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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 Period	Amount	Location	Tropical Cyclone	Date
12 hr	1144 mm (45.0")	Foc-Foc, La Reunion	Denise	7-8 January, 1966
24 hr	1825 mm (71.8")	Foc-Foc, La Reunion	Denise	7-8 January, 1966
48 hr	2467 mm (97.1")	Aurere, La Reunion	Unnamed	8-10 April, 1958
72 hr	3929 mm (154.6")	Commerson, La Reunion	Gamede	24-27 February, 2007
10 day	5678 mm (223.5")	Commerson, La Reunion	Hyacinthe	18-27 January, 1980
15 day	6083 mm (239.5")	Commerson, La Reunion	Hyacinthe	14-28 January, 1980

(Holland 1993)

Email from Philippe Caroff RSMC La Reunion March 12, 2007

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