Tropical Cyclone Horacio has intensified to world's first category 5 cyclone of 2026, sparking concerns.
According to NewsAZ, Horacio intensified into the world’s first Category 5 tropical cyclone of 2026 on Monday afternoon, February 23, reaching maximum sustained winds of 160 mph (260 km/h) over the open waters of the remote South Indian Ocean.
Horacio strengthened rapidly under favorable environmental conditions, including warm sea surface temperatures of 27–28 degrees Celsius (81–82°F) and moderate wind shear.
These factors supported the storm’s intensification to the highest level on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
As per the Joint Typhoon Warning Center, Horacio has likely reached its peak intensity. Forecasters expect the cyclone to gradually weaken as it tracks southward over cooler waters and encounters stronger wind shear.
The storm remains far from any populated land areas and currently poses no direct threat to communities, though it may impact marine interests in the region.
Horacio is the first Category 5 storm in the Southern Hemisphere since Cyclone Errol reached that intensity off northwestern Australia on April 16, 2025.
Between 1990 and 2025, the global annual average number of Category 5 tropical cyclones was approximately 5.3.
In 2025, five such storms were recorded worldwide: Hurricanes Melissa, Erin, and Humberto in the Atlantic basin, Typhoon Ragasa in the Northwest Pacific, and Cyclone Errol in the South Indian Ocean.
Climate scientists have noted that rising global temperatures are expected to increase the proportion of tropical cyclones that intensify to Category 4 and Category 5 strength, even if the total number of storms does not necessarily rise.
