Cyclone Amara
| Intense tropical cyclone (SWIO scale) | |
|---|---|
| Category 4 (Saffir–Simpson scale) | |
|
|
| Formed | December 14, 2013 |
| Dissipated | December 28, 2013 |
| (Remnant low after December 27) | |
| Highest winds |
10-minute sustained: 205 km/h (125 mph) 1-minute sustained: 240 km/h (150 mph) |
| Highest gust | Gusts: 285 km/h (180 mph) |
| Lowest pressure | 935 hPa (mbar); 27.61 inHg |
| Fatalities | None |
| Damage | None |
| Areas affected | Rodrigues |
| Part of the 2013–14 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season | |
Cyclone Amara brought stormy conditions to Rodrigues in December 2013. Amara was the first named storm in the southwest Indian Ocean during the later half of 2013, and developed from a disturbance within the monsoon trough on December 14. The following day, the system attained tropical depression status. Despite its ill-defined organization, the depression was able to continue strengthening, reaching moderate tropical storm status on December 16 as it tracked southwest. Situated in a favorable atmospheric environment, a period of rapid intensification ensued after Amara reached tropical cyclone status on December 18. After fluctuating in strength, the cyclone peaked with maximum sustained winds of 205 km/h (125 mph) and a minimum barometric pressure of 933 mbar (hPa; 27.55 inHg) on December 21, making it an intense tropical cyclone based on the intensity scale utilized by Météo-France. Shortly after, wind shear strengthened as Amara tracked southeast, resulting in a weakening phase. The shearing effects caused the cyclone to rapidly decay, and by December 23, Amara degenerated into a remnant low.
Amara was initially expected to track directly over the island of Rodrigues, prompting widespread precautionary measures and resulting in the issuance of a Class 4 warning – denoting a warning of highest urgency – by the Mauritius Meteorological Services. Though the tropical cyclone eventually passed to the east of the island, Amara was close enough to Rodrigues to severely effect the island. Strong winds, peaking at a measured 152 km/h (94 mph) in Pointe Canon, resulted in widespread infrastructural damage, including the tearing of metal sheeting and uprooting of trees. Widespread power outage cut power to 12,000 homes and shut off communications to and from the island. Heavy rains produced by Amara also triggered flooding in some locations and caused soil erosion.
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Wikipedia