Cyclone season in the South-West Indian Ocean: how to prepare
The season opens on 15 November. Madagascar, Mozambique, Mauritius and the Comoros have six weeks to get ready.
The season and its peak
The official tropical cyclone season for the South-West Indian Ocean runs from 15 November to 30 April, with the regional specialised centre in La Réunion tracking every system. Most of the strongest storms come between January and March. The islands take the first blows, but cyclones that cross the Mozambique Channel or make landfall on the mainland can push heavy rain far inland, as Idai did in 2019 when it devastated Beira and flooded eastern Zimbabwe and southern Malawi.
Prepare before the first warning
Preparation is cheapest now. Check that roof sheets are fixed down and that nothing loose in the yard can become a projectile. Clear drains and gutters. Put together a kit with drinking water, food that keeps, a torch, a battery radio, medicines and copies of documents in a waterproof bag. Learn where your nearest safe shelter is and how your family will reach each other if phone networks fail.
When a cyclone approaches
Follow the warning system your country uses, such as the numbered cyclone warning classes in Mauritius, and move early if you are told to evacuate. The most dangerous hazards are storm surge along the coast and river flooding in the days after landfall, not only the wind. If the wind drops suddenly, you may be in the eye of the storm: stay inside, because the wind will return from the opposite direction.