Storm history › South Indian Ocean › 1979 season
Cyclone Hazel (1979)
Hazel was a Category 3 cyclone of the 1979 South Indian Ocean season. It was tracked from March 7, 1979 to March 14, 1979, about 8 days, and covered 1,939 miles.
At its peak it had winds of 115 mph (185 km/h) and a lowest pressure of 936 mb.
Its closest pass to a major city was 66 miles from Perth, Australia.
- Peak wind
- 115 mph
- Lowest pressure
- 936 mb
- Strongest
- Category 3 cyclone
- Duration
- 8 days
- Track length
- 1,939 mi
- Energy (ACE)
- 13.7
DepressionTropical stormCat 1Cat 2Cat 3Cat 4Cat 5
Closest pass to major cities
| City | Closest pass |
|---|---|
| Perth, Australia | 66 mi (107 km) |
How it compares
- Peak winds: 187th highest of 951 South Indian Ocean storms on record, tied with Cyclone Gombe (2022), Cyclone Marian (2021), Cyclone Ferdinand (2020) and 29 more.
- Lowest pressure: 133rd lowest of 1,029 South Indian Ocean storms with a recorded pressure, tied with Cyclone Sean (2025), Cyclone Bella (1991).
- Energy: 28% of the 1979 South Indian Ocean season's ACE.