wind km/h (mph)	Pressure (hPa)	Areas affected	Damage (USD)	Deaths	Refs
Jangmi (Enteng)	August 7 – 10	85 (50)	996	Philippines, Ryukyu Islands, Korean Peninsula	$1 million	None
Elida	August 9 – 13	155 (100)	975	Mexico, Socorro Island	None	None
Mekkhala (Ferdie)	August 9 – 11	95 (60)	992	Philippines, Taiwan, East China	$159 million	None
Gener	August 9 – 13	55 (35)	1012	None	None	None
Josephine	August 11 – 16	75 (45)	1004	Leeward Islands, Puerto Rico	None	None
Ten-E	August 13 – 16	55 (35)	1004	None	None	None
Kyle	August 14 – 16	85 (50)	1000	East Coast of the United States, United Kingdom, Ireland	None	None
Fausto	August 16 – 17	65 (40)	1004	California	Minimal	1
Genevieve	August 16 – 21	215 (130)	950	Southwestern Mexico, Socorro Island, Baja California Peninsula	$50 million	6
Higos (Helen)	August 16 – 20	100 (65)	992	Philippines, South China, Hong Kong	$142 million	7
Laura	August 20 – 29	240 (150)	937	Lesser Antilles, Greater Antilles, The Bahamas, Gulf Coast of the United States, Midwestern United States, Eastern United States	$14.1 billion	77
Marco	August 20 – 25	120 (75)	991	Windward Islands, South America, Jamaica, British Cayman Islands, Belize	$10 million	1
Bavi (Igme)	August 21 – 27	155 (100)	950	Philippines, Ryukyu Islands, Taiwan, North Korea	$11.7 million	1
Hernan	August 26 – 28	75 (45)	1001	Mexico, Baja California Peninsula	Unknown	None
Iselle	August 26 – 30	95 (60)	997	Clarion Island	None	None
Maysak (Julian)	August 27 – September 3	175 (110)	935	Philippines, Ryukyu Islands, Korean Peninsula	$100 million	32
Haishen (Kristine)	August 31 – September 9	185 (115)	920	Mariana Islands, China, Japan, Korea	$100 million	4
Omar	August 31 – September 5	65 (40)	1003	Southeastern United States	None	None

September

Hurricane Teddy

September was the most active month of the year, with 19 tropical cyclones developing and of which 17 were named. Also not officially included is Medicane Ianos, which developed in the Mediterranean Sea and is included for record-keeping purposes only. The North Atlantic mainly contributed to most development in the month and continued its record breaking season with the development of Hurricanes Nana, Paulette, Sally, and Teddy, and (Sub)Tropical Storms Omar, Rene, Vicky, Wilfred, Alpha, and Beta. Hurricane Sally brought devastating impacts to parts of the Southeastern United States while Hurricane Paulette made landfall in Bermuda as a Category 1 hurricane. Subtropical Storm Alpha, the first Greek-named storm of the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season, made an extremely rare landfall in Portugal, as well as breaking several other records such as the easternmost forming tropical cyclone on record in the basin. Furthermore, three tropical storms Julio, Karina, Lowell, and one hurricane, Marie formed in the Eastern Pacific. Additionally, the Western Pacific typhoon season produced 5 storms, three of which became tropical storms: Noul, Dolphin, and Kujira.

Tropical cyclones formed in September 2020

Storm name	Dates active	Max wind km/h (mph)	Pressure (hPa)	Areas affected	Damage (USD)	Deaths	Refs
Nana	September 1 – 4	120 (75)	994	Jamaica, Honduras, Belize, Guatemala	$20 million	None
Julio	September 5 – 7	75 (45)	1003	None	None	None
Paulette	September 7 – 23	165 (105)	965	Bermuda, Azores, Madeira	$50 million	1
Rene	September 7 – 14	85 (50)	1000	Senegal, Cabo Verde Islands	Minimal	None
12W	September 10 – 12	55 (35)	1006	Bonin Islands	None	None
Sally	September 11 – 17	165 (105)	965	The Bahamas, Cuba, U.S. Gulf Coast, Southeastern United States, Norway	≥$5 billion	8
Teddy	September 12 – 23	220 (140)	945	Lesser Antilles, Bermuda, East Coast of the United States, Atlantic Canada	$35 million	3
Karina	September 13 – 17	95 (60)	996	None	None	None
Vicky	September 14 – 17	85 (50)	1000	Cape Verde	Minimal	1
Ianos	September 14 - 20	120 (75)	995	Malta, Italy, Greece, Libya	$100 million	5
Noul (Leon)	September 14 – 19	80 (50)	994	Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia	$175 million	18
Beta	September 17 – 23	95 (60)	994	Mexico, Texas	$400 million	1
Wilfred	September 18 – 21	65 (40)	1007	None	None	None
Alpha	September 18 – 19	85 (50)	996	Iberian Peninsula	$2 million	1
Dolphin (Marce)	September 20 – 24	110 (70)	975	None	None	None
Lowell	September 20 – 25	85 (50)	1001	None	None	None
Kujira	September 26 – 30	110 (70)	980	None	None	None
TD	September 27 – 29	55 (35)	1000	None	None	None
Marie	September 29 – October 7	215 (130)	947	None	None	None

October

Typhoon Goni

During October, eighteen tropical cyclones formed and the month became tied for the second-most active month of the year, with thirteen of the cyclones being named. The month started off with the Atlantic's third Greek-named storm, Gamma, and continued with consistent record-breaking Atlantic activity including 4 additional hurricanes; Delta, Epsilon, Zeta and Eta. Delta and Zeta impacted the Yucátan Peninsula before making landfall in Louisiana. Eta rapidly intensified to a high-end Category 4 Hurricane, becoming the second strongest of the season and the third strongest hurricane in November ever recorded. Once it made landfall in Central America, it caused more than 180 fatalities. The Eastern Pacific was very quiet, only featuring Norbert while the Western Pacific was active featuring numerous tropical systems which also led to severe floods in Vietnam, including Saudel, Molave, and Goni. In particular, Goni became tied with Meranti and Haiyan as the most intense typhoon recorded in the Eastern Hemisphere on record, and the most intense cyclone recorded to make landfall in history, with sustained one-minute winds of 315 km/h (195 mph) causing historical levels of damage in the Philippines. In the North Indian Ocean, BOB 02, ARB 03 and BOB 03 formed which caused the delay of the withdrawal of southwest monsoon season and flash flooding in Telengana and Maharashtra. Also during the month was a rare subtropical storm in the South Atlantic named Mani was formed.

Tropical cyclones formed in October 2020

Storm name	Dates active	Max wind km/h (mph)	Pressure (hPa)	Areas affected	Damage (USD)	Deaths	Refs
Gamma	October 2 – 6	110 (70)	980	Central America, Cayman Islands, Yucatan Peninsula	$100 million	7
Chan-hom	October 4 – 16	120 (75)	970	Japan	None	None
Delta	October 5 – 11	230 (145)	953	Jamaica, Nicaragua, Cayman Islands, Yucatán Peninsula, Gulf Coast of the United States, Southeastern United States, Northeastern United States	$4.19 billion	6
Norbert	October 5 – 15	85 (50)	1001	None	None	None
Linfa	October 9 – 12	75 (45)	996	Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos Thailand, Myanmar	$767 million	197
BOB 02	October 11 – 14	55 (35)	999	Andhra Pradesh, Puducherry, Telengana, Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Goa	$681 million	98
Nangka (Nika)	October 11 – 14	85 (50)	990	Philippines, South China, Vietnam, Laos,	$2.82 million	4
Ofel	October 13 – 16	55 (35)	1002	Philippines, Vietnam	$27.9 million	10
ARB 03	October 17 – 19	45 (30)	1000	Maharashtra	Minimal	None
Saudel (Pepito)	October 19 – 26	130 (80)	965	Philippines, South China	$2.19 million	None
Epsilon	October 19 – 26	185 (115)	951	Bermuda	Minimal	None
20W	October 19 – 23	55 (35)	1008	Japan	None	None
BOB 03	October 22 – 24	45 (30)	1000	West Bengal, Bangladesh, Northeast India	Minimal	None
Molave (Quinta)	October 23 – 28	155 (100)	950	Philippines, Spratly Islands, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Myanmar	$660 million	71
Zeta	October 24 – 29	175 (110)	970	Cayman Islands, Jamaica, Central America, Yucatán Peninsula, Gulf Coast of the United States, Southeastern United States, Mid-Atlantic, New England, Ireland, United Kingdom	$3.2 billion	8
Mani	October 25 – 28	65 (40)	1004	Brazil	None	None
Goni (Rolly)	October 26 – November 6	220 (140)	905	Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia Laos	$368 million	26
Atsani (Siony)	October 29 – November 7	95 (60)	994	Mariana Islands Philippines Taiwan, South China	$101 thousand	None
Eta	October 31 – November 13	240 (150)	923	ABC Islands, Jamaica, San Andrés and Providencia, Central America, Mexico, Cayman Islands, Cuba, The Bahamas, Southeastern United States	$6.68 billion	216

November

Hurricane Iota

November was moderately active with thirteen tropical cyclones forming, of which ten were named. In the Western Pacific, Tropical Storm Etau and Typhoon Vamco developed, Vamco later becoming a Category 4 typhoon and both further contributing to the devastating flooding in Vietnam and in the Philippines. In the Eastern Pacific two tropical storms, Odalys and Polo, formed but intensified little. In the North Atlantic the incredibly active season continued with Theta and Iota having developed and breaking the record for the most named storms in an Atlantic hurricane season, surpassing that of 2005. Iota eventually became the strongest storm of the month and only the second Category 5 hurricane ever recorded in the North Atlantic in November, continuing a spree of damage in Central America following Hurricane Eta. In the Southern Hemisphere, Tropical Cyclone Alicia and Tropical Depression 02 formed marking the beginning of the 2020–21 South–West Indian Ocean cyclone season. In the North Indian Ocean the season resumed activity with Gati forming off the coast of Somalia in the Arabian Sea and explosively intensifying into a Category 3 tropical cyclone, becoming the strongest tropical cyclone to ever impact the country. Shortly after Gati, Nivar formed off the coast of Tamil Nadu and also began to quickly intensifiy to a Category 1 equivalent tropical cyclone before striking Karaikal. The month concluded with the formation of Cyclone Burevi. In the Australian region, two lows formed which started the 2020–21 Australian region cyclone season.

Tropical cyclones formed in November 2020

Storm name	Dates active	Max wind km/h (mph)	Pressure (hPa)	Areas affected	Damage (USD)	Deaths	Refs
Odalys	November 3 – 6	85 (50)	1000	None	None	None
Etau (Tonyo)	November 7 – 11	85 (50)	992	Philippines, Vietnam Cambodia	$34.8 million	3
Vamco (Ulysses)	November 8 – 15	155 (100)	950	Philippines, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand	$419.4 million	74
Theta	November 10 – 15	110 (70)	989	Canary Islands, Madeira	None	None
Alicia	November 12 – 17	130 (80)	975	None	None	None
Iota	November 13 – 18	260 (160)	917	ABC Islands, Venezuela, Colombia, San Andrés and Providencia, Central America, Mexico	$564 million	61
02	November 15 – 17	55 (35)	999	None	None	None
Polo	November 17 – 19	75 (45)	1004	None	None	None
Gati	November 21 – 24	140 (85)	978	Somalia, Yemen, Djibouti	Unknown	9
Nivar	November 23 – 27	120 (75)	980	Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Sri Lanka	$54.2 million	14
01U	November 24 - Present	45 (30)	1005	Cocos Islands	None	None
STL	November 27	Not specified	1006	Papua New Guinea, Coral Sea Islands	None	None
Burevi	November 30 – Present	65 (40)	999	Sri Lanka, Tamil Nadu	None	None

December

Tropical cyclones formed in December 2020

Storm name	Dates active	Max wind km/h (mph)	Pressure (hPa)	Areas affected	Damage (USD)	Deaths	Refs

Global effects

Season name	Areas affected	Systems formed	Named storms	Damage (USD)	Deaths
2020 Atlantic hurricane season	The Bahamas, East Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast of the United States, Midwestern United States, Eastern Canada, Bermuda, Antillean Islands, Hispaniola, Cuba, Mexico, Central America, Venezuela, Cabo Verde Islands, Portugal	31	30	>$41.03 billion	436
2020 Pacific hurricane season	Central America, Baja California Peninsula, Southwestern Mexico, Yucatan Peninsula, Socorro Island, Hawaii, California, Arizona	21	16	>$250 million	46
2020 Pacific typhoon season 3	Palau, Philippines, Taiwan, Japan, China, Vietnam, Thailand, Laos, North Korea, South Korea, Siberia	29	22	$3.23 billion	474
2020 North Indian Ocean cyclone season	Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Northeast India, Puducherry, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, West Bengal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Djibouti, Oman, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Yemen	9	5	>$15.642 billion	248
2019–20 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season 2	Madagascar, Mauritius, Rodrigues, Tromelin Island, Réunion	8	7	$25 million	37
2020–21 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season	None	3	1	None	None
2019–20 Australian region cyclone season 2	Western Australia, Eastern Indonesia, Top End, Kimberley	16	8	>$4.3 million	28
2020–21 Australian region cyclone season	Cocos Island, Coral Sea Islands, Papua New Guinea	2	0	None	None
2019–20 South Pacific cyclone season 2	Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Tuvalu, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Niue, Tokelau, American Samoa	7	4	$131.63 million	7
2020 South Atlantic tropical cyclone season	São Paulo	2	2	None	3
2020 Mediterranean tropical-like cyclone season	Libya, Italy, Malta, Greece	1	1	$200 million	5
Worldwide	(See above)	127	96	> $60.482 billion	1279

See also

• Tropical cyclones by year
• List of earthquakes in 2020
• Tornadoes of 2020
• 2020 wildfire season

Notes

² Only systems that formed either on or after January 1, 2020 are counted in the seasonal totals.
³ Only systems that formed either before or on December 31, 2020 are counted in the seasonal totals.
⁴ The wind speeds for this tropical cyclone/basin are based on the IMD Scale which uses 3-minute sustained winds.
⁵ The wind speeds for this tropical cyclone/basin are based on the Saffir Simpson Scale which uses 1-minute sustained winds.
⁶The wind speeds for this tropical cyclone are based on Météo-France which uses wind gusts.

External links

Regional Specialized Meteorological Centers

• US National Hurricane Center – North Atlantic, Eastern Pacific
• Central Pacific Hurricane Center – Central Pacific
• Japan Meteorological Agency – West Pacific
• India Meteorological Department – Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea
• Météo-France – La Reunion – South Indian Ocean from 30°E to 90°E
• Fiji Meteorological Service – South Pacific, west of 160°E, north of 25° S

Tropical Cyclone Warning Centers

• Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysical Agency of Indonesia – South Indian Ocean from 90°E to 141°E, generally north of 10°S
• Australian Bureau of Meteorology (TCWC's Perth, Darwin & Brisbane) – South Indian Ocean & South Pacific Ocean from 90°E to 160°E, generally south of 10°S
• Papua New Guinea National Weather Service – South Pacific Ocean from 141°E to 160°E, generally north of 10°S
• Meteorological Service of New Zealand Limited – South Pacific west of 160°E, south of 25°S
• US Joint Typhoon Warning Centre – Monitors the East Pacific, Central Pacific, West Pacific, South Pacific, North Indian Ocean and South Indian Ocean

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the National Weather Service.