2002–03 South-West Indian Ocean Cyclone Season
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The 2002–03 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season was one of the longest lasting and the fourth-most active season in the South-West Indian Ocean. Storms during the season impacted the
Mascarene Islands The Mascarene Islands (, ) or Mascarenes or Mascarenhas Archipelago is a group of islands in the Indian Ocean east of Madagascar consisting of islands belonging to the Republic of Mauritius as well as the French department of Réunion. Their na ...
,
Seychelles Seychelles (, ; ), officially the Republic of Seychelles (; Seychellois Creole: ), is an island country and archipelagic state consisting of 155 islands (as per the Constitution) in the Indian Ocean. Its capital and largest city, Victoria, ...
,
Madagascar Madagascar, officially the Republic of Madagascar, is an island country that includes the island of Madagascar and numerous smaller peripheral islands. Lying off the southeastern coast of Africa, it is the world's List of islands by area, f ...
, and countries in south-eastern Africa. The season began early when an unnamed tropical storm struck Seychelles in September, becoming the most damaging storm there in 50 years. The next system, Atang, was the first
named storm Tropical cyclones and subtropical cyclones are named by various warning centers to simplify communication between forecasters and the general public regarding forecasts, watches and warnings. The names are intended to reduce confusion in the ...
of the season, but was only a tropical depression; it was named due to the threat to an outer island of
Mauritius Mauritius, officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an island country in the Indian Ocean, about off the southeastern coast of East Africa, east of Madagascar. It includes the main island (also called Mauritius), as well as Rodrigues, Ag ...
. Atang later struck
Tanzania Tanzania, officially the United Republic of Tanzania, is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It is bordered by Uganda to the northwest; Kenya to the northeast; the Indian Ocean to the east; Mozambique and Malawi to t ...
in a climatologically unusual area in November, resulting in unconfirmed deaths of fishermen. The first named storm to reach tropical storm intensity was Boura, which brushed the Mascarene Islands with gusty winds and rainfall. In December, Cyclone Crystal threatened to strike Mauritius but instead veered eastward, and later, Tropical Storm Delfina lasted from late December through early January 2003. Delfina damaged or destroyed thousands of houses in
Mozambique Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique, is a country located in Southeast Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west, and Eswatini and South Afr ...
and
Malawi Malawi, officially the Republic of Malawi, is a landlocked country in Southeastern Africa. It is bordered by Zambia to the west, Tanzania to the north and northeast, and Mozambique to the east, south, and southwest. Malawi spans over and ...
, killing 54 people. In January 2003, Severe Tropical Storm Ebula continued the steady activity, forming in the eastern portion of the basin. Later, Tropical Storm Fari crossed southern Madagascar with heavy rains, causing flooding and mudslides that left 3,400 people homeless. In February, there were four simultaneous
tropical cyclone A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system with a low-pressure area, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depending on its locat ...
s in the Indian Ocean, three of which in the basin. Cyclone Gerry formed first and the farthest west, passing just east of Mauritius and killing one person there. Cyclone Hape formed shortly thereafter, and Tropical Storm Isha formed farther east, having originated from the Australian basin. Cyclone Japhet struck southern Mozambique and produced widespread flooding in south-eastern Africa, killing 25 people. In March, Cyclone Kalunde was the strongest storm of the season, reaching 10-minute sustained winds of . It struck Rodrigues while weakening, damaging 1,600 houses and causing an island-wide power outage. About a month later, a
subtropical cyclone A subtropical cyclone is a weather system that has some characteristics of both tropical cyclone, tropical and extratropical cyclones. As early as the 1950s, meteorologists were uncertain whether they should be characterized as Tropical cyclone ...
named Luma intensified south-east of Madagascar and developed an eye. Lastly, Cyclone Manou was only the sixth May tropical cyclones on record, making a rare
landfall Landfall is the event of a storm moving over land after being over water. More broadly, and in relation to human travel, it refers to 'the first land that is reached or seen at the end of a journey across the sea or through the air, or the fact ...
in south-eastern Madagascar, killing 89 people and destroying thousands of houses.


Season summary

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scales Scale or scales may refer to: Mathematics * Scale (descriptive set theory), an object defined on a set of points * Scale (ratio), the ratio of a linear dimension of a model to the corresponding dimension of the original * Scale factor, a number ...
)"
Météo-France Météo-France is the official French meteorological administration, also offering services to Andorra and Monaco. It has the powers of the state and can exercise them in relation to meteorology. Météo-France is in charge of observing, study ...
's meteorological office in
Réunion Réunion (; ; ; known as before 1848) is an island in the Indian Ocean that is an overseas departments and regions of France, overseas department and region of France. Part of the Mascarene Islands, it is located approximately east of the isl ...
(MFR) is the official
Regional Specialized Meteorological Center A Regional Specialized Meteorological Centre (RSMC) 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 ...
for the South-West Indian Ocean, tracking all tropical cyclones from the east coast of Africa to 90° E. At the beginning of the season, the MFR moved the tropical cyclone year from August 1 to July 1. The
Joint Typhoon Warning Center The Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) is a joint United States Navy – United States Air Force command in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The JTWC is responsible for the issuing of tropical cyclone warnings in the North-West Pacific Ocean, South P ...
(JTWC), which is a joint United States Navy – United States Air Force task force that issues tropical cyclone warnings for the region, also issued advisories for storms during the season. During the season, MFR issued advisories on 16 systems, of which 13 intensified to reach tropical storm force winds, meaning conditions were generally favorable for
tropical cyclogenesis Tropical cyclogenesis is the development and strengthening of a tropical cyclone in the atmosphere. The mechanisms through which tropics, tropical cyclogenesis occur are distinctly different from those through which temperate cyclogenesis occu ...
. The 13 systems with tropical storm force winds is only one short of the most such storms since the beginning of satellite-tracking in the 1967–68 season, set in the 1993–94 season. This is four more than the average of nine named storms. In this season, there were 24 days on which tropical cyclones were active, slightly above normal, but only one storm—Kalunde—remained at that intensity for more than three days. By contrast, there were 68 days in which a tropical storm was active in the basin, which is 15 days above normal. The season began early and ended late; only four seasons began earlier and four ended later than this season since the start of satellite-coverage in the basin. In addition to the named storms and an unnamed tropical storm in September, there was one non-developing tropical depression. On December 25, Tropical Depression 05 developed in the north-eastern portion of the basin. It moved to the south and later south-east, crossing into the Australian region on December 27. A day later, the JTWC issued its last advisory.


Systems


Moderate Tropical Storm 01

In late August, a weak low-level circulation persisted near
Diego Garcia Diego Garcia is the largest island of the Chagos Archipelago. It has been used as a joint UK–U.S. military base since the 1970s, following the expulsion of the Chagossians by the UK government. The Chagos Islands are set to become a former B ...
. It was associated with a
trough Trough may refer to: In science * Trough (geology), a long depression less steep than a trench * Trough (meteorology), an elongated region of low atmospheric pressure * Trough (physics), the lowest point on a wave * Trough level (medicine), the l ...
near the equator, and initially remained disorganized due to high
wind shear Wind shear (; also written windshear), sometimes referred to as wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and/or direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere. Atmospheric wind shear is normally described as either vertical ...
. The disturbance was located at a low latitude near the equator, and a
ridge A ridge is a long, narrow, elevated geomorphologic landform, structural feature, or a combination of both separated from the surrounding terrain by steep sides. The sides of a ridge slope away from a narrow top, the crest or ridgecrest, wi ...
extending from the eastern coast of Africa imparted a general west-south-west movement. The system was organized enough to be classified by MFR on September 5 at 3.1° S. Subsequently, the system developed more
convection Convection is single or Multiphase flow, multiphase fluid flow that occurs Spontaneous process, spontaneously through the combined effects of material property heterogeneity and body forces on a fluid, most commonly density and gravity (see buoy ...
as its circulation became better defined. Operationally, MFR began issuing warnings on September 5 on Tropical Disturbance 01, and the next day upgraded it to a tropical depression. Post analysis from MFR indicated that the system reached peak winds of on September 6, the same day that the
Joint Typhoon Warning Center The Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) is a joint United States Navy – United States Air Force command in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The JTWC is responsible for the issuing of tropical cyclone warnings in the North-West Pacific Ocean, South P ...
(JTWC) initiated advisories on it as Tropical Cyclone 01S. The storm developed banding features, but the thunderstorms were sheared away from the circulation. On September 7, the storm moved through
Seychelles Seychelles (, ; ), officially the Republic of Seychelles (; Seychellois Creole: ), is an island country and archipelagic state consisting of 155 islands (as per the Constitution) in the Indian Ocean. Its capital and largest city, Victoria, ...
—an island nation in the southern Indian Ocean—before weakening. MFR discontinued advisories on September 8, and the JTWC followed suit the next day. While moving through Seychelles, the storm produced a microburst that lasted for two hours across several islands, producing wind gusts up to on
Praslin Praslin () is the second largest island (38.5 km2) of the Inner Seychelles, lying northeast of Mahé, Seychelles, Mahé. Praslin has a population of around 7,533 people and comprises two administrative districts: Baie Sainte Anne and Grand ...
. Heavy rainfall affected Praslin,
La Digue La Digue is the third most populated island of the Seychelles, and fourth largest by land area, lying east of Praslin and west of Felicite Island. In size, it is the fourth-largest granitic island of Seychelles after Mahé, Praslin, and Silho ...
, and particularly Mahé, which reported in a 24‑hour period. Damage on Mahé was limited to landslides and some flooding. On Praslin, high winds damaged the roofs of over 50 houses and destroyed six homes, while the airport was also damaged. The winds damaged 50 power lines, causing an island-wide power outage. High winds also downed about 30,000 trees, which blocked roads but were quickly removed. Due to widespread tree damage, Cousin Island—a nature preserve—was closed for about two weeks, accounting for about $50,000 (2002 
USD The United States dollar (symbol: $; currency code: USD) is the official currency of the United States and several other countries. The Coinage Act of 1792 introduced the U.S. dollar at par with the Spanish silver dollar, divided it int ...
, SR250,000
rupees Rupee (, ) is the common name for the currencies of India, Mauritius, Nepal, Pakistan, Seychelles, and Sri Lanka, and of former currencies of Afghanistan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, the United Arab Emirates (as the Gulf rupee), British East Afr ...
) in damage. Nationwide, the storm left 375 families homeless and damaged crop fields, becoming the most damaging in the country in 50 years.


Tropical Depression Atang

Convection persisted near a broad circulation on November 3 to the west of Diego Garcia. The system moved westward and organized due to generally favorable conditions. MFR classified it as Tropical Disturbance 02 on November 4. Two days later, the agency upgraded it to Tropical Depression 2, and shortly thereafter the JTWC initiated advisories on Tropical Cyclone 02S. At that time, the storm was moving to the south-west toward the Mauritius outer island of
Agaléga Agaléga () is a dependency of Mauritius, as defined by the Constitution of Mauritius, which consists of two outer islands located in the Indian Ocean, about north of Mauritius Island. Similar to other Mauritian islands such as St. Brandon, ...
, developing improved
outflow Outflow may refer to: *Capital outflow, the capital leaving a particular economy *Bipolar outflow, in astronomy, two continuous flows of gas from the poles of a star * Outflow (hydrology), the discharge of a lake or other reservoir system *Outflow ...
. To emphasize the threat, the Meteorological Service of Mauritius named the system Atang, despite it only being a tropical depression. Late on November 6, JTWC estimated peak winds of , around the same time that Atang began a slow motion to the southwest. The next day, the depression resumed a westward motion and became disorganized, with several circulations, and the JTWC and MFR both discontinued advisories. The remnants of Atang again turned to the south-west and re-intensified, prompting JTWC and MFR to re-issue advisories on November 9. By that time, the outflow improved, although it maintained multiple circulations. Atang passed near the north coast of Madagascar on November 10 after turning to the west, and that day the JTWC again discontinued advisories. After another period of re-organization, the agency again re-issued advisories on Atang on November 11 over the
Mozambique Channel The Mozambique Channel (, , ) is an arm of the Indian Ocean located between the Southeast African countries of Madagascar and Mozambique. The channel is about long and across at its narrowest point, and reaches a depth of about off the coa ...
. The next day, the system moved inland in south-eastern
Tanzania Tanzania, officially the United Republic of Tanzania, is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It is bordered by Uganda to the northwest; Kenya to the northeast; the Indian Ocean to the east; Mozambique and Malawi to t ...
, and dissipated shortly thereafter. In northern Mozambique, Atang produced moderate but beneficial rainfall in
Cabo Delgado Province Cabo Delgado is the northernmost province of Mozambique. It has an area of and a population of 2,320,261 (2017). It borders the Mtwara Region in the neighbouring country of Tanzania, and the provinces of Nampula and Niassa. The Province is ri ...
. The landfall area does not usually experience tropical cyclones, and damage in Mozambique was minimal. In Tanzania, there were unofficial reports that Atang killed several fishermen and caused heavy rainfall with wind gusts to .


Tropical Cyclone Boura

A strong area of winds near the equator developed an area of convection on November 14 to the east-north-east of Diego Garcia. It quickly developed outflow and a distinct circulation, becoming a tropical depression late on November 14. Early on November 15, MFR upgraded the system to Tropical Storm Boura, and later that day the JTWC initiated advisories on Tropical Cyclone 03S. With a ridge to the south-east, the storm moved quickly southwestward. Easterly wind shear prevented significant intensification until the circulation became established beneath the convection. On November 17, Boura intensified to reach 10-minute winds of , making it a tropical cyclone. The JTWC upgraded Boura to the same intensity that day but in 1-minute winds, or the equivalent of a minimal hurricane. The cyclone intensified slightly further to peak winds of . Boura maintained its peak winds for about 18 hours, during which wind shear began to increase. The cyclone weakened as it curved more to the west, a change due to a ridge to the south. The JTWC estimated that Boura maintained peak winds of . Initially, the storm retained good outflow and convection, and Boura passed just north of St. Brandon on November 19, producing of rainfall and wind gusts of . While the storm turned to the west and northwest, it interacted with the ridge to the south to produce wind gusts of on Mauritius and
Réunion Réunion (; ; ; known as before 1848) is an island in the Indian Ocean that is an overseas departments and regions of France, overseas department and region of France. Part of the Mascarene Islands, it is located approximately east of the isl ...
, respectively. The convection gradually diminished, and on November 22 Boura weakened to tropical depression status while the JTWC discontinued advisories. The circulation continued to the northwest, devoid of convection. After turning to the north-east on November 25, Boura dissipated a day later north of Madagascar.


Tropical Cyclone Crystal

For several days in mid-December,
tropical cyclone forecast model A tropical cyclone forecast model is a computer program that uses meteorology, meteorological data to weather forecasting, forecast aspects of the future state of tropical cyclones. There are three types of models: statistical, dynamical, or c ...
s anticipated a storm to form to the south-west of Diego Garcia, which was proven true when an area of convection formed in that area, becoming a tropical disturbance on December 21, the fourth of the season. On December 23, MFR upgraded the disturbance to a tropical depression, and later that day to Tropical Storm Crystal. The storm moved southwestward toward Mauritius due to a ridge to the south-east. Strengthening was gradual, and the JTWC upgraded Crystal to the equivalent of a minimal hurricane late on December 24. The next day, an eye developed, although dry air initially prevented much further intensification. MFR upgraded Crystal to tropical cyclone status on December 26, and that day the cyclone passed just east of St. Brandon. Subsequently, Crystal intensified quickly after the eye became clearer, reaching peak winds of on December 27. Around that time, the storm passed east of Mauritius as it turned to the south while rounding the ridge. After maintaining peak winds for about 18 hours, Crystal weakened, gradually undergoing
extratropical Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are low-pressure areas which, along with the anticyclones of high-pressure areas, drive the weather over much of the Earth. Extratropical cyclones are capable of p ...
transition. The convection diminished over the center, and Crystal weakened to tropical storm status on December 28. The next day, the JTWC and MFR discontinued advisories, labeling the storm as extratropical. The remnants continued to the south-east, dissipating on January 3 after crossing into the Australian region. While passing just east of St. Brandon, Crystal produced wind gusts of . The storm initially threatened to strike Mauritius, but effects were minimal due to the island being on the dry south-west quadrant of the storm. Crystal produced wind gusts of . Rainfall reached , although minimal precipitation occurred in northern Mauritius.


Severe Tropical Storm Delfina

In late December, a tropical disturbance rapidly formed off the north-west coast of Madagascar. By late on December 30, MFR classified it as a tropical disturbance. The system quickly intensified while moving westward, becoming a strong tropical storm before hitting north-eastern Mozambique on December 31. Delfina weakened while moving inland, and it was no longer classifiable as a tropical cyclone by January 1. However, its remnants moved across the country and into
Malawi Malawi, officially the Republic of Malawi, is a landlocked country in Southeastern Africa. It is bordered by Zambia to the west, Tanzania to the north and northeast, and Mozambique to the east, south, and southwest. Malawi spans over and ...
, later looping around and crossing back over Mozambique. When the remnants reached the Mozambique Channel, they were reclassified as Tropical Disturbance 07, which moved southward over waters. It re-intensified into a tropical storm on January 8 before weakening the next day, becoming extratropical. The remnants persisted for several days, dissipating on January 14. In both Mozambique and Malawi, Delfina dropped heavy rainfall that caused flooding. In the former country, over 18,000 houses were severely damaged or destroyed, leaving thousands homeless. The storm damaged roads and bridges, which disrupted relief efforts in the aftermath, and floods destroyed widespread areas of crops in the midst of an ongoing food shortage. Lingering flooding caused an outbreak of
cholera Cholera () is an infection of the small intestine by some Strain (biology), strains of the Bacteria, bacterium ''Vibrio cholerae''. Symptoms may range from none, to mild, to severe. The classic symptom is large amounts of watery diarrhea last ...
and
malaria Malaria is a Mosquito-borne disease, mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects vertebrates and ''Anopheles'' mosquitoes. Human malaria causes Signs and symptoms, symptoms that typically include fever, Fatigue (medical), fatigue, vomitin ...
in Mozambique, and 47 people were killed by Delfina. In Malawi, flooding was not widespread, although the storm destroyed about 3,600 houses. Delfina killed eight people in the country. Only two months after the storm struck, however, Cyclone Japhet left damage and deaths in many of the same areas that Delfina affected.


Severe Tropical Storm Ebula

An area of convection persisted on January 6 to the south-west of Diego Garcia with an associated circulation. It moved generally southward south-west within an area of generally favorable conditions, becoming Tropical Disturbance 08 on January 7. Thunderstorms increased, and the JTWC initiated advisories on Tropical Cyclone 09S early on January 8. The next day, MFR upgraded it to Tropical Storm Ebula. Outflow became more pronounced and the storm continued to intensify. On January 10, the JTWC upgraded Ebula to the equivalent of a minimal hurricane, and estimated peak winds of , just shy of tropical cyclone status. Subsequently, increased wind shear imparted weakening. After having spent much of its duration moving generally southward, Ebula turned to the south-east on January 11 due to a ridge to the south moving farther east. The thunderstorms diminished, and the JTWC discontinued advisories on January 12. That day, MFR declared that Ebula became extratropical, and the remnants dissipated on January 15.


Severe Tropical Storm Fari

An area of convection persisted on January 20 to the east-south-east of Diego Garcia, quickly developing outflow due to minimal wind shear. It moved to the south-west and its circulation became better defined. On January 23, the MFR initiated advisories on Tropical Disturbance 09, and later that day the JTWC issued a TCFA. Subsequently, the MFR upgraded the disturbance to a tropical depression and the JTWC initiated advisories on Tropical Cyclone 11S. Shortly thereafter, the system weakened and the circulation became exposed from the deep convection. The JTWC discontinued advisories on January 24, but MFR continued tracking the disturbance as it moved to the west. After reaching an area of low wind shear, thunderstorms again increased over the center, and the JTWC re-issued advisories on January 28. By that time, the system was nearing eastern Madagascar, and later that day MFR upgraded the system to Tropical Storm Fari. Early on January 29, MFR estimated peak winds of , making Fari a moderate tropical storm. Shortly thereafter, the storm made landfall on Madagascar just south of
Mahanoro Mahanoro is a rural municipality located in the Atsinanana region of eastern Madagascar, along the coast. It is located 9 km north of the mouth of the Mangoro River.Moriarity, H.A.Islands in the Southern Indian Ocean p. 126-28 (1891) (hist ...
. Fari quickly weakened into a tropical depression while crossing the country, emerging into the Mozambique Channel early on January 30. After the storm turned to the south, the MFR and JTWC declared Fari extratropical on January 31, and the remnants dissipated on February 2. Tropical Storm Fari struck Madagascar after the country had experienced weeks of heavy rainfall, causing widespread flooding. In the area where it moved ashore, the storm flooded crop fields that damaged most of the banana and fruit trees. The storm left landslides that isolated Marolambo and caused damage in other towns. Fari left 3,400 people homeless and caused an outbreak of
conjunctivitis Conjunctivitis, also known as pink eye or Madras eye, is inflammation of the conjunctiva, the thin, clear layer that covers the white surface of the eye and the inner eyelid. It makes the eye appear pink or reddish. Pain, burning, scratchiness ...
and diarrhea.


Intense Tropical Cyclone Gerry

On February 5, MFR began tracking a tropical disturbance to the east of Madagascar's northern coast. The system moved to the south-west before turning to the north on February 7. By that day, the system had persistent convection around a weak circulation, located in an area of low wind shear. On February 8, the JTWC initiated advisories on Tropical Cyclone 16S, although initially the circulation was broad and exposed from the thunderstorms. The next day, MFR upgraded the depression to tropical storm status, and the Meteorological Services of Mauritius named the system Gerry. The storm turned to the south toward Mauritius and steadily intensified. On February 12, the JTWC upgraded Gerry to the equivalent of a minimal hurricane, and shortly thereafter MFR upgraded the storm to a tropical cyclone. Around that time, Gerry began undergoing
rapid deepening Rapid intensification (RI) is any process wherein a tropical cyclone strengthens very dramatically in a short period of time. Tropical cyclone forecasting agencies utilize differing thresholds for designating rapid intensification events, th ...
, becoming an intense tropical cyclone early on February 13 while developing a well-defined eye and outflow. That day, the cyclone passed about east of Mauritius. At that time, the JTWC estimated peak 1 minute winds of , and MFR estimated peak 10 minute winds of . Subsequently, Gerry began weakening due to increasing wind shear, with the eye becoming disorganized. Later, the convection separated from the deepest convection, and the cyclone weakened to tropical storm status on February 14. The next day, JTWC discontinued advisories, and on February 16 MFR declared Jerry extratropical. The remnants dissipated two days later. Early in its duration, Gerry passed just west of
Tromelin Island Tromelin Island (; , ), once called the Isle of Sand, is a low, flat island in the Indian Ocean about north of Réunion and about east of Madagascar. Both France and Mauritius claim sovereignty over the islands, and France includes it in t ...
, producing tropical storm force winds and gusts to . The cyclone originally threatened to strike Mauritius directly, but due to a more east-south-easterly motion, Gerry passed more to the east. The storm forced the closure of
Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport ( French: ''Aéroport International Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam'') is the primary international airport serving the island nation of Mauritius. It is located at Plaine Magnien, southeast of the c ...
, along with schools and government offices. Wind gusts on Mauritius reached . Gerry dropped heavy rainfall, peaking at at Mare aux Vacoas, and it produced high waves along the northern coast. One person was killed who was electrocuted during the storm's passage.


Tropical Cyclone Hape

Around the same time that Tropical Storm Gerry was developing, another area of convection to its east was organizing. On February 7, the system became a tropical disturbance, and initially moved to the north. Operationally, MFR first began issuing advisories on February 9 for Tropical Disturbance 11, when the system had a small center and accompanying convection. By that time, the disturbance had turned to the south, and favorable conditions allowed for gradual development. MFR upgraded the system to tropical storm status late on February 9, although the system was not named Hape until 36 hours later. On February 10, the JTWC initiated advisories on Tropical Cyclone 17S. An eye developed on February 11, suggesting quick intensification. At 1800 UTC that day, the JTWC and MFR upgraded Hape to the equivalent of a minimal hurricane and to tropical cyclone status, respectively. By that time, the cyclone had turned to the east-north-east due to a weakness in a ridge to the north. MFR estimated that Hape reached peak 10-minute winds of on February 12, and the next day the JTWC estimated 1-minute winds of . Later, the storm weakened, and it turned to the south-east when the ridge re-intensified. Outflow decreased due to interaction with Cyclone Gerry to the west, and Hape weakened to tropical storm status on February 13. On February 15, the JTWC discontinued advisories once the circulation was exposed from the deep convection. The next day, MFR followed suit after the circulation dissipated.


Moderate Tropical Storm Isha

Widespread convection in the
monsoon trough The monsoon trough is a convergence zone between the wind patterns of the southern and northern hemispheres. It is a portion of the Intertropical Convergence Zone in the Western Pacific,Bin WangThe Asian Monsoon.Retrieved 2008-05-03. and is dep ...
persisted across the south-eastern Indian Ocean in early February. One area was tracked by the JTWC on February 3 in the Australian basin, south-west of Indonesia. The system moved westward without development, crossing into the basin on February 8. The next day, MFR began tracking the system as a tropical disturbance. On February 11, the system turned to the south-east, due to a ridge to the north. That day, JTWC started issuing advisories on Tropical Cyclone 18S. Initially, the storm failed to intensify much due to a nearby upper-level ridge. On February 12, MFR upgraded the system to a tropical storm, and the next day the system was named Isha. Outflow became more pronounced due to minimal wind shear. The JTWC briefly estimated peak 1 minute winds of , but the MFR never estimated winds above . Isha weakened late on February 13 due to cooler waters, dry air, and stronger shear. On February 14, the JTWC discontinued advisories once there was little convection left, and the MFR estimated Isha dissipated the next day.


Intense Tropical Cyclone Japhet

Cyclone Japhet developed on February 25 near the south-west coast of Madagascar, and initially moved to the north-west before turning to the southwest. With favorable conditions for development, Japhet quickly intensified in the Mozambique Channel, reaching maximum winds of , sustained over 10 minutes. This made it an intense tropical cyclone, only the sixth to occur in the channel in 24 years. After stalling briefly, the cyclone turned to the northwest, weakening slightly before striking Mozambique just south of
Vilankulo Vilankulo (or Vilanculos) is a coastal town in Mozambique, lying in the Vilanculos District of Inhambane Province. Vilankulo is named after local tribal chief Gamela Vilankulo Mukoke, and some of the "bairros" (suburbs) are named after his sons. ...
on March 2. Japhet slowly weakened while progressing inland, dissipating over
Zambia Zambia, officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of Central Africa, Central, Southern Africa, Southern and East Africa. It is typically referred to being in South-Central Africa or Southern Africa. It is bor ...
on March 6. Along its path, Japhet dropped heavy rainfall that caused widespread river flooding. The rains occurred after an extended drought, although excessive precipitation caused heavy crop damage, notably around where the storm moved ashore. In two provinces in Mozambique, the cyclone damaged or destroyed 25,000 houses, leaving at least 23,000 people homeless. Flooding in Zambia caused rivers to rise in Mozambique several days after the storm's passage. There were 17 deaths in Mozambique. (accessed via Lexis Nexis on 2012-08-22) Further inland, remnant rainfall destroyed a bridge and several houses in Zimbabwe, killing eight people. (accessed via Lexis Nexis on 2012-08-22)


Intense Tropical Cyclone Kalunde

Kalunde formed on March 3 from an area of convection south-east of Diego Garcia. The system slowly intensified while drifting to the west, becoming a moderate tropical storm on March 5. Its intensification rate increased as it began a steady south-west movement. Kalunde underwent
rapid deepening Rapid intensification (RI) is any process wherein a tropical cyclone strengthens very dramatically in a short period of time. Tropical cyclone forecasting agencies utilize differing thresholds for designating rapid intensification events, th ...
and developed an eye, reaching peak intensity on March 8. Around that time, MFR estimated a minimum pressure of with winds of , and the JTWC estimated peak winds of ; this made Kalunde the strongest cyclone of the year in the basin. It weakened after undergoing an
eyewall replacement cycle In meteorology, eyewall replacement cycles, also called concentric eyewall cycles, naturally occur in intense tropical cyclones with maximum sustained winds greater than , or hurricane-force, and particularly in major hurricanes of Saffir–Simps ...
, and on March 12 Kalunde passed near
Rodrigues Rodrigues ( ; Mauritian Creole, Creole: ) is a Autonomous administrative division, autonomous Outer islands of Mauritius, outer island of the Republic of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean, about east of Mauritius. It is part of the Mascarene Isl ...
island as a weakening cyclone. Around that time, the storm turned to the south, weakening to a tropical storm on March 14 before becoming extratropical the next day. The remnants of Kalunde dissipated on March 16. When the cyclone passed Rodrigues, it produced wind gusts estimated up to , which caused an island-wide power outage. Many roads were washed out, and about 80 percent of the drinking water was contaminated. During the storm's three-day passage of the island, a total of of rain fell. A total of 1,600 homes were damaged, and total losses across the island amounted to $3.15 million (2003 USD,
The euro sign () is the currency sign used for the euro, the official currency of the eurozone. The design was presented to the public by the European Commission on 12 December 1996. It consists of a stylized letter E (or epsilon), crossed by t ...
3.4 million).


Subtropical Depression Luma

A large low-level circulation persisted off the south-west coast of Madagascar on April 6. On April 8, it became a subtropical depression according to MFR, and moved to the south-west before turning sharply to the south-east. That day, the JTWC briefly assessed a fair potential for development. The circulation became exposed on April 9, but when it began quickly intensifying the next day, MFR initiated advisories on Subtropical Depression Luma. By that time, the JTWC classified the system as extratropical; however, the system developed convection near the center and became more of a tropical cyclone. On April 11, Luma developed an eye in the center of the thunderstorms, prompting MFR to upgrade the storm to peak winds of . At that time, the storm was in an area of weak wind shear, although increasing shear caused rapid weakening and for the eye to dissipate. Early on April 12, Luma became extratropical as it merged with an approaching
cold front A cold front is the leading edge of a cooler mass of air at ground level that replaces a warmer mass of air and lies within a pronounced surface Trough (meteorology), trough of Low-pressure area, low pressure. It often forms behind an extratropica ...
.


Tropical Cyclone Manou

Late in the season in April, an area of convection formed south-west of Diego Garcia. It gradually organized, and there was a companion system to the west that also showed signs of development. The eastern system was declared Tropical Disturbance 16 on May 2, and with a
ridge A ridge is a long, narrow, elevated geomorphologic landform, structural feature, or a combination of both separated from the surrounding terrain by steep sides. The sides of a ridge slope away from a narrow top, the crest or ridgecrest, wi ...
to the south-east it moved generally to the southwest. Early in its duration, the system affected St. Brandon and
Mauritius Mauritius, officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an island country in the Indian Ocean, about off the southeastern coast of East Africa, east of Madagascar. It includes the main island (also called Mauritius), as well as Rodrigues, Ag ...
with gusty winds. On May 4 it intensified into Tropical Storm Manou on May 4. After an initial strengthening phase, the storm weakened but later re-intensified as it approached Madagascar. Manou developed a well-defined
eye An eye is a sensory organ that allows an organism to perceive visual information. It detects light and converts it into electro-chemical impulses in neurons (neurones). It is part of an organism's visual system. In higher organisms, the ey ...
and reached peak winds only from the eastern Madagascar coastline. It reached tropical cyclone status, at the time only one of six in the month since 1968. For about 12 hours, the cyclone stalled before turning to the south and weakening. After becoming
extratropical Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are low-pressure areas which, along with the anticyclones of high-pressure areas, drive the weather over much of the Earth. Extratropical cyclones are capable of p ...
on May 10, Manou dissipated three days later. Manou struck Madagascar a year after Cyclone Kesiny hit the country in May 2002, representing the first known occurrence of May tropical cyclone impacts in consecutive years. When Manou struck Madagascar, it produced gusts as strong as and heavy rainfall reaching in a 15‑hour period, both at
Vatomandry Vatomandry is a town in and the administrative center of the Vatomandry District, Atsinanana Region, Madagascar.(29 March 2006)MADAGASCAR: Maintaining the roads to prosperity '' IRIN'' An airport serves the city. Etymology and location Located ...
. Damage in the country was heaviest there, where 85% of buildings were destroyed and 23 people were killed. Manou destroyed about 24,500 houses nationwide, leaving 114,480 people homeless. The storm destroyed large areas of crops and disrupted transportation, including damaging the road between Vatomandry and
Brickaville Brickaville is a town and commune in Atsinanana Region, Madagascar. Also known as Ampasimanolotra, Brickaville is located along Route nationale 2 (RN 2), 105 km south of Toamasina (the primary seaport of the country) and 220 km east of ...
. Manou injured 85 and killed 89 people throughout Madagascar.


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°E, 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 Mauritius, officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an island country in the Indian Ocean, about off the southeastern coast of East Africa, east of Madagascar. It includes the main island (also called Mauritius), as well as Rodrigues, Ag ...
assigns the appropriate name to the storm. A new annual list is used every year so no names are retired.


Season effects

This table lists all of the tropical cyclones and subtropical cyclones that were monitored during the 2002–2003 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season. Information on their intensity, duration, name, areas affected, primarily comes from RSMC La Reunion. Death and damage reports come from either press reports or the relevant national disaster management agency while the damage totals are given in 2003 USD. , - , , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Seychelles , , , , None , , , - , , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Madagascar, Mozambique, Tanzania , , None , , Unconfirmed , , , - , , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , None , , None , , None , , , - , , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Mauritius , , Minimal , , None , , , - , , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Madagascar, Mozambique, Tanzania , , None , , None , , , - , , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Mozambique, Tanzania, Malawi , , , , 54 , , , - , , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , None , , None , , None , , , - , , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Madagascar , , Unknown , , None , , , - , , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Mauritius, Réunion , , Unknown , , 1 , , , - , , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , None , , None , , None , , , - , , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , None , , None , , None , , , - , , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe , , Unknown , , 25 , , , - , , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Rodrigues Island , , , , None , , , - , , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , None , , None , , None , , , - , , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Madagascar , , Unknown , , 89 , , , -


See also

*
List of Southern Hemisphere tropical cyclone seasons The tropical cyclone seasons that occur in the Southern Hemisphere are: *South-West Indian Ocean tropical cyclone **Current – South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season *Australian region tropical cyclone **Current – Australian region cyclon ...
* Atlantic hurricane seasons:
2002 The effects of the September 11 attacks of the previous year had a significant impact on the affairs of 2002. The war on terror was a major political focus. Without settled international law, several nations engaged in anti-terror operation ...
,
2003 2003 was designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Fresh water, Freshwater. In 2003, a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition 2003 invasion of Iraq, invaded Iraq, starting the Iraq War. Demographic ...
* Pacific hurricane seasons:
2002 The effects of the September 11 attacks of the previous year had a significant impact on the affairs of 2002. The war on terror was a major political focus. Without settled international law, several nations engaged in anti-terror operation ...
,
2003 2003 was designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Fresh water, Freshwater. In 2003, a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition 2003 invasion of Iraq, invaded Iraq, starting the Iraq War. Demographic ...
* Pacific typhoon seasons:
2002 The effects of the September 11 attacks of the previous year had a significant impact on the affairs of 2002. The war on terror was a major political focus. Without settled international law, several nations engaged in anti-terror operation ...
,
2003 2003 was designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Fresh water, Freshwater. In 2003, a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition 2003 invasion of Iraq, invaded Iraq, starting the Iraq War. Demographic ...
* North Indian Ocean cyclone seasons:
2002 The effects of the September 11 attacks of the previous year had a significant impact on the affairs of 2002. The war on terror was a major political focus. Without settled international law, several nations engaged in anti-terror operation ...
,
2003 2003 was designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Fresh water, Freshwater. In 2003, a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition 2003 invasion of Iraq, invaded Iraq, starting the Iraq War. Demographic ...


References


External links


Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC)
.
Météo France (RSMC La Réunion)




{{DEFAULTSORT:2002-03 South-West Indian Ocean Cyclone Season * South-West Indian Ocean cyclone seasons 2002 SWIO 2003 SWIO