landfall

American  

[land-fawl] / ˈlændˌfɔl /

noun

1. an approach to or sighting of land.

   The ship will make its landfall at noon tomorrow.

2. the land sighted or reached.

3. a landslide.

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landfall British  

/ ˈlændˌfɔːl /

noun

1. the act of sighting or nearing land, esp from the sea

2. the land sighted or neared

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Etymology

Origin of landfall

First recorded in 1620–30; land + fall

Example Sentences

Gezani weakened after landfall but continued to sweep across the island as a tropical storm until late Wednesday.

From Barron's

Residents in and around Toamasina described scenes of chaos as the cyclone made landfall.

From BBC

“My dad’s pretty good at predicting the weather. He says it’s going to make landfall south of here. Probably around Saint Pete.”

From Literature

Jamaica was battered by Hurricane Melissa, one of the strongest hurricanes ever to make landfall, generating losses of around $9.8 billion.

From Barron's

“Sheer luck spared the United States from hurricane landfalls in 2025,” the report said.

From The Wall Street Journal