| 2003-04 South-west Indian Ocean Cyclone Season |
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The 2003-04 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season was an annual event of Tropical Cyclone formation. It started on November 15 , 2003 and ended on April 30 , 2004 . For Mauritius and the Seychelles , the season continued until May 15 . These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the basin, which is west of 90°E and south of the Equator . Tropical cyclones in this basin are monitored by the Regional Specialised Meteorological Centre in Réunion . STORMS Moderate Tropical Storm Abaimba This early out-of-season storm formed on September 29 and dissipated on October 4 . It formed at a very low latitude but threatened no land. The name was contributed by Tanzania .http://www.australiansevereweather.com/cyclones/2004/summ0309.htm Tropical Cyclone Beni It first formed on November 9 and intensified to an intense cyclone, winds reaching 100 kts. It weakened below tropical disturbance status on November 15 . It intensified again on November 18 and reached a secondary peak of 70 kts, before dissipating on November 22 .http://www.australiansevereweather.com/cyclones/2004/summ0311.htm Tropical Cyclone Cela Formed on December 5 and became extratropical on December 21 . It crossed Madagascar , but caused little if any damage.http://www.australiansevereweather.com/cyclones/2004/summ0312.htm Severe Tropical Storm Darius Formed on December 29 , 2003 , became extratropical on January 4 , 2004 . It passed close to Mauritius . Tropical Disturbance 05R Existed between January 22 and January 24 .http://www.australiansevereweather.com/cyclones/2004/summ0401.htm Severe Tropical Storm Elita ]] The beginnings of Elita can be traced back to an area of convection which formed on 25 January in the Mozambique Channel 50 nm off the west coast of Madagascar which was moderately sheared. Meteo-France (MFR) issued the first bulletin on Tropical Disturbance 06 at 0600 UTC on 26 January. The disturbance was upgraded to tropical depression status six hours later, and was drifting east-southeastward. The developing tropical depression was upgraded to tropical storm intensity and named Elita at 0000 UTC on 27 January. Shortly after being named, Tropical Storm Elita embarked on a northward trek through the Mozambique Channel, steered by a low to mid-level ridge located to the west. Intensification was rather slow initially. By 28/0000 UTC, the storm was beginning to intensify rather rapidly. Elita reached the northernmost point of its track around 0600 UTC on the 28th when it was centered approximately 85 nm west-northwest of Mahajanga. A ridge to the northeast forced Elita east-southeastward toward the west coast of Madagascar as it intensified sharply. At 1200 UTC, maximum sustained winds were near its peak intensity of 60 kts. Elita made landfall around 1500 UTC just west of Mahajanga and quickly weakened. It was downgraded to a depression at 29/1800 UTC. Elita moved southeastward across north-central Madagascar, and by 0000 UTC on 30 January the center had emerged into the South Indian Ocean just off the east coast. After moving offshore the depression drifted southward for about 24 hours, paralleling the eastern coast of Madagascar. Tropical storm status was reachieved with 40-kt winds at 0000 UTC on 31 January. However, the storm made a westward turn which took it back inland near Mananjary around 0600 UTC. Elita was again downgraded to depression status at 31/1200 UTC. The tropical depression moved steadily westward across Madagascar and by 31/1800 UTC was located just inland from the western shoreline 170 nm west-southwest of Antananarivo. After re-emerging into the Mozambique Channel, Elita moved northwest more slowly. Elita was re-upgraded the system to tropical storm status at 1200 UTC on 1 February. A mid-level ridge which was building to the north was forecast to become the dominant steering mechanism and ultimately cause Elita to move back eastward toward the coast of Madagascar. By 0600 UTC on 2 February Elita moved southeastward and continued to strengthen. Elita once again reached a peak intensity of 60 kts at 0000 UTC on 3 February, shortly before striking Madagascar's west coast just south of Morondava. The storm began weakening once inland, again downgraded to a depression at 1800 UTC. By 0000 UTC on the 4th, the center was back over the waters of the South Indian Ocean, emerging off the coast just south of where it had made its second landfall a few days earlier. The system underwent a rapid acceleration early on the 4th to the southeastward at 22 kts. The convection and maximum surface winds had shifted poleward of the exposed LLCC due to the effects of a strengthening upper-tropospheric trough. Thereafter, Elita was now tracking slowly southwestward in response to a low-level ridge passing poleward of the system, and ultimately became an extratropical gale at 0000 UTC on 5 February. For the next week the LOW meandered very erratically over the South Indian Ocean to the south and southwest of Reunion Island. The system wandered eastward to a point south-southeast of Reunion on the 10th, then began to pick up speed toward the southwest. At 0600 UTC on the 12th, the weakening gale about 650 nm southwest of Reunion Island. Elita's crossing Madagascar three times is highly unusual, but not unprecedented. In late January/early February of 1971 Tropical Cyclone Felicie accomplished the same feat. Elita's three passages across Madagascar proved to be quite damaging to the island. Press reports indicate that 29 persons lost their lives while another 100 were injured. Also, three persons were reported missing. Over 12,400 houses were destroyed, leaving more than 44,000 persons homeless. Roads, water supplies, electricity and communications were disrupted by the storm and its attendant heavy rainfalls. A large percentage of the rice, corn and manioc crops--the food base for much of the population--was destroyed. Also several works of art and national heritage sites were damaged or destroyed http://www.weathermatrix.net/archive/tropical/summaries/0021.html Intense Tropical Cyclone Frank On 25 January three areas of convection were being monitored in the south Indian Ocean. This system formed from the farthest eastward disturbance, about 700 nm off the northeast coast of Madagascar. At 1200 UTC on the 27th, bulletins were started on Tropical Disturbance 07 with the 10-min avg MSW estimated at 25 kts, while located approximately 520 nm west-southwest of Diego Garcia and drifting slowly to the south-southeastward. At 0600 UTC on 28 January it strengthened to a tropical storm. Steered by a low to mid-level ridge to the south and east, Tropical Storm Frank began to trot towards the south at 8 kts. It attained hurricane strength by 1800 UTC as Frank began the first leg of a cyclonic loop that it would transcribe over the following two to three days. Further strengthening occurred with Frank becoming a 90-kt storm, but there was no further intensification during the 29th as the system slowly moved southwestward, curving onto a west-northwesterly track by the end of the day. The next day, strengthening had resumed and winds increased to a 115 kts, an intensity that was maintained through 31 January and the 1st day of February. Enhanced infrared satellite imagery at 31/1800 UTC showed a distinct 15-nm irregular eye. Frank slowed and turned toward the south-southeast. A second intensification period began, culminating in a second peak of 115 kts (1-min avg) at 04/0600 UTC as it completed a hairpin turn, now moving slowly to the southwest. A gradual weakening set in, which would continue as the system tracked towards cooler SSTs and heavy shearing conditions. At 0600 UTC on 6 February Frank was barely at hurricane/cyclone strength. Frank began to accelerate toward the east-southeast as winds fell to tropical storm intensity. Deep convection surrounding the LLCC had all but dissipated and the remnant extratropical system joined up with a weak baroclinic boundary by 1200 UTC on 7 February. http://www.weathermatrix.net/archive/tropical/summaries/0021.html Very Intense Tropical Cyclone Gafilo Cyclone Gafilo began as a tropical disturbance on the February 29, 2004 in the central Indian Ocean, south of Diego Garcia. First advisories for Tropical Disturbance 09 were issued on March 2 by the Tropical Cyclone Warning Center on La Réunion and Joint Typhoon Warning Center. At this point, it was moving to west-northwest at fairly rapid pace. Development became quicker, and next day it was named Tropical Storm Gafilo. Its forward motion also slowed, and it began to turn southwards. On March 4, Gafilo was upgraded to tropical cyclone. Next day, March 5, Gafilo began a cycle of rapid deepening with winds increasing to 145 mph (230 km/h) making it a Category 4 cyclone. It was now moving west-southwest heading straight for Madagascar. The next day, March 6, 2004 saw it reach its estimated peak intensity of 895 mbar (hPa) and sustained windspeed of 160 mph (260 km/h). After midnight, Gafilo struck the northeast coast of Madagascar near to the town of Antalaha as a Category 5 cyclone, the highest possible rating. After landfall, Gafilo continued its track to southwest, crossing the island and emerging at the Mozambique Channel as a tropical storm. Over water it briefly re-intensified back to hurricane strength, then turned southeast and made a second landfall at southwest Madagascar as a strong tropical storm. Gafilo dissipated on March 11 over southern Madagascar, with remnant low emerging over the ocean, but conditions were unfavourable for regeneration. Severe Tropical Storm Helma Originally called Nicky by Perth's TCWC, it entered the region on March 10 . It dissipated on March 13 .http://www.australiansevereweather.com/cyclones/2004/summ0403.htm Tropical Disturbance 11R A continuation of Tropical Cyclone Evan from the Australian region. Persisted until March 28 . Severe Tropical Storm Itseng Originally called Oscar by Perth's TCWC, it entered the region on March 27 , but dissipated by the next day. Tropical Disturbance 13R Existed on March 31 . Tropical Disturbance 14R Existed on April 26 .http://www.australiansevereweather.com/cyclones/2004/summ0404.htm Severe Tropical Storm Juba Formed on May 5 and dissipated on May 15 . Name was contributed by Swaziland .http://www.australiansevereweather.com/cyclones/2004/summ0405.htm Tropical Disturbance 16R Existed between May 19 and May 24 . 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 assigns the appropriate name to the storm. A new annual list is used every year so no names are retired.http://www.wmo.ch/web/www/TCP/OperationPlans/TCP-12%2520Edition%25202006-English.pdf (PDF 461k) REFERENCES SEE ALSO
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