1979–80 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season
cyclone season in the South-West Indian ocean
The 1979–80 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season was an above-average cyclone season, and is most notable for featuring the wettest tropical cyclone ever recorded, Cyclone Hyacinthe. The season officially ran from November 1, 1979, to April 30, 1980.
Systems
Intense Tropical Cyclone Albine
Albine existed from 25 November to 6 December.
Intense Tropical Cyclone Viola–Claudette
Cyclone Viola entered the basin on December 18 from the Australian region, whereupon it became Cyclone Claudette. After passing southeast of St. Brandon, Claudette struck Mauritius on December 22, producing wind gusts of 221 km/h (137 mph). The storm caused 5 fatalities, 257 injuries, and US$175 million in damage on the island. About 5,000 houses were destroyed or severely damaged. Effects on neighboring Réunion were limited to 79 km/h (49 mph) wind gusts and some rainfall.
Moderate Tropical Storm Berenice
Berenice existed from 15 December to 21 December.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “1979–80 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season” is cyclone season in the South-West Indian ocean. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through South-West, Indian and Ocean, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “cyclone season in the South-West Indian ocean” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
The strongest evidence will usually combine a dated visual record with documents produced by the authority responsible for the place. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jun 6, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q11729154. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1979 and 1980.
Modern boundaries and familiar names can conceal earlier jurisdictions or structures that do not align with the present site. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “1979–80 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow 1979–80 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season primary sources, 1979–80 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season archive and South-West research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “1979–80 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season”?
- Which earlier names or jurisdictions may reveal additional records?
- Which authority defined the place, boundary or structure at the relevant date?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “1979–80 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.