Cyclone Giovanna path, 2012

What the record says

Giovanna was a cyclone in the South-West Indian basin that lasted about 15 days, from 7 February 2012 to 22 February 2012. Its peak was Category 4 (120 kt) on 13 February 2012, with a 1-minute sustained wind of 120 kt (138 mph, 222 km/h). Its lowest recorded pressure was 935 hPa.

• Category 4peak intensity
• 120 ktpeak wind (138 mph)
• 935 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 105 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

• 14 February 2012: Madagascar (95 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

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.