page_title: Cyclone Hondo
hierarchical_section_title: Cyclone Hondo
caption_attribution_description: English: Cyclone Hondo was a powerful Category 4 storm when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite captured this photo-like image on the afternoon of February 7, 2008. The storm’s power is evident in its symmetric shape and well-defined eye. When MODIS took the image at 7:55 UTC, Hondo had winds of 220 kilometers per hour (140 miles per hour or 120 knots) with gusts to 270 km/hr (170 mph or 145 knots), said the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. The storm was traveling southeast across the southern Indian Ocean, far from any populated region. Deutsch: Zyklon Hondo war ein kraftvoller Kategorie-4-Wirbelsturm, als das Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) auf dem Aqua-Satelliten der NASA am Nachmittag des 7. Februar 2008 dieses photoähnliche Bild aufnahm. Die Kraft des Sturmes ist eindeutig erkennbar in dessen symmetrischer Struktur und dem gut definierten Auge. Als MODIS um 7:55 UTC dieses Bild aufnahm, erreichte Hondo Windgeschwindigkeiten von 220 km/h und erreichte in Böen 270 km/h, sagte das Joint Typhoon Warning Center. Der Sturm zog in ¨sudöstlicher Richtung über den südwestlichen Indischen Ozean, fernab von bewohnten Gegenden.
context_page_description: Intense Tropical Cyclone Hondo was the strongest and longest lived tropical cyclone to develop during the 2007–08 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season. The third tropical cyclone and first intense tropical cyclone of the season, Hondo developed out of a tropical disturbance in early February about 1,020 km east-southeast of Diego Garcia. The disturbance quickly strengthened, becoming a moderate tropical storm on February 4 and a severe tropical storm the following day. After a brief period of slower intensification, Hondo rapidly intensified into an intense tropical cyclone and reached its peak intensity with winds of 215 km/h on February 7. The cyclone gradually weakened over the next several days due to an increase in forward speed and a decrease in sea surface temperatures. On February 12, Hondo rapidly degenerated into a remnant-low pressure area. Over the following week, the remnant low traveled in a general west-northwest direction with no development. On February 20, about 2,780 km northeast of where the final advisories were issued, the storm began to regenerate.
context_section_description: Intense Tropical Cyclone Hondo (JTWC designation: 16S) was the strongest and longest lived tropical cyclone to develop during the 2007–08 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season. The third tropical cyclone and first intense tropical cyclone of the season, Hondo developed out of a tropical disturbance in early February about 1,020 km (635 mi) east-southeast of Diego Garcia. The disturbance quickly strengthened, becoming a moderate tropical storm on February 4 and a severe tropical storm the following day. After a brief period of slower intensification, Hondo rapidly intensified into an intense tropical cyclone and reached its peak intensity with winds of 215 km/h (130 mph 10-minute winds) on February 7. The cyclone gradually weakened over the next several days due to an increase in forward speed and a decrease in sea surface temperatures. On February 12, Hondo rapidly degenerated into a remnant-low pressure area. Over the following week, the remnant low traveled in a general west-northwest direction with no development. On February 20, about 2,780 km (1,725 mi) northeast of where the final advisories were issued, the storm began to regenerate. The next day, advisories were issued on Tropical Disturbance Ex-Hondo, which briefly strengthened into a tropical depression. However, according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center, Hondo continued to strengthen and attained winds of 95 km/h (60 mph 1-minute winds) before passing directly over Réunion. Interaction with the island caused the storm to weaken and degenerate into a remnant low once more. The storm dissipated on February 29 after executing a counterclockwise loop.
caption: Cyclone Hondo on February 7 near peak intensity
exif: {"Image ImageWidth": "14301", "Image ImageLength": "17265", "Image BitsPerSample": "[8, 8, 8]", "Image Compression": "Uncompressed", "Image PhotometricInterpretation": "2", "Image Orientation": "Horizontal (normal)", "Image SamplesPerPixel": "3", "Image XResolution": "72", "Image YResolution": "72", "Image PlanarConfiguration": "1", "Image ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Image Software": "Adobe Photoshop CS4 Windows", "Image DateTime": "2013:04:21 13:49:49", "Image ExifOffset": "252", "Thumbnail Compression": "JPEG (old-style)", "Thumbnail XResolution": "72", "Thumbnail YResolution": "72", "Thumbnail ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Thumbnail JPEGInterchangeFormat": "390", "Thumbnail JPEGInterchangeFormatLength": "9686", "EXIF ColorSpace": "Uncalibrated", "EXIF ExifImageWidth": "6400", "EXIF ExifImageLength": "8300"}