2008-09 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season
Encyclopedia
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. 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 were monitored by the Regional Specialised Meteorological Centre in Réunion
.
As predicted by the sub regional office of Mauritius ten named storms formed in this basin. It officially began on November 15, but began 1 month earlier when Tropical Storm Asma formed on October 16. Most of the storms that formed this year were weak or stayed at sea. Only two storms reached hurricane strength this year, both of which were Category 3 or higher, and only 3 storms made landfall in the entire season. Overall, the impact of this season was relatively minor, but damaging for Madagascar
, due to the heavy rains from Eric, Fanele
, Izilda and Jade.
(JTWC) began monitoring an area of persistent convection
about 575 km (355 mi) southeast of Diego Garcia
. Although the center of circulation
(CoC) was elongated, the system was located within an area of low wind shear
and development of the low was possible. At 12:00 UTC
later that day, the Regional Specialized Meteorological Centre
(RSMC), Météo-France
, began issuing advisories on "Zone of Disturbed Weather 01". Despite a banding feature developed around the CoC, significant development was not anticipated. The low gradually weakened throughout October 7, and dissipated the next day.
issued a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert on the system. Later that evening the JTWC issued their first advisory and designated it as Tropical Cyclone 01S. Early the next day the disturbance intensified into a tropical depression.. Early on October 18, RSMC La Réunion downgraded the system to a tropical disturbance noting that the near gale-force winds that were near the center are now several hundred kilometers away from the center.. The next day RSMC Réunion re-upgraded the system to a tropical depression due to a slight decrease in vertical wind shear that had inhibited the disturbance and a slight re-location of the center. Later that day RSMC La Réunion upgraded the depression to a Moderate Tropical storm, so the Sub-Regional Tropical Cyclone Advisory Centre in Maurtius assigned the name Asma to the tropical storm. Early on October 20, Asma reached its peak intensity with winds of 85 km/h (50 mph) with a minimum pressure of 985 hPa
(mbar
). The storm featured good outflow
and was situated over warm waters; however, moderate wind shear was forecast to prevent the cyclone from intensifying any further. Shortly after reaching peak intensity, the combination of cooler waters and higher wind shear caused the storm to weaken slightly. Continued weakening took place throughout the day as deep convection associated with Asma dissipated and the strongest winds were displaced from the center. By the morning of October 21, Asma was downgraded to a tropical depression as the low became further disorganized. Later that day, the depression degenerated to a tropical disturbance as only an exposed low remained. The final advisory was issued at 0600 UTC on October 22 as no redevelopment took place. However, only 12 hours after the final advisory was issued, the disturbance began to regenerate and La Réunion began issuing advisories on the regenerated system. The redevelopment was short lived and Asma dissipated less than 24 hours later.
Officials in Madagascar issued storm warnings as Tropical Storm Asma was forecast to make landfall in the northern portion of the island on October 23. Despite warnings, residents did not take precautions before the storm. Following the regeneration of Asma, the storm produced heavy rains over northern Madagascar which caused flooding in eight rural communities. One person was killed in Doany common rural district of Andapa. A total of 448 hectares of farmland were also inundated by floodwaters. Six oxen and 24 pigs were also killed and three bridges were damaged. Following the damages caused by the storm, officials provided first aid kits, nine tons of rice, 100 cartons of soap, 60 cartons of clothing, 120 mosquito nets, 20 bags of pulses and 30 tents to the affected population. The heavy rains were accompanied by winds gusting up to 70 km/h (43 mph). After brushing Madagascar, Asma brought unseasonable heavy rains to parts of Mozambique and Tanzania.
, which reported a surface low pressure of 992 hPa, mid morning on that day and skitted along the eastern Madagascar coast for much of the day before tracking southeast away from the coast on January 20. On January 20, the JTWC issued its final advisory on Eric, as it had been torn apart by the shear from the strong Fanele. Méteo France downgraded Eric to a tropical depression on January 21 noting it could re-deepen as it transitioned into an extratropical cyclone.
Eric killed two people, injured 24, left 992 homeless, and affected an additional 7,606 in eastern Madagascar. A total of 32 classrooms were destroyed by the storm, mainly UNICEF tents and 42 other classrooms were damaged.
creating a favorable environment for the system. Later that day, the JTWC assessed the possibility of the system becoming a tropical cyclone in 24 hours as Poor. As the system continued to organize, the JTWC issued a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert
early the next morning. Soon afterward, the RSMC La Reunion designated the system as Tropical Disturbance 07. The system was predicted to organize at regular speed and remain quasi-stationary within the next 24 hours and then recurve toward the Malagasy coast as a moderate tropical storm. Six hours later, the RSMC La Reunion upgraded the system to Tropical Depression 07. The next day, the tropical depression was upgraded to Moderate Tropical Storm Fanele and the JTWC upgraded it to Tropical Cyclone 09S. Later that day, Fanele continued to rapidly organize as it strengthened into a Severe Tropical Storm. Late on January 19, Fanele strengthened into a high-end Tropical Cyclone. It strengthened into an Intense Tropical Cyclone on the morning of January 20 with an intensity of 100 knot winds. Fanele made landfall between 00:00 am – 02:00 am UTC on January 21 and weakened to a Category 1 with 75 knot winds. Early in the morning of January 22, Fanele weakened to tropical depression as it exited into the Indian Ocean
. It restrengthed back into a Moderate Tropical Storm, but it became extratropical the next day.
At least eight people were killed, two were left missing, and over 20,000 others were left homeless due to Fanele.
. JTWC assessed the potential for the development of a significant tropical cyclone within next 24 hours as "poor". JTWC upgraded the disturbance's chances of forming into a tropical cyclone to "fair". On February 2, RSMC designated the area of disturbed weather as "Zone of Disturbed Weather 08. " Later that day JTWC upgraded the disturbance's chances to "good" and issued a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert
. Later that day RSMC La Reunion upgraded Zone of Disturbed Weather 08 into Tropical Disturbance 08. On February 3 , JTWC was upgraded the system to Tropical Cyclone
13S, RSMC La Reunion redesignated Tropical Disturbance 08 to Moderate Tropical Storm Gael. Early next day on February 5, RSMC La Reunion was upgraded Moderate Tropical Storm Gael into Severe Tropical Storm Gael. The system quickly intensified that morning into a Tropical Cyclone north of Réunion Island in the early afternoon. Gael was upgraded to an Intense Tropical Cyclone in the evening on February 6. It held that strength for the next couple of days before weakening back to a Severe Tropical Storm. On February 10, the JTWC issued its final warning on Gael as it had transitioned into a cold-core system over the Southern Ocean which then merged with the extratropical remnants of Innis.
On February 3, Metéo-France issued a pre-cyclone alert (yellow alert) for the islands near Réunion. The next day, Mauritius Meteorological Services issued their Cyclone Warning Class II as Gael approached northeast of the island. Two fatalities occurred on Réunion as a result of heavy rain produced by Gael. A motorcyclist was swept away after trying to cross a submerged road. The other death occurred after a man, who was reportedly drunk, attempted to swim across a flooded road. He was overcome by the waters and swept away. Officials in Madagascar warned the public about the possibility of torrential rains, mudslides, and significant property damage from Gael.
began issuing advisories on an area of disturbed weather newly formed in the central Indian Ocean
. Later that day, JTWC assessed the disturbance's potential for the development of a significant tropical cyclone within next 24 hours as Poor. Early on February 21, JTWC upgraded the disturbance's chances of forming into a tropical cyclone
from Poor to Fair. In the afternoon, JTWC upgraded the system to Good and issued a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert
. The JTWC then upgraded the disturbance to a Tropical Cyclone 16S , and it is forecast gradually move southwestward and strengthen for the next couple of days. It already began to show a defined organization with some convective banding that same day. Mauritius Meteorological Services upgraded the Zone of Disturbed Weather 09 intensifying to Moderate Tropical Storm and named it Hina. The next day, it became a Severe Tropical Storm. Later on February 25 , Hina weakened to a Moderate Tropical Storm and then weakened to a tropical disturbance as wind shear removed all convection from the centre. Early on February 24, JTWC issued their final warning on 16S for the same reason.
on the disturbance and upgraded it to Zone of Disturbed Weather 10. On March 9, the disturbance was upgraded to a depression and was reclassified as Tropical Cyclone 19S. Wind shear strongly affected the system and caused it to dissipate in the early morning of March 10. The depression did not intensify to a tropical storm, it was the first to do so since the first disturbance of the season formed on October 6.
and designated the system Tropical Cyclone 24S. The system is expected to drift very slowly south then south-west, remaining quasi-stationary. Around midday on the 25th, Izilda was upgraded to a severe tropical storm with 65 mph winds. It remained at that intensity throughout the day, but land interaction with Madagascar and wind shear caused Izilda to dissipate later on the 27th.
Due to the proximity of Izilda to Madagascar, storm warnings were put in place for coastal areas between Morondava and Toliara. Fishermen were advised to remain at port due to large swells produced by the storm. Officials in Mozambique feared that the storm would bring heavy rains to areas already suffering from severe flooding which has left over 4,000 people homeless. Fishermen in the country were also advised not to leave port due to the dangerous conditions. As a tropical depression, Izilda passed near Europa Island
; however, no damage was reported. Izilda brought moderate rainfall to parts of southwest Madagascar and Europa Island. Waves up to 8 m (26.2 ft) impacted coastal areas of Mozambique and Madagascar as Izilda stalled on March 25.
. JTWC reported the disturbance's chance of forming into a tropical cyclone as "good" and issued Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert
, and RSMC La Reunion began designating the system as Zone of Disturbed Weather 12. Later that day, JTWC upgraded the system to Tropical Cyclone 26S. Early next day, the disturbance intensified into Tropical Depression 12 as predicted by RSMC La Reunion. Later on that afternoon, RSMC La Reunion upgraded the tropical depression to a moderate tropical storm, naming it Jade. Later that evening, Jade was upgraded to a severe tropical storm. Jade made landfall near Antalaha
, Madagascar
between 06:00 am – 08:00 am UTC on April 6 and weakened to a moderate tropical storm. Soon after, Jade weakened to an overland depression. On April 7, Jade exited the coast of Madagascar. However, later that day, Jade reintensified into a moderate tropical storm. Then, on April 8, Jade was again upgraded to a severe tropical storm by La Reunion. The storm became nearly stationary southeast of Madagascar
later that day. It became extratropical soon afterwards but was quite powerful reaching a central air pressure of 958 milibars.
Heavy rains from the cyclone in northern Madagascar caused a home to collapse, killing three people. At least 800 others were left homeless due to the storm in northern Madagascar. Five other people were killed in a mudslide near Mananjary
and another 3,320 were left homeless. A ninth person was killed on April 9 during a landslide in Nosy Varika
. In all, Jade killed 15 people and left 22,900 others homeless throughout Madagascar.
, then the Sub-Regional Tropical Cyclone Advisory Centre in Madagascar
assigned the appropriate name to the storm. If it reached moderate tropical storm strength between 55°E
and 90°E
, then the Sub-Regional Tropical Cyclone Advisory Centre in Mauritius
named the storm. New name lists are used every year, so no names are retired. The naming list for the 2008-09 South-West Indian Ocean was announced by Meteo-France on August 20, 2008 and is as follows:
. The damage figures are all from 2009 USD.
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, and officially 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....
, for which it ended on May 15, 2009. 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 were 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...
.
As predicted by the sub regional office of Mauritius ten named storms formed in this basin. It officially began on November 15, but began 1 month earlier when Tropical Storm Asma formed on October 16. Most of the storms that formed this year were weak or stayed at sea. Only two storms reached hurricane strength this year, both of which were Category 3 or higher, and only 3 storms made landfall in the entire season. Overall, the impact of this season was relatively minor, but damaging for Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
, due to the heavy rains from Eric, Fanele
Cyclone Fanele
Cyclone Fanele was the first cyclone of tropical cyclone status to strike western Madagascar since Cyclone Fame one year prior. It formed on January 18, 2009 in the Mozambique Channel, and rapidly organized as it remained nearly stationary...
, Izilda and Jade.
Zone of Disturbed Weather 01
On October 6, 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...
(JTWC) began monitoring an area of persistent convection
Atmospheric convection
Atmospheric convection is the result of a parcel-environment instability, or temperature difference, layer in the atmosphere. Different lapse rates within dry and moist air lead to instability. Mixing of air during the day which expands the height of the planetary boundary layer leads to...
about 575 km (355 mi) southeast 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....
. Although the center of circulation
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...
(CoC) was elongated, the system was located within an area of low 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 development of the low was possible. At 12:00 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...
later that day, the Regional Specialized Meteorological Centre
Regional Specialized Meteorological Centre
A Regional Specialized Meteorological Centre is responsible for the distribution of information, advisories, and warnings regarding the specific program they have a part of, agreed by consensus at the World Meteorological Organization as part of the World Weather Watch.-Tropical...
(RSMC), 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...
, began issuing advisories on "Zone of Disturbed Weather 01". Despite a banding feature developed around the CoC, significant development was not anticipated. The low gradually weakened throughout October 7, and dissipated the next day.
Moderate Tropical Storm Asma
On October 16, 2008, RSMC La Réunion designated an area of low pressure north-west of Diego Garcia as Tropical Disturbance 02.. Later that evening 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 on the system. Later that evening the JTWC issued their first advisory and designated it as Tropical Cyclone 01S. Early the next day the disturbance intensified into a tropical depression.. Early on October 18, RSMC La Réunion downgraded the system to a tropical disturbance noting that the near gale-force winds that were near the center are now several hundred kilometers away from the center.. The next day RSMC Réunion re-upgraded the system to a tropical depression due to a slight decrease in vertical wind shear that had inhibited the disturbance and a slight re-location of the center. Later that day RSMC La Réunion upgraded the depression to a Moderate Tropical storm, so the Sub-Regional Tropical Cyclone Advisory Centre in Maurtius assigned the name Asma to the tropical storm. Early on October 20, Asma reached its peak intensity with winds of 85 km/h (50 mph) with a minimum pressure of 985 hPa
Pascal (unit)
The pascal is the SI derived unit of pressure, internal pressure, stress, Young's modulus and tensile strength, named after the French mathematician, physicist, inventor, writer, and philosopher Blaise Pascal. It is a measure of force per unit area, defined as one newton per square metre...
(mbar
Bar (unit)
The bar is a unit of pressure equal to 100 kilopascals, and roughly equal to the atmospheric pressure on Earth at sea level. Other units derived from the bar are the megabar , kilobar , decibar , centibar , and millibar...
). The storm featured good outflow
Outflow (meteorology)
Outflow, in meteorology, is air that flows outwards from a storm system. It is associated with ridging, or anticyclonic flow. In the low levels of the troposphere, outflow radiates from thunderstorms in the form of a wedge of rain-cooled air, which is visible as a thin rope-like cloud on weather...
and was situated over warm waters; however, moderate wind shear was forecast to prevent the cyclone from intensifying any further. Shortly after reaching peak intensity, the combination of cooler waters and higher wind shear caused the storm to weaken slightly. Continued weakening took place throughout the day as deep convection associated with Asma dissipated and the strongest winds were displaced from the center. By the morning of October 21, Asma was downgraded to a tropical depression as the low became further disorganized. Later that day, the depression degenerated to a tropical disturbance as only an exposed low remained. The final advisory was issued at 0600 UTC on October 22 as no redevelopment took place. However, only 12 hours after the final advisory was issued, the disturbance began to regenerate and La Réunion began issuing advisories on the regenerated system. The redevelopment was short lived and Asma dissipated less than 24 hours later.
Officials in Madagascar issued storm warnings as Tropical Storm Asma was forecast to make landfall in the northern portion of the island on October 23. Despite warnings, residents did not take precautions before the storm. Following the regeneration of Asma, the storm produced heavy rains over northern Madagascar which caused flooding in eight rural communities. One person was killed in Doany common rural district of Andapa. A total of 448 hectares of farmland were also inundated by floodwaters. Six oxen and 24 pigs were also killed and three bridges were damaged. Following the damages caused by the storm, officials provided first aid kits, nine tons of rice, 100 cartons of soap, 60 cartons of clothing, 120 mosquito nets, 20 bags of pulses and 30 tents to the affected population. The heavy rains were accompanied by winds gusting up to 70 km/h (43 mph). After brushing Madagascar, Asma brought unseasonable heavy rains to parts of Mozambique and Tanzania.
Moderate Tropical Storm Bernard
An area of low pressure formed on November 15, later that day the JTWC assessed the area of low pressures chances of forming in to a significant tropical cyclone within 24 hours as poor. Early on November 19 RSMC La Reunion noted that the area of low pressure had become more organised and had developed in to the third area of disturbed weather of the 2008-09 season. Later that day the JTWC reassessed the disturbances chances of forming in to a significant tropical cyclone as good and released a tropical cyclone formation alert. Later that day, the RSMC upgraded the disturbance to a depression and the JTWC designated the system as a tropical cyclone with winds equivalent to a tropical storm on the Saffir Simpson Hurricane Scale. The next day the RSMC upgraded the tropical depression to a tropical storm with the Sub Regional Center in Mauritus assigning the name Bernard to the storm.Severe Tropical Storm Cinda
On the evening of December 16, the JTWC issued a Tropical Cyclone Formation alert on a rapidly organizing disturbance located west of Diego Garcia. The low level centre continued to improve with convection wrapping into the centre and the JTWC upgraded the disturbance into a tropical storm, at the same time RSMC La Reunion designated the system a tropical depression. Under low shear and favourable upper level outflow, 04S was upgraded to Moderate Tropical Storm Cinda by RSMC La Reunion early on December 18. Soon after, Cinda was upgraded to a severe tropical storm as it moved south-southwestwards away from Diego Garcia. Later that same day, Cinda was downgraded to a moderate tropical storm. The wind shear kept the eye north of the convection. On the morning of December 21, Cinda degenerated into a remnant low about 250 miles off the coast of Madagascar amongst heavy wind shear.Severe Tropical Storm Dongo
Mauritius Meteorological Services had been tracking the remnants of Tropical Cyclone Billy that formed in the Australia region in December as it entered the southwestern Indian Ocean in early January. On January 8 a new low formed north of the former tropical cyclone and was designated as an area of disturbed weather by Meteo France. By late morning, that day the system organized a little better to be classified as a tropical disturbance. On January 9, the system was upgraded to a tropical storm and given then name Dongo. Then in the early morning hours of January 10, Dongo was upgraded to a Moderate Tropical Storm. After that, it was upgraded to a Severe Tropical Storm. Then, on January 12, Dongo quickly moved south into harsher conditions and dissipated.Moderate Tropical Storm Eric
On January 17, the Meteo-France in Reunion identified a Zone of Disturbed Weather northeast of La Reunion. The following day the disturbance organized quite significantly west-northwest of Madagascar and Metéo-France classified it as a tropical disturbance. The disturbance intensified into a moderate tropical storm on the 19th. Eric crossed the coastline around ToamasinaToamasina
Toamasina , meaning "like salt" or "salty", unofficially and in French also Tamatave, is a city on the east coast of Madagascar on the Indian Ocean. The city is the chief seaport of the country, situated northeast of its capital and biggest city Antananarivo, near the centre of the eastern coast...
, which reported a surface low pressure of 992 hPa, mid morning on that day and skitted along the eastern Madagascar coast for much of the day before tracking southeast away from the coast on January 20. On January 20, the JTWC issued its final advisory on Eric, as it had been torn apart by the shear from the strong Fanele. Méteo France downgraded Eric to a tropical depression on January 21 noting it could re-deepen as it transitioned into an extratropical cyclone.
Eric killed two people, injured 24, left 992 homeless, and affected an additional 7,606 in eastern Madagascar. A total of 32 classrooms were destroyed by the storm, mainly UNICEF tents and 42 other classrooms were damaged.
Intense Tropical Cyclone Fanele
On January 17, the JTWC identified a rapidly organizing tropical low just of the coast of Madagascar, near Antananarivo, in the Mozambique Channel. The system showed signs of a quickly developing surface low, and evidence of an upper-level AnticycloneAnticyclone
An anticyclone is a weather phenomenon defined by the United States' National Weather Service's glossary as "[a] large-scale circulation of winds around a central region of high atmospheric pressure, clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere, counterclockwise in the Southern Hemisphere"...
creating a favorable environment for the system. Later that day, the JTWC assessed the possibility of the system becoming a tropical cyclone in 24 hours as Poor. As the system continued to organize, the JTWC 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...
early the next morning. Soon afterward, the RSMC La Reunion designated the system as Tropical Disturbance 07. The system was predicted to organize at regular speed and remain quasi-stationary within the next 24 hours and then recurve toward the Malagasy coast as a moderate tropical storm. Six hours later, the RSMC La Reunion upgraded the system to Tropical Depression 07. The next day, the tropical depression was upgraded to Moderate Tropical Storm Fanele and the JTWC upgraded it to Tropical Cyclone 09S. Later that day, Fanele continued to rapidly organize as it strengthened into a Severe Tropical Storm. Late on January 19, Fanele strengthened into a high-end Tropical Cyclone. It strengthened into an Intense Tropical Cyclone on the morning of January 20 with an intensity of 100 knot winds. Fanele made landfall between 00:00 am – 02:00 am UTC on January 21 and weakened to a Category 1 with 75 knot winds. Early in the morning of January 22, Fanele weakened to tropical depression as it exited into the Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
. It restrengthed back into a Moderate Tropical Storm, but it became extratropical the next day.
At least eight people were killed, two were left missing, and over 20,000 others were left homeless due to Fanele.
Intense Tropical Cyclone Gael
On February 1, RSMC La Reunion began issuing advisories on an area of disturbed weather newly formed in the central Indian OceanIndian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
. JTWC assessed the potential for the development of a significant tropical cyclone within next 24 hours as "poor". JTWC upgraded the disturbance's chances of forming into a tropical cyclone to "fair". On February 2, RSMC designated the area of disturbed weather as "Zone of Disturbed Weather 08. " Later that day JTWC upgraded the disturbance's chances to "good" and 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...
. Later that day RSMC La Reunion upgraded Zone of Disturbed Weather 08 into Tropical Disturbance 08. On February 3 , JTWC was upgraded the system to 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...
13S, RSMC La Reunion redesignated Tropical Disturbance 08 to Moderate Tropical Storm Gael. Early next day on February 5, RSMC La Reunion was upgraded Moderate Tropical Storm Gael into Severe Tropical Storm Gael. The system quickly intensified that morning into a Tropical Cyclone north of Réunion Island in the early afternoon. Gael was upgraded to an Intense Tropical Cyclone in the evening on February 6. It held that strength for the next couple of days before weakening back to a Severe Tropical Storm. On February 10, the JTWC issued its final warning on Gael as it had transitioned into a cold-core system over the Southern Ocean which then merged with the extratropical remnants of Innis.
On February 3, Metéo-France issued a pre-cyclone alert (yellow alert) for the islands near Réunion. The next day, Mauritius Meteorological Services issued their Cyclone Warning Class II as Gael approached northeast of the island. Two fatalities occurred on Réunion as a result of heavy rain produced by Gael. A motorcyclist was swept away after trying to cross a submerged road. The other death occurred after a man, who was reportedly drunk, attempted to swim across a flooded road. He was overcome by the waters and swept away. Officials in Madagascar warned the public about the possibility of torrential rains, mudslides, and significant property damage from Gael.
Severe Tropical Storm Hina
On February 20, 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...
began issuing advisories on an area of disturbed weather newly formed in the central Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
. Later that day, JTWC assessed the disturbance's potential for the development of a significant tropical cyclone within next 24 hours as Poor. Early on February 21, JTWC upgraded the disturbance's chances of forming into a 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...
from Poor to Fair. In the afternoon, JTWC upgraded the system to Good and 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...
. The JTWC then upgraded the disturbance to a Tropical Cyclone 16S , and it is forecast gradually move southwestward and strengthen for the next couple of days. It already began to show a defined organization with some convective banding that same day. Mauritius Meteorological Services upgraded the Zone of Disturbed Weather 09 intensifying to Moderate Tropical Storm and named it Hina. The next day, it became a Severe Tropical Storm. Later on February 25 , Hina weakened to a Moderate Tropical Storm and then weakened to a tropical disturbance as wind shear removed all convection from the centre. Early on February 24, JTWC issued their final warning on 16S for the same reason.
Tropical Depression 10
On March 6, the JTWC began monitoring a newly formed area of disturbed weather in the central Indian Ocean, and two days later, they issued a Tropical Cyclone Formation AlertTropical 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 Zone of Disturbed Weather 10. On March 9, the disturbance was upgraded to a depression and was reclassified as Tropical Cyclone 19S. Wind shear strongly affected the system and caused it to dissipate in the early morning of March 10. The depression did not intensify to a tropical storm, it was the first to do so since the first disturbance of the season formed on October 6.
Severe Tropical Storm Izilda
A Tropical Disturbance formed in the Mozambique Channel around March 21 and on March 24 the JTWC issued a Tropical Cyclone Formation AlertTropical 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...
and designated the system Tropical Cyclone 24S. The system is expected to drift very slowly south then south-west, remaining quasi-stationary. Around midday on the 25th, Izilda was upgraded to a severe tropical storm with 65 mph winds. It remained at that intensity throughout the day, but land interaction with Madagascar and wind shear caused Izilda to dissipate later on the 27th.
Due to the proximity of Izilda to Madagascar, storm warnings were put in place for coastal areas between Morondava and Toliara. Fishermen were advised to remain at port due to large swells produced by the storm. Officials in Mozambique feared that the storm would bring heavy rains to areas already suffering from severe flooding which has left over 4,000 people homeless. Fishermen in the country were also advised not to leave port due to the dangerous conditions. As a tropical depression, Izilda passed near Europa Island
Europa Island
Europa Island is a 28 km² low-lying tropical island in the Mozambique Channel, about a third of the way from southern Madagascar to southern Mozambique, at . It has 22.2 kilometres of coastline, but no ports or harbours. Anchorage is possible offshore...
; however, no damage was reported. Izilda brought moderate rainfall to parts of southwest Madagascar and Europa Island. Waves up to 8 m (26.2 ft) impacted coastal areas of Mozambique and Madagascar as Izilda stalled on March 25.
Severe Tropical Storm Jade
On April 4, an area of disturbed weather formed northeast of La ReunionLa 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...
. JTWC reported the disturbance's chance of forming into a tropical cyclone as "good" and issued 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...
, and RSMC La Reunion began designating the system as Zone of Disturbed Weather 12. Later that day, JTWC upgraded the system to Tropical Cyclone 26S. Early next day, the disturbance intensified into Tropical Depression 12 as predicted by RSMC La Reunion. Later on that afternoon, RSMC La Reunion upgraded the tropical depression to a moderate tropical storm, naming it Jade. Later that evening, Jade was upgraded to a severe tropical storm. Jade made landfall 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...
between 06:00 am – 08:00 am UTC on April 6 and weakened to a moderate tropical storm. Soon after, Jade weakened to an overland depression. On April 7, Jade exited the coast of Madagascar. However, later that day, Jade reintensified into a moderate tropical storm. Then, on April 8, Jade was again upgraded to a severe tropical storm by La Reunion. The storm became nearly stationary southeast of Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
later that day. It became extratropical soon afterwards but was quite powerful reaching a central air pressure of 958 milibars.
Heavy rains from the cyclone in northern Madagascar caused a home to collapse, killing three people. At least 800 others were left homeless due to the storm in northern Madagascar. Five other people were killed in a mudslide near Mananjary
Mananjary
Mananjary is the name of:*Mananjary, Fianarantsoa, fivondronana in Vatovavy-Fitovinany Region, Madagascar.*Mananjary River, in southern Madagascar...
and another 3,320 were left homeless. A ninth person was killed on April 9 during a landslide in Nosy Varika
Nosy Varika
Nosy Varika is a town and commune in Madagascar. It belongs to the district of Nosy Varika, which is a part of Vatovavy-Fitovinany Region. The population of the commune was estimated to be approximately 40,000 in 2001 commune census....
. In all, Jade killed 15 people and left 22,900 others homeless throughout Madagascar.
Storm names
Tropical disturbances were named upon reaching moderate tropical storm strength. When a tropical disturbance reached this intensity 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...
assigned the appropriate name to the storm. If it reached moderate tropical storm strength 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...
named the storm. New name lists are used every year, so no names are retired. The naming list for the 2008-09 South-West Indian Ocean was announced by Meteo-France on August 20, 2008 and is as follows:
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Season effects
This table lists all the storms that developed in the Southern Hemisphere during the 2008-2009 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...
. The damage figures are all from 2009 USD.
See also
- List of Southern Hemisphere tropical cyclone seasons
- Atlantic hurricane seasons: 20082008 Atlantic hurricane seasonThe 2008 Atlantic hurricane season was a very active hurricane season with sixteen named storms formed, including eight that became hurricanes and five that became major hurricanes. The season officially started on June 1 and ended on November 30. These dates conventionally delimit the period of...
, 20092009 Atlantic hurricane seasonThe 2009 Atlantic hurricane season was a below-average year, unlike the 2009 Pacific hurricane season, which was above average, both due to a moderate El Niño. During this year, nine tropical storms formed, the fewest since the 1997 season.An average season has ten tropical storms, six hurricanes... - Pacific hurricane seasons: 20082008 Pacific hurricane seasonThe 2008 Pacific hurricane season was an event in the annual cycle of tropical cyclone formation. It officially started May 15, 2008 in the eastern Pacific, started on June 1, 2008 in the central Pacific, and lasted until November 30, 2008....
, 20092009 Pacific hurricane seasonThe 2009 Pacific hurricane season was an active event in the annual cycle of tropical cyclone formation, due to a moderate El Niño, unlike the 2009 Atlantic hurricane season, which was relatively quiet. The season officially started on May 15 in the eastern Pacific, and on June 1 for the central... - Pacific typhoon seasons: 20082008 Pacific typhoon seasonThe 2008 Pacific typhoon season has no official bounds; it runs year-round in 2008, but most tropical cyclones tend to form in the northwestern Pacific Ocean between May and November...
, 20092009 Pacific typhoon seasonThe 2009 Pacific typhoon season was the period that tropical cyclones formed in the Western Pacific Ocean. The season ran throughout the year during 2009, with most tropical cyclones forming between May and November. The scope of this article is limited to the Pacific Ocean, north of the equator... - North Indian Ocean cyclone seasons: 20082008 North Indian Ocean cyclone seasonThe 2008 North Indian cyclone season was an ongoing event in the annual cycle of tropical cyclone formation. The North Indian cyclone season has no official bounds, but cyclones tend to form between April and December, with peaks in May and November...
, 20092009 North Indian Ocean cyclone seasonThe 2009 North Indian Ocean cyclone season was an event in the annual cycle of tropical cyclone formation. The North Indian Ocean cyclone season has no official bounds, but cyclones tend to form between April and December, with peaks in May and November...