2025–26 South Pacific cyclone season

The 2025–26 South Pacific cyclone season includes the basin's latest-ever first named tropical cyclone, Urmil, breaking the record set by Tropical Cyclone Bart during the 2016-17 season. Despite this, it is an ongoing cyclone season in the South Pacific Ocean to the east of 160°E. The season officially started on 1 November 2025, and will end on 30 April 2026; however a tropical cyclone could form at any time between 1 July 2025, and 30 June 2026, and would count towards the season total. During the season, tropical cyclones will be officially monitored by the Fiji Meteorological Service, Australian Bureau of Meteorology and New Zealand's MetService. The United States Armed Forces through the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) will also monitor the basin and issue unofficial warnings for American interests. The FMS attaches a number and an F suffix to tropical disturbances that form in or move into the basin while the JTWC designates significant tropical cyclones with a number and a P suffix. The BoM, FMS and MetService all use the Australian Tropical Cyclone Intensity Scale and estimate windspeeds with a period of approximately ten minutes, while the JTWC estimates sustained winds over a 1-minute period, which are subsequently compared to the Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale (SSHWS).

Ahead of the season officially starting on 1 November, the Fiji Meteorological Service (FMS) and Earth Sciences New Zealand (ESNZ), both issued a tropical cyclone outlook that discussed the upcoming season.^[1][3] These outlooks took into account a variety of factors such as a developing weak to moderate La Niña event and what had happened in previous seasons such as 1980–81, 1983–84, 1984–85, 1995–96, 2000–01, 2001–02, 2003–04, 2005–06, 2008–09, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2020–21 and 2021–22.^[1][3] The Southwest Pacific tropical cyclone outlook issued by Earth Sciences New Zealand (ESNZ) in conjunction with MetService and various other Pacific meteorological services, predicted that five to nine tropical cyclones would occur over the South Pacific Ocean between 135°E and 120°W.^[3] The outlook also predicted that two to four of these tropical cyclones would intensify further and become either a Category three, four or five severe tropical cyclone on the Australian tropical cyclone intensity scale.^[3] In addition to contributing towards the Southwest Pacific tropical cyclone outlook, the FMS predicted that four or five tropical cyclones would occur within the basin, while one to three of these tropical cyclones were expected to intensify further and become either a category three, four or five severe tropical cyclone on the Australian scale.^[1]

The first tropical disturbance of the season developed during December 2. However, over the next few months, no named tropical cyclones developed. This was attributed to a number of factors, including a poorly organised South Pacific convergence zone and a predicted La Niña episode not developing. Four months after the beginning of the season, the first named storm, Urmil, developed on February 27, becoming the latest-forming first named tropical cyclone of a season within the South Pacific basin, breaking the record set by Tropical Cyclone Bart during the 2016-17 season.

On 2 December, a subtropical cyclone formed and was tracked by JTWC and tracked southeastward. Due to an unfavorable environment, the storm degenerated and then dissipated without being named 2 days later.

On 5 December, JTWC started monitoring Tropical Cyclone 06P, embedded within the South Pacific Convergence Zone, 216 nmi north of Papeete, Tahiti. The cyclone was extremely compact and had rapidly consolidated over the preceding 24 hours. Later that day, FMS identified the cyclone as Tropical Disturbance 02F and noted the potential for strengthening in a favorable environment with low vertical wind shear and warm sea surface temperatures. 02F was upgraded to a tropical depression by FMS on late night of 5 December, but the system quickly came under the influence of moderate shear which exposed the system's low-level circulation center.^[4] JTWC ceased warnings later that day and downgraded the cyclone to a subtropical depression. The depression was last noted on 6 December, as the sheared system accelerated southeastward.^[5]

Tropical Depression 03F was designated just east of the Solomon Islands by the Fiji Meteorological Service on 10 December.^[6]

Tropical Disturbance 04F developed north of Samoa on 28 December.^[7]

Tropical Low 14U entered the South Pacific basin from the Australian region late on the night of 19 January. It was designated Tropical Disturbance 05F by the Fiji Meteorological Service upon crossover. On 21 January, the system transitioned into an extratropical cyclone and had severe impacts in northern New Zealand. MetService issued Red Warnings for heavy rainfall in some regions of the North Island.^[8] Nine people are confirmed or presumed dead.^[9][10]

In January 20,a tropical low that developed within the South Pacific Convergence Zone in mid-January 2026. On January 21, at 06:00 UTC, the (JTWC) began monitoring the system as a tropical disturbance, designating it as Tropical Cyclone 16P. At this time, the system was located near the boundary between the Australian region and the South Fiji basin, characterized by favorable upper-level outflow and warm sea surface temperatures. Later that day, the Fiji Meteorological Service assumed primary responsibility for the system as it crossed into their Area of Responsibility.

The Fiji Meteorological Service officially designated the system as Tropical Depression 06F. During its peak intensity, with estimated 1-minute sustained winds of 75 km/h (45 mph). Concurrently, recorded a minimum barometric pressure of 994 hPa (29.35 inHg).

By early January 22, increasing vertical wind shear from the northwest began to decouple the system's low-level circulation from its deep convection. This hostile environment caused the depression to rapidly lose organization. on January 22, the FMS issued its final advisory, noting that 06F had degenerated into a post-tropical remnant low.

On 25 February, the Fiji Meteorological Service began tracking Tropical Disturbance 09F, followed by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center issuing warnings on Tropical Cyclone 23P a day later. On 27 February after continued organization from the system, the Fiji Meteorological Service upgraded 09F to Tropical Cyclone Urmil, ending a 319 day long period in the basin without a named storm, and set the record for the latest first named tropical cyclone during a season in the South Pacific, beating the former record set by Tropical Cyclone Bart in 2017 which was named on 21 February.^[11] by February 28 Urmil Reached it peak intensity at Category 2 Cyclone on the Australian scale and Category 1 On SSHWS.

On 21 March at 21:00 UTC, the Fiji Meteorological Service designated Tropical Disturbance 10F and stated that the potential for a tropical cyclone is low in the next 48 hours. 10F is in a favourable environment with low wind shear and good poleward outflow.^[12] On March 22 at 02:30 UTC, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) issued a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert, citing that there is convective banding developing around the low-level circulation. The system is located south of Honiara, Solomon Islands, and is encountering warm sea surface temperatures of 28-29°C and strong poleward outflow.^[13]

Within the Southern Pacific, a tropical depression is judged to have reached tropical cyclone intensity should it reach winds of 65 km/h (40 mph) and it is evident that gales are occurring at least halfway around the center. Tropical depressions intensifying into a tropical cyclone between the Equator and 25°S and between 160°E and 120°W are named by the FMS; should a tropical depression intensify to the south of 25°S between 160°E and 120°W it will be named in conjunction with the FMS by MetService. Should a tropical cyclone move out of the basin and into the Australian region it will retain its original name. The names that will be used for the 2025–26 season are listed below:^[14] The names from Urmil to Becky, as well as Elisa, are from the same list used for tropical cyclones in the 2005–06, 2006–07, and 2007–08 seasons.

This table lists all the storms that developed in the South Pacific to the east of longitude 160°E during the 2025–26 season. It includes their intensity on the Australian tropical cyclone intensity scale, duration, name, landfalls, deaths, and damages. All data is taken from RSMC Nadi and/or TCWC Wellington, and all of the damage figures are in 2025 or 2026 USD.

• Weather of 2025 and 2026
• List of Southern Hemisphere cyclone seasons
• Tropical cyclones in 2025 and 2026
• Atlantic hurricane seasons: 2025, 2026
• Pacific hurricane seasons: 2025, 2026
• Pacific typhoon seasons: 2025, 2026
• North Indian Ocean cyclone seasons: 2025, 2026
• 2025–26 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season
• 2025–26 Australian region cyclone season

• World Meteorological Organization
• Australian Bureau of Meteorology
• Fiji Meteorological Service
• New Zealand MetService
• Joint Typhoon Warning Center