Storms near Sri Lanka
The record holds 53 tropical cyclones whose tracks passed within 50 km of Sri Lanka between 1880 and 2025. The busiest month is December, with 23 of them. The strongest, measured where each came closest to the place, reached category 2 strength. 33 of the storms have no wind speed in the record.
- 53storms within 50 km
- 0major (category 3 to 5) near here
- 2at category 1 strength or more
A storm counts once, however many times it came close. The category is the storm's strongest point within 50 km, which can be weaker than its peak elsewhere.
How strong were the storms near Sri Lanka?
| Category near here | Storms | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Tropical depression | 10 | 19% |
| Tropical storm | 8 | 15% |
| Category 1 | 1 | 2% |
| Category 2 | 1 | 2% |
| Category 3 | 0 | 0% |
| Category 4 | 0 | 0% |
| Category 5 | 0 | 0% |
| Unknown intensity | 33 | 62% |
The agency behind most of the intensity figures here is the US Joint Typhoon Warning Center (Indian Ocean).
Sri Lanka storms over time
The 2020s only run to 2025, so that bar is for a shorter period. This place's record starts in 1880, and records before the satellite era (about the 1960s) are far less complete.
Show the numbers
| Period | Count |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 4 |
| 1900s | 3 |
| 1910s | 3 |
| 1920s | 5 |
| 1930s | 4 |
| 1950s | 4 |
| 1960s | 8 |
| 1970s | 3 |
| 1980s | 5 |
| 1990s | 3 |
| 2000s | 5 |
| 2010s | 2 |
| 2020s | 4 |
Earlier decades hold fewer storms partly because they were harder to see. Before weather satellites (about the 1960s) many storms that stayed at sea went unrecorded, so compare decades with care.
Show the numbers
| Period | Count |
|---|---|
| Jan | 4 |
| Feb | 1 |
| Mar | 2 |
| Apr | 1 |
| May | 2 |
| Jun | 0 |
| Jul | 0 |
| Aug | 0 |
| Sep | 0 |
| Oct | 3 |
| Nov | 17 |
| Dec | 23 |
Strongest storms near Sri Lanka
- Unnamed storm of November 1978 (North Indian)19 November 1978 to 29 November 1978, peak Category 2 (90 kt)
- Unnamed storm of December 2000 (North Indian)23 December 2000 to 29 December 2000, peak Category 1 (65 kt), 970 hPa
- Unnamed storm of November 1992 (Western North Pacific)6 November 1992 to 17 November 1992, Tropical storm (60 kt) near here, peak Category 1 (70 kt), 994 hPa
- Nisha (2008)24 November 2008 to 28 November 2008, peak Tropical storm (50 kt), 985 hPa
- Ockhi (2017)28 November 2017 to 5 December 2017, Tropical storm (40 kt) near here, peak Category 3 (100 kt), 976 hPa
- Burevi (2020)29 November 2020 to 5 December 2020, peak Tropical storm (45 kt), 996 hPa
Most recent storms near Sri Lanka
- Ditwah (2025)26 November 2025 to 2 December 2025, peak Tropical storm (35 kt), 1,000 hPa, provisional
- Unnamed storm of January 2023 (North Indian)30 January 2023 to 2 February 2023, peak Tropical depression (28 kt), 1,004 hPa
- Unnamed storm of December 2022 (North Indian)22 December 2022 to 25 December 2022, peak Tropical depression (28 kt), 1,004 hPa
- Burevi (2020)29 November 2020 to 5 December 2020, peak Tropical storm (45 kt), 996 hPa
- Ockhi (2017)28 November 2017 to 5 December 2017, Tropical storm (40 kt) near here, peak Category 3 (100 kt), 976 hPa
Many of these storms killed people and destroyed homes. The figures are the official record's, and this page says nothing about their human cost.
Notable storms near Sri Lanka with their own pages
- Ockhi (2017)28 November 2017 to 5 December 2017, peak Category 3 (100 kt), 976 hPa