Hurricane Calendar · On this day
Hurricanes on February 29 in history (1842 to 2026)
59 storms on record were active on February 29 between 1848 and 2020. On this date 8 formed, 10 reached their peak recorded wind, 5 came ashore and 6 ended. The strongest storm active on February 29 was Cyclone Hondo (2007–08), with a peak 1-minute sustained wind of 130 kt (150 mph), recorded by JTWC.
February 29 exists only in leap years, so this page counts leap years only. Dates are calendar dates in UTC. Typhoons and cyclones are the same kind of storm as hurricanes, named by region. Archive of September 29, 2026.
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Cyclone Esau (1991–92)
Peak recorded wind: February 29, 1992, 00:00 UTC. Peak: 100 kt · 10-minute (BoM). South Pacific → Australian region → South Pacific, Feb 24 to Mar 9, 1992.
In Hurricane Calendar, replay Esau along its recorded track, with the wind at each step and the agency that measured it.
Came ashore on February 29
5 storms, most recent first. Recorded landfalls come from the National Hurricane Center's best track; elsewhere a coast crossing is estimated from the track and labelled.
| Year | Storm | Ocean | Where and when | Wind at landfall | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Cyclone Steve | Australian region | Coast crossing (estimated) near 15.7°S, 136.6°E February 29, 2000, 22:00 UTC | 40 kt (46 mph), 10-minute, BoM | Estimated from the track |
| 1996 | Unnamed tropical storm · 1996 | Western Pacific | Coast crossing (estimated) near 10.3°N, 125.5°E February 29, 1996, 12:00 UTC | 35 kt (40 mph), 10-minute, JMA | Estimated from the track |
| 1988 | Cyclone Charlie | Australian region | Coast crossing (estimated) near 19.3°S, 147.4°E February 29, 1988, 06:00 UTC | 70 kt (81 mph), 10-minute, BoM | Estimated from the track |
| 1984 | Cyclone Chloe | Australian region | Coast crossing (estimated) near 20.5°S, 117.4°E February 29, 1984, 12:00 UTC | 90 kt (104 mph), 10-minute, BoM | Estimated from the track |
| 1940 | Unnamed storm · 1940 | Southwest Indian | Coast crossing (estimated) near 16.2°S, 44.5°E February 29, 1940, 15:00 UTC | Not recorded | Estimated from the track |
Formed on February 29
8 storms had their first recorded position on this date.
| Season | Storm | Ocean | First position | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1971–72 | Cyclone Angela | Australian region | 8.0°S, 97.0°E | 40 kt · 1-minute (JTWC) |
| 1971–72 | Storm Hermione | Southwest Indian | 15.2°S, 74.8°E | Not recorded |
| 1955–56 | Unnamed storm · 1956 | Australian region | 19.7°S, 116.7°E | Not recorded |
| 1999–00 | Unnamed tropical depression · 2000 | Southwest Indian → Australian region | 12.2°S, 85.8°E | 30 kt · 10-minute (Météo-France) |
| 1967–68 | Storm Florence | South Pacific | 13.8°S, 166.6°E | Not recorded |
| 1944 | Unnamed storm · 1944 | North Indian | 4.4°N, 84.9°E | Not recorded |
| 1859–60 | Unnamed storm · 1860 | Southwest Indian | 13.4°S, 84.6°E | Not recorded |
| 1847–48 | Unnamed storm · 1848 | Southwest Indian | 11.5°S, 75.0°E | Not recorded |
Reached peak wind on February 29
10 storms recorded their highest wind on this date, as the responsible agency measured it.
| Season | Storm | Ocean | Peak wind | Lowest pressure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991–92 | Cyclone Esau | South Pacific → Australian region → South Pacific | 100 kt (115 mph), 10-minute, BoM | 925 hPa (BoM) |
| 2003–04 | Cyclone Monty | Australian region | 100 kt (115 mph), 10-minute, BoM | 935 hPa (BoM) |
| 1983–84 | Cyclone Chloe | Australian region | 90 kt (104 mph), 10-minute, BoM | 955 hPa (BoM) |
| 1987–88 | Cyclone Filao | Southwest Indian | 72 kt (83 mph), 10-minute, Météo-France | 954 hPa (Météo-France) |
| 1987–88 | Cyclone Charlie | Australian region | 80 kt (92 mph), 10-minute, BoM | 972 hPa (BoM) |
| 1975–76 | Cyclone Colin | Australian region | 90 kt (104 mph), 10-minute, BoM | 954 hPa (BoM) |
| 1991–92 | Cyclone Gerda | Southwest Indian | 35 kt (40 mph), 10-minute, Météo-France | 992 hPa (Météo-France) |
| 1996 | Unnamed tropical storm · 1996 | Western Pacific | 35 kt (40 mph), 10-minute, JMA | 998 hPa (JMA) |
| 2011–12 | Unnamed cyclone · 2012 | Southwest Indian | 35 kt (40 mph), 1-minute, JTWC | 996 hPa (JTWC) |
| 2007–08 | Unnamed cyclone · 2008 | Australian region → South Pacific | 35 kt (40 mph), 1-minute, JTWC | 996 hPa (JTWC) |
Ended on February 29
6 storms had their last recorded position on this date.
| Season | Storm | Ocean | Last position | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007–08 | Cyclone Hondo | Southwest Indian | 32.5°S, 54.2°E | Feb 2 to 29, 2008 |
| 1999–00 | Cyclone Eline | Australian region → Southwest Indian | 23.8°S, 18.7°E | Feb 1 to 29, 2000 |
| 1995–96 | Cyclone Edwige | Southwest Indian | 20.4°S, 47.5°E | Feb 18 to 29, 1996 |
| 1955–56 | Unnamed storm · 1956 | Southwest Indian | 26.6°S, 44.3°E | Feb 20 to 29, 1956 |
| 1887–88 | Unnamed storm · 1888 | Southwest Indian | 29.1°S, 58.7°E | Feb 21 to 29, 1888 |
| 1951–52 | Unnamed storm · 1952 | Australian region | 19.8°S, 155.3°E | Feb 26 to 29, 1952 |
Also active on February 29
33 more storms were active on this date, the most notable first. Storms listed above are not repeated.
| Season | Storm | Ocean | Dates | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991–92 | Cyclone Ian | Australian region | Feb 23 to Mar 4, 1992 | 105 kt · 10-minute (BoM) |
| 2003–04 | Cyclone Ivy | South Pacific | Feb 21 to Mar 2, 2004 | 90 kt · 10-minute (FMS) |
| 1999–00 | Cyclone Norman | Australian region → Southwest Indian | Feb 28 to Mar 10, 2000 | 110 kt · 10-minute (BoM) |
| 1991–92 | Cyclone Harriet | Australian region → Southwest Indian → Australian region | Feb 24 to Mar 8, 1992 | 105 kt · 10-minute (BoM) |
| 1991–92 | Cyclone Farida | Southwest Indian | Feb 23 to Mar 4, 1992 | 82 kt · 10-minute (Météo-France) |
| 1979–80 | Cyclone Simon | Australian region → South Pacific | Feb 21 to Mar 3, 1980 | 90 kt · 10-minute (BoM) |
| 1995–96 | Cyclone Flossy | Southwest Indian | Feb 25 to Mar 6, 1996 | 80 kt · 10-minute (Météo-France) |
| 1987–88 | Cyclone Bola | South Pacific | Feb 23 to Mar 11, 1988 | 90 kt · 10-minute (MetService NZ) |
| 1999–00 | Cyclone Kim | South Pacific | Feb 23 to Mar 3, 2000 | 90 kt · 10-minute (FMS) |
| 2019–20 | Cyclone Ferdinand | Australian region | Feb 22 to Mar 1, 2020 | 95 kt · 10-minute (BoM) |
| 1971–72 | Cyclone Vicky | Australian region | Feb 23 to Mar 4, 1972 | 85 kt · 1-minute (JTWC) |
| 2011–12 | Cyclone Irina | Southwest Indian | Feb 25 to Mar 12, 2012 | 52 kt · 10-minute (Météo-France) |
| 1987–88 | Cyclone Cilla | South Pacific | Feb 26 to Mar 8, 1988 | 65 kt · 10-minute (MetService NZ) |
| 1979–80 | Cyclone Kolia | Southwest Indian | Feb 25 to Mar 16, 1980 | 60 kt · 1-minute (JTWC) |
| 2019–20 | Cyclone Esther | Australian region | Feb 21 to Mar 4, 2020 | 35 kt · 10-minute (BoM) |
| 1999–00 | Cyclone Gloria | Southwest Indian | Feb 27 to Mar 10, 2000 | 50 kt · 10-minute (Météo-France) |
| 2007–08 | Cyclone Ophelia | Australian region | Feb 26 to Mar 7, 2008 | 55 kt · 10-minute (BoM) |
| 1971–72 | Cyclone Gigi | Australian region → Southwest Indian | Feb 20 to Mar 1, 1972 | 40 kt · 1-minute (JTWC) |
| 2003–04 | Cyclone Evan | Australian region | Feb 27 to Mar 4, 2004 | 35 kt · 10-minute (BoM) |
| 1963–64 | Cyclone Eva | Australian region → Southwest Indian → Australian region | Feb 24 to Mar 2, 1964 | 40 kt · 1-minute (JTWC) |
| 1955–56 | Storm Agnes | South Pacific → Australian region | Feb 23 to Mar 12, 1956 | Not recorded |
| 1976 | Tropical storm Lorna | Western Pacific | Feb 25 to Mar 3, 1976 | 35 kt · 1-minute (JTWC) |
| 1963–64 | Storm Giselle | Southwest Indian | Feb 22 to Mar 4, 1964 | Not recorded |
| 1955–56 | Unnamed storm · 1956 | Australian region | Feb 15 to Mar 1, 1956 | Not recorded |
| 1967–68 | Storm Gina | Australian region → Southwest Indian | Feb 12 to Mar 2, 1968 | Not recorded |
Show 8 more storms
| Season | Storm | Ocean | Dates | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1959–60 | Unnamed storm · 1960 | Southwest Indian | Feb 20 to Mar 2, 1960 | Not recorded |
| 1959–60 | Unnamed storm · 1960 | South Pacific → Australian region → South Pacific | Feb 25 to Mar 8, 1960 | Not recorded |
| 1907–08 | Unnamed storm · 1908 | Southwest Indian | Feb 21 to Mar 5, 1908 | Not recorded |
| 1972 | Unnamed storm · 1972 | Western Pacific | Feb 28 to Mar 3, 1972 | Not recorded |
| 1968 | Unnamed storm · 1968 | Western Pacific | Feb 26 to Mar 2, 1968 | Not recorded |
| 1963–64 | Unnamed storm · 1964 | Australian region → South Pacific → Australian region → South Pacific | Feb 26 to Mar 10, 1964 | Not recorded |
| 1911–12 | Unnamed storm · 1912 | Southwest Indian | Feb 21 to Mar 1, 1912 | Not recorded |
| 1863–64 | Unnamed storm · 1864 | Southwest Indian | Feb 21 to Mar 1, 1864 | Not recorded |
Questions about February 29
What is the strongest storm on record on February 29?
Of the storms active on February 29, Cyclone Hondo (2007–08) had the highest peak wind recorded by a U.S. agency: 130 kt (150 mph), 1-minute sustained (JTWC). That is the storm's peak over its whole life, which may fall on another day. Agencies that average wind over 10 minutes report lower numbers for the same storm.
Has a storm ever made landfall on February 29?
Yes. 5 storms on record came ashore on February 29. The most recent was Cyclone Steve (2000): coast crossing (estimated) near 15.7°S, 136.6°E. Some coast crossings are estimated from the track, and each one is labelled.
How many storms were active on February 29?
59 storms on record were active on February 29, in 25 different years from 1848 to 2020. The count uses calendar dates in UTC and covers every ocean basin in NOAA's IBTrACS archive and the National Hurricane Center's HURDAT2.
Replay every February 29 storm on its track. See the whole track, the wind at each step and the agency that measured it, on your phone.
Get it on Google PlaySources. Storm tracks and events from NOAA's best-track archives, exactly as the Hurricane Calendar app shows them. Dates are calendar dates in UTC. Each wind speed keeps the agency that recorded it and its averaging period; nothing is converted between agencies. A missing value is shown as not recorded, never as zero. Storms that may still have been active when the archive was updated are left out.
- International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship (IBTrACS) v04r01, all basins (CSV), NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI). Retrieved 2026-09-26.
- HURDAT2 Atlantic hurricane database, 1851-2025 (released 2026-09-12), NOAA National Hurricane Center (NHC). Retrieved 2026-09-26.
- HURDAT2 Northeast and North Central Pacific hurricane database, 1949-2025 (released 2026-09-14), NOAA National Hurricane Center (NHC) and Central Pacific Hurricane Center (CPHC). Retrieved 2026-09-26.