List of the most intense tropical cyclones
Winds are often used to measure intensity as they commonly cause notable impacts over large areas, and most popular tropical cyclone scales are organized around sustained wind speeds. However, variations in the averaging period of winds in different basins make inter-comparison difficult. In addition, other impacts like rainfall, storm surge, area of wind damages, and tornadoes can vary significantly in storms with similar wind speeds. Pressure is often used to compare tropical cyclones because the measurements are easier and use consistent methodology. Tropical cyclones can attain some of the lowest pressures over large areas on Earth. However, although there is a strong connection between lowered pressures and higher wind speeds, storms with the lowest pressures may not have the highest wind speeds, as each storm's relationship between wind and pressure is slightly different.
In the most recent and reliable records, most tropical cyclones which attained a pressure of 900 hPa or less have occurred in the Western North Pacific Ocean. The strongest tropical cyclone recorded worldwide, as measured by minimum central pressure, was Typhoon Tip, which reached a pressure of 870 hPa on October 12, 1979. The following list is subdivided by basins. Data listed are provided by the official Regional Specialized Meteorological Centre, unless otherwise noted. On October 23, 2015, Hurricane Patricia attained the strongest 1-minute sustained winds on record at 215 mph.
North Atlantic Ocean
The most intense storm in the North Atlantic by lowest pressure was Hurricane Wilma. The strongest storm by 1-minute sustained winds was Hurricane Allen.Storms which reached a minimum central pressure of or less are listed. Storm information has been compiled back to 1851, though measurements were rarer until aircraft reconnaissance started in the 1940s, and inexact estimates were still predominant until dropsondes were implemented in the 1970s.
See List of Category 5 Atlantic Hurricanes for additional information on strong storms in the Atlantic basin.
See Notable non-tropical pressures over the North Atlantic for intense extratropical low pressure values over the North Atlantic.
Eastern Pacific Ocean
The most intense storm in the Eastern Pacific Ocean by both sustained winds and central pressure was Hurricane Patricia. Its sustained winds of 345 km/h are also the highest on record globally.Storms with a minimum central pressure of 925 hPa or less are listed. Storm information was less reliably documented and recorded before 1949, and most storms since are only estimated because landfalls are less common in this basin.
See Category 5 Pacific Hurricanes for a full list of category 5 hurricanes in this basin.
Western North Pacific Ocean
The most intense storm by lowest pressure and peak 10-minute sustained winds was Typhoon Tip, which was also the most intense tropical cyclone ever recorded in terms of minimum central pressure. However, its 1-minute sustained winds of 305 km/h were less than Hurricane Patricia's.Storms with a minimum pressure of 900 hPa or less are listed. Storm information was less reliably documented and recorded before 1950.
North Indian Ocean
The most intense tropical cyclone in the North Indian Ocean by both sustained winds and central pressure was is the 1999 Odisha cyclone, with 3-minute sustained winds of 260 km/h and a minimum pressure of.Storms with an intensity of or less are listed.
| Cyclone | Season | Peak classification | Peak 3-min sustained winds | Pressure | |
| Two | 1963 | - | |||
| Three | 1963 | - | |||
| 1977 Andhra Pradesh | 1977 | ||||
| Unnamed | 1978 | ||||
| 1978 Unnamed | 1978 | ||||
| Unnamed | 1979 | ||||
| BOB 01 | 1982 | ||||
| Gay | 1989 | ||||
| 1990 Andhra Pradesh | 1990 | ||||
| 1991 Bangladesh | 1991 | ||||
| 1994 BOB 02 | 1994 | ||||
| 1999 Pakistan | 1999 | ||||
| 1999 Odisha | 1999 | ||||
| 2001 India | 2001 | ||||
| Gonu | 2007 | ||||
| Sidr | 2007 | ||||
| Giri | 2010 | ||||
| Phailin | 2013 | ||||
| Hudhud | 2014 | ||||
| Nilofar | 2014 | ||||
| Chapala | 2015 | ||||
| Fani | 2019 | - | |||
| Kyarr | 2019 | - | |||
| Amphan | 2020 | - |
South-West Indian Ocean
The most intense tropical cyclone in the South-West Indian Ocean is Cyclone Gafilo. By 10-minute sustained wind speed, the strongest tropical cyclone in the South-West Indian Ocean is Cyclone Fantala.Storms with an intensity of 920 hPa or less are listed. Storm information was less reliably documented and recorded before 1985.
| Cyclone | Season | Peak classification | Peak 10-min sustained winds | Pressure | |
| Chris-Damia | 1981–82 | ||||
| Geralda | 1993–94 | ||||
| Litanne | 1993–94 | ||||
| Marlene | 1994–95 | ||||
| Bonita | 1995–96 | ||||
| Danielle | 1996–97 | ||||
| Hudah | 1999–2000 | ||||
| Dina | 2001–02 | ||||
| Guillaume | 2001–02 | ||||
| Hary | 2001–02 | ||||
| Kalunde | 2002–03 | ||||
| Gafilo | 2003–04 | ||||
| Adeline-Juliet | 2004–05 | ||||
| Bento | 2004–05 | ||||
| Carina | 2005–06 | ||||
| Hondo | 2007–08 | ||||
| Edzani | 2009–10 | ||||
| Bruce | 2013–14 | ||||
| Colin | 2013–14 | ||||
| Hellen | 2013–14 | ||||
| Bansi | 2014–15 | ||||
| Eunice | 2014–15 | ||||
| Fantala | 2015–16 |
Australian region
The most intense tropical cyclone in the Australian Region are Cyclone Gwenda and Cyclone Inigo. By 10-minute sustained wind speed, the strongest are Cyclone Orson, Cyclone Monica and Cyclone Marcus.Storms with an intensity of 920 hPa or less are listed. Storm information was less reliably documented and recorded before 1985.
South Pacific Ocean
A total of 16 cyclones are listed down below reaching/surpassing that intensity, which most of them occurred during El Niño seasons. Tropical cyclones that have been recorded since the start of the 1969–70 Tropical Cyclone year and have reached their peak intensity to the west of 160E are included in the list. The most intense tropical cyclone in the south Pacific, Cyclone Winston of 2016, is also the most intense storm in the Southern Hemisphere.Storms with an intensity of 920 hPa or less are listed. Storm information was less reliably documented and recorded before 1985.
South Atlantic Ocean
Until recently, it was not known that tropical cyclones could exist in the southern Atlantic. However, Hurricane Catarina in 2004, to date the only hurricane in the south Atlantic, brought additional review. A subsequent study found that there was an average of 1-2 subtropical or tropical cyclones per year in the Southern Atlantic in recent decades.No official database of South Atlantic cyclones exists, but a partial list of notable tropical and subtropical systems is listed.
| Cyclone | Season | Peak classification | Peak 1-min sustained winds | Pressure |
| 1991 Angola tropical storm | 1991 | |||
| Catarina | 2004 | |||
| Anita | 2010 | |||
| Arani | 2011 | |||
| Bapo | 2015 | |||
| Cari | 2015 | |||
| Deni | 2016 | |||
| Eçaí | 2016 | |||
| Guará | 2017 | |||
| Iba | 2019 | |||
| Jaguar | 2019 | |||
| Kurumí | 2020 |