Storm history › South Indian Ocean › 2003 season
Cyclone Japhet (2003)
Japhet was a Category 4 cyclone of the 2003 South Indian Ocean season. It was tracked from February 24, 2003 to March 5, 2003, about 9 days, and covered 1,229 miles.
At its peak it had winds of 130 mph (215 km/h) and a lowest pressure of 927 mb.
Its closest pass to a major city was 56 miles from Bulawayo, Zimbabwe.
- Peak wind
- 130 mph
- Lowest pressure
- 927 mb
- Strongest
- Category 4 cyclone
- Duration
- 9 days
- Track length
- 1,229 mi
- Energy (ACE)
- 15.2
DepressionTropical stormCat 1Cat 2Cat 3Cat 4Cat 5
Closest pass to major cities
| City | Closest pass |
|---|---|
| Bulawayo, Zimbabwe | 56 mi (90 km) |
| Beira, Mozambique | 84 mi (135 km) |
| Chimoio, Mozambique | 102 mi (164 km) |
| Harare, Zimbabwe | 138 mi (222 km) |
How it compares
- Peak winds: 99th highest of 951 South Indian Ocean storms on record, tied with Cyclone Bheki (2025), Cyclone Sean (2025), Cyclone Anggrek (2024) and 35 more.
- Lowest pressure: 72nd lowest of 1,029 South Indian Ocean storms with a recorded pressure, tied with Cyclone Dora (2007), Cyclone Indlala (2007), Cyclone Alvin / Bertie (2006) and 15 more.
- Energy: 9% of the 2003 South Indian Ocean season's ACE.