Cyclone Jokwe
| Intense tropical cyclone (SWIO scale) | |
|---|---|
| Category 3 (Saffir–Simpson scale) | |
Cyclone Jowke on March 7 shortly before hitting Mozambique
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| Formed | March 2, 2008 |
| Dissipated | March 16, 2008 |
| Highest winds |
10-minute sustained: 195 km/h (120 mph) 1-minute sustained: 205 km/h (125 mph) |
| Highest gust | Gusts: 270 km/h (165 mph) |
| Lowest pressure | 940 hPa (mbar); 27.76 inHg |
| Fatalities | 16 direct |
| Damage | > $8 million (2008 USD) |
| Areas affected | Madagascar, Mozambique |
| Part of the 2007–08 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season | |
Cyclone Jokwe of March 2008 was the first tropical cyclone to make landfall in Mozambique since Cyclone Favio struck in the previous year, and was the most recent cyclone to make landfall on Mazambique until Cyclone Dineo in 2017. The tenth named storm of the 2007–08 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season, Jokwe was first classified as a tropical depression on March 2 over the open Southwest Indian Ocean. It tracked west-southwest, crossing northern Madagascar as a tropical storm on March 5 before intensifying into a tropical cyclone on March 6. Jokwe rapidly intensified to reach peak winds of 195 km/h (120 mph), before weakening slightly and striking Nampula Province in northeastern Mozambique. It quickly weakened while paralleling the coastline, though the storm restrengthened as it turned southward in the Mozambique Channel. Late in its duration, it remained nearly stationary for several days, and steadily weakened due to wind shear before dissipating on March 16.
The storm caused minor damage in northern Madagascar. In Mozambique, the cyclone affected 200,000 people, and left at least sixteen fatalities. Cyclone Jokwe destroyed over 9,000 houses and damaged over 3,000 more, with the heaviest damage in Angoche and the Island of Mozambique in Nampula Province. The storm also caused widespread power outages and crop damages. The name Jokwe was submitted to the World Meteorological Organization by Botswana.
In the beginning of the month, an area of convection persisted in association with a broad low-level circulation about 565 km (350 mi) west-southwest of Diego Garcia. The disturbance tracked west-southwestward, and on March 2 the Météo-France (MFR) declared it as a weak depression. Initially in an area of moderate wind shear, the system at first failed to maintain deep convection. Early on March 4, convection increased and organized around the center of circulation, and the MFR classified it as Tropical Depression Twelve, about 270 km (170 mi) southwest of the Agaléga Islands. Initially the MFR forecast that the depression would intensify further before striking Madagascar.
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Wikipedia