Seasonal· Farquhar· Seychelles
South Indian Ocean Cyclone Season (Farquhar and Aldabra Exposure)
10° 10.0′ S · 51° 8.0′ E
Unlike the Inner Islands, the southern atolls lie in reach of South Indian Ocean cyclones: Bondo (December 2006) wrecked Providence, and Fantala (April 2016), the strongest cyclone recorded in the south-west Indian Ocean, destroyed Farquhar's settlement.
Practical
Pub. 171 says not to use the Farquhar anchorage in the cyclone season, December to April inclusive. Fantala's eyewall crossed the Farquhar Group on 17 April 2016 with estimated 10-minute winds of 250 km/h and gusts of 350 km/h; 19 of 50 structures were destroyed and 27 severely damaged. Bondo passed over Providence and Farquhar on 21 December 2006, destroying most buildings on Providence, which has been uninhabited since; before Bondo the last storm to affect Farquhar was Tropical Storm Honorine in 1974. Aldabra is closer to the equator and cyclones are rare, but the NW monsoon (November-March) brings its heaviest rain. Plan the southern atolls for May to November, and watch Météo-France La Réunion forecasts. Coordinate is the Wikipedia Farquhar Atoll position.
Best for
Timing a southern-atolls passage safely
Season
Cyclone risk roughly December-April
Nearby
- Farquhar Fly-FishingRight here
- Farquhar Lagoon Anchorage (East Side)2.1 NM away
- Farquhar Red-Footed Booby Colony2.1 NM away
- Goëlettes Island Sooty Tern Colony (Farquhar)3 NM away
- Farquhar Race Point Anchorage3.7 NM away
- Farquhar Reef Grouper Aggregations3.8 NM away
- Farquhar Guest House and Fishing Lodge3.9 NM away
- Farquhar Settlement Services (North Island)4 NM away