Cyclone Hollanda
| Tropical cyclone (SWIO scale) | |
|---|---|
| Category 3 (Saffir–Simpson scale) | |
Cyclone Hollanda near peak intensity
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| Formed | February 6, 1994 |
| Dissipated | February 15, 1994 |
| Highest winds |
10-minute sustained: 155 km/h (100 mph) 1-minute sustained: 195 km/h (120 mph) |
| Lowest pressure | 940 hPa (mbar); 27.76 inHg |
| Fatalities | 2 total |
| Damage | $135 million (1994 USD) |
| Areas affected | Mauritius, Réunion |
| Part of the 1993–94 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season | |
Cyclone Hollanda was the worst tropical cyclone in Mauritius in 19 years. It formed on February 6, 1994, in the central Indian Ocean in the southern hemisphere. The cyclone moved southwestward for much of its duration, striking Mauritius on February 10 at peak intensity with winds of 155 km/h (100 mph). It later passed just southeast of Réunion before turning to the south and weakening. The cyclone became extratropical on February 14 in the southern Indian Ocean.
On Mauritius, Hollanda destroyed or severely damaged 450 houses, which left at least 1,500 people homeless. High winds left half of the island without power, and also caused severe crop damage; nearly half of the island's sugar crop was destroyed, which necessitated for the government to assist in replanting efforts. Hollanda killed 2 people and caused $135 million in damage on Mauritius. About a week after the cyclone struck, Cyclone Ivy also affected the area, although to a lesser degree. The highest rainfall from the cyclone fell on Réunion, with 741 mm (29.2 in) recorded at Grand Coude.
Based on analysis from Météo-France (MFR), a disturbance in the Indian Ocean intertropical convergence zone became evident south of the Chagos Archipelago on February 6, after Cyclone Geralda struck Madagascar and moved away from the region. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) assessed it as developing a day prior in the same general area. Later on February 6, a circulation developed concurrently with an area of organized convection. On February 8, the system intensified into Tropical Storm Hollanda as it moved southwestward, its motion influenced by a ridge to its south. A trough turned the storm to the south-southwest, and Hollanda intensified into a tropical cyclone – the equivalence of a hurricane – on February 9.
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