Cyclone Fantala, Indian Ocean

In a year with one of the strongest El Niños ever observed and the hottest air temperatures on record, Cyclone Fantala, drifting northeast of Madagascar, just became the most potent cyclone ever recorded in the Indian Ocean.

Downed Ships Reveal Hurricane History

Ancient Spanish shipwrecks and tree-ring data have revealed an unusual low in Hurricane activity during the “golden age of piracy,” new research suggests. The new data could also help researchers understand how hurricane patterns will change as the climate warms.

Strong Cyclone Winston Threatens Fiji

Residents of the South Pacific island nation of Fiji are bracing for landfall from an intense tropical cyclone. Forecasters warned that the storm known as Winston could arrive on the main island of Viti Levu with sustained category 4 winds. It could be the strongest storm to cross the island since local meteorological records were first kept in 1941.

Unusual North Atlantic Hurricane Alex

According to the National Hurricane Center, Alex is the first hurricane to form in the month of January since 1938. Alex is also the first North Atlantic hurricane thriving in January since Alice of 1955, which formed on Dec. 30, 1954. On the forecast track, the center of Alex will move near or over portions of the Azores Friday morning, Jan. 15.

Records Fall in 2015 Cyclone Season

The 2015 hurricane season in the Atlantic, eastern Pacific, and central Pacific basins ended on November 30, according to the meteorological calendar. It was a year that brought many storms that defied usual expectations and destroyed parts of the record books.