Frank Rondel
Tropical Cyclone Horacio reached the status of the world’s first Category 5 storm of 2026 on Monday afternoon, February 23, with maximum sustained winds estimated at 160 mph (260 km/h) over open waters of the South Indian Ocean, customreceipt.com reports, with reference to foreign media. The cyclone intensified rapidly due to favorable conditions, including sea surface temperatures between 27–28°C (81–82°F) and moderate wind shear, enabling it to achieve the highest ranking on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.
According to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center, Horacio has likely reached its peak intensity. Meteorologists predict gradual weakening as the cyclone moves southward over cooler waters and encounters stronger wind shear. The storm is currently located far from any inhabited regions and poses no immediate threat to coastal communities, although it may affect shipping and other marine activities in the vicinity.
Horacio is the first Category 5 system in the Southern Hemisphere since Cyclone Errol reached similar intensity off northwestern Australia on April 16, 2025. Historical data indicates that between 1990 and 2025, the global annual average of Category 5 tropical cyclones was approximately 5.3. In 2025, five storms worldwide achieved Category 5 strength: Hurricanes Melissa, Erin, and Humberto in the Atlantic, Typhoon Ragasa in the Northwest Pacific, and Cyclone Errol in the South Indian Ocean.
Climate researchers emphasize that rising global temperatures are expected to increase the likelihood of tropical cyclones reaching Category 4 and Category 5 intensities, even if the overall number of storms remains relatively stable.
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