Cyclone Fanele
Encyclopedia
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. Fanele ultimately turned toward the southwest Madagascar coastline, reaching peak winds of 185 km/h (115 mph), according to the Réunion
Météo-France
office (MFR). It weakened before moving ashore in Menabe Region southwest of Morondava
, and rapidly weakened over land. Fanele briefly re-intensified after reaching open waters, only to become an extratropical cyclone
by January 23.
The cyclone caused heavy damage near where it moved ashore and along its path, resulting in ten deaths. Fanele struck Madagascar just two days after Tropical Storm Eric brushed the northeastern portion of the country. The two storms affected over 50,000 people, of which at least 4,000 were left homeless. Fanele struck the country during a series of government protests
, and consequentially relief efforts were hindered.
persisted in the Mozambique Channel
, accompanied by intermittent and disorganized convection, or thunderstorms. By January 17, an area of convection persisted about 510 kilometres (316.9 mi) west-southwest of Antananarivo
, Madagascar
. Early on January 18; the circulation rapidly consolidated and organized while the thunderstorms developed into tightly-curved rainbands. Environmental conditions favored further development
; an anticyclone
formed over the disturbance, an approaching trough
provided favorable outflow
, and the system benefited from both light wind shear
and warm water temperatures. At 0600 UTC
on the 18th, the Réunion
Météo-France
office (MFR) initiated advisories on Tropical Disturbance 07, noting its intensification as it drifted southwestward.
Six hours after being declared a tropical disturbance, MFR upgraded it to tropical depression status, and the agency predicted the system would eventually reach peak winds of 130 km/h (80 mph) before moving ashore. Its track was expected to follow that of another tropical cyclone east of Madagascar, which would become Tropical Storm Eric. Late on January 18, the system briefly became disorganized, only to re-organize and attain tropical storm status on January 19; upon doing so, the Malagasy Weather Service named it Fanele. Around the same time, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center
(JTWC) began issuing advisories on the storm. The agency noted uncertainty in the future track of the storm, due to interaction with Tropical Storm Eric east of Madagascar, and Fanele was located within an area of weak steering currents. Tropical Storm Fanele quickly strengthened, developing an eye feature
, and late on January 19 the JTWC estimated sustained winds of 120 km/h (75 mph); the agency predicted further strengthening to peak winds of 140 km/h (85 mph). Around that time, Fanele began rapid deepening
under very favorable environmental conditions, and the MFR upgraded the storm to tropical cyclone status with winds of 150 km/h (95 mph). Upon attaining tropical cyclone status, the MFR forecast Fanele would intensify further to peak winds of 185 km/h (115 mph).
Early on January 20, Cyclone Fanele began a northeast motion, tracking along the eastern periphery of a ridge
located over Mozambique
. Later it turned southeastward under the influence of another ridge further to the east. The thunderstorms organized further around the eye, and at 1200 UTC on January 20 the MFR estimated Fanele attained peak winds of 185 km/h (115 mph) about 180 km (111.8 mi) west-northwest of Morondava
along the Madagascar coast. At the same time, its atmospheric pressure
was estimated at 927 hPa
(mbar
), and peak wind gusts were estimated at 261 km/h (162 mph). The JTWC also assessed peak winds of 185 km/h (115 mph). As it approached the coast, the cyclone became slightly less organized, with weaker convection and a less distinct eye; the weakening was due to an eyewall replacement cycle. At around 0215 UTC on January 21, Fanele made landfall
on the western Madagascar coastline, to the southwest of Morondava.
Cyclone Fanele weakened quickly over land; within four hours of moving ashore, its winds decreased to 150 km/h (95 mph), and its wind field expanded. The eye feature dissipated as the system weakened to tropical storm status, and increased wind shear contributed to further weakening. By January 22, the poorly-defined circulation moved over open waters, by which time its winds weakened to about 45 km/h (30 mph). Upon reaching the ocean, convection began to reform near the circulation, and Fanele re-attained tropical storm status. Cooler waters caused convection diminish near the center, which began the process of extratropical transition
. Late on January 22, the JTWC issued its last advisory on the storm. By January 23, Fanele completed the transition into an extratropical storm as it accelerated toward the south-southeast. It persisted as a distinct tropical cyclone until later that day.
Though the cyclone developed quickly, authorities were prepared for the storm; earlier in the year, Madagascar's National Office for Natural Disasters Preparedness implemented a plan for localized storm warning. Officials deployed warnings via radio to citizens in the path of Fanele, as well as to fishermen who were told to avoid leaving port.
Cyclone Fanele made landfall on western Madagascar in Menabe Region
, where it destroyed many buildings, flooded large areas, and left thousands of people isolated. In the city of Morondava
near the landfall location, the cyclone flooded 80% of buildings and damaged about half of the houses, leaving 3,000 people homeless. Throughout the region, the winds damaged 158 classrooms attended by 9,000 children. Further inland, the cyclone damaged bridges and roads, leaving some areas isolated. The outer rainbands of the storm produced heavy rainfall in the northwest portion of the country, resulting in flooding that left about 250 people homeless in Sofia Region
. The passages of Cyclones Eric and Fanele affected 54,802 people, leaving 4,102 without shelter. At least 28,000 people were affected directly by Fanele, and the cyclone killed a total of ten people. The cyclone disrupted work to rebuild areas that were affected by Cyclone Ivan
in February 2008.
Cyclone Fanele struck the country during a series of government protests
, and consequently the national government provided little response to the storm. Instead, United Nations
(UN) agencies quickly provided relief to affected citizens. The World Food Programme
prepared 87 metric tons
(MT) of cereal and 13 MT of various types of pulses
. Five United Nations Children's Fund
(UNICEF) trucks arrived in Morondova on January 25 with various supplies. In the days after the storm, contaminated floodwaters resulted in cases of dysentery
. To prevent the spread of disease, UNICEF provided vaccines, de-worming tablets, and water cleaning devices. Within three days of the storm's landfall, the agency also began distributing health kits and bed nets. As many schools were affected, UNICEF set up temporary classrooms in tents, while workers began fixing and cleaning the damaged buildings. Despite the quick response by the UN, thousands of people were left without aid. The Malagasy Red Cross
deployed its volunteers to affected areas, although disrupted transportation services and the political situation hindered relief efforts.
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...
of tropical cyclone status
Tropical cyclone scales
Tropical 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...
to strike western Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
since Cyclone Fame one year prior. It formed on January 18, 2009 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...
, and rapidly organized
Rapid deepening
Rapid deepening, also known as rapid intensification, is a meteorological condition that occurs when the minimum sea-level atmospheric pressure of a tropical cyclone decreases drastically in a short period of time. The National Weather Service describes rapid deepening as a decrease of...
as it remained nearly stationary. Fanele ultimately turned toward the southwest Madagascar coastline, reaching peak winds of 185 km/h (115 mph), according to the 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...
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...
office (MFR). It weakened before moving ashore in Menabe Region southwest of Morondava
Morondava
Morondava is a city located in Menabe Region, of which it is the capital, in Madagascar. It is located in the delta of the Morandava River at .-Communication:...
, and rapidly weakened over land. Fanele briefly re-intensified after reaching open waters, only to become an extratropical cyclone
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...
by January 23.
The cyclone caused heavy damage near where it moved ashore and along its path, resulting in ten deaths. Fanele struck Madagascar just two days after Tropical Storm Eric brushed the northeastern portion of the country. The two storms affected over 50,000 people, of which at least 4,000 were left homeless. Fanele struck the country during a series of government protests
2009 Malagasy protests
The 2009 Malagasy political crisis involved a series of anti-government demonstrations in Madagascar in early 2009, culminating in military involvement and the accession of opposition leader Andry Rajoelina to the Presidency. The protests began in January 2009 and were aimed at the government of...
, and consequentially relief efforts were hindered.
Meteorological history
For several days in the middle of January 2009, a very weak low-level circulationAtmospheric circulation
Atmospheric circulation is the large-scale movement of air, and the means by which thermal energy is distributed on the surface of the Earth....
persisted 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...
, accompanied by intermittent and disorganized convection, or thunderstorms. By January 17, an area of convection persisted about 510 kilometres (316.9 mi) west-southwest of Antananarivo
Antananarivo
Antananarivo , formerly Tananarive , is the capital and largest city in Madagascar. It is also known by its French colonial shorthand form Tana....
, Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
. Early on January 18; the circulation rapidly consolidated and organized while the thunderstorms developed into tightly-curved rainbands. Environmental conditions favored further development
Tropical cyclogenesis
Tropical cyclogenesis is the term that describes the development and strengthening of a tropical cyclone in the atmosphere. The mechanisms through which tropical cyclogenesis occurs are distinctly different from those through which mid-latitude cyclogenesis occurs...
; an anticyclone
Anticyclone
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"...
formed over the disturbance, an approaching trough
Trough (meteorology)
A trough is an elongated region of relatively low atmospheric pressure, often associated with fronts.Unlike fronts, there is not a universal symbol for a trough on a weather chart. The weather charts in some countries or regions mark troughs by a line. In the United States, a trough may be marked...
provided favorable 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 the system benefited from both light 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 warm water temperatures. At 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...
on the 18th, the 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...
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...
office (MFR) initiated advisories on Tropical Disturbance 07, noting its intensification as it drifted southwestward.
Six hours after being declared a tropical disturbance, MFR upgraded it to tropical depression status, and the agency predicted the system would eventually reach peak winds of 130 km/h (80 mph) before moving ashore. Its track was expected to follow that of another tropical cyclone east of Madagascar, which would become Tropical Storm Eric. Late on January 18, the system briefly became disorganized, only to re-organize and attain tropical storm status on January 19; upon doing so, the Malagasy Weather Service named it Fanele. Around the same time, 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...
(JTWC) began issuing advisories on the storm. The agency noted uncertainty in the future track of the storm, due to interaction with Tropical Storm Eric east of Madagascar, and Fanele was located within an area of weak steering currents. Tropical Storm Fanele quickly strengthened, developing an eye feature
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...
, and late on January 19 the JTWC estimated sustained winds of 120 km/h (75 mph); the agency predicted further strengthening to peak winds of 140 km/h (85 mph). Around that time, Fanele began rapid deepening
Rapid deepening
Rapid deepening, also known as rapid intensification, is a meteorological condition that occurs when the minimum sea-level atmospheric pressure of a tropical cyclone decreases drastically in a short period of time. The National Weather Service describes rapid deepening as a decrease of...
under very favorable environmental conditions, and the MFR upgraded the storm to tropical cyclone status with winds of 150 km/h (95 mph). Upon attaining tropical cyclone status, the MFR forecast Fanele would intensify further to peak winds of 185 km/h (115 mph).
Early on January 20, Cyclone Fanele began a northeast motion, tracking along the eastern periphery of a ridge
Ridge (meteorology)
A ridge is an elongated region of relatively high atmospheric pressure, the opposite of a trough....
located over 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...
. Later it turned southeastward under the influence of another ridge further to the east. The thunderstorms organized further around the eye, and at 1200 UTC on January 20 the MFR estimated Fanele attained peak winds of 185 km/h (115 mph) about 180 km (111.8 mi) west-northwest of Morondava
Morondava
Morondava is a city located in Menabe Region, of which it is the capital, in Madagascar. It is located in the delta of the Morandava River at .-Communication:...
along the Madagascar coast. At the same time, its atmospheric pressure
Atmospheric pressure
Atmospheric pressure is the force per unit area exerted into a surface by the weight of air above that surface in the atmosphere of Earth . In most circumstances atmospheric pressure is closely approximated by the hydrostatic pressure caused by the weight of air above the measurement point...
was estimated at 927 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...
), and peak wind gusts were estimated at 261 km/h (162 mph). The JTWC also assessed peak winds of 185 km/h (115 mph). As it approached the coast, the cyclone became slightly less organized, with weaker convection and a less distinct eye; the weakening was due to an eyewall replacement cycle. At around 0215 UTC on January 21, Fanele made landfall
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...
on the western Madagascar coastline, to the southwest of Morondava.
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...
. Late on January 22, the JTWC issued its last advisory on the storm. By January 23, Fanele completed the transition into an extratropical storm as it accelerated toward the south-southeast. It persisted as a distinct tropical cyclone until later that day.
Impact
Cyclone Fanele made landfall on western Madagascar in Menabe Region
Menabe
Menabe is a region in western Madagascar. It is named for the 18th century Sakalava kingdom of Menabe. The capital is Morondava.-History:Menabe is the southern part of the Sakalava territory. Tradition holds that it was founded by Adriamandazoala . Its territory was increased under the legendary...
, where it destroyed many buildings, flooded large areas, and left thousands of people isolated. In the city of Morondava
Morondava
Morondava is a city located in Menabe Region, of which it is the capital, in Madagascar. It is located in the delta of the Morandava River at .-Communication:...
near the landfall location, the cyclone flooded 80% of buildings and damaged about half of the houses, leaving 3,000 people homeless. Throughout the region, the winds damaged 158 classrooms attended by 9,000 children. Further inland, the cyclone damaged bridges and roads, leaving some areas isolated. The outer rainbands of the storm produced heavy rainfall in the northwest portion of the country, resulting in flooding that left about 250 people homeless in Sofia Region
Sofia Region
Sofia is a region in northern Madagascar. It is named for the Sofia River.* Capital: Antsohihy* Area: 50 800 km²Districts:*Mandritsara District*Befandriana-Nord District*Bealanana District*Antsohihy District*Analalava District...
. The passages of Cyclones Eric and Fanele affected 54,802 people, leaving 4,102 without shelter. At least 28,000 people were affected directly by Fanele, and the cyclone killed a total of ten people. The cyclone disrupted work to rebuild areas that were affected by Cyclone Ivan
Cyclone Ivan
Cyclone Ivan was a powerful tropical cyclone that struck Madagascar in February 2008. Forming from a persistent area of convection on February 7, Ivan initially tracked southeastward, before looping to the west-southwest. Encountering favourable conditions, it strengthened to attain peak winds on...
in February 2008.
Cyclone Fanele struck the country during a series of government protests
2009 Malagasy protests
The 2009 Malagasy political crisis involved a series of anti-government demonstrations in Madagascar in early 2009, culminating in military involvement and the accession of opposition leader Andry Rajoelina to the Presidency. The protests began in January 2009 and were aimed at the government of...
, and consequently the national government provided little response to the storm. Instead, United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
(UN) agencies quickly provided relief to affected citizens. The World Food Programme
World Food Programme
The World Food Programme is the food aid branch of the United Nations, and the world's largest humanitarian organization addressing hunger worldwide. WFP provides food, on average, to 90 million people per year, 58 million of whom are children...
prepared 87 metric tons
Tonne
The tonne, known as the metric ton in the US , often put pleonastically as "metric tonne" to avoid confusion with ton, is a metric system unit of mass equal to 1000 kilograms. The tonne is not an International System of Units unit, but is accepted for use with the SI...
(MT) of cereal and 13 MT of various types of pulses
Pulse (legume)
A pulse is an annual leguminous crop yielding from one to twelve seeds of variable size, shape, and color within a pod. Pulses are used for food and animal feed. The term "pulse", as used by the Food and Agricultural Organization , is reserved for crops harvested solely for the dry seed...
. Five United Nations Children's Fund
United Nations Children's Fund
United Nations Children's Fund was created by the United Nations General Assembly on December 11, 1946, to provide emergency food and healthcare to children in countries that had been devastated by World War II...
(UNICEF) trucks arrived in Morondova on January 25 with various supplies. In the days after the storm, contaminated floodwaters resulted in cases of dysentery
Dysentery
Dysentery is an inflammatory disorder of the intestine, especially of the colon, that results in severe diarrhea containing mucus and/or blood in the faeces with fever and abdominal pain. If left untreated, dysentery can be fatal.There are differences between dysentery and normal bloody diarrhoea...
. To prevent the spread of disease, UNICEF provided vaccines, de-worming tablets, and water cleaning devices. Within three days of the storm's landfall, the agency also began distributing health kits and bed nets. As many schools were affected, UNICEF set up temporary classrooms in tents, while workers began fixing and cleaning the damaged buildings. Despite the quick response by the UN, thousands of people were left without aid. The Malagasy Red Cross
International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement
The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is an international humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million volunteers, members and staff worldwide which was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure respect for all human beings, and to prevent and alleviate human...
deployed its volunteers to affected areas, although disrupted transportation services and the political situation hindered relief efforts.