Cyclone Bonita path, 1996

What the record says

Bonita was a cyclone in the South-West Indian basin that lasted about 15 days, from 31 December 1995 to 15 January 1996. Its peak was Category 4 (135 kt) on 9 January 1996, with a 1-minute sustained wind of 135 kt (155 mph, 250 km/h). Its lowest recorded pressure was 920 hPa.

• Category 4peak intensity
• 135 ktpeak wind (155 mph)
• 920 hPalowest pressure
• 15 dayslifetime

Source of the peak wind: US Joint Typhoon Warning Center (southern hemisphere). The regional forecast centre (RSMC La Reunion (Meteo-France)) gave a peak of 100 kt on its own averaging convention (10-minute winds), so the two figures differ.

It has its own page because it reached category 4 or stronger.

This page gives the official record's figures. It does not describe the human cost of the storm, which is far larger than any wind speed or pressure here.

Where it came ashore

• 11 January 1996: Madagascar (110 kt)
• 14 January 1996: Mozambique (70 kt)

A landfall here is the first tropical position over land after time at sea, so it is within about six hours of the real event. The record shows up to 8.

Countries it came within 50 km of

Strongest effect first.

• Madagascar
• Mozambique
• French Southern and Antarctic Lands

How to read this track

The line joins the storm's six-hourly positions with straight lines, coloured by its intensity at each point, so it shows how the storm strengthened and weakened. The real path curved between the positions. A dashed grey stretch means the storm had become post-tropical. Records before the satellite era (about the 1960s) are estimates.

Source: NOAA NCEI IBTrACS, public domain. See data sources and caveats.