Tropical cyclones in 2012

During 2012, tropical cyclones formed within seven different <a href="/facts/Tropical_cyclone_basins/8PvDnlTt">tropical cyclone basins</a>, located within various parts of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. During the year, a total of 128 tropical cyclones had formed this year to date. 85 tropical cyclones had been named by either a <a href="/facts/Regional_Specialized_Meteorological_Center/2IpkKt3P">Regional Specialized Meteorological Center</a> (RSMC) or a <a href="/facts/Tropical_Cyclone_Warning_Center/2IpkKt3P">Tropical Cyclone Warning Center</a> (TCWC). 
The most active basin in the year was the <a href="/facts/Pacific_typhoon/xGfFa6H7">Western Pacific</a>, which documented 25 named systems, while the <a href="/facts/Atlantic_hurricane/4hwRBgxQ">North Atlantic</a> saw its fifth-most-active season on record, tied with <a href="/facts/1887_Atlantic_hurricane_season/g3GHdmRb">1887</a>, <a href="/facts/1995_Atlantic_hurricane_season/xcoJJgpL">1995</a>, <a href="/facts/2010_Atlantic_hurricane_season/DHuu21Iv">2010</a>, and <a href="/facts/2011_Atlantic_hurricane_season/v47FL1Fx">2011</a>. Conversely, the <a href="/facts/Pacific_hurricane/cfIhQrby">Eastern Pacific hurricane</a> season experienced an average number of cyclones reaching <a href="/facts/Tropical_storm/FQzVXly7">tropical storm</a> intensity, numbering 17 respectively. The least-active basin of the year was the <a href="/facts/North_Indian_Ocean_cyclone/8PvDnlTt">North Indian Ocean</a>, which had a late start with its first system forming in October. Activity across the southern hemisphere's three basins—<a href="/facts/South-West_Indian_Ocean_tropical_cyclone/G2kwz9WG">South-West Indian</a>, <a href="/facts/Australian_region_tropical_cyclone/zm1cHcyW">Australian</a>, and <a href="/facts/South_Pacific_tropical_cyclone/IL91q9bo">South Pacific</a>—was spread evenly, with each region recording seven named storms apiece. So far, twenty-four <a href="/facts/Saffir-Simpson_scale/qQxvHc18">Category 3 tropical cyclones</a> formed, including three <a href="/facts/Saffir-Simpson_scale/qQxvHc18">Category 5 tropical cyclones</a> in the year. The <a href="/facts/Accumulated_cyclone_energy/YYhTagcE">accumulated cyclone energy</a> (ACE) index for the 2012 (seven basins combined), as calculated by <a href="/facts/Colorado_State_University/R4pDaq4s">Colorado State University</a> was 740.5 units.
The strongest <a href="/facts/Tropical_cyclone/FQzVXly7">tropical cyclone</a> was <a href="/facts/Typhoon_Sanba/lm6zzk8u">Typhoon Sanba</a>, which strengthened to a minimum <a href="/facts/Barometric_pressure/wJLMSaVG">barometric pressure</a> of 900 <a href="/facts/Bar_(unit)/wwFWTTkT">mbar</a> (<a href="/facts/Pascal_(unit)/Am1To2Qm">hPa</a>; 26.58 <a href="/facts/Inches_of_mercury/jRv55tBk">inHg</a>) before striking <a href="/facts/South_Korea/pCobAaVw">South Korea</a>. The costliest tropical cyclone of the year was <a href="/facts/Hurricane_Sandy/8TdgDGtR">Hurricane Sandy</a>, which caused $68.7 billion (2012 USD) in damages after striking the Caribbean and United States. The deadliest tropical cyclone of the year was <a href="/facts/Typhoon_Bopha/fCrrQQjW">Typhoon Bopha</a> which caused widespread destruction on Mindanao, leaving thousands of people homeless and killing 1,901 people.

Tropical cyclones in 2012 open-in-new

Tropical cyclones in 2012