Below is a timeline of the 2008–09 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season, documenting storm formations, intensifcation, weakening, landfalls

Landfall (meteorology)

Landfall is the event of a tropical cyclone or a waterspout coming onto land after being over water. When a waterspout makes landfall it is reclassified as a tornado, which can then cause damage inland...

, extratropical transitions, as well as dissipation or leaving the area of responsibility.

The 2008-09 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season

2008-09 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season

The 2008–09 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season was an event in the annual cycle of tropical cyclone formation. It began on November 15, 2008, and officially ended on April 30, 2009, with the exception for Mauritius and the Seychelles, for which it ended on May 15, 2009...

 was an event in the annual cycle of tropical cyclone

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. It began on November 15, 2008, ended on April 30, 2009, with the exception 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....

, which ended May 15. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the basin, which is west of 90°E

Longitude

Longitude is a geographic coordinate that specifies the east-west position of a point on the Earth's surface. It is an angular measurement, usually expressed in degrees, minutes and seconds, and denoted by the Greek letter lambda ....

 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...

.

October

October 6

• 1200 UTC
  Coordinated Universal Time
  Coordinated Universal Time is the primary time standard by which the world regulates clocks and time. It is one of several closely related successors to Greenwich Mean Time. Computer servers, online services and other entities that rely on having a universally accepted time use UTC for that purpose...
  
   - Area of Disturbed Weather 01 forms south 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....
  
  

October 8

• 0600 UTC - The final advisory on Area of Disturbed Weather 01 is issued.

October 16

• 1200 UTC - Tropical Disturbance 02 forms northwest of Diego Garcia.
• 2100 UTC - The Joint Typhoon Warning Center designates Tropical Disturbance 02 as Tropical Cyclone 01S.

October 17

• 0000 UTC - RSMC La Réunion upgrades Tropical Disturbance 02 to Tropical Depression 02.

October 18

• 0000 UTC - RSMC La Réunion downgrades Tropical Depression 02 to a tropical disturbance.

October 19

• 0000 UTC - RSMC Réunion upgrades Tropical Disturbance 02 to Tropical Depression 02.
• 1800 UTC - Sub-Regional Center Maurtius designates Tropical Depression 02 as Moderate Tropical Storm Asma.

October 21

• 0600 UTC - RSMC La Réunion downgrades Moderate Tropical Storm Asma, to a tropical depression.
• 0900 UTC - The Joint Typhoon Warning Center, issues its last advisory on Tropical Cyclone 01S (Asma).
• 1800 UTC - RSMC La Réunion downgrades Tropical Depression 02 (Ex Asma), to a tropical disturbance.

October 22

• 0600 UTC - RSMC La Réunion, issues its last advisory on tropical disturbance 02 (Ex Asma).
• 1800 UTC - RSMC La Réunion, reports that tropical disturbance 02 (Ex Asma) has regenerated.

October 23

• 1200 UTC - RSMC La Réunion issues its last advisory on tropical disturbance 02 (Ex Asma) as it fills up.

November

November 15

• 0000 UTC - The 2008–09 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season officially starts.

November 19

• 0600 UTC - Tropical Disturbance 03 forms to the Southeast of Diego Garcia.
• 1800 UTC - RSMC Réunion upgrades Tropical Disturbance 03 to Tropical Depression 03.

November 20

• 1200 UTC - Mauritius Meteorological Services designates Tropical Depression 03 as Moderate Tropical Storm Bernard.
• 1800 UTC- RSMC Réunion downgrades Moderate Tropical Storm Bernard to a tropical depression.

November 21

• 0000 UTC - RSMC Réunion downgrades Tropical Depression, (Ex Bernard) to a tropical disturbance and issues its final advisory.

December

December 15

• 1200 UTC - Metéo France designates 96S.INVEST near Diego Garcia as Area of Disturbed Weather 04-20082009.

December 16

• 0000 UTC - Metéo France upgrades Area of Disturbed Weather 04-20082009 to Tropical Disturbance 04-20082009.

December 17

• 0000 UTC - Metéo France upgrades Tropical Disturbance 04-20082009 to Tropical Depression 04-20082009.

December 18

• 0000 UTC - Mauritius Meteorological Services designates Tropical Depression 04 as Moderate Tropical Storm Cinda.

• 0600 UTC - Metéo France upgrades Moderate Tropical Storm Cinda to Severe Tropical Storm Cinda.
• 1800 UTC - Metéo France downgrades Severe Tropical Storm Cinda to a moderate tropical storm.

December 20

• 1200 UTC - Metéo France downgrades Moderate Tropical Storm Cinda to a tropical depression.
• 1800 UTC - Metéo France downgrades Tropical Depression, Ex-Cinda to a tropical disturbance.

December 21

• 1200 UTC - Metéo France downgrades Tropical Disturbance, Ex-Cinda to an area of disturbed weather and issues its final advisory.

January

January 8

• 0600 UTC
  Coordinated Universal Time
  Coordinated Universal Time is the primary time standard by which the world regulates clocks and time. It is one of several closely related successors to Greenwich Mean Time. Computer servers, online services and other entities that rely on having a universally accepted time use UTC for that purpose...
  
   - Météo France designates 98S.INVEST northeast of the remnants of Ex TC Billy as Area of Disturbed Weather 05-20082009.
• 1200 UTC - Météo France upgrades Area of Disturbed Weather 05-20082009 to Tropical Disturbance 05-20082009.

January 9

• 1200 UTC - Météo France upgrades Tropical Disturbance 05-20082009 to Moderate Tropical Storm Dongo.
• 1500 UTC - The Joint Typhoon Warning Center begins issuing advisories on Tropical Cyclone 06S (Dongo).

January 11

• 0000 UTC - Météo France upgrades Moderate Tropical Storm Dongo to a severe tropical storm.

January 12

• 0000 UTC - Météo France downgrades Severe Tropical Storm Dongo to a moderate tropical storm.
• 0600 UTC - Météo France declares Moderate Tropical Storm Dongo as an extratropical depression.
• 1500 UTC - The Joint Typhoon Warning Center issues their final advisory on Tropical Cyclone 06S (Dongo).

January 13

• 0000 UTC - Météo France issues their final advisory on Extratropical Depression Dongo.

January 17

• 0600 UTC - Météo France issues the first advisory on Tropical Disturbance 06-20082009, northeast of Madagascar

January 18

• 0600 UTC - Météo France issues the first advisory on Tropical Disturbance 07-20082009, west of southern Madagascar.

January 18

• 0600 UTC - Météo France issues the first advisory on Tropical Disturbance 07-20082009, west of southern Madagascar.
• 0600 UTC - Méteo France upgrades Tropical Disturbance 06-20082009 to a tropical depression.
• 1800 UTC - Méteo France upgrades Tropical Disturbance 07-20082009 to a tropical depression.

January 19

• 0000 UTC - Madagascar Weather Services designates Tropical Depression 06-20082009 as Moderate Tropical Storm Eric.
• 0600 UTC - Madagascar Weather Services designates Tropical Depression 07-20082009 as Moderate Tropical Storm Fanele.
• 1200 UTC - Méteo France upgrades Moderate Tropical Storm Fanele to a severe tropical storm.

January 20

• 0000 UTC - Méteo France upgrades Severe Tropical Storm Fanele to a tropical cyclone.
• 0600 UTC - Méteo France upgrades Tropical Cyclone Fanele to an intense tropical cyclone.

January 21

• 0000 UTC - Méteo France downgrades Moderate Tropical Storm Eric to a tropical depression.
• 0215 UTC - Intense Tropical Cyclone Fanele makes landfall over western Malagasy coastline.
• 0600 UTC - Méteo France re-classifies Intense Tropical Cyclone Fanele to a depression overland.

January 22

• 0000 UTC - Méteo France classifies Depression Overland, Ex-Fanele as it completely crosses Madagascar as a tropical disturbance.
• 0600 UTC - Méteo France upgrades Tropical Disturbance, Ex-Fanele to a tropical depression.
• 1200 UTC - Méteo France upgrades Tropical Depression, Ex-Fanele to a moderate tropical storm.

January 23

• 0000 UTC - Moderate Tropical Storm Fanele transists into an extratropical system.
• 1200 UTC - Méteo France issues its final advisory on Extratropical Depression, Ex-Fanele.

February

February 1

• 1200 UTC - Méteo-France designates a low pressure area east-northeast of Réunion as an Area of Disturbed Weather 08-20082009.

February 2

• 0600 UTC - Méteo-France upgrades Area of Disturbed Weather 08-20082009 to Tropical Disturbance 08-20082009.

February 3

• 0000 UTC - Méteo-France upgrades Tropical Disturbance 08-20082009 to Tropical Depression 08-20082009.
• 0600 UTC - Mauritius Meteorological Services designates Tropical Depression 08-20082009 as Moderate Tropical Storm Gael.

February 5

• 0900 UTC - Méteo-France upgrades Moderate Tropical Storm Gael to Severe Tropical Storm Gael.
• 1800 UTC - Méteo-France upgrades Severe Tropical Storm Gael to Tropical Cyclone Gael.

February 6

• 1800 UTC - Méteo-France upgrades Tropical Cyclone Gael to Intense Tropical Cyclone Gael.

February 8

• 1200 UTC - Méteo-France downgrades Intense Tropical Cyclone Gael to a Tropical Cyclone.

February 10

• 0300 UTC - The JTWC issues its final advisory on Tropical Storm Gael.

February 21

• 1200 UTC - The JTWC designates Zone of Disturbed Weather 09 2008-09 as Tropical Cyclone 16S
• 1800 UTC - Méteo-France upgrades Tropical Disturbance 09-20082009 to Tropical Depression 09-20082009.

February 22

• 0000 UTC - Mauritius Meteorological Services designates Tropical Depression 09-20082009 to Moderate Tropical Storm Hina.
• 1200 UTC - Méteo-France upgrades Moderate Tropical Storm Hina (16S) to a severe tropical storm.

February 23

• 1800 UTC - Méteo-France downgrades Moderate Tropical Storm Hina (16S) to a tropical disturbance.

February 24

• 0600 UTC - The JTWC issues its final advisory on Tropical Cyclone 16S (Hina).
• 2300 UTC - Méteo-France releases its final advisory on Tropical Disturbance, Ex-Hina.

March

March 8

• 0600 UTC - Méteo-France issues advisory on Tropical Disturbance 10-20082009 near Diego Garcia.

March 9

• 1100 UTC - The JTWC upgrades Zone of Disturbed Weather 10 to Tropical Cyclone 19S.
• 1200 UTC - Méteo-France upgrades Tropical Disturbance 10-20082009 to Tropical Depression 10-20082009.

March 10

• 0300 UTC - The JTWC issues its last advisory on the dissipating Tropical Cyclone 19S.
• 0600 UTC - Méteo-France downgrades Tropical Depression 10-20082009 to a tropical disturbance.

• 1200 UTC - Méteo-France issues its last advisory on Tropical Disturbance 10-20082009.

March 24

• 0600 UTC - Méteo-France designates an area of low pressure west-northwest of Antananarivo, Madagascar as Tropical Disturbance 11-20082009.
• 1200 UTC - Méteo-France upgrades Tropical Disturbance 11-20082009 to Tropical Depression 11-20082009.
• 1800 UTC - Madagascar Weather Services designates Tropical Depression 11-20082009 to Moderate Tropical Storm Izilda.

March 25

• 1800 UTC - Méteo-France upgrades Moderate Tropical Storm Izilda to Severe Tropical Storm Izilda.

March 26

• 1200 UTC - Méteo-France downgrades Severe Tropical Storm Izilda to a moderate tropical storm.

March 27

• 0600 UTC - Méteo-France downgrades Moderate Tropical Storm Izilda to a tropical disturbance.
• 1800 UTC - Méteo-France issues its final advisory on Tropical Disturbance, Ex-Izilda.

April

April 3

• 0600 UTC - Méteo-France designates an area of low pressure northeast of Madagascar as Zone of Disturbed Weather 12-20082009.
• 1200 UTC - Méteo-France upgrades Zone of Disturbed Weather 12-20082009 to Tropical Disturbance 12-20082009.

April 4

• 1800 UTC - Méteo-France upgrades Tropical Disturbance 12-20082009 to Tropical Depression 12-20082009.

April 5

• 0600 UTC - Méteo-France upgrades Tropical Depression 12-20082009 to Moderate Tropical Storm Jade.
• 1800 UTC - Méteo-France upgrades Moderate Tropical Storm Jade to Severe Tropical Storm Jade.

April 6

• 1200 UTC - Méteo-France downgrades Severe Tropical Storm Jade to an overland depression as it skirts Madagascar's eastern coast.

April 7

• 0600 UTC - Méteo-France upgrades Overland Depression Ex-Jade to Moderate Tropical Storm Jade.

April 9

• 0600 UTC - Méteo-France downgrades Moderate Tropical Storm Jade to Tropical Depression Ex-Jade.

April 10

• 0600 UTC - Méteo-France upgrades Tropical Depression Ex-Jade to Moderate Tropical Storm Jade.
• 1800 UTC - Méteo-France downgrades Moderate Tropical Storm Jade to Tropical Depression Ex-Jade.

April 11

• 1800 UTC - Méteo-France reports that Tropical Depression Ex-Jade has become extratropical.