Intense Tropical Cyclone Gezani is an intense,deadly and currently active 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. 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 185km/h (115mph) and pressure as low as 953hPa (mbar).
Gezani left at least 63 people dead,804 others injured,and 15 missing;alongside 16,000 being displaced. The cyclone destroyed or even obliterated 18,000 homes and estimated to damage or flood 52,000 more.[1] 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.[citation needed] Cyclone Gezani remains the deadliest and costliest tropical cyclone globally in 2026 and is the second strongest,behind Dudzai.
Meteorological history
This section needs to be updated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(February 2026)
Map plotting the storm's track and intensity, according to the Saffir–Simpson scale
On 4 February, a tropical disturbance formed 1,000km (620mi) northeast of Mauritius; assigned Zone of Disturbed Weather 10 by Météo-France and Tropical Disturbance 21S by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center.[2][3] 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 900km (560mi) at a speed of 9km/h (5.6mph).
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 7km/h (4.3mph). The next day, Gezani underwent rapid intensification from a moderate tropical storm to an intense tropical cyclone in just 24 hours.[3][4] At approximately 17:00 UTC on 10 February, Gezani made landfall near the city of Toamasina as an intense tropical cyclone, high end Category 3 on the Saffir-Simpson scale. 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.)
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 25km/h (16mph). 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 185km/h (115mph), about 60km (37mi) 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 300km (190mi) southeast of Madagascar as a tropical cyclone.[5]
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.[6] The United Nations released $3 million from its emergency response fund to help Madagascar prepare for the impacts of Gezani.[7] The Mozambican government prepared in potential for effects, expecting it becomes a tropical cyclone in the Mozambique channel.[8] Cyclone Gezani came 10 days after Tropical Cyclone Fytia, which killed 14 and displaced over 31,000 people.[9]
In Madagascar, Gezani killed at least 59 people,[10] including 32 in Toamasina Province, injured 804 and left 15 others missing. The cyclone destroyed 18,797 homes, damaged or flooded 51,760 more and displaced 16,318 people, with 269,407 people overall classified as disaster victims. At least 71 classrooms were completely destroyed, 104 more were partially destroyed and 561 others were damaged.[1] Locals in Toamasina described the destruction in the city as "monstrous",[11] with an estimated 75% of all buildings destroyed by the cyclone.[12] Dozens of injured people were evacuated from the city.[9] Extensive damage also occurred throughout nearby areas in Atsinanana.[12] An estimated $142million in damage was done to Madagascar by Gezani.[13] In Mozambique, four people died after Gezani made landfall over Inhambane Province on 14 February. Over 13,000 people were without power and the cyclone cut off water services to several districts of Inhambane.[13] Gezani's damage had compounded with Cyclone Fytia, where the two storms combined gave some 400,000 people acute humanitarian needs in the space of three weeks.[14] China offered ¥100million to Madagascar; equivalent to $145thousand in USD. France pledged food and rescue teams from Reunion.[15] President Michael Randrianirina visited Toamasina after Gezani.[16]
Death tolls come from various meteorological agencies. See Weather of 2026#Deadliest events for the sources to this information.
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