2006-07 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season
Encyclopedia
The 2006–07 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season was an annual event of tropical cyclone
formation which started on November 15, 2006 and ended on April 30, 2007 for most areas and on May 15, 2007 for Mauritius
and the Seychelles
. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the basin, which is west of 90°E
and south of the Equator
. Tropical cyclones in this basin are monitored by the Regional Specialised Meteorological Centre in Réunion
.
, which favoured formation of tropical storms, and noted that as 2006 Northern Hemisphere
activity was slightly below normal, it might result in slightly above normal activity in the Southwest Indian Ocean. Based on regional indicators, they noted that named tropical storms would not last for short durations. Most other regional factors indicated the likelihood of a normal season. Therefore, the forecast called for about 10 named storms, mostly west of Diego Garcia
, with at least one forming in the Mozambique Channel
.
. During the following three days, no regular advisories were released because the disturbance was not expected to develop. On October 22, however, the disturbance restrengthened and the issuance of full advisories began because development into a tropical depression was expected. This development did not occur, and on October 23 the final advisory was issued.
55°E
. The system was designated a zone perturbée two days later by RSMC La Réunion. It strengthened slightly, and was declared a tropical disturbance on November 27 at 1200 UTC. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center
monitored the area for development and on November 29 upgraded the disturbance to a cyclone. RSMC La Réunion upgraded this system to a moderate tropical storm on December 1, and the Subregional Tropical Cyclone Advisory Centre in Madagascar named it "Anita", a name contributed to the list by themselves. Increasing wind shear
inhibited any development, and the system failed to intensify further as it moved southward. RSMC La Réunion downgraded Anita to a tropical depression early on December 2. The JTWC ceased advisories on the system at the same time. Anita continued to weaken, and RSMC La Réunion downgraded it to a tropical disturbance later that day, and issued its last advisory early on December 3.
. Moving west, it gained some organisation, causing the JTWC to issue a TCFA on it. It was designated a tropical disturbance on December 17 by Météo-France
. The JTWC upgraded it to a tropical cyclone on December 18, and later that day Météo-France upgraded the storm to a moderate tropical storm. The Subregional Tropical Cyclone Advisory Centre in Mauritius
named the storm Bondo, a name contributed to the list by Malawi
. Following a quick bout of intensification, on December 19 MF reported that Bondo had strengthened into a severe tropical storm. At the next advisory, MF reported that Bondo had undergone rapid intensification, breaking Dvorak
rules, and upgraded it to tropical cyclone intensity. The JTWC noted that the tropical cyclone had "intensified at a greater than climatological rate" due to good radial outflow as it upgraded the storm from an equivalent of a strong tropical storm at 0300 UTC December 19 to a Category 3-equivalent
at 1500 UTC. Further strengthening that day saw Bondo upgraded to an intense tropical cyclone, peaking at 110 knots (215.6 km/h) and 930 hPa. After going through an eyewall replacement cycle
, the storm began to weaken. Continuing to track south-southwestward as it weakened, it crossed an area of lower vertical wind shear and began to restrengthen near the northern tip of Madagascar
on December 23. Moving south-southwest parallel to the coast of Madagascar, it reached a secondary peak of 75 knots (147 km/h) from Météo-France before starting to weaken as it was about to make landfall. It made landfall around 1215 UTC, and the JTWC declared the storm dissipating over land at 1800 UTC, while Météo-France designated the storm as an inland depression. On December 26 M-F reported that the original low associated with Bondo had dissipated and a new low had formed associated with the system over sea. The RSMC La Reunion stopped issuing advisories later that day.
In response to the danger from Bondo, the Farquhar Atoll
, which is part of the Seychelles
, evacuated 35 of its 43 residents. The remaining eight stayed on the island in a concrete bunker. The island of Agalega received at least 11 inches of rain from Bondo. Eleven people were killed as a result of Bondo and another was reported as missing. A total of 20,001 people were left homeless.
. Mauritius designated it a tropical disturbance in their high seas warning for 0000 UTC December 25, and later that day Météo-France Réunion designated it Zone perturbée 04R. The next day, it gained enough organisation to be designated a tropical disturbance as it headed towards Madagascar
. On December 28 RSMC La Reunion downgraded the storm to a zone of disturbed weather and terminated the regular advisories.
had earlier issued a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert
on December 27, although M-F stated on December 29 that the low level circulation centre (LLCC) of 04R had dissipated. After several short-lived LLCCs overnight, a new cyclonic circulation had organised around the centre of the system, justifying the renumbering. On December 30 the system became more organized and was designated a tropical disturbance. At 1200 UTC on December 31, 05R was upgraded to Moderate Tropical Storm Clovis. The name Clovis was contributed by Mauritius
. At 1500 UTC on the same day, RSMC La Reunion reported that Clovis had winds of 50 kt (93 km/h) with a minimum pressure of 987 hPa
, and upgraded it to Severe Tropical Storm Clovis. Clovis passed 20 km northwest of Tromelin Island
at approximately 1700 UTC on December 31 with winds of 54 kt (100 km/h), gusting to 70 kt (130 km/h). It made landfall once on January 3, and dissipated on January 4. Four people were killed and two others were left missing as a result of Clovis. A total of 13,465 people were left homeless.
by the U.S. Navy. By January 8, according to Météo-France, it had developed into a tropical disturbance, the 6th of the season. Later that day, MF ceased issuing advisories with no further development expected.
was designated as a tropical disturbance by Météo-France
. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center
initiated advisories on Tropical Cyclone 10S later that day, shortly after it released a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert
. The system was upgraded to a tropical depression on January 29, and later that day to a moderate tropical storm by M-F. It was named Dora, which was contributed to the namelist by Mozambique
. Dora meandered southward over the next two days while strengthening, and Météo-France upgraded it to a tropical cyclone early on February 1. Although forecast to weaken, Dora continued to strengthen against expectations before weakening slightly. The storm then became annular
and intensified further, peaking at 100 kt, 930 hPa on February 3. It then started to weaken as it curved to the southwest, and became fully extratropical on February 9. M-F last noted the extratropical system late on February 12.
Dora caused a Class 2 cyclone warning on Rodrigues island
, but no deaths or damage has been reported.
issued a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert
on an area of convection east of the coast of Madagascar
. Météo-France designated it a tropical disturbance, the 8th of the season, late the next day. On February 9, the JTWC upgraded the disturbance to a tropical cyclone, numbering it 13S, shortly before M-F upgraded it to a tropical depression. The system was named Enok by Madagascar later that day, despite Météo-France not upgrading it to a moderate tropical storm. The name Enok was contributed by Namibia
. The system was upgraded to a severe tropical storm at the next advisory, but slowly began to weaken the next day. When passing near Rodrigues
, Enok caused a Class 4 cyclone warning, before the storm was downgraded to a tempête tropicale moderée on February 10. The JTWC issued its final warning on Enok the next day, before the storm was further downgraded to a tropical depression by M-F later that day. It was last mentioned six hours later after it was downgraded to a tropical disturbance.
issued a TCFA
on the disturbance, and upgraded it to Tropical Cyclone 14S the next day. On February 15, M-F upgraded the system to a moderate tropical storm, and it was named Favio, a name contributed by the Seychelles
. A vigilance cyclonique (cyclone watch)/yellow alert was issued later that day, and three-hourly updates were commenced due to the threat to La Réunion
. This was discontinued on February 16 after Favio moved well to the south of the island. The storm further intensified early on February 18 and was upgraded to a severe tropical storm. It continued to strengthen, and was upgraded to a tropical cyclone at 10 a.m. local time on February 19. The small tropical cyclone reached intense tropical cyclone status the next day, peaking at 105 kt, 925 hPa. It then tracked west-northwestward, threatening Mozambique
and forcing the authorities to put the country on the highest level of alert. The British Foreign Office also issued a travel warning to Britons
planning visits to or on the islands of the Bazaruto Archipelago
. It made landfall on February 22 in Inhambane Province
as an intense tropical cyclone, exactly seven years to the day since the last intense tropical cyclone, Eline
, struck Mozambique. Once inland, it weakened quickly to below cyclone status with 30 knots (58.8 km/h) average winds over 10 hours after landfall.
Favio damaged the town court and town prison in the resort town of Vilanculos in Mozambique. Uprooted trees caused by the cyclone also blocked roads, cutting off access for rescuers to some homes. The cyclone killed four people and injured at least seventy in the town, and thousands of homes were destroyed along with the hospital and power grid. 120 patients were evacuated from the rural hospital and 600 prisoners escaped when the local jail was demolished. Bazaruto Island
, only reachable by boats and helicopters, was cut off from communications as the electricity grid was destroyed. The storm also unearthed trees and blew off rooftops in Pontagea, a highly populated suburb in the port city of Beira
. A total of ten people were killed by the storm and nearly 100 others were injured, and the storm caused $71 million USD in damage.
The remnants of the system caused authorities in Zimbabwe
to issue a flood warning. In the aftermath of the storm, South Africa
offered helicopters to Mozambique to deliver food to shelters and to help Mozambican officials assess the situation aerially.
on February 20. It was quickly upgraded to a tropical depression later that day, and the next day it was named Gamede after attaining tropical storm status. TGamede strengthened into a severe tropical storm the next day as it moved westwards, causing the Mauritius Meteorological Services to issue a class 1 cyclone warning for the island. This was upgraded to a class 2 warning as Gamede strengthened into a tropical cyclone on February 23. The system, which at one point had a 500 km (310.7 mi)- 30 knots (58.8 km/h) wind field, continued to strengthen as it moved westsouthwest, causing officials on Réunion
to issue a yellow alert/vigilance cyclonique that same day. Mauritius further raised the cyclone warning to class 3 as the island came near to the 30 knots (58.8 km/h) wind field of the large system. On February 24, as the storm grew larger in size, the yellow alert for Réunion was upgraded to an orange alert, the first of the season. Later that day the first red alert of the season for the island came into force. Mauritius raised the cyclone warning to a class 4 early on February 25 because of gusts associated with Gamede above 120 km/h around the island, but terminated bulletins later that day as the storm continued to move farther away from the island. After a slight weakening due to dry air, and a re-organisation of convection near the centre of the system, Gamede strengthened into an intense tropical cyclone.
Early on February 26 M-F discontinued the red alert for Réunion and declared the post-cyclone phase de prudence, which means that dangers still exist despite the cyclone no longer being a threat. Later that day, Madagascar
issued an advisory of imminent danger for 13 areas. On February 27, M-F reinstated an orange alert for Réunion
as the system underwent an eyewall replacement cycle
and grew in size. This was re-upgraded to a red alert that evening as the cyclone neared the island again. French
Overseas Minister
François Baroin
arrived on the island earlier that day to assess damage, and said he would stay through the red alert. A bridge that collapsed due to Gamede caused about €
20 million in damage. The red alert was discontinued and replaced by the phase de prudence advisory early on February 28. M-F declared the all-clear later that day. Gamede moved further southwards between Réunion and Madagascar
while still retaining tropical cyclone intensity, but started to weaken, and on March 1 it was downgraded to a severe tropical storm. It then started undergoing extratropical transition, with the centre of the storm becoming exposed. The JTWC issued its final warning on March 2, and M-F followed suit later that day.
Gamede broke numerous world records for tropical cyclone rainfall
, with world records set for accumulated rainfall over 72 hours to accumulated rainfall over 9 days. Between February 24 and 27 , 154.6 inches (3929 mm) of rain fell on Réunion island.
was first referenced in a BOM three-day cyclone outlook on February 19. Two days later, while slowly developing, it crossed 90°E
and was designated Tropical Disturbance 11R by M-F. The JTWC issued a TCFA
on February 21, and upgraded it to Tropical Cyclone 16S several hours later as convection
continued to flare. It was upgraded by M-F to a tropical depression the next day. Little strengthening occurred over the next two days, although convection continued to be impressive. It was upgraded to a moderate tropical storm on February 23, and was named Humba, the name submitted by Tanzania
. Gradual strengthening continued, and Humba was upgraded first to a severe tropical storm later that day then to a tropical cyclone on February 25. It managed to strengthen to 80 kt, 960 hPa, before it started weakening again, and was downgraded back to a severe tropical storm on February 26. The same day, with Humba undergoing extratropical transition
, the JTWC issued its final warning on the system. Météo-France followed suit the next day.
, and numbered it 12R. The next day, M-F upgraded it to a tropical disturbance as the Joint Typhoon Warning Center
issued a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert
on it. The disturbance continued to strengthen, and later that day M-F upgraded 12R to a tropical depression. Under favorable conditions, it strengthened into a moderate tropical storm early on March 12. Originally, the storm was referred to as "Indlada" by M-F, but this was later corrected to the correct name, Indlala, which was contributed by Swaziland
. Indlala continued to strengthen, and it was upgraded to a severe tropical storm. It reached tropical cyclone intensity on March 13 in favourable conditions, with infrared satellite imagery showing an intermittent eye
. It continued to strengthen in a favourable environment, with a well-defined eye, and reached intense tropical cyclone strength the next day as it tracked westward towards Madagascar
. It made landfall early on March 15 as it was undergoing an eyewall replacement cycle
, near Antalaha
, Madagascar
, and weakened quickly while over land. It dissipated over land on March 17, and the final warning was issued.
Indlala killed 150 people and left another 126 missing. A total of 188,331 people were also left homeless due to the storm. Damages from Indlala amounted to $240 million.
on March 13 on an area of disturbed weather that had lingered in the south central Indian Ocean for three days as satellite imagery showed an improving low-level circulation. Only irregular bulletins were issued over the course of the system's existence. It gained enough organisation to be considered a tropical disturbance on March 15, but never strengthened further. The final warning was issued on March 17 as it started to dissipate.
convection was first spotted on March 25 in the south central Indian Ocean. Four days later, Météo-France
initiated warnings on the zone of disturbed weather, which had a partially-exposed low-level centre. At first, only irregular bulletins were issued, but as it organised rapidly it was upgraded to a tropical depression on March 30. Mauritius designated the system a moderate tropical storm at the same time, and named it Jaya, a name contributed by Zimbabwe
. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center
issued a TCFA, before designating it Tropical Cyclone 22S later that same day. As it continued to organise, M-F upgraded it to a moderate tropical storm. It continued to strengthen, and Jaya was upgraded to a tropical cyclone early on March 31 by M-F. Rapid intensification continued, and Jaya quickly reached intense tropical cyclone status by the afternoon of the 31st, reaching a peak of 100 kt 930 hPa.
However, its small size meant that its structure and intensity easily fluctuated, and on April 1 it weakened slightly, with infrared imagery showing disorganisation as it encountered increased vertical wind shear
, Jaya was downgraded to a tropical cyclone. As Jaya neared northeast Madagascar
late on April 2, it was re-upgraded to an intense tropical cyclone after convection improved. However, Jaya lost strength just hours later as it was about to make landfall due to dry air and wind shear, and became disorganised.
Jaya made landfall at around 0800 UTC April 3 near Sambava, Madagascar at tropical cyclone intensity, with wind gusts near 180–200 km/h. It re-emerged over water in the Mozambique Channel
as a highly-disorganised weak system lacking convection, and the final warning was issued.
On April 5, deep convection consolidated around the centre of Jaya's remnant circulation as the system reorganised, causing the JTWC to issue a new TCFA. Météo-France issued an advisory at 1200 UTC that afternoon on Tropical Disturbance 14R, but noted that vertical wind shear limited potential for significant intensification. Due to its proximity to the Mozambique
coast, the system was affected by its terrain, but tracked just off the coast without making landfall. Over the next two days, Jaya came under heavy wind shear
, and weakened considerably. However, it made another comeback on April 7, undergoing short-term rapid intensification, prompting Météo-France to issue a new advisory. However, convection became very weak and Jaya's circulation became fully exposed, and Météo-France again stopped advisories.
Reuters reports at least three people dead and many homes destroyed http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/impacts/200704/18113178.html. Several plantations were also ruined.
started warnings on a subtropical system to the south of Madagascar
. It was water with a sea surface temperature
of 25 °C, and had weak convection associated with it. The warning noted that due to a decrease in wind shear
, the system had organised enough to be considered a subtropical depression. However, in the warning it was also noted that extratropical transition would soon occur. It became fully extratropical the next day after wind shear increased. In operational reanalysis, it was found that the system had formed on April 9, and had become a tropical depression late on April 10 before becoming subtropical and reaching gale strength.
, then the Sub-regional Tropical Cyclone Advisory Centre in Madagascar
assigns the appropriate name to the storm. If a tropical disturbance reaches moderate tropical storm status between 55°E
and 90°E
, then the Sub-regional Tropical Cyclone Advisory Centre in Mauritius
assigns the appropriate name to the storm. A new annual list is used every year so no names are retired. These were the names used this year.
. Number in parenthesis are people missing.
Tropical cyclone
A tropical cyclone is a storm system characterized by a large low-pressure center and numerous thunderstorms that produce strong winds and heavy rain. Tropical cyclones strengthen when water evaporated from the ocean is released as the saturated air rises, resulting in condensation of water vapor...
formation which started on November 15, 2006 and ended on April 30, 2007 for most areas and on May 15, 2007 for Mauritius
Mauritius
Mauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar...
and the Seychelles
Seychelles
Seychelles , officially the Republic of Seychelles , is an island country spanning an archipelago of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean, some east of mainland Africa, northeast of the island of Madagascar....
. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the basin, which is west of 90°E
90th meridian east
The meridian 90° east of Greenwich is a line of longitude that extends from the North Pole across the Arctic Ocean, Asia, the Indian Ocean, the Southern Ocean, and Antarctica to the South Pole.The Ninety East Ridge is named after the meridian....
and south of the Equator
Equator
An equator is the intersection of a sphere's surface with the plane perpendicular to the sphere's axis of rotation and containing the sphere's center of mass....
. Tropical cyclones in this basin are monitored by the Regional Specialised Meteorological Centre in Réunion
Réunion
Réunion is a French island with a population of about 800,000 located in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar, about south west of Mauritius, the nearest island.Administratively, Réunion is one of the overseas departments of France...
.
Pre-season outlook
On October 13, 2006, the Mauritius Meteorological Services issued their seasonal outlook for the Southwest Indian Ocean. They forecast an El Niño-positive phase for the season, meaning that normal to slightly above normal activity was likely. They also forecast a weak Quasi-Biennial OscillationQuasi-biennial oscillation
The quasi-biennial oscillation is a quasi-periodic oscillation of the equatorial zonal wind between easterlies and westerlies in the tropical stratosphere with a mean period of 28 to 29 months. The alternating wind regimes develop at the top of the lower stratosphere and propagate downwards at...
, which favoured formation of tropical storms, and noted that as 2006 Northern Hemisphere
Northern Hemisphere
The Northern Hemisphere is the half of a planet that is north of its equator—the word hemisphere literally means “half sphere”. It is also that half of the celestial sphere north of the celestial equator...
activity was slightly below normal, it might result in slightly above normal activity in the Southwest Indian Ocean. Based on regional indicators, they noted that named tropical storms would not last for short durations. Most other regional factors indicated the likelihood of a normal season. Therefore, the forecast called for about 10 named storms, mostly west of Diego Garcia
Diego Garcia
Diego Garcia is a tropical, footprint-shaped coral atoll located south of the equator in the central Indian Ocean at 7 degrees, 26 minutes south latitude. It is part of the British Indian Ocean Territory [BIOT] and is positioned at 72°23' east longitude....
, with at least one forming in the Mozambique Channel
Mozambique Channel
The Mozambique Channel is a portion of the Indian Ocean located between the island nation of Madagascar and southeast Africa, primarily the country of Mozambique. It was a World War II clashpoint during the Battle of Madagascar...
.
Tropical Disturbance 01
On October 19, a disturbed area of low pressure near the equator that had persisted for about two days was designated the year's first tropical disturbance by the RSMC on La RéunionRéunion
Réunion is a French island with a population of about 800,000 located in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar, about south west of Mauritius, the nearest island.Administratively, Réunion is one of the overseas departments of France...
. During the following three days, no regular advisories were released because the disturbance was not expected to develop. On October 22, however, the disturbance restrengthened and the issuance of full advisories began because development into a tropical depression was expected. This development did not occur, and on October 23 the final advisory was issued.
Moderate Tropical Storm Anita
On November 25, an area of convection developed near 5°S5th parallel south
The 5th parallel south is a circle of latitude that is 5 degrees south of the Earth's equatorial plane. It crosses the Atlantic Ocean, Africa, the Indian Ocean, Southeast Asia, Australasia, the Pacific Ocean and South America....
55°E
55th meridian east
The meridian 55° east of Greenwich is a line of longitude that extends from the North Pole across the Arctic Ocean, Europe, Asia, the Indian Ocean, the Southern Ocean, and Antarctica to the South Pole....
. The system was designated a zone perturbée two days later by RSMC La Réunion. It strengthened slightly, and was declared a tropical disturbance on November 27 at 1200 UTC. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center
Joint Typhoon Warning Center
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center is a joint United States Navy – United States Air Force task force located at the Naval Maritime Forecast Center in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii...
monitored the area for development and on November 29 upgraded the disturbance to a cyclone. RSMC La Réunion upgraded this system to a moderate tropical storm on December 1, and the Subregional Tropical Cyclone Advisory Centre in Madagascar named it "Anita", a name contributed to the list by themselves. Increasing wind shear
Wind shear
Wind shear, sometimes referred to as windshear or wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere...
inhibited any development, and the system failed to intensify further as it moved southward. RSMC La Réunion downgraded Anita to a tropical depression early on December 2. The JTWC ceased advisories on the system at the same time. Anita continued to weaken, and RSMC La Réunion downgraded it to a tropical disturbance later that day, and issued its last advisory early on December 3.
Intense Tropical Cyclone Bondo
An area of convection was first spotted on December 15 west-southwest of Diego GarciaDiego Garcia
Diego Garcia is a tropical, footprint-shaped coral atoll located south of the equator in the central Indian Ocean at 7 degrees, 26 minutes south latitude. It is part of the British Indian Ocean Territory [BIOT] and is positioned at 72°23' east longitude....
. Moving west, it gained some organisation, causing the JTWC to issue a TCFA on it. It was designated a tropical disturbance on December 17 by Météo-France
Météo-France
Météo-France is the French national meteorological service.The organisation was established by decree in June 1993 and is a department of the Ministry of Transportation. It is headquartered in Paris but many domestic operations have been decentralised to Toulouse...
. The JTWC upgraded it to a tropical cyclone on December 18, and later that day Météo-France upgraded the storm to a moderate tropical storm. The Subregional Tropical Cyclone Advisory Centre in Mauritius
Mauritius
Mauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar...
named the storm Bondo, a name contributed to the list by Malawi
Malawi
The Republic of Malawi is a landlocked country in southeast Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the northwest, Tanzania to the northeast, and Mozambique on the east, south and west. The country is separated from Tanzania and Mozambique by Lake Malawi. Its size...
. Following a quick bout of intensification, on December 19 MF reported that Bondo had strengthened into a severe tropical storm. At the next advisory, MF reported that Bondo had undergone rapid intensification, breaking Dvorak
Dvorak technique
The Dvorak technique is a widely used system to subjectively estimate tropical cyclone intensity based solely on visible and infrared satellite images. Several agencies issue Dvorak intensity numbers for cyclones of sufficient intensity...
rules, and upgraded it to tropical cyclone intensity. The JTWC noted that the tropical cyclone had "intensified at a greater than climatological rate" due to good radial outflow as it upgraded the storm from an equivalent of a strong tropical storm at 0300 UTC December 19 to a Category 3-equivalent
Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale
The Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale , or the Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale , classifies hurricanes — Western Hemisphere tropical cyclones that exceed the intensities of tropical depressions and tropical storms — into five categories distinguished by the intensities of their sustained winds...
at 1500 UTC. Further strengthening that day saw Bondo upgraded to an intense tropical cyclone, peaking at 110 knots (215.6 km/h) and 930 hPa. After going through an eyewall replacement cycle
Eyewall replacement cycle
Eyewall replacement cycles, also called concentric eyewall cycles, naturally occur in intense tropical cyclones, generally with winds greater than 185 km/h , or major hurricanes...
, the storm began to weaken. Continuing to track south-southwestward as it weakened, it crossed an area of lower vertical wind shear and began to restrengthen near the northern tip of Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
on December 23. Moving south-southwest parallel to the coast of Madagascar, it reached a secondary peak of 75 knots (147 km/h) from Météo-France before starting to weaken as it was about to make landfall. It made landfall around 1215 UTC, and the JTWC declared the storm dissipating over land at 1800 UTC, while Météo-France designated the storm as an inland depression. On December 26 M-F reported that the original low associated with Bondo had dissipated and a new low had formed associated with the system over sea. The RSMC La Reunion stopped issuing advisories later that day.
In response to the danger from Bondo, the Farquhar Atoll
Farquhar Atoll
The Farquhar Atoll is part of the Farquhar Group of islands in the Seychelles that are part of the Outer Islands. From 1965 to the independence of the Seychelles in 1976, they were a part of the British Indian Ocean Territory. The atoll is located at . The total area of the atoll, including the...
, which is part of the Seychelles
Seychelles
Seychelles , officially the Republic of Seychelles , is an island country spanning an archipelago of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean, some east of mainland Africa, northeast of the island of Madagascar....
, evacuated 35 of its 43 residents. The remaining eight stayed on the island in a concrete bunker. The island of Agalega received at least 11 inches of rain from Bondo. Eleven people were killed as a result of Bondo and another was reported as missing. A total of 20,001 people were left homeless.
Tropical Disturbance 04
An area of persistent convection first developed on December 22 northwest of Diego GarciaDiego Garcia
Diego Garcia is a tropical, footprint-shaped coral atoll located south of the equator in the central Indian Ocean at 7 degrees, 26 minutes south latitude. It is part of the British Indian Ocean Territory [BIOT] and is positioned at 72°23' east longitude....
. Mauritius designated it a tropical disturbance in their high seas warning for 0000 UTC December 25, and later that day Météo-France Réunion designated it Zone perturbée 04R. The next day, it gained enough organisation to be designated a tropical disturbance as it headed towards Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
. On December 28 RSMC La Reunion downgraded the storm to a zone of disturbed weather and terminated the regular advisories.
Severe Tropical Storm Clovis
On December 29, Météo-France (M-F) began issuing irregular bulletins on a new zone of disturbed weather, east-southeast of the final position of 04R. The Joint Typhoon Warning CenterJoint Typhoon Warning Center
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center is a joint United States Navy – United States Air Force task force located at the Naval Maritime Forecast Center in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii...
had earlier issued a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert
Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert
A Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert is a bulletin released by the U.S. Navy-operated Joint Typhoon Warning Center in Honolulu, Hawaii or the Naval Maritime Forecast Center in Norfolk, Virginia, warning of the possibility of a tropical cyclone forming from a tropical disturbance that has been...
on December 27, although M-F stated on December 29 that the low level circulation centre (LLCC) of 04R had dissipated. After several short-lived LLCCs overnight, a new cyclonic circulation had organised around the centre of the system, justifying the renumbering. On December 30 the system became more organized and was designated a tropical disturbance. At 1200 UTC on December 31, 05R was upgraded to Moderate Tropical Storm Clovis. The name Clovis was contributed by Mauritius
Mauritius
Mauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar...
. At 1500 UTC on the same day, RSMC La Reunion reported that Clovis had winds of 50 kt (93 km/h) with a minimum pressure of 987 hPa
HPA
-Organizations:*Halifax Port Authority, a port authority in Canada*Hamburg Port Authority, the port authority for the Port of Hamburg, Germany*Health Protection Agency, a health organization in the United Kingdom...
, and upgraded it to Severe Tropical Storm Clovis. Clovis passed 20 km northwest of Tromelin Island
Tromelin Island
Tromelin Island is a low, flat 0.8-square-kilometre island in the Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar . There are no harbours or anchorages and access by sea is difficult. The island has a 1,200-metre airstrip. It is a French territory...
at approximately 1700 UTC on December 31 with winds of 54 kt (100 km/h), gusting to 70 kt (130 km/h). It made landfall once on January 3, and dissipated on January 4. Four people were killed and two others were left missing as a result of Clovis. A total of 13,465 people were left homeless.
Tropical Disturbance 06
On January 5, a cluster of clouds was spotted near the western coast of MadagascarMadagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
by the U.S. Navy. By January 8, according to Météo-France, it had developed into a tropical disturbance, the 6th of the season. Later that day, MF ceased issuing advisories with no further development expected.
Intense Tropical Cyclone Dora
On January 28, an area of disturbed weather west of Diego GarciaDiego Garcia
Diego Garcia is a tropical, footprint-shaped coral atoll located south of the equator in the central Indian Ocean at 7 degrees, 26 minutes south latitude. It is part of the British Indian Ocean Territory [BIOT] and is positioned at 72°23' east longitude....
was designated as a tropical disturbance by Météo-France
Météo-France
Météo-France is the French national meteorological service.The organisation was established by decree in June 1993 and is a department of the Ministry of Transportation. It is headquartered in Paris but many domestic operations have been decentralised to Toulouse...
. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center
Joint Typhoon Warning Center
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center is a joint United States Navy – United States Air Force task force located at the Naval Maritime Forecast Center in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii...
initiated advisories on Tropical Cyclone 10S later that day, shortly after it released a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert
Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert
A Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert is a bulletin released by the U.S. Navy-operated Joint Typhoon Warning Center in Honolulu, Hawaii or the Naval Maritime Forecast Center in Norfolk, Virginia, warning of the possibility of a tropical cyclone forming from a tropical disturbance that has been...
. The system was upgraded to a tropical depression on January 29, and later that day to a moderate tropical storm by M-F. It was named Dora, which was contributed to the namelist by Mozambique
Mozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...
. Dora meandered southward over the next two days while strengthening, and Météo-France upgraded it to a tropical cyclone early on February 1. Although forecast to weaken, Dora continued to strengthen against expectations before weakening slightly. The storm then became annular
Annular hurricane
An annular hurricane, also known as a truck tire or doughnut hurricane, is a tropical cyclone in the Atlantic or Eastern Pacific Oceans that features a large, symmetric eye surrounded by a thick ring of intense convection. This type of storm is not prone to the fluctuations in intensity associated...
and intensified further, peaking at 100 kt, 930 hPa on February 3. It then started to weaken as it curved to the southwest, and became fully extratropical on February 9. M-F last noted the extratropical system late on February 12.
Dora caused a Class 2 cyclone warning on Rodrigues island
Rodrigues (island)
Rodrigues , sometimes spelled Rodriguez but named after the Portuguese explorer Diogo Rodrigues, is the smallest of the Mascarene Islands and a dependency of Mauritius...
, but no deaths or damage has been reported.
Severe Tropical Storm Enok
On February 7, the Joint Typhoon Warning CenterJoint Typhoon Warning Center
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center is a joint United States Navy – United States Air Force task force located at the Naval Maritime Forecast Center in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii...
issued a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert
Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert
A Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert is a bulletin released by the U.S. Navy-operated Joint Typhoon Warning Center in Honolulu, Hawaii or the Naval Maritime Forecast Center in Norfolk, Virginia, warning of the possibility of a tropical cyclone forming from a tropical disturbance that has been...
on an area of convection east of the coast of Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
. Météo-France designated it a tropical disturbance, the 8th of the season, late the next day. On February 9, the JTWC upgraded the disturbance to a tropical cyclone, numbering it 13S, shortly before M-F upgraded it to a tropical depression. The system was named Enok by Madagascar later that day, despite Météo-France not upgrading it to a moderate tropical storm. The name Enok was contributed by Namibia
Namibia
Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia , is a country in southern Africa whose western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and east. It gained independence from South Africa on 21 March...
. The system was upgraded to a severe tropical storm at the next advisory, but slowly began to weaken the next day. When passing near Rodrigues
Rodrigues (island)
Rodrigues , sometimes spelled Rodriguez but named after the Portuguese explorer Diogo Rodrigues, is the smallest of the Mascarene Islands and a dependency of Mauritius...
, Enok caused a Class 4 cyclone warning, before the storm was downgraded to a tempête tropicale moderée on February 10. The JTWC issued its final warning on Enok the next day, before the storm was further downgraded to a tropical depression by M-F later that day. It was last mentioned six hours later after it was downgraded to a tropical disturbance.
Intense Tropical Cyclone Favio
Early on February 12, Météo-France noted an area of convection, designating it 09R, and it was upgraded to a disturbance twelve hours later. Late on February 13, the Joint Typhoon Warning CenterJoint Typhoon Warning Center
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center is a joint United States Navy – United States Air Force task force located at the Naval Maritime Forecast Center in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii...
issued a TCFA
Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert
A Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert is a bulletin released by the U.S. Navy-operated Joint Typhoon Warning Center in Honolulu, Hawaii or the Naval Maritime Forecast Center in Norfolk, Virginia, warning of the possibility of a tropical cyclone forming from a tropical disturbance that has been...
on the disturbance, and upgraded it to Tropical Cyclone 14S the next day. On February 15, M-F upgraded the system to a moderate tropical storm, and it was named Favio, a name contributed by the Seychelles
Seychelles
Seychelles , officially the Republic of Seychelles , is an island country spanning an archipelago of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean, some east of mainland Africa, northeast of the island of Madagascar....
. A vigilance cyclonique (cyclone watch)/yellow alert was issued later that day, and three-hourly updates were commenced due to the threat to La Réunion
La Reunion
La Reunion may refer to:* La Reunion , a communal settlement near present-day Dallas, Texas*La Réunion, Lot-et-Garonne, a town in the Lot-et-Garonne department of France*Réunion, an island in the Indian Ocean east of Madagascar...
. This was discontinued on February 16 after Favio moved well to the south of the island. The storm further intensified early on February 18 and was upgraded to a severe tropical storm. It continued to strengthen, and was upgraded to a tropical cyclone at 10 a.m. local time on February 19. The small tropical cyclone reached intense tropical cyclone status the next day, peaking at 105 kt, 925 hPa. It then tracked west-northwestward, threatening Mozambique
Mozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...
and forcing the authorities to put the country on the highest level of alert. The British Foreign Office also issued a travel warning to Britons
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
planning visits to or on the islands of the Bazaruto Archipelago
Bazaruto Archipelago
The Bazaruto Archipelago is a group of six islands in Mozambique, near the mainland city of Vilankulo. It comprises the islands of Bazaruto, Benguerra, Magaruque, Banque, Santa Carolina and Shell....
. It made landfall on February 22 in Inhambane Province
Inhambane Province
Inhambane is a province of Mozambique located on the coast in the southern part of the country. It has an area of 68,615 km² and a population of 1.412.349 . The provincial capital is also called Inhambane....
as an intense tropical cyclone, exactly seven years to the day since the last intense tropical cyclone, Eline
Cyclone Leon-Eline
Cyclone Leon–Eline was a long-lived Indian Ocean tropical cyclone which traversed almost the entire Indian ocean and made devastating strikes on Madagascar, Mozambique and South Africa, and had less serious effects in Zimbabwe where it eventually died out....
, struck Mozambique. Once inland, it weakened quickly to below cyclone status with 30 knots (58.8 km/h) average winds over 10 hours after landfall.
Favio damaged the town court and town prison in the resort town of Vilanculos in Mozambique. Uprooted trees caused by the cyclone also blocked roads, cutting off access for rescuers to some homes. The cyclone killed four people and injured at least seventy in the town, and thousands of homes were destroyed along with the hospital and power grid. 120 patients were evacuated from the rural hospital and 600 prisoners escaped when the local jail was demolished. Bazaruto Island
Bazaruto Island
Bazaruto is a sandy island located approximately southeast of the mouth of the Save River, Mozambique . It is the largest island in the Bazaruto Archipelago and in the Bazaruto National Park....
, only reachable by boats and helicopters, was cut off from communications as the electricity grid was destroyed. The storm also unearthed trees and blew off rooftops in Pontagea, a highly populated suburb in the port city of Beira
Beira, Mozambique
Beira is the second largest city in Mozambique. It lies in the central region of the country in Sofala Province, where the Pungue River meets the Indian Ocean. Beira had a population of 412,588 in 1997, which grew to an estimated 546,000 in 2006...
. A total of ten people were killed by the storm and nearly 100 others were injured, and the storm caused $71 million USD in damage.
The remnants of the system caused authorities in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
to issue a flood warning. In the aftermath of the storm, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
offered helicopters to Mozambique to deliver food to shelters and to help Mozambican officials assess the situation aerially.
Intense Tropical Cyclone Gamede
Météo-France began advisories on a tropical disturbance well south-southeast of Diego GarciaDiego Garcia
Diego Garcia is a tropical, footprint-shaped coral atoll located south of the equator in the central Indian Ocean at 7 degrees, 26 minutes south latitude. It is part of the British Indian Ocean Territory [BIOT] and is positioned at 72°23' east longitude....
on February 20. It was quickly upgraded to a tropical depression later that day, and the next day it was named Gamede after attaining tropical storm status. TGamede strengthened into a severe tropical storm the next day as it moved westwards, causing the Mauritius Meteorological Services to issue a class 1 cyclone warning for the island. This was upgraded to a class 2 warning as Gamede strengthened into a tropical cyclone on February 23. The system, which at one point had a 500 km (310.7 mi)- 30 knots (58.8 km/h) wind field, continued to strengthen as it moved westsouthwest, causing officials on Réunion
Réunion
Réunion is a French island with a population of about 800,000 located in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar, about south west of Mauritius, the nearest island.Administratively, Réunion is one of the overseas departments of France...
to issue a yellow alert/vigilance cyclonique that same day. Mauritius further raised the cyclone warning to class 3 as the island came near to the 30 knots (58.8 km/h) wind field of the large system. On February 24, as the storm grew larger in size, the yellow alert for Réunion was upgraded to an orange alert, the first of the season. Later that day the first red alert of the season for the island came into force. Mauritius raised the cyclone warning to a class 4 early on February 25 because of gusts associated with Gamede above 120 km/h around the island, but terminated bulletins later that day as the storm continued to move farther away from the island. After a slight weakening due to dry air, and a re-organisation of convection near the centre of the system, Gamede strengthened into an intense tropical cyclone.
Early on February 26 M-F discontinued the red alert for Réunion and declared the post-cyclone phase de prudence, which means that dangers still exist despite the cyclone no longer being a threat. Later that day, Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
issued an advisory of imminent danger for 13 areas. On February 27, M-F reinstated an orange alert for Réunion
Réunion
Réunion is a French island with a population of about 800,000 located in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar, about south west of Mauritius, the nearest island.Administratively, Réunion is one of the overseas departments of France...
as the system underwent an eyewall replacement cycle
Eyewall replacement cycle
Eyewall replacement cycles, also called concentric eyewall cycles, naturally occur in intense tropical cyclones, generally with winds greater than 185 km/h , or major hurricanes...
and grew in size. This was re-upgraded to a red alert that evening as the cyclone neared the island again. French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
Overseas Minister
Minister of Overseas France
The Minister of Overseas France is a cabinet member in the Government of France responsible for overseeing French overseas departments and territories .The position is currently held by Brice Hortefeux, who is also the Minister of the Interior...
François Baroin
François Baroin
François Baroin is a French politician, recently appointed Finance Minister, following a stint as Minister of the Budget in the François Fillon III government...
arrived on the island earlier that day to assess damage, and said he would stay through the red alert. A bridge that collapsed due to Gamede caused about €
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
20 million in damage. The red alert was discontinued and replaced by the phase de prudence advisory early on February 28. M-F declared the all-clear later that day. Gamede moved further southwards between Réunion and Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
while still retaining tropical cyclone intensity, but started to weaken, and on March 1 it was downgraded to a severe tropical storm. It then started undergoing extratropical transition, with the centre of the storm becoming exposed. The JTWC issued its final warning on March 2, and M-F followed suit later that day.
Gamede broke numerous world records for tropical cyclone rainfall
Tropical cyclone rainfall climatology
A tropical cyclone rainfall climatology is developed to determine rainfall characteristics of past tropical cyclones. A tropical cyclone rainfall climatology can be used to help forecast current or upcoming tropical cyclone impacts. The degree of a tropical cyclone rainfall impact depends upon...
, with world records set for accumulated rainfall over 72 hours to accumulated rainfall over 9 days. Between February 24 and 27 , 154.6 inches (3929 mm) of rain fell on Réunion island.
Tropical Cyclone Humba
A tropical low southwest of SumatraSumatra
Sumatra is an island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands. It is the largest island entirely in Indonesia , and the sixth largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 with a population of 50,365,538...
was first referenced in a BOM three-day cyclone outlook on February 19. Two days later, while slowly developing, it crossed 90°E
90th meridian east
The meridian 90° east of Greenwich is a line of longitude that extends from the North Pole across the Arctic Ocean, Asia, the Indian Ocean, the Southern Ocean, and Antarctica to the South Pole.The Ninety East Ridge is named after the meridian....
and was designated Tropical Disturbance 11R by M-F. The JTWC issued a TCFA
Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert
A Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert is a bulletin released by the U.S. Navy-operated Joint Typhoon Warning Center in Honolulu, Hawaii or the Naval Maritime Forecast Center in Norfolk, Virginia, warning of the possibility of a tropical cyclone forming from a tropical disturbance that has been...
on February 21, and upgraded it to Tropical Cyclone 16S several hours later as convection
Convection
Convection is the movement of molecules within fluids and rheids. It cannot take place in solids, since neither bulk current flows nor significant diffusion can take place in solids....
continued to flare. It was upgraded by M-F to a tropical depression the next day. Little strengthening occurred over the next two days, although convection continued to be impressive. It was upgraded to a moderate tropical storm on February 23, and was named Humba, the name submitted by Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
. Gradual strengthening continued, and Humba was upgraded first to a severe tropical storm later that day then to a tropical cyclone on February 25. It managed to strengthen to 80 kt, 960 hPa, before it started weakening again, and was downgraded back to a severe tropical storm on February 26. The same day, with Humba undergoing extratropical transition
Extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are a group of cyclones defined as synoptic scale low pressure weather systems that occur in the middle latitudes of the Earth having neither tropical nor polar characteristics, and are connected with fronts and...
, the JTWC issued its final warning on the system. Météo-France followed suit the next day.
Intense Tropical Cyclone Indlala
On March 10, Météo-France noted an area of convection around 60°E60th meridian east
The meridian 60° east of Greenwich is a line of longitude that extends from the North Pole across the Arctic Ocean, Europe, Asia, the Indian Ocean, the Southern Ocean, and Antarctica to the South Pole....
, and numbered it 12R. The next day, M-F upgraded it to a tropical disturbance as the Joint Typhoon Warning Center
Joint Typhoon Warning Center
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center is a joint United States Navy – United States Air Force task force located at the Naval Maritime Forecast Center in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii...
issued a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert
Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert
A Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert is a bulletin released by the U.S. Navy-operated Joint Typhoon Warning Center in Honolulu, Hawaii or the Naval Maritime Forecast Center in Norfolk, Virginia, warning of the possibility of a tropical cyclone forming from a tropical disturbance that has been...
on it. The disturbance continued to strengthen, and later that day M-F upgraded 12R to a tropical depression. Under favorable conditions, it strengthened into a moderate tropical storm early on March 12. Originally, the storm was referred to as "Indlada" by M-F, but this was later corrected to the correct name, Indlala, which was contributed by Swaziland
Swaziland
Swaziland, officially the Kingdom of Swaziland , and sometimes called Ngwane or Swatini, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa, bordered to the north, south and west by South Africa, and to the east by Mozambique...
. Indlala continued to strengthen, and it was upgraded to a severe tropical storm. It reached tropical cyclone intensity on March 13 in favourable conditions, with infrared satellite imagery showing an intermittent eye
Eye (cyclone)
The eye is a region of mostly calm weather found at the center of strong tropical cyclones. The eye of a storm is a roughly circular area and typically 30–65 km in diameter. It is surrounded by the eyewall, a ring of towering thunderstorms where the second most severe weather of a cyclone...
. It continued to strengthen in a favourable environment, with a well-defined eye, and reached intense tropical cyclone strength the next day as it tracked westward towards Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
. It made landfall early on March 15 as it was undergoing an eyewall replacement cycle
Eyewall replacement cycle
Eyewall replacement cycles, also called concentric eyewall cycles, naturally occur in intense tropical cyclones, generally with winds greater than 185 km/h , or major hurricanes...
, near Antalaha
Antalaha
Antalaha is a commune in northern Madagascar. It belongs to the district of Antalaha, which is a part of Sava Region. According to 2001 census the population of Antalaha was 75,000....
, Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
, and weakened quickly while over land. It dissipated over land on March 17, and the final warning was issued.
Indlala killed 150 people and left another 126 missing. A total of 188,331 people were also left homeless due to the storm. Damages from Indlala amounted to $240 million.
Tropical Disturbance 13
Tropical cyclone bulletins were initiated by Météo-FranceMétéo-France
Météo-France is the French national meteorological service.The organisation was established by decree in June 1993 and is a department of the Ministry of Transportation. It is headquartered in Paris but many domestic operations have been decentralised to Toulouse...
on March 13 on an area of disturbed weather that had lingered in the south central Indian Ocean for three days as satellite imagery showed an improving low-level circulation. Only irregular bulletins were issued over the course of the system's existence. It gained enough organisation to be considered a tropical disturbance on March 15, but never strengthened further. The final warning was issued on March 17 as it started to dissipate.
Intense Tropical Cyclone Jaya
An area of shearedWind shear
Wind shear, sometimes referred to as windshear or wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere...
convection was first spotted on March 25 in the south central Indian Ocean. Four days later, Météo-France
Météo-France
Météo-France is the French national meteorological service.The organisation was established by decree in June 1993 and is a department of the Ministry of Transportation. It is headquartered in Paris but many domestic operations have been decentralised to Toulouse...
initiated warnings on the zone of disturbed weather, which had a partially-exposed low-level centre. At first, only irregular bulletins were issued, but as it organised rapidly it was upgraded to a tropical depression on March 30. Mauritius designated the system a moderate tropical storm at the same time, and named it Jaya, a name contributed by Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center
Joint Typhoon Warning Center
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center is a joint United States Navy – United States Air Force task force located at the Naval Maritime Forecast Center in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii...
issued a TCFA, before designating it Tropical Cyclone 22S later that same day. As it continued to organise, M-F upgraded it to a moderate tropical storm. It continued to strengthen, and Jaya was upgraded to a tropical cyclone early on March 31 by M-F. Rapid intensification continued, and Jaya quickly reached intense tropical cyclone status by the afternoon of the 31st, reaching a peak of 100 kt 930 hPa.
However, its small size meant that its structure and intensity easily fluctuated, and on April 1 it weakened slightly, with infrared imagery showing disorganisation as it encountered increased vertical wind shear
Wind shear
Wind shear, sometimes referred to as windshear or wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere...
, Jaya was downgraded to a tropical cyclone. As Jaya neared northeast Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
late on April 2, it was re-upgraded to an intense tropical cyclone after convection improved. However, Jaya lost strength just hours later as it was about to make landfall due to dry air and wind shear, and became disorganised.
Jaya made landfall at around 0800 UTC April 3 near Sambava, Madagascar at tropical cyclone intensity, with wind gusts near 180–200 km/h. It re-emerged over water in the Mozambique Channel
Mozambique Channel
The Mozambique Channel is a portion of the Indian Ocean located between the island nation of Madagascar and southeast Africa, primarily the country of Mozambique. It was a World War II clashpoint during the Battle of Madagascar...
as a highly-disorganised weak system lacking convection, and the final warning was issued.
On April 5, deep convection consolidated around the centre of Jaya's remnant circulation as the system reorganised, causing the JTWC to issue a new TCFA. Météo-France issued an advisory at 1200 UTC that afternoon on Tropical Disturbance 14R, but noted that vertical wind shear limited potential for significant intensification. Due to its proximity to the Mozambique
Mozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...
coast, the system was affected by its terrain, but tracked just off the coast without making landfall. Over the next two days, Jaya came under heavy wind shear
Wind shear
Wind shear, sometimes referred to as windshear or wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere...
, and weakened considerably. However, it made another comeback on April 7, undergoing short-term rapid intensification, prompting Météo-France to issue a new advisory. However, convection became very weak and Jaya's circulation became fully exposed, and Météo-France again stopped advisories.
Reuters reports at least three people dead and many homes destroyed http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/impacts/200704/18113178.html. Several plantations were also ruined.
Subtropical Storm 15
On April 11, Météo-FranceMétéo-France
Météo-France is the French national meteorological service.The organisation was established by decree in June 1993 and is a department of the Ministry of Transportation. It is headquartered in Paris but many domestic operations have been decentralised to Toulouse...
started warnings on a subtropical system to the south of Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
. It was water with a sea surface temperature
Sea surface temperature
Sea surface temperature is the water temperature close to the oceans surface. The exact meaning of surface varies according to the measurement method used, but it is between and below the sea surface. Air masses in the Earth's atmosphere are highly modified by sea surface temperatures within a...
of 25 °C, and had weak convection associated with it. The warning noted that due to a decrease in wind shear
Wind shear
Wind shear, sometimes referred to as windshear or wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere...
, the system had organised enough to be considered a subtropical depression. However, in the warning it was also noted that extratropical transition would soon occur. It became fully extratropical the next day after wind shear increased. In operational reanalysis, it was found that the system had formed on April 9, and had become a tropical depression late on April 10 before becoming subtropical and reaching gale strength.
Storm names
A tropical disturbance is named when it reaches moderate tropical storm strength. If a tropical disturbance reaches moderate tropical storm status west of 55°E55th meridian east
The meridian 55° east of Greenwich is a line of longitude that extends from the North Pole across the Arctic Ocean, Europe, Asia, the Indian Ocean, the Southern Ocean, and Antarctica to the South Pole....
, then the Sub-regional Tropical Cyclone Advisory Centre in Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
assigns the appropriate name to the storm. If a tropical disturbance reaches moderate tropical storm status between 55°E
55th meridian east
The meridian 55° east of Greenwich is a line of longitude that extends from the North Pole across the Arctic Ocean, Europe, Asia, the Indian Ocean, the Southern Ocean, and Antarctica to the South Pole....
and 90°E
90th meridian east
The meridian 90° east of Greenwich is a line of longitude that extends from the North Pole across the Arctic Ocean, Asia, the Indian Ocean, the Southern Ocean, and Antarctica to the South Pole.The Ninety East Ridge is named after the meridian....
, then the Sub-regional Tropical Cyclone Advisory Centre in Mauritius
Mauritius
Mauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar...
assigns the appropriate name to the storm. A new annual list is used every year so no names are retired. These were the names used this year.
|
|
Season effects
This table lists all the storms that developed in the Southern Hemisphere during the 2006-2007 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season. It includes their intensity, duration, name, landfalls, deaths, and damages. All data is taken from Météo-FranceMétéo-France
Météo-France is the French national meteorological service.The organisation was established by decree in June 1993 and is a department of the Ministry of Transportation. It is headquartered in Paris but many domestic operations have been decentralised to Toulouse...
. Number in parenthesis are people missing.
See also
- Tropical cyclone scalesTropical cyclone scalesTropical systems are officially ranked on one of several tropical cyclone scales according to their maximum sustained winds and in what oceanic basin they are located...
- List of Southern Hemisphere tropical cyclone seasons
- Atlantic hurricane seasons: 20062006 Atlantic hurricane seasonThe 2006 Atlantic hurricane season was significantly less active than the record previous season. It marked the first since 2001 in which no hurricanes made landfall in the United States, and was the first since 1994 that no tropical cyclones formed during October. Following the intense activity of...
, 20072007 Atlantic hurricane seasonThe 2007 Atlantic hurricane season was an active Atlantic hurricane season that produced 17 tropical cyclones, 15 tropical storms, six hurricanes, and two major hurricanes. It officially started on June 1 and ended on November 30, dates which conventionally delimit the... - Pacific hurricane seasons: 20062006 Pacific hurricane seasonThe 2006 Pacific hurricane season was the most active Pacific hurricane season since 2000 producing 19 tropical storms or hurricanes. Eighteen developed within the National Hurricane Center area of warning responsibility, which is east of 140ºW, and one storm formed between 140ºW and the...
, 20072007 Pacific hurricane seasonThe 2007 Pacific hurricane season was an event in the annual cycle of tropical cyclone formation. It officially started on May 15, 2007 in the eastern Pacific, designated as the area east of 140°W, and on June 1, 2007 in the central Pacific, which is between the International Date Line and 140°W,... - Pacific typhoon seasons: 20062006 Pacific typhoon seasonThe 2006 Pacific typhoon season had no official bounds; it ran year-round in 2006, but most tropical cyclones tend to form in the northwestern Pacific Ocean between May and November...
, 20072007 Pacific typhoon seasonThe 2007 Pacific typhoon season was a below average season which featured 24 named storms and 14 typhoons, compared to the average of 27 and 17 respectively. had no official bounds; it ran year-round in 2007, but most tropical cyclones tend to form in the northwestern Pacific Ocean between May and... - North Indian Ocean cyclone seasons: 2006, 2007