Cyclone Tauktae path, 2021

What the record says

Tauktae was a cyclone in the North Indian basin that lasted about 6 days, from 13 May 2021 to 19 May 2021. Its peak was Category 4 (120 kt) on 17 May 2021, with a 1-minute sustained wind of 120 kt (138 mph, 222 km/h). Its lowest recorded pressure was 950 hPa.

• Category 4peak intensity
• 120 ktpeak wind (138 mph)
• 950 hPalowest pressure
• 6 dayslifetime

Source of the peak wind: US Joint Typhoon Warning Center (Indian Ocean). The regional forecast centre (RSMC New Delhi (India Meteorological Department)) 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

• 17 May 2021: India (110 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.

• India

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.