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Subject: E4) What are the largest rainfalls associated with tropical cyclones?

Contributed by Chris Landsea (NHC)

All of the rainfall records for tropical cyclones are held by the small French island of La Rèunion in the South Indian Ocean off the coast of Madagascar. This is partly due to its mounatinous geography and partly due to the tendency of tropical cyclones to recurve in this area of the basin. Cyclone Hyacinthe in 1980 meandered over the island for nearly 15 days, dumping rain on the island for that entire period of time.


Cyclone Tropicale Gamede from La Reunion radar

Time PeriodAmountLocationTropical CycloneDate
12 hr1144 mm (45.0")Foc-Foc,
La Reunion		Denise7-8 January, 1966
24 hr1825 mm (71.8")Foc-Foc,
La Reunion		Denise7-8 January, 1966
48 hr2467 mm (97.1")Aurere,
La Reunion		Unnamed8-10 April, 1958
72 hr3929 mm (154.6")Commerson,
La Reunion		Gamede24-27 February, 2007
10 day5678 mm (223.5")Commerson,
La Reunion		Hyacinthe18-27 January, 1980
15 day6083 mm (239.5")Commerson,
La Reunion		Hyacinthe14-28 January, 1980
(Holland 1993)

Email from Philippe Caroff RSMC La Reunion March 12, 2007

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