Tropical Cyclone Enawo was battering the northeastern region of Madagascar when NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite passed overhead on March 7. Enawo strengthened to the equivalent of a Category 4 or major hurricane and made landfall. On March 7 at 10:24 UTC the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite instrument aboard NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite provided a visible image of Enawo.

Start the conversation, or Read more at Environmental News Network.</s>JOHANNESBURG — Heavy rains and strong winds from a cyclone are hitting northeast Madagascar.

Aid workers were on alert Tuesday as Cyclone Enawo lashed the coastline. Authorities are concerned about flooding and other threats to safety.

The storm is expected to move south through the island nation for several days.

Some of the worst weather is reported near Antalaha in the Sava area.</s>00:38 Dorian Leaves Colder Waters in its Wake Dorian leaves behind colder waters, meteorologist Danielle Banks explains.

At a Glance Tropical Cyclone Enawo slammed ashore Tuesday.

Enawo was Category 4 intensity before landfall.



Tropical Cyclone Enawo made landfall March 7 in Madagascar in what turned out to be the island's strongest landfall in 13 years.

Just prior to landfall at 11 a.m. local time March 7, the U.S. Joint Typhoon Warning Center estimated maximum sustained winds of 145 mph, the equivalent of a Category 4 hurricane .

<img class="styles__noscript__2rw2y" src="https://dsx.weather.com//util/image/w/enawo-landfall-stats-7mar17.jpg?v=at&w=485&h=273&api=7db9fe61-7414-47b5-9871-e17d87b8b6a0" srcset="https://dsx.weather.com//util/image/w/enawo-landfall-stats-7mar17.jpg?v=at&w=485&h=273&api=7db9fe61-7414-47b5-9871-e17d87b8b6a0 400w, https://dsx.weather.com//util/image/w/enawo-landfall-stats-7mar17.jpg?v=ap&w=980&h=551&api=7db9fe61-7414-47b5-9871-e17d87b8b6a0 800w" > Tropical Cyclone Enawo Landfall Infrared satellite image of Tropical Cyclone Enawo at landfall in northeast Madagascar on March 7, 2017. Landfall estimated intensity provided by the U.S. Joint Typhoon Warning Center.

MeteoFrance estimated Enawo's central pressure was 925 millibars in the few hours before the eye crossed land between Antalaha and Sambava.

According to NOAA's best track database, Enawo appeared to have been the strongest landfall in Madagascar, by peak estimated winds, since Gafilo made landfall as a Category 4 -equivalent storm in roughly the same area of northeast Madagascar in March 2004, claiming 363 lives, according to the EM-DAT International Disaster Database . More than 20,000 homes were destroyed, according to MeteoFrance .

(MORE: Hurricane Central )

The Associated Press reports that five people were killed by Enawo. Damage caused by the cyclone also forced 10,000 people to leave their homes.

More than a foot of rain drenched the town of Sambava near where the center of Enawo moved inland.

(MORE: Impacts From Enawo)

According to the World Bank Indicators, only 11 percent of Madagascar's roads are paved .

According to Dr. Phil Klotzbach, activity in February in the Indian Ocean was at its third-lowest level on record. February is typically a peak month for hurricane-strength systems in that basin.

(MORE: Cyclone Dineo Kills At Least 7 in Mozambique )

The southwestern Indian Ocean typically sees about 9 to 10 tropical cyclones each year, while 4 to 5 of these become hurricane-strength systems.

The last tropical cyclone of at least hurricane strength to landfall in Madagascar was Hellen on Mar. 31, 2014.

Only two hurricane-strength tropical cyclones have made landfall on Madagascar's east coast this decade: Giovanna on Feb. 13, 2012, and Bingiza on Feb. 14, 2011, according to NOAA's Best Track database .

MORE ON WEATHER.COM: Madagascar Safari</s>Tropical cyclone Enawo struck Madagascar on Tuesday, buffeting the island with powerful winds, heavy rain and high seas and threatening to cause chaos in the capital, the country's weather agency said.

"Enawo made landfall and struck... with terrible winds of 210 km/h (130 mph) with some gales of 290 km/h" from around midday (0900 GMT) Tuesday, according to the head of the Madagascar's Weather Service, Samueline Rahariveloarimiza.

She warned that the capital Antananarivo was in "imminent danger" with the cyclone expected to reach the city of 1.4 million people on Wednesday.

The entire north of the island nation, which lies 400 kilometres (250 miles) east of mainland Africa, is on "red alert", Rahariveloarimiza told AFP.

Reports of injuries or damage caused by the cyclone's arrival were not immediately available.

Strong winds and heavy winds have been battering Antalaha and Cape Masoala in the country's northeast since Monday. The island's north is particularly exposed to extreme weather systems.

Residents in Enawo's path have been advised in recent days to evacuate low-lying areas, seek shelter and stock up on on food and water.

Rescue teams were deployed across the island ahead of Enawo's arrival.

Madagascar's storm season normally runs from November through February and claims dozens of lives every year.

In 2012, tropical storm Irina and tropical cyclone Giovanna claimed more than 100 lives.

The Indian Ocean island has suffered severe drought and food shortages since 2015, with the southern region the worst affected.</s>Enawo had winds of about 103.6 mph (90 knots/166.7 kph) when the GPM core observatory satellite flew over on March 6, 2017 at 0306 UTC (0606 a.m. local time/ Mar. 5 at 10:06 p.m. EDT). These powerful winds make Enawo the equivalent of a category two hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane wind scale. GPM revealed that the tropical cyclone had heavy rainfall in distinct feeder bands on the western side and in the northeastern side of the eyewall. Precipitation was measured by GPM's DPR falling at a rate of over 220 mm (8.7 inches) per hour in intense downpours.

GPM's radar (DPR Ku Band) was used to perform a 3-D inspection of storms in the feeder bands on the western side of the tropical cyclone. This evaluation showed that many of these storms were reaching altitudes above 16 km (9.9 miles). GPM is a joint mission between NASA and the Japanese space agency JAXA.

About seven hours later at 10:10 UTC (5:10 a.m. EST) the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer or MODIS instrument aboard NASA's Aqua satellite captured a visible image of Tropical Cyclone Enawo. The MODIS image showed powerful thunderstorms wrapped around the eye of the storm, while a thick band of thunderstorms fed into the low-level center from the north and west. Part of that band of thunderstorms were over northeastern Madagascar.

At 0900 UTC (4 a.m. EST) Enawo's maximum sustained winds were near 103.6 mph (90 knots/166.7 kph) and strengthening. Enawo was located near 14.0 degrees south latitude and 53.8 degrees east longitude. That's about 399 nautical miles north-northwest of La Reunion Island.

Intensifying tropical cyclone Enawo continues to be steered toward northeastern Madagascar. The tropical cyclone's winds are expected to reach 115 mph (100 knots/185 kph) before hitting Madagascar's northeastern coast early (UTC) on March 7, 2017. Enawo is then predicted to gradually weaken to tropical storm force while moving southward over Madagascar passing just east of Antananarivo on March 9.

The Madagascar Meteorological Service has placed the following regions under alert:

A Red Alert or Alerte Rouge is in effect for: Sur Vohimarina, Andapa, Sambava, Antalaha, Soanierana-Ivongo, Vavatenina, Fenoarivo-Atsinanana, Mananara-Avaratra, Maroantsetra, Sainte Marie.

A Yellow Alert or Alerte Jaune is in effect for: Sur Ambanja, Nosy-Be, Ambilobe, Antsiranana, Mampikony, Bealanana, Antsohihy, Befandriana-Avaratra, Analalava, Mandritsara, Port-Berger, Anosibe-Anala, Andilamena, Moramanga, Ambatondrazaka, Amparafaravola, Antanambao-Manampotsy, Marolambo, Mahanoro, Vatomandry, Vohibinany, Toamasina.

A Green Alert or Alerte Verte is in effect for: Sur Kandreho, Tsaratanana, Mitsinjo, Marovoay, Ambato-Boina, Maevatanana, Mahajanga, Manandriana, Vohipeno, Ikongo, Manakara-Atsimo, Mananjary, Nosy-Varika, Ifanadiana, Fandriana, Ambositra, Ambatofinandrahana, Fenoarivo-Afovoany, Antananarivo-Atsimondrano, Faratsiho, Andramasina, Antanifotsy, Soavinandriana, Miarinarivo, Tsiroanomandidy, Ambatolampy, Betafo, Antsirabe, Anjozorobe, Manjakandriana, Arivonimamo, Ankazobe, Ambohidratrimo, Antananarivo.</s>On March 7 at 10:24 UTC (5:24 a.m. EST) the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) instrument aboard NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite provided a visible image of Enawo. The VIIRS image showed the center of circulation near the northeastern coast of Madagascar and outer bands of thunderstorms stretched to the middle of the island nation. The VIIRS visible imagery showed clouds had filled the top of the 20 nautical-mile-wide eye, but the eye was still seen in multispectral satellite imagery. Enawo's center of circulation was bordered by a thick band of thunderstorms wrapping from the eastern to the southern quadrant, and another band from the southern quadrant wrapping into the western side of the storm.

The Joint Typhoon Warning Center noted that the system made landfall at 0800 UTC (3 a.m. EST) on March 7 at 14.6 degrees north latitude and 50.2 degrees east longitude, about half way between Sambava and Antalaha.

Warnings were posted throughout northern Madagascar and into the eastern and central portions of the country.

At 0900 UTC (4 a.m. EST) Enawo's maximum sustained winds had strengthened to 144 mph (125 knots/231 kph) making it a Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Wind Scale. Enawo was located near 14.7 degrees south latitude and 50.2 degrees east longitude. That's about 444 nautical miles northwest of St. Denis.

NOAA's National Hurricane Center noted that a Category 4 hurricane can have the following effects: Well-built framed homes can sustain severe damage with loss of most of the roof structure and/or some exterior walls. Most trees will be snapped or uprooted and power poles downed. Fallen trees and power poles will isolate residential areas. Power outages will last weeks to possibly months. Most of the area will be uninhabitable for weeks or months.

The Madagascar Meteorological Service has placed the following regions under alert:

A Red Alert or Alerte Rouge is in effect for: Sur Ambanja, Nosy-Be, Ambilobe, Vohimarina, Antsiranana, Andapa, Sambava, Antalaha, Mampikony, Bealanana, Antsohihy, Befandriana-Avaratra, Analalava, Mandritsara, Port-Berger, Tsaratanana, Marovoay, Ambato-Boina, Maevatanana, Mahajanga, Soanierana-Ivongo, Andilamena, Vavatenina, Ambatondrazaka, Amparafaravola, Vatomandry, Vohibinany, Fenoarivo-Atsinanana, Mananara-Avaratra, Maroantsetra, Sainte Marie, Toamasina.

A Yellow Alert or Alerte Jaune is in effect for: Sur Kandreho, Mitsinjo, Soalala, Anosibe-Anala, Moramanga, Antanambao-Manampotsy, Marolambo, Mahanoro, Fenoarivo-Afovoany, Antananarivo-Atsimondrano, Faratsiho, Andramasina, Antanifotsy, Soavinandriana, Miarinarivo, Tsiroanomandidy, Ambatolampy, Betafo, Antsirabe, Anjozorobe, Manjakandriana, Arivonimamo, Ankazobe, Ambohidratrimo, Antananarivo.

A Green Alert or Alerte Verte is in effect for: Sur Manandriana, Befotaka, Iakora, Fianarantsoa, Ikalamavony, Ivohibe, Vondrozo, Ihosy, Midongy-Atsimo, Vangaindrano, Farafangana, Vohipeno, Ikongo, Manakara-Atsimo, Mananjary, Ambohimahasoa, Nosy-Varika, Ifanadiana, Ambalavao, Fandriana, Ambositra, Ambatofinandrahana.

The Joint Typhoon Warning Center forecast track takes Enawo just west of Antananarivo and southward through the center of the country over the next couple of days.</s>Cyclone Enawo makes landfall in northeastern Madagascar, packing winds of up to 270 kilometres per hour.

The strongest cyclone to hit Madagascar in 13 years has made landfall on the northeastern coast of the island nation on Tuesday.

Cyclone Enawo was packing winds of 230 kilometres per hour when it made landfall, with stronger gusts of up to 270 kph and a central pressure of 925 millibars, making it equivalent to a power category 4 hurricane.

The last time Madagascar experienced a storm of this magnitude was in March of 2004 when Cyclone Gafilo made landfall in approximately the same location, claiming 236 lives and destroying over 20,000 homes.

Even though it has been over 24 hours since the storm made landfall between the coastal communities of Farahalana and Antalaha, the amount of rain from the remnants of Enawo is still expected to cause dangerous flash flooding and mudslides through late week.

With 89 percent of Madagascar's roads being dirt, getting into the hardest hit areas of the north and east will be difficult. Very little information has yet to come out of those regions, but it is expected that there will be widespread power outages from down trees and extensive flood damage.

Reports of casualties and injured were expected to rise in the coming days.

Through Thursday the storm will continue to move south across the island, continue to bring with it heavy rainfall and gusty winds. By Friday, what is left of Enawo will have exited the southern tip of the country and back into the Indian Ocean.

Normally the Indian Ocean sees 4-5 "hurricane strength" cyclones each year. Cyclone Hellen was the last cyclone to make landfall in Madagascar in March, 2014.</s>Officials in Madagascar say a cyclone that made landfall in the northeast of the country has killed at least three people, left nearly 500 people homeless and damaged schools and other buildings.

The daily newspaper L'Express de Madagascar quotes disaster officials as saying a 5-year-old child was among those killed after Cyclone Enawo hit the island nation with strong winds and rain on Tuesday.

 

 The storm was expected to move south through the island nation for several days, affecting the capital of Antananarivo on Wednesday.</s>Officials say a cyclone killed at least three people and left nearly 500 people homeless in Madagascar.

A local newspaper reported a five-year-old child was among those killed after cyclone Enawo hit the island nation with strong winds and rain yesterday (Tuesday).

Officials and aid workers warned today (Wednesday) that the full extent of the devastation is not yet clear because some access and communications were severed in the storm.

The cyclone has been downgraded from an “intense tropical cyclone” to a “tropical storm” today (Wednesday) with winds gusting at 80 miles per hour.

The storm was expected to affect the capital today (Wednesday) and move south through the country with diminishing strength for several days.</s>Intense Tropical Cyclone "Enawo" made landfall between Sambava and Antalaha, Madagascar on March 7, 2017, as Category 4 hurricane equivalent on the Saffir-Simpson scale.Enawo is predicted to affect approximately 1.4 million people. Another tropical cyclone is brewing to the east of the country and will likely be named over the next 24 hours.Enawo made landfall at 08:00 UTC (11:00 local time) on March 7 at 14.6 degrees north latitude and 50.2 degrees east longitude, about half way between Sambava and Antalaha. As it hit, Enawo became quasi-stationary and pounded Antalaha with strong winds and heavy rain for several hours.At 09:00 UTC (4 a.m. EST)on the Saffir-Simpson Wind Scale. By 18:00 UTC, they dropped to 167 km/h (103 mph), which made it a Category 2 hurricane equivalent, still extremely dangerous.Category 4 hurricane can have the following effects: Well-built framed homes can sustain severe damage with loss of most of the roof structure and/or some exterior walls. Most trees will be snapped or uprooted and power poles downed. Fallen trees and power poles will isolate residential areas. Power outages will last weeks to possibly months. Most of the area will be uninhabitable for weeks or months."Northern Madagascar will experience damaging winds and heavy rainfall into Wednesday," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Jason Nichol said. Even though significant weakening is expected as the cyclone moves farther inland, the provinces of Antsiranana and Toamasina will remain at risk for life-threatening flooding rain and destructive wind gusts in excess of 160 km/h (100 mph) into Wednesday.The damage caused by floods could potentially affect 8 regions: Analanjirofo, Atsinanana, Sofia, Alaotra Mangoro, Analamanga, Menabe, Vatovavy Fitovinany, and Atsimo Andrefana.Enawo is being compared to the last hurricane-strength tropical cyclone Giovanna that made landfall on Madagascar's east coast on February 13, 2012. Giovanna is blamed for 33 deaths along the Madagascar coast, and was the first intense tropical cyclone to impact Madagascar, since Bingiza in February 2011.Since 1983, Madagascar has been struck by 12 major tropical cyclones. The deadliest was Tropical Cyclone "Gafilo" on March 7, 2004. Gafilo was also a Category 4 storm with 241 km/h (150 mph) winds and was responsible for deaths of 363 people.According to Weather Underground meteorologist Jeff Masters , Enawo is the strongest tropical cyclone in the Southern Hemisphere so far in the 2016 - 2017 season, and the first one to exceed Category 1 strength., as we discussed in detail in a February 28 post," he noted and added:—precipitable water values up to 3.0 inches. Recent runs of the HWRF model predict extreme rainfall amounts falling on heavily populated regions of Madagascar, and Enawo has the potential to be a top-three most damaging storm in the island's history.Enawo will decay rapidly as it takes a track directly down the length of Madagascar, exposing the entire island to flooding rains. However, the disaster could have been worse—more than half of the rivers in Madagascar have dried up or are flowing at less than 5 percent of their average streamflow, thanks to a two-year El Niño-linked drought. Enawo's rains will help break the drought, which has caused large-scale crop failures and put over half a million people into acute food insecurity."The Madagascar Meteorological Service has placed the following regions under alert:A Red Alert or Alerte Rouge is in effect for: Sur Ambanja, Nosy-Be, Ambilobe, Vohimarina, Antsiranana, Andapa, Sambava, Antalaha, Mampikony, Bealanana, Antsohihy, Befandriana-Avaratra, Analalava, Mandritsara, Port-Berger, Tsaratanana, Marovoay, Ambato-Boina, Maevatanana, Mahajanga, Soanierana-Ivongo, Andilamena, Vavatenina, Ambatondrazaka, Amparafaravola, Vatomandry, Vohibinany, Fenoarivo-Atsinanana, Mananara-Avaratra, Maroantsetra, Sainte Marie, Toamasina.A Yellow Alert or Alerte Jaune is in effect for: Sur Kandreho, Mitsinjo, Soalala, Anosibe-Anala, Moramanga, Antanambao-Manampotsy, Marolambo, Mahanoro, Fenoarivo-Afovoany, Antananarivo-Atsimondrano, Faratsiho, Andramasina, Antanifotsy, Soavinandriana, Miarinarivo, Tsiroanomandidy, Ambatolampy, Betafo, Antsirabe, Anjozorobe, Manjakandriana, Arivonimamo, Ankazobe, Ambohidratrimo, Antananarivo.A Green Alert or Alerte Verte is in effect for: Sur Manandriana, Befotaka, Iakora, Fianarantsoa, Ikalamavony, Ivohibe, Vondrozo, Ihosy, Midongy-Atsimo, Vangaindrano, Farafangana, Vohipeno, Ikongo, Manakara-Atsimo, Mananjary, Ambohimahasoa, Nosy-Varika, Ifanadiana, Ambalavao, Fandriana, Ambositra, Ambatofinandrahana.Meanwhile, another tropical cyclone is expected to develop in the southern Indian Ocean within the next 12 to 24 hours. Global models show the system tracking generally westward while continuing to consolidate.It is still too early to be sure, but this one might affect or hit Madagascar by March 14 or 15.
Cyclone Enawo makes landfall in Madagascar as a powerful Category 4 storm, making it the most powerful storm to strike the African nation in 13 years.