Earth just experienced its first Category 5-equivalent tropical cyclone of 2026. In the southwestern Indian Ocean, Intense Tropical Cyclone Horacio underwent a period of rapid intensification over the weekend. By Monday, Horacio had maximum sustained wind speeds of 160 mph, with gusts up to 195 mph, making it the strongest tropical cyclone on Earth so far this year.

The storm’s rapid ascent from a struggling tropical depression to a top-tier system is noteworthy. The system first appeared on Thursday as a disorganized low-pressure area in the southern Indian Ocean. After being named on Friday, the storm initially struggled to gain traction despite favorable conditions. Horacio’s hesitation abruptly ended over the weekend. On Sunday afternoon, the storm was a modest tropical storm packing 65 mph winds. Just 24 hours later, it had undergone a 95-mph surge in intensity — nearly triple the threshold for "rapid intensification." On Monday, satellite imagery revealed a classic symmetric eye at Horacio’s center, the hallmark of an intense system.

While Horacio would be called a “hurricane” in the Atlantic or “typhoon” near Japan, these storms are officially classified as tropical cyclones in the southwest Indian Ocean. Situated in the Southern Hemisphere, tropical cyclones rotate in a clockwise fashion, opposite to the spiral seen in the Northern Hemisphere. The region’s cyclone season officially runs from November 15 to April 30, which captures the warmest months of the Southern Hemisphere’s summer and fall.

Horacio has since begun a rapid weakening trend as it moved into cooler water and encounters a harsher environment. Fortunately, the storm remained largely over open water, sparing major landmasses from a direct hit. Horacio will lose its tropical characteristics and transition into a post-tropical system by the end of the week.

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