Cyclone Gezani

Intense Tropical Cyclone Gezani
Gezani at its peak intensity shortly before landfall in Madagascar on 10 February
Meteorological history
Formed4 February 2026
Post-tropical18 February 2026
Intense tropical cyclone
10-minute sustained (MFR)
Highest winds185 km/h (115 mph)
Highest gusts260 km/h (160 mph)
Lowest pressure953 hPa (mbar); 28.14 inHg
Category 3-equivalent tropical cyclone
1-minute sustained (SSHWS/JTWC)
Highest winds205 km/h (125 mph)
Lowest pressure956 hPa (mbar); 28.23 inHg
Overall effects
Fatalities63+
Injuries809+
Missing15+
Damage>$142 million (2026 USD)
Areas affectedSt. Brandon, Mascarene Islands, Madagascar (particularly Toamasina), Southern Mozambique
IBTrACS
Part of the 2025–26 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season

Intense Tropical Cyclone Gezani was a deadly and intense tropical cyclone that affected parts of Madagascar, St. Brandon, Mascarene Islands, and Mozambique; particularly Toamasina as an intense tropical cyclone. The ninth depression, eighth storm and third tropical cyclone of the 2025–26 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season, the storm was the strongest tropical cyclone to impact Madagascar so far in 2026. The cyclone formed on 4 February 2026 as a tropical disturbance, and mostly hovered in the same spot for a few coming days due to wind shear. A while later, the storm tracked southwest at a relatively low pace. On 8 February, the disturbance was upgraded to a moderate tropical storm and was given the name Gezani. Over the next few days, the storm rapidly intensified from a moderate tropical storm to a tropical cyclone in a small 30-hour window. It made landfall in Madagascar as an intense tropical cyclone with winds of 185 km/h (115 mph) and pressure as low as 953 hPa (mbar).[1]

Gezani left at least 63 people dead, including 59 in Madagascar, 804 others injured, and 15 missing; alongside 16,000 being displaced. The cyclone has destroyed 25,000 homes, with a further 27,000 flooded.[2] According to the CMRS cyclone forecaster on France's Réunion island, Cyclone Gezani's landfall is likely to have been one of the most intense recorded around the city in the satellite era.[3]

Meteorological history

Map plotting the storm's track and intensity, according to the Saffir–Simpson scale
Map key
Saffir–Simpson scale
  Tropical depression (≤38 mph, ≤62 km/h)
  Tropical storm (39–73 mph, 63–118 km/h)
  Category 1 (74–95 mph, 119–153 km/h)
  Category 2 (96–110 mph, 154–177 km/h)
  Category 3 (111–129 mph, 178–208 km/h)
  Category 4 (130–156 mph, 209–251 km/h)
  Category 5 (≥157 mph, ≥252 km/h)
  Unknown
Storm type
triangle Extratropical cyclone, remnant low, tropical disturbance, or monsoon depression

On 4 February, a tropical disturbance formed 1,000 km (620 mi) northeast of Mauritius; assigned Zone of Disturbed Weather 10 by Météo-France and Tropical Disturbance 21S by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center.[4][5] The disturbance temporarily tracked east followed by a sharp turn to the west for roughly twice the distance. The disturbance then tracked northwest whilst speeding up. The disturbance then was officially recognized as a tropical depression by the JTWC. The depression gradually tracked southwest for approximately 900 km (560 mi) at a speed of 9 km/h (5.6 mph).[1]

METEOSAT-09 infrared satellite loop of Gezani making landfall in Madagascar; displaying it's well defined eye

On 8 February, the tropical depression was upgraded to a moderate tropical storm by Météo-France; giving it the name Gezani. It tracked west at approximately 7 km/h (4.3 mph). The next day, Gezani underwent rapid intensification from a moderate tropical storm to an intense tropical cyclone in just 24 hours.[5][6][1] At approximately 17:00 UTC on 10 February (c. 7:30pm local time), Gezani made landfall near the city of Toamasina as an intense tropical cyclone, high end Category 3 on the Saffir-Simpson scale.[7] It was reported that Gezani's storm surge was 1 m (3.3 ft) high and travelling at 250 km/h (160 mph); accompanied by 10 m (11 yd) wave heights at this stage in the storm's lifespan.[8][9] Satellite imagery displays that the eye passed right over the city.[10] Following the landfall, Gezani rapidly weakened; from an intense tropical cyclone to a severe tropical storm in a 12-hour window. That was then followed by the cyclone briefly becoming a tropical depression (disturbance on the MFR scale.)[1]

On the 11 February at 18:00 UTC, Gezani had officially crossed Madagascar and lost all of its prior strength; travelling into the Mozambique Channel at about 25 km/h (16 mph). Now present in the channel, it began strengthening in the warm water whilst travelling west-southwest. The strengthening process of the storm remained slow, increasing in intensity slightly at a time. On 13 February at 00:00 UTC, the storm started showing signs of gradually turning south. Gezani narrowly missed Mozambique on its way south, briefly reaching its low end Category 3 secondary peak intensity of 185 km/h (115 mph), about 60 km (37 mi) west of Inhambane. The cyclone continued turning to its left–back to the east; whilst weakening in the process. On 15 February at 00:00 UTC, the storm had completed its 180° turn to the left; gradually weakening. As of 16 February, Gezani lays far south of Madagascar as a moderate tropical storm actively transitioning into an extratropical cyclone; forecasted by the JTWC to dissipate in the next few days.[11][1]

Preparations and impact

On 6 February, when the cyclone became a moderate tropical storm, The GDACS gave an overall red weather alert, expecting severe humanitarian needs following landfall.[12] The United Nations released $3 million from its emergency response fund to help Madagascar prepare for the impacts of Gezani.[13] The Mozambican government prepared in potential for effects, expecting it becomes a tropical cyclone in the Mozambique channel.[14] Cyclone Gezani came 10 days after Tropical Cyclone Fytia, which killed 14 and displaced over 31,000 people.[15]

In Madagascar, a total of 59 citizens have been found or reported dead; 32 in Toamasina Province and 27 elsewhere in the country. Alongside this, 804 have been injured and 15 people are currently labeled as missing in the country.[16] In the city of Toamasina 16,318 people were displaced from their homes alongside 269,407 classified as disaster victims in total. Toamasina also faced severe structural damage. 18,797 houses and 71 classrooms have been destroyed; as well as 51,760 houses and 561 classrooms being damaged. 104 classrooms were also labeled as being partially destroyed.[17] Overall, 75% of buildings were considered destroyed in the city; described by the locals as monstrous damage.[18][19] In Inhambane, Mozambique, water services were cut off and 13,000 citizens were left without power; leaving four dead.[20] As a whole, $142 million of damage was reported in Madagascar.[10]

Aftermath

Compounding on the impacts of Cyclone Fytia, 400,000 people overall were left in humanitarian needs.[21] Michael Randrianirina, Madagascar's president, visited Toamasina to view the damage caused from the storm.[22] To help with the damage, China offered ¥100 million to cleanup after the destructive cyclone, and France pledged food and rescue teams from Reunion.[20] According to the CMRS cyclone forecaster on France's Reunion island, Cyclone Gezani's landfall is likely to have been one of the most intense recorded around the city in the satellite era.[3]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "2026 Intense Tropical Cyclone GEZANI (2026039S18057)". North Carolina Institute for Climate Studies. 8 February 2026. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
  2. ^ "Madagascar cyclone death toll rises to 59". France 24. 16 February 2026. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
  3. ^ a b "Cyclone Gezani ravages Madagascar, leaving dozens dead and much of second city in ruins". France 24. 11 February 2026. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
  4. ^ "CYCLONE TROPICAL GEZANI". Météo-France. 10 February 2026. Archived from the original on 10 February 2026. Retrieved 10 February 2026.
  5. ^ a b "TROPICAL CYCLONE 21S (GEZANI) WARNING NR 005". Joint Typhoon Warning Center. 10 February 2026. Archived from the original on 10 February 2026. Retrieved 10 February 2026.
  6. ^ "TROPICAL CYCLONE 21S (GEZANI) WARNING NR 007". Joint Typhoon Warning Center. 11 February 2026. Archived from the original on 11 February 2026. Retrieved 11 February 2026.
  7. ^ "Cyclone Gezani makes landfall on Madagascar as a Category 3 storm". CIMSS Satellite Blog. 10 February 2026. Retrieved 18 February 2026.
  8. ^ "Death toll rises to 20 as Cyclone Gezani strikes Madagascar's east coast". Anadolu Agency. 11 February 2026. Retrieved 18 February 2026.
  9. ^ "Tropical cyclone Gezani hits Madagascar and threatens Mozambique". World Meteorological Organization. 13 February 2026. Retrieved 13 February 2026.
  10. ^ a b "Cyclone Gezani kills four in Mozambique as Madagascar assesses damage". Al Jazeera. 15 February 2026. Retrieved 15 February 2026.
  11. ^ "TROPICAL CYCLONE 21S (GEZANI) WARNING NR 017". Joint Typhoon Warning Center. 16 February 2026. Archived from the original on 16 February 2026. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  12. ^ "Overall Red alert Tropical Cyclone for GEZANI-26". Global Disaster Awareness and Coordination System. 6 February 2026. Retrieved 10 February 2026.
  13. ^ "Tropical Cyclone Gezani hits Madagascar and kills at least 20". Courthouse News Service. 11 February 2026. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  14. ^ "Mozambique activates cyclone measures as Gezani approaches". AP News. 11 February 2026. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  15. ^ "Cyclone Gezani: Toamasina in ruins as storm rips through Madagascar and on towards Mozambique". British Broadcasting Company. 12 February 2026. Retrieved 13 February 2026.
  16. ^ "Madagascar cyclone death toll rises to 59 as devastation mounts". Africanews. 16 February 2026. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  17. ^ "Gezani destroys 18 800 homes, claims 40 lives in Madagascar". The Watchers. 13 February 2026. Retrieved 13 February 2026.
  18. ^ "Cyclone Gezani kills dozens, displaces thousands in Madagascar". Radio France Internationale. 12 February 2026. Retrieved 12 February 2026.
  19. ^ "'Monstrous': Cyclone Gezani hits Madagascar, with reports of severe damage". Aljazeera. 11 February 2026. Retrieved 11 February 2026.
  20. ^ a b "Madagascar cyclone death toll rises to 40, water, power still out". France 24. 13 February 2026. Retrieved 13 February 2026.
  21. ^ "Madagascar: 'Overwhelming' destruction, surging needs after back-to-back cyclones". UN News. 13 February 2026. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  22. ^ Tétaud, Sarah (11 February 2026). "Death toll rises to 31 after Tropical Cyclone Gezani hits Madagascar and crushes houses". AP News. Retrieved 15 February 2026.
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