Storm history › South Indian Ocean › 2019 season
Cyclone Idai (2019)
Idai was a Category 4 cyclone of the 2019 South Indian Ocean season. It was tracked from March 4, 2019 to March 16, 2019, about 13 days, and covered 1,709 miles.
At its peak it had winds of 130 mph (215 km/h) and a lowest pressure of 947 mb.
Its closest pass to a major city was 9 miles from Beira, Mozambique.
- Peak wind
- 130 mph
- Lowest pressure
- 947 mb
- Strongest
- Category 4 cyclone
- Duration
- 13 days
- Track length
- 1,709 mi
- Energy (ACE)
- 20.6
DepressionTropical stormCat 1Cat 2Cat 3Cat 4Cat 5
Closest pass to major cities
| City | Closest pass |
|---|---|
| Beira, Mozambique | 9 mi (14 km) |
| Chimoio, Mozambique | 12 mi (19 km) |
| Blantyre, Malawi | 49 mi (79 km) |
| Harare, Zimbabwe | 52 mi (83 km) |
| Nampula, Mozambique | 114 mi (184 km) |
How it compares
- Peak winds: 99th highest of 951 South Indian Ocean storms on record, tied with Cyclone Bheki (2025), Cyclone Sean (2025), Cyclone Anggrek (2024) and 35 more.
- Lowest pressure: 204th lowest of 1,029 South Indian Ocean storms with a recorded pressure, tied with Cyclone Bheki (2025), Cyclone Neville (2024), Cyclone Jane (1983).
- Energy: 9% of the 2019 South Indian Ocean season's ACE.