Cyclone Bondo
An area of convection, or thunderstorms, persisted west of Diego Garcia in the central Indian Ocean on December 15. That day, the Météo-France meteorological office in Réunion (MFR) classified the weather disturbance as Tropical Disturbance 3. Over the next two days, the disturbance became more organized, with increasing convection over the center. This was due to the system moving into an area of lower wind shear. On December 18, the MFR upgraded the system to Moderate Tropical Storm Bondo. On the same day, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) began issuing advisories on Bondo, designating it Tropical Cyclone 05S.
Steered by a ridge to the south, Bondo moved westward into an area conducive for strengthening, including low wind shear, warm waters of around , and favorable outflow. Within 18 hours of being named, Bondo intensified to tropical cyclone status, or the equivalent of a minimal hurricane, and continued to rapidly intensify. Late on December 19, the JTWC estimated peak 1 minute winds of 250 km/h (155 mph). Early on December 20, the MFR estimated peak 10 minute winds of 205 km/h (125 mph), making Bondo an intense tropical cyclone. At 02:30 UTC that day, Bondo passed about 20 km (12 mi) south of Agaléga, one of the Outer Islands of Mauritius. Despite the close approach at peak intensity, the cyclone's small size spared the strongest winds from affecting the island. Increasing wind shear and an eyewall replacement cycle caused Bondo to weaken, beginning on December 20. On the same day, the track shifted to the west-northwest. On December 21, Bondo passed over Providence Atoll and Farquhar Atoll, part of the Outer Islands of Seychelles. It was the most intense tropical cyclone in several decades to strike that part of the Seychelles. On December 22, Bondo weakened to a moderate tropical storm as its track shifted to the southwest. The storm re-intensified due to warmer waters, regaining tropical cyclone intensity late on December 23 near the northern tip of Madagascar. On the next day, the JTWC estimated a secondary peak intensity of 215 km/h (135 mph), while the MFR estimated a secondary peak of 140 km/h (85 mph). Land interaction and drier air caused the storm to weaken slightly. Around 12:00 UTC on December 25, Bondo made landfall in northwestern Madagascar near Mahajanga as a severe tropical storm. The storm weakened to a tropical disturbance while continuing southward through the country. On December 26, Bondo emerged into the Mozambique Channel. The MFR continued tracking the disturbance for two more days, by which point Bondo was located off the southwest coast of Madagascar. Cyclone Bondo first affected the small island of Agaléga. The Mauritius Meteorological Service warned for the potential of storm surge, high winds, and heavy rainfall. While passing nearby, wind gusts did not exceed . However, rainfall from the storm occurred on Agaléga, reaching about over 24 hours. Due to its proximity to the equator, the Farquhar Atoll is rarely affected by tropical cyclones. Bondo was the first cyclone to affect Farquhar since Tropical Storm Honorine in 1974. The MFR described Bondo as "shaking the immemorial peacefulness of the islets of the Farquhar Archipelago and wreaking havoc on the northernmost ones." On December 21, officials in Seychelles evacuated 35 of its 43 residents. The remaining eight stayed on Providence Atoll in a concrete bunker, unable to be evacuated due to limited time and resources. Bondo destroyed most of the buildings and about 60% of the coconut trees on Providence, decimating the island's copra industry. The island's human population was evacuated following the storm and not returned, due to the inability for emergency evacuations. The storm killed native pigs, birds, hens, and cats on Providence, while also wrecking vegetation. The cyclone also produced tides higher than normal in the Inner Islands of Seychelles, along with waves. Rough seas caused flooding, beach erosion, and coastal damage on Mahé, Praslin, and La Digue. One person was injured on Mahé. In northern Madagascar, Cyclone Bondo produced gusty winds and heavy rainfall. Eleven people were killed as a result of Bondo and another was reported as missing. A total of 20,001 people were left homeless. One of the fatalities took place in Mahajanga after a wall collapsed on a man. Another fatality occurred offshore after a man went missing while taking his family canoeing. Roughly 300 people were affected in the city of Mahajanga alone. The city recorded of rainfall in 24 hours, as well as peak wind gusts of . Bondo knocked out the power, water, and phone service in Mahajanga, hampering rescue efforts. In the Seychelles, officials reinforced buildings to withstand future storm damage, following Cyclone Bondo. The improvements failed to withstand the winds from a stronger storm, Cyclone Fantala, which affected the same group of islands in 2016. In conjunction with the International Red Cross, rescue teams in Madagascar were deployed to the hardest hit regions on December 27. These teams traveled by road to the region while a third team was set to arrive by helicopter several days later. Bondo was the first in a series of six storms to affect Madagascar in the 2006-07 season, followed by Severe Tropical Storm Clovis, which struck southeastern Madagascar in January; Cyclones Favio and Gamede, which brushed the island in February, Cyclone Indlala in March, and Cyclone Jaya in April. In late-February, 2007, the Government of Norway provided $800,000 in relief funds for the combined effects of Cyclones Bondo, Favio and Clovis. On March 15, the United Nations announced a funding program after three other storms had struck Madagascar. The goal was to provide roughly $9 million to about 300,000 of the millions of affected population. However, upon the announcement, only $3 million of this fund had been allocated. Following the widespread damage from Cyclone Indlala in March, 2007, the Government of Madagascar launched an appeal to the United Nations for $246 million in relief funds for damage wrought by all five cyclones. The appeal ultimately raised 76% of its target, which was spent on food, shelter, and other emergency items.
Preparations and impact ; Aftermath
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. In the Seychelles, Bondo severely damaged buildings and vegetation on Providence Atoll.