Tropical storm Horacio became the world's first Category 5 storm in the 2026 hurricane season on the afternoon of February 23.
Super typhoon No. 1 has reached maximum intensity with winds of 260 km/h over the warm sea of the distant southern Indian Ocean. Currently, Horacio does not threaten any land area.
Horacio strengthened thanks to favorable meteorological conditions, including: Sea surface temperature fluctuating from 27-28 degrees C and wind gusts at an average level.
According to the US Navy's Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC), Hurricane Horacio is likely to have peaked in intensity and will gradually weaken as it moves south, entering colder waters and areas with higher gusts.
Typhoon forecasters at the Joint Typhoon Warning Center said that, due to being very far from the mainland in the southern Indian Ocean, Horacio only poses a risk to maritime activities at sea.
Horacio is the first Category 5 hurricane in the Southern Hemisphere since Hurricane Errol reached this level off the northwest coast of Australia on April 16, 2025.
According to statistics from 1990-2025, on average, the world recorded about 5.3 super typhoons of Category 5 each year. In 2025 alone, there are 5 Category 5 storms, including: Melissa (Atlantic), Erin (Atlantic), Humberto (Atlantic), Ragasa (Northwest Pacific), Errol (South Indian Ocean).
Scientists believe that climate change may increase the rate of tropical storms reaching level 4 and level 5.
