2006–07 South-West Indian Ocean Cyclone Season
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The 2006–07 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season featured the second-most
intense tropical cyclones ''Intense'' is the fifth studio album by Dutch DJ and record producer Armin van Buuren. It was released on 3 May 2013 by Armada Music. The first song announced to be on the album is " Waiting for the Night", featuring the singer Fiora, which wa ...
for a season in the
tropical cyclone basin Traditionally, areas of tropical cyclone formation are divided into seven basins. These include the north Atlantic Ocean, the eastern and western parts of the northern Pacific Ocean, the southwestern Pacific, the southwestern and southeastern Ind ...
, only behind the 2018–19 season. The basin contains the waters of the
Indian Ocean The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or ~19.8% of the water on Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia to the east. To the south it is bounded by th ...
south of the
equator The equator is a circle of latitude, about in circumference, that divides Earth into the Northern and Southern hemispheres. It is an imaginary line located at 0 degrees latitude, halfway between the North and South poles. The term can als ...
and west of
90°E The meridian 90° east of Prime Meridian, 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. It is the border between two trop ...
.
Météo-France Météo-France is the French national meteorological service. Organisation 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 operatio ...
's meteorological office in
Réunion Réunion (; french: La Réunion, ; previously ''Île Bourbon''; rcf, label= Reunionese Creole, La Rényon) is an island in the Indian Ocean that is an overseas department and region of France. It is located approximately east of the island ...
(MFR), 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 p ...
for the South-West Indian Ocean, tracked 15 tropical disturbances, of which eleven attained
gale A gale is a strong wind; the word is typically used as a descriptor in nautical contexts. The U.S. National Weather Service defines a gale as sustained surface winds moving at a speed of between 34 and 47 knots (, or ).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.
Cyclone Bondo Intense Tropical Cyclone Bondo was the first of a series of six tropical cyclones to impact Madagascar during the 2006–07 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season. Bondo developed on 15 December in the central Indian Ocean, west of Diego Garci ...
was the first of six intense tropical cyclones, which took a rare track through the southern
Seychelles Seychelles (, ; ), officially the Republic of Seychelles (french: link=no, République des Seychelles; Creole: ''La Repiblik Sesel''), is an archipelagic state consisting of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean. Its capital and largest city, V ...
before making
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 ...
on northwest
Madagascar Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de Madagascar), is an island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately off the coast of East Africa ...
, killing 11 people. Severe Tropical Storm Clovis lasted from December 2006 to January 2007; it struck eastern Madagascar, killing four people. In January 2007, Cyclone Dora became one of the two strongest storms of the season, with
maximum sustained wind The maximum sustained wind associated with a tropical cyclone is a common indicator of the intensity of the storm. Within a mature tropical cyclone, it is found within the eyewall at a distance defined as the radius of maximum wind, or RMW. Unl ...
s of 195  kilometres per hour (120 
miles per hour Miles per hour (mph, m.p.h., MPH, or mi/h) is a British imperial and United States customary unit of speed expressing the number of miles travelled in one hour. It is used in the United Kingdom, the United States, and a number of smaller cou ...
); Dora only lightly affected the
Mauritian Mauritians (singular Mauritian; french: Mauricien; Creole: ''Morisien'') are nationals or natives of the Republic of Mauritius and their descendants. Mauritius is a multi-ethnic society, with notable groups of people of South Asian (notably ...
island of Rodrigues. The season was most active in February, beginning with Severe Tropical Storm Enok, which formed off eastern Madagascar and later struck the island of St. Brandon. The next storm,
Cyclone Favio Intense Tropical Cyclone Favio was the first known tropical cyclone that passed south of Madagascar to strike Africa as an intense tropical cyclone. Early on 11 February 2007, a zone of disturbed weather formed east of Madagascar. Four days lat ...
, tied Dora as the season's strongest storm. Favio took an unusual path south of Madagascar before entering the
Mozambique Channel The Mozambique Channel (french: Canal du Mozambique, mg, Lakandranon'i Mozambika, pt, Canal de Moçambique) is an arm of the Indian Ocean located between the Southeast African countries of Madagascar and Mozambique. The channel is about lon ...
and striking southern
Mozambique Mozambique (), officially the Republic of Mozambique ( pt, Moçambique or , ; ny, Mozambiki; sw, Msumbiji; ts, Muzambhiki), is a country located in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi ...
, killing 10 people and causing widespread flooding.
Cyclone Gamede Intense Tropical Cyclone Gamede was among the wettest tropical cyclones on record, dropping more than 5.5 m (18 ft) of rain in a nine-day period on Réunion island in the southwest Indian Ocean. The seventh named storm of the 2006–0 ...
stalled northwest of 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 the islands belonging to the Republic of Mauritius as well as the French department of Réunion. Thei ...
for a few days in late February, resulting in historic rainfall totals on the French island of
Réunion Réunion (; french: La Réunion, ; previously ''Île Bourbon''; rcf, label= Reunionese Creole, La Rényon) is an island in the Indian Ocean that is an overseas department and region of France. It is located approximately east of the island ...
. Over a nine-day period, Gamede dropped 5512 mm (217 in) of rainfall at
Commerson Crater Commerson Crater is a caldera in the mountains of Réunion, an overseas department of France. Located in the municipal territory of Saint-Joseph, it is part of the Piton de la Fournaise, a shield volcano on the eastern end of Réunion Island, bu ...
, making it one of the wettest tropical cyclones on record. February concluded with Cyclone Humba, which remained over the eastern portion of the basin. The season's deadliest storm was Cyclone Indlala, which struck northeastern Madagascar on March 15. The cyclone killed 150 people and caused over US$240 million in damage, after resulting in widespread flooding. Less than three weeks after Indlala, Cyclone Jaya struck northeastern Madagascar at a similar location, disrupting ongoing relief efforts and causing one death. The season concluded on April 12, when a
subtropical cyclone A subtropical cyclone is a weather system that has some characteristics of both tropical cyclone, tropical and an extratropical cyclone. As early as the 1950s, meteorologists were uncertain whether they should be characterized as Tropical cyclo ...
in the Mozambique Channel transitioned into an
extratropical cyclone 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 ...
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Seasonal forecast and 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 w ...
)"
On October 13, 2006, the Mauritius Meteorological Services (MMS) issued their seasonal outlook for the South-west Indian Ocean, anticipating a normal season with about 10 named storms. They forecast
El Niño El Niño (; ; ) is the warm phase of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and is associated with a band of warm ocean water that develops in the central and east-central equatorial Pacific (approximately between the International Date L ...
conditions for the southern hemisphere, meaning that normal to slightly above normal activity was likely. They also forecast a weak
quasi-biennial oscillation The quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO) is a quasiperiodic oscillation of the equatorial zonal wind between easterlies and westerlies in the tropical stratosphere with a mean period of 28 to 29 months. The alternating wind regimes develop at the to ...
, which would promote cyclone formation in the basin. Other seasonal indicators that were conducive for storm formation included above normal water temperatures, sustained convective activity, and above normal humidity. The seasonal forecast anticipated that most storms would form west of Diego Garcia, with at least one forming in the Mozambique Channel.
Météo-France Météo-France is the French national meteorological service. Organisation 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 operatio ...
's meteorological office in
Réunion Réunion (; french: La Réunion, ; previously ''Île Bourbon''; rcf, label= Reunionese Creole, La Rényon) is an island in the Indian Ocean that is an overseas department and region of France. It is located approximately east of the island ...
(MFR) – 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 p ...
for the South-West Indian Ocean – tracked all tropical cyclones from the east coast of Africa to 90° E, and south of the equator. Regional warning centers in Mauritius and Madagascar formally named the individual storms. 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, the MFR monitored 15 tropical disturbances, including a
subtropical cyclone A subtropical cyclone is a weather system that has some characteristics of both tropical cyclone, tropical and an extratropical cyclone. As early as the 1950s, meteorologists were uncertain whether they should be characterized as Tropical cyclo ...
southwest of Madagascar that ended the season in April. There were ten systems that attained the intensity of a moderate tropical storm, which has 10–minute sustained winds of at least ; this is near the long-term average, but much more active than the previous season. There were 58 days in which a tropical storm was active, or five more than the average. Seven of these storms attained tropical cyclone status, which has 10–minute winds of ; the 30 days with a tropical cyclone present was 10 days more than average. Of these cyclones, six strengthened further to an intense tropical cyclone, which has 10 minute winds of . This was the most on record at the time, until it was surpassed by the 2018–19 season. The rest of the southern hemisphere was less active than the Indian Ocean during the 2006–07 cyclone year. The El Niño present at the beginning of the season subsided by January 2007. Most of the storms in the season occurred in the western portion of the basin. From December 2006 to April 2007, a series of floods and storms affected Madagascar, including Bondo, Clovis, Favio, Gamede, Indlala, and Jaya; this made it the most active season in the country since the
1999–2000 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season The 1999–2000 South-West Indian Ocean tropical cyclone season was the first on record in which two storms – Leon–Eline and Hudah – struck Mozambique at tropical cyclone intensity, or with maximum sustained winds of at least . The most ...
. The series of storms and floods left 10,000 families homeless, directly affecting 9% of the country's population. These floods left 336,470 people in emergency need of food, after the storms destroyed worth of crops. The
World Food Programme The World Food Programme; it, Programma alimentare mondiale; es, Programa Mundial de Alimentos; ar, برنامج الأغذية العالمي, translit=barnamaj al'aghdhiat alealami; russian: Всемирная продовольствен ...
provided meals, distributed through
non-governmental organization A non-governmental organization (NGO) or non-governmental organisation (see spelling differences) is an organization that generally is formed independent from government. They are typically nonprofit entities, and many of them are active in h ...
s and local officials. This covered the needs for these families until farmers were able to rebuild and regrow their food supply, using seeds provided by the
Food and Agriculture Organization The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)french: link=no, Organisation des Nations unies pour l'alimentation et l'agriculture; it, Organizzazione delle Nazioni Unite per l'Alimentazione e l'Agricoltura is an intern ...
. The Malagasy Red Cross provided more than 10,000 residents across the country with insecticide-treated mosquito nets. The series of floods diminished the country's stock of supplies from
United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...
agencies, spurring a declaration of a national emergency, and a nearly US$19.5 million appeal for international assistance. Countries around the world donated money or supplies to help the relief effort.
UNICEF UNICEF (), originally called the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund in full, now officially United Nations Children's Fund, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing Humanitarianism, humanitarian and Devel ...
distributed 100 freezers and refrigerators to health facilities that bore the consequences of the active season. The agency also provided the resources to rebuild or repair 95 schools.


Systems


Moderate Tropical Storm Anita

A
low-pressure area In meteorology, a low-pressure area, low area or low is a region where the atmospheric pressure is lower than that of surrounding locations. Low-pressure areas are commonly associated with inclement weather (such as cloudy, windy, with possible ...
developed on November 26 to the north of Madagascar. Located within an area of moderate wind shear, the system consolidated its associated
convection Convection is single or multiphase fluid flow that occurs spontaneously due to the combined effects of material property heterogeneity and body forces on a fluid, most commonly density and gravity (see buoyancy). When the cause of the convec ...
while moving southwestward. The JTWC classified the system as Tropical Cyclone 03S on November 29. That day, the disturbance turned to the south, paralleling the east coast of Mozambique while moving around a ridge. On November 30, the MFR upgraded the system to Moderate Tropical Storm Anita, estimating peak 10–minute winds of . On the same day, the JTWC estimated peak 1–minute winds of . Anita soon encountered higher wind shear, causing the convection to diminish over the center, and for Anita to weaken back to a tropical depression. The MFR stopped tracking Anita on December 3. While moving close to Mozambique, Anita dropped heavy rainfall in southeast Tanzania, reaching over 24 hours. Heavy rainfall also occurred in the Comoros, eastern Mozambique, and northwest Madagascar, causing flash flooding.


Intense Tropical Cyclone Bondo

A tropical disturbance developed on December 15 in the central
Indian Ocean The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or ~19.8% of the water on Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia to the east. To the south it is bounded by th ...
west of
Diego Garcia Diego Garcia is an island of the British Indian Ocean Territory, a disputed overseas territory of the United Kingdom. It is a militarised atoll just south of the equator in the central Indian Ocean, and the largest of the 60 small islands of ...
. It strengthened into Moderate Tropical Storm Bondo on December 18. Thereafter, the storm
rapidly intensified In meteorology, rapid intensification is a situation where a tropical cyclone intensifies dramatically in a short period of time. The United States National Hurricane Center defines rapid intensification as an increase in the maximum sustained wi ...
while moving westward, taking advantage of favorable atmospheric conditions. Within 18 hours of being named, Bondo intensified into tropical cyclone status, or the equivalent of a minimal hurricane. On December 20, the MFR estimated peak 10–minute sustained winds of , although the JTWC estimated stronger 1–minute winds of . While near peak intensity, Bondo passed just south of
Agaléga Agaléga (french: îles Agaléga) is a dependency of Mauritius which consists of two outer islands located in the Indian Ocean, about north of Mauritius Island. The population of the islands as at July 2011 was estimated at 289. The islands h ...
island, before weakening slightly and moving through the
Farquhar Group The Farquhar Group belong to the Outer Islands of the Seychelles, lying in the southwest of the island nation, more than southwest of the capital, Victoria, on Mahé Island. Area The total land area of all islands in the group is less than , ...
of islands belonging to the
Seychelles Seychelles (, ; ), officially the Republic of Seychelles (french: link=no, République des Seychelles; Creole: ''La Repiblik Sesel''), is an archipelagic state consisting of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean. Its capital and largest city, V ...
, becoming the strongest cyclone to affect that island group in decades. Bondo turned southwestward and weakened, followed by re-intensification as it neared the northern tip of Madagascar. Bondo paralleled the coast briefly before it made
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 ...
near Mahajanga on December 25. The storm continued southward, and was last tracked by the MFR on December 28. Due to its small size, Bondo's winds did not exceed on Agaléga, despite passing close by near peak intensity. In the Seychelles, Bondo severely damaged buildings and vegetation on Providence Atoll. High waves caused flooding elsewhere in the archipelago. In Madagascar, Bondo killed 11 people when it struck the island's west coast. The storm's high winds, reaching in Mahajanga, damaged buildings and left around 20,000 people homeless.


Severe Tropical Storm Clovis

Toward the end of December, the
Intertropical Convergence Zone The Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ ), known by sailors as the doldrums or the calms because of its monotonous windless weather, is the area where the northeast and the southeast trade winds converge. It encircles Earth near the thermal e ...
(ITCZ) was active across the southern Indian Ocean. An area of thunderstorms persisted west of Diego Garcia on December 24, which wrapped around a developing circulation. On the next day, the MFR designated the system as Tropical Disturbance 4. The system drifted to the southwest, encountering an area of high wind shear on December 27, causing the circulation to become exposed and weaken. A new, larger circulation developed within the system, prompting the MFR to issue new warnings on Tropical Disturbance 5 on December 29, located southeast of Agaléga. The MFR upgraded the system to Moderate Tropical Storm Clovis on December 31 while the storm was near
Tromelin Island Tromelin Island (; french: Île Tromelin, ) is a low, flat island in the Indian Ocean about north of Réunion and about east of Madagascar. Tromelin is administered as part of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands, a French Overseas Te ...
. Clovis continued to the south-southwest, steered by a ridge to its southeast. On January 2, the MFR estimated peak 10–minute winds of . The JTWC estimated slightly higher 1–minute winds of , the equivalent of a minimal hurricane. Satellite imagery at this time showed a small eye in the center of the convection. While near peak intensity, Clovis made landfall in eastern Madagascar near
Nosy Varika Nosy Varika is a town and commune in Madagascar. It belongs to the district of Nosy Varika, which is a part of the region of Vatovavy. The population of the commune was estimated to be approximately 19787 in 2018. Nosy Varika is served by a loca ...
on January 3. The storm rapidly weakened over land while executing a small loop, dissipating on January 4. High waves affected the north coast of Mauritius. Clovis killed four people in Madagascar, and left 13,465 people homeless. In the country, the storm Clovis dropped heavy rainfall, reaching in
Mananjary Mananjary is a city located in Vatovavy, Madagascar with a population of 25,222 inhabitants in 2018. It is the chief city of the Mananjary district. It contains a town of the same name, situated on the southern part of the east coast, where the M ...
. The rains caused flooding, which damaged houses, power grids, and crops. At least of rice farms in Mananjary were damaged, representing about 30% of the harvest. Other damaged crops include cassava, banana, vanilla, and fruit trees. The floods left roads impassable in Nosy Varika, which limited communications along with power and phone outages.


Intense Tropical Cyclone Dora

On January 26, an area of convection persisted west of Diego Garcia. That day, the MFR designated it as a tropical disturbance. Located in an area of low wind shear, the system slowly organized while moving southwestward, developing more convection and outflow over time. On January 28, the JTWC designated the system as Tropical Cyclone 10S. On the next day, the MFR upgraded the system to Moderate Tropical Storm Dora. The storm quickly intensified, and the JTWC upgraded Dora to the equivalent of a minimal hurricane on January 30. On February 1, the MFR upgraded Dora to tropical cyclone status. By that time, the cyclone was moving slowly south-southeastward between two ridges. Dora turned back to the southwest on February 2, and briefly weakened before re-intensifying, possibly the result of an eyewall replacement cycle. On February 3, the MFR upgraded Dora to an intense tropical cyclone, estimating peak 10–minute winds of . The JTWC meanwhile estimated peak 1–minute winds of . While at its peak intensity, Dora resembled an annular cyclone, with a large eye and a symmetrical cloud pattern. Cyclone Dora maintained peak intensity for about 12 hours before weakening due to cooler, drier air from the southeast. On February 5, Dora weakened below tropical cyclone status, as its forward movement also slowed. On February 6, Dora passed about 165 km (105 mi) east of Rodrigues. The thunderstorms around the thunderstorms dwindled due to higher wind shear, until the circulation was entirely exposed on February 9. On that day, the MFR reclassified Dora as an extratropical cyclone. The agency tracked the storm for four more days as the storm curved to the south. The Mauritius Meteorological Service first issued cyclone warnings for Rodrigues on January 31, and continued issuing warnings for the island until February 7 when the storm passed the area. Dora dropped of rainfall on the island, and gusts reached .


Severe Tropical Storm Enok

A tropical disturbance formed off the east coast of Madagascar on February 6. That day, the JTWC issued a
Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert A Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert (TCFA) is a bulletin released by the U.S. Navy-operated Joint Typhoon Warning Center in Honolulu, Hawaii or the Fleet Weather Center in Norfolk, Virginia, warning of the possibility of a tropical cyclone formin ...
, indicating rapid development of the small weather system. The nascent system moved northeastward, an unusual track caused by a trough extending northwestward from the remnants of Cyclone Dora, as well as ridge to the north. With good outflow and low wind shear, the small system intensified quickly on February 9. That day, the MFR upgraded the system to Severe Tropical Storm Enok, and the JTWC classified the storm as Tropical Cyclone 13S. Early on February 10, the MFR estimated peak winds of , although it is possible the storm was stronger, based on the appearance of an eye-like feature in the convection. That day, Enok passed just north of St. Brandon, which reported a calm lasting a few minutes. The storm moved quickly to the southeast and weakened due to higher wind shear and dry air. Late on February 10, Enok passed just northeast of Rodrigues. On the next day, the storm weakened to into a tropical depression and turned back to the west. The MFR discontinued advisories on February 13. On St. Brandon, Enok produced wind gusts of , strong enough to damage iron sheets and a window pane. Rainfall on the island reached . Later, Enok produced wind gusts of on Rodrigues; the storm dropped of rainfall.


Intense Tropical Cyclone Favio

Cyclone Favio developed as a tropical disturbance on February 11 to the southwest of Diego Garcia. It moved southwestward due to a ridge to its southeast, gradually organizing amid favorable conditions. The JTWC first classified the system as Tropical Cyclone 14S on February 14. A day later, the MFR upgraded the system to Moderate Tropical Storm Favio, and later that day, the storm passed about 120 km (75 mi) northwest of Rodrigues. The ridge to its south built westward, causing Favio to turn westward. On February 19, the MFR upgraded the storm to tropical cyclone status while Favio was passing south of Madagascar. The cyclone intensified further as it turned to the northwest in the Mozambique Channel. Late on February 20, the MFR estimated that Favio attained peak winds of , making it an intense tropical cyclone. Meanwhile, the JTWC estimated peak 1–minute winds of . Favio weakened slightly before making landfall in southeastern Mozambique on February 22 near
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. ...
. This made Favio the first cyclone on record to strike Mozambique after moving south of Madagascar. The cyclone rapidly weakened over land, and the MFR discontinued advisories on February 23 when the storm was near the Mozambique/Zimbabwe border. On Rodrigues, the cyclone produced wind gusts, as well as heavy rainfall reaching . The storm brushed the southern coast of Madagascar, producing heavy rainfall that blocked roads. In Mozambique, Favio killed 10 people and caused additional deadly flooding that had affected the country since January. Damage from Favio and the flooding were estimated at US$71 million. The storm damaged about 130,000 homes, which displaced over 33,000 people, and also damaged 130 schools, widespread areas of crops, and power grids. Favio dropped heavy rainfall across southern Africa, causing flooding in eastern Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe.


Intense Tropical Cyclone Gamede

A tropical disturbance developed within the ITCZ on February 19 southeast of Diego Garcia. Steered by a ridge to the south, the system moved westward and gradually organized amid favorable conditions. On February 21, the MFR upgraded the system to Moderate Tropical Storm Gamede, and the JTWC initiated advisories on Tropical Cyclone 15S. Gamede gradually intensified, reaching tropical cyclone intensity on February 23. The track shifted to the west-southwest, and the outer rainbands began affecting the Mascarene Islands on February 24. A day later, the storm stalled to the north of Réunion, trapped between ridges to the east-northeast and to the south. During this time, Gamede attained peak 10–minute winds of , according to the MFR. The JTWC estimated peak 1–minute winds of . The cyclone passed west of Réunion on February 27, after beginning a steady motion to the south-southwest. By that time, Gamede had weakened due to
upwelling Upwelling is an oceanographic phenomenon that involves wind-driven motion of dense, cooler, and usually nutrient-rich water from deep water towards the ocean surface. It replaces the warmer and usually nutrient-depleted surface water. The nut ...
cooler waters, and later weakened further due to stronger wind shear. On March 2, the MFR reclassified Gamede as an extratropical cyclone, and the agency tracked the storm for four more days as the circulation again stalled before drifting westward. Cyclone Gamede passed near St. Brandon, where its wind gusts damaged a few windows. The cyclone left two ships missing near St. Brandon, with a combined crew of 16 people. When the storm stalled for a few days, it resulted in a prolonged period of heavy rainfall and high tides for the Mascarene Islands. On Mauritius, wind gusts reached ; the storm killed two people on the island and left 60% of islanders without power. Effects were worse on neighboring Réunion, with two fatalities, and monetary damage estimated at over €165 million (US$120 million). Gamede produced wind gusts of alongside historic rainfall totals on Réunion. At
Commerson Crater Commerson Crater is a caldera in the mountains of Réunion, an overseas department of France. Located in the municipal territory of Saint-Joseph, it is part of the Piton de la Fournaise, a shield volcano on the eastern end of Réunion Island, bu ...
, Gamede broke numerous worldwide records for tropical cyclone rainfall, including for three days, when was recorded, and for every duration through nine days, when was recorded. The heavy rains produced flooding that wrecked crops and damaged infrastructure. The storm washed out a bridge over the Rivière Saint-Étienne, connecting Saint-Louis and Saint-Pierre. Later, Gamede brushed the east coast of Madagascar with winds and rainfall, In the South African province of
KwaZulu-Natal KwaZulu-Natal (, also referred to as KZN and known as "the garden province") is a province of South Africa that was created in 1994 when the Zulu bantustan of KwaZulu ("Place of the Zulu" in Zulu) and Natal Province were merged. It is locate ...
, high waves closed beaches, roads, and the port of
Port of Durban The Port of Durban, commonly called Durban Harbour, is the largest and busiest shipping terminal in sub-Saharan Africa. It handles up to 31.4 million tons of cargo each year. It is the fourth largest container terminal in the Southern Hemisp ...
.


Tropical Cyclone Humba

The BoM began monitoring a tropical low on February 19 to the northwest of the
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. With low wind shear and good outflow, the low's deep convection pulsed around a broad, but well-defined circulation. The MFR began monitoring the system on February 20 while it was still in the Australian basin. A large ridge over western Australia steered the low to the west-southwest, bringing it into the south-west Indian Ocean on February 21. On that day, the MFR classified the system as Tropical Depression 11, and the JTWC classified it as Tropical Cyclone 16S. On February 23 upgraded it to Moderate Tropical Storm Humba, after the system organized further. The track gradually shifted to the south around the western periphery of the ridge. Humba attained tropical cyclone status on February 24, and reached peak winds the next day of , according to the MFR; the JTWC estimated slightly higher peak winds of . After peak intensity, the cyclone encountered an upper-level trough that increased wind shear in the region. This caused Humba to weaken quickly as its convection dislocated from the circulation. Late on February 25, it fell below tropical cyclone status while entering cooler waters. On February 26, the MFR declared Humba an extratropical cyclone. The storm continued generally southward for two more days until it stalled for a day, blocked by a ridge to its south. The former Cyclone Humba turned to the southeast and was tracked by the MFR until March 4, as it moved across the southern Indian Ocean, back into the Australian region.


Intense Tropical Cyclone Indlala

The
intertropical convergence zone The Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ ), known by sailors as the doldrums or the calms because of its monotonous windless weather, is the area where the northeast and the southeast trade winds converge. It encircles Earth near the thermal e ...
spawned an area of convection southwest of the Chagos on March 9. A day later, the MFR designated the system as Tropical Disturbance 12, which moved generally westward. On March 11, the MFR upgraded the system to Tropical Depression 12, and to Moderate Tropical Storm Indlala a day later. the JTWC designated the storm as Tropical Cyclone 19S. Indlala gradually intensified, reaching tropical cyclone status on March 13, and becoming an intense tropical cyclone a day later. The MFR estimated peak 10–minute winds of , and a minimum pressure of . The JTWC's intensity estimate was higher, with peak 1–minute winds of . Early on March 15, the cyclone made
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 northeastern Madagascar on the Masoala Peninsula near
Antalaha Antalaha is an urban municipality in northern Madagascar. It belongs to the district of Antalaha, which is a part of Sava Region. The population of Antalaha was 67.888 in 2018. Antalaha has a maritime harbour. A local airport serves Antalaha. ...
, still at its peak intensity according to the MFR. Indlala rapidly weakened over land and turned southward, eventually re-emerging into the Indian Ocean on March 18; it was last noted by the MFR on March 19. Cyclone Indlala produced strong winds in northeastern Madagascar, with a gust recorded at Antalaha. The cyclone also dropped heavy rainfall in the eastern portion of the country, reaching over 48 hours in
Antsohihy Antsohihy is a city (commune urbaine) in northern Madagascar. It is the administrative capital of the Sofia Region. Geography Antsohihy is the capital of Sofia Region and of Antsohihy District. It is situated at the junction of Route nationale 6 ...
in northern Madagascar. These rains flooded a area of northern Madagascar, causing the worst floods in
Sofia Region Sofia is a region in northern Madagascar. It is named for the Sofia River. The region covers 50,100 km² and had a population of 1,500,227 in 2018. The administrative capital is Antsohihy. Administrative divisions Sofia Region is divided in ...
since 1949. Indlala killed 150 people across Madagascar and injured another 126. Damage in the country was estimated at over US$240 million, with around 54,000 houses damaged or destroyed, leaving 188,331 people homeless. The storm also damaged 228 schools and 71 hospitals. Throughout Madagascar, the cyclone wrecked about worth of crops.


Intense Tropical Cyclone Jaya

An area of convection persisted southeast of the Chagos on March 26. It consolidated into Tropical Disturbance 14 on March 29 as it moved westward, steered by a ridge to the south. A day later, the system intensified into Moderate Tropical Storm Jaya, taking advantage of favorable conditions including low wind shear. Also on March 30, the JTWC classified the storm as Tropical Cyclone 22S, and later that day Jaya began to rapidly intensify; over 24 hours, its pressure dropped by 50 hPa (1.4765 inHg). Jaya attained tropical cyclone status early on March 31, and at 18:00 UTC that day it attained peak winds of , according to the MFR; this made it the sixth intense tropical cyclone of the season. The JTWC estimated even higher maximum sustained winds on April 1, estimating 1–minute winds of . On the same day, Jaya passed about 165 km north of St. Brandon, which recorded a wind gust and of precipitation. After Jaya reached peak intensity, its inner convection weakened due to dry air, and it fell below intense tropical cyclone status. On April 2, a small eye re-developed in the center of the storm, signaling a temporary period of re-intensification. Jaya again weakened as it approached eastern Madagascar, and it moved ashore about 25 km (15 mi) south of
Sambava Sambava is a city and commune (commune urbaine; mg, kaominina) at the east coast of northern Madagascar. It is the capital of Sambava District and Sava Region. The population of the commune was 84,039 in as of the 2018 commune census. Infrast ...
, with winds of around . It struck Madagascar less than three weeks after Indlala's deadly landfall, at an landfall location north of Indlala, which complicated relief efforts for the earlier storm. Jaya dropped heavy rainfall in the eastern portion of the country, with a peak 24 hour rainfall total of at
Toamasina Toamasina (), meaning "like salt" or "salty", unofficially and in French Tamatave, is the capital of the Atsinanana region on the east coast of Madagascar on the Indian Ocean. The city is the chief seaport of the country, situated northeast of it ...
. This resulted in significant flooding in the Sofia and Diana regions of the country. Wind gusts reached at Sambava and Antalaha. Jaya killed one person in the country, and injured two others, with 8,015 people left homeless. Jaya rapidly deteriorated as it continued westward across the island, emerging into the Mozambique Channel as a tropical disturbance on April 4. Conditions were unfavorable for re-strengthening, such as strong wind shear. The circulation of Jaya passed south of the Comoros and moved southwestward along the Mozambique coastline. It turned to the southeast away from the coast on April 6 and later moved back to the northwest. On April 8, the MFR stopped tracking the system. The circulation soon after was absorbed by a developing subtropical cyclone.


Subtropical Depression 15

A non-tropical low originated in the southern Mozambique Channel on April 9, located off the east coast of Mozambique. The low absorbed the circulation of former Cyclone Jaya, intensifying gradually while moving to the southeast and later south. The MFR classified the system as a tropical depression on April 10, and that day the system passed west of
Europa Island Europa Island (, ), in Malagasy Nosy Ampela is a low-lying tropical atoll in the Mozambique Channel, about a third of the way from southern Madagascar to southern Mozambique. The island had never been inhabited until 1820, when the French fam ...
. The agency reclassified the system as a
subtropical The subtropical zones or subtropics are geographical zone, geographical and Köppen climate classification, climate zones to the Northern Hemisphere, north and Southern Hemisphere, south of the tropics. Geographically part of the Geographical z ...
depression with gale-force winds on April 11, estimating peak winds of . It was a small cyclone, with gale-force winds extending only 95 km (65 mi) from the center. The storm accelerated to the southeast, and transitioned into an extratropical cyclone on April 12, which the MFR tracked for another day.


Other storms

The first tropical system in the season originated from an area of convection that developed northwest of Diego Garcia on October 18. The system had defined outflow and a tight circulation, spurring the JTWC to issue a TCFA. On October 19, the MFR classified it as Tropical Disturbance 1. Environmental conditions were only marginally favorable, and the disturbance drifted to the southwest without much organization. After passing southeast of the Seychelles, the disturbance passed north of Madagascar. The MFR last issued advisories on the system on October 23. In early January, an area of convection formed in the Mozambique Channel. The MFR classified it as Tropical Disturbance 6 on January 8, but the system failed to intensify further. The MFR discontinued advisories that day, as the disturbance would soon move over southwestern Madagascar. The MFR designated Tropical Disturbance 13 for a weather system on March 13, located southwest of the Chagos. The disturbance drifted to the south, failing to intensify beyond winds of . After the disturbance turned back to the northwest, the MFR discontinued advisories on March 17.


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 Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de Madagascar), is an island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately off the coast of East Africa ...
assigns the appropriate name to the storm. If a tropical disturbance reaches moderate tropical storm status between 55°E and
90°E The meridian 90° east of Prime Meridian, 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. It is the border between two trop ...
, then the Sub-regional Tropical Cyclone Advisory Centre in
Mauritius Mauritius ( ; french: Maurice, link=no ; mfe, label=Mauritian Creole, Moris ), officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean about off the southeast coast of the African continent, east of Madagascar. It incl ...
assigns the appropriate name to the storm. A new annual list is used every year so no names are retired. These were the names used this year.


Season effects

This table lists all the storms that developed in the Southern Hemisphere during the 2006–2007 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season. It includes their intensity, duration, name, landfalls, deaths, and damages. All data is taken from
Météo-France Météo-France is the French national meteorological service. Organisation 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 operatio ...
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Mascarene Islands The Mascarene Islands (, ) or Mascarenes or Mascarenhas Archipelago is a group of islands in the Indian Ocean east of Madagascar consisting of the islands belonging to the Republic of Mauritius as well as the French department of Réunion. Thei ...
(Direct hit, no landfall) , , , , , , , - , Humba , , February 20–26 , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , None , , , , , , , - , Indlala , , March 9–19 , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Madagascar , , , , , , , - , 13 , , March 13–17 , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , None , , , , , , , - , Jaya , , March 26 – April 8 , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Madagascar , , , , , , , - , 15 , , April 9–12, , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , None , , , , , , , -


See also

* Tropical cyclones in
2006 File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...
and 2007 * Atlantic hurricane seasons:
2006 File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...
, 2007 * Pacific hurricane seasons:
2006 File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...
, 2007 * Pacific typhoon seasons:
2006 File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...
, 2007 * North Indian Ocean cyclone seasons:
2006 File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...
, 2007


References


External links


Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC)

Météo France (RSMC La Réunion)


{{DEFAULTSORT:2006-07 South-West Indian Ocean Cyclone Season Articles which contain graphical timelines South-West Indian Ocean cyclone seasons 2006 SWIO 2007 SWIO