Cyclone Manou

Tropical Cyclone Manou

Tropical cyclone (SWIO scale)
Category 1 (Saffir–Simpson scale)
Cyclone Manou near eastern Madagascar
Formed	May 2, 2003 (2003-05-02)
Dissipated	May 13, 2003 (2003-05-14) (extratropical after May 10)
Highest winds	10-minute sustained: 155 km/h (95 mph) 1-minute sustained: 140 km/h (85 mph)
Lowest pressure	950 hPa (mbar); 28.05 inHg
Fatalities	89 total
Areas affected	Mauritius, Madagascar
Part of the 2002–03 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season

Tropical Cyclone Manou was a relatively rare May tropical cyclone that affected southeastern Madagascar. The final named storm of the 2002–03 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season, Manou formed on May 2 to the southwest of Diego Garcia. It moved generally to the southwest for much of its duration, steered by a ridge to the southeast. Manou affected Saint Brandon and Mauritius with gusty winds. After an initial strengthening phase, the storm weakened but later re-intensified as it approached Madagascar. Manou developed a well-defined eye and reached peak winds only 19 km (12 mi) from the eastern Madagascar coastline. For about 12 hours, the cyclone stalled before turning to the south and weakening. Manou became extratropical on May 10 and dissipated three days later.

Damage in Madagascar was heaviest near Vatomandry, where 85% of buildings were destroyed and 23 people were killed. Manou destroyed about 24,500 houses nationwide, leaving 114,480 people homeless. The storm destroyed large areas of crops and disrupted transportation, including damaging the road between Vatomandry and Brickaville. Manou injured 85 and killed 89 people throughout Madagascar.

In late April, an area of convection persisted southwest of Diego Garcia in the southern Indian Ocean. The system had a low-level circulation and pulsating thunderstorm activity. Located in an area of weak to moderate wind shear, the convection gradually organized while developing outflow. On May 2, a secondary area of convection, also with an accompanying circulation, formed to the northwest, and also showed signs of development. That day, the original disturbance organized enough for Météo-France (MFR) to designate it Tropical Disturbance 16 at 1200 UTC. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) issued tropical cyclone formation alerts for both systems within a 14‑hour period, and upgraded the original system to Tropical Cyclone 18S on May 3 about 980 km (610 mi) northeast of Mauritius. Due to the disturbance to the northwest, as well as a building ridge to the northeast, the system continued to the southwest. On May 4, MFR upgraded the disturbance to a tropical depression and later Tropical Storm Manou.