List of South-West Indian Ocean cyclones before 1970

The following is a list of South-West Indian Ocean tropical cyclones before 1963.

On January 11, 1848, the first tropical cyclone on record was observed in the basin.

1200 deaths - 50,000 homeless. The most dramatic and the most devastating cyclone in the history of the country. Sugar production fell 42%. A third of the city of Port Louis was destroyed in a few hours.

On February 4, a cyclone hit Vohemar in northeastern Madagascar, producing a minimum pressure of 972 mbar (28.69 inHg).

On December 14, a cyclone moved through the Comoros, causing damage to the island's vanilla and coffee plantations. Crop production declined by 9% as a result of the storm, causing food shortages after little rainfall in 1905. On December 16, 1905, another cyclone moved struck the island group, killing 30 people and injuring 150. Responding to the two cyclones, the French government provided Fr.360,000 to the island group toward rebuilding and assistance for residents.

Considered the strongest to strike Madagascar for at least 67 years, a cyclone hit the eastern portion of the country on March 3, potentially causing as many as 500 deaths.

On January 22, a tropical disturbance formed northeast of Mauritius. Initially it moved to the southwest, but turned to the south on January 26. The next day, the storm passed just west of Réunion with winds estimated at around 120 km/h (75 mph), and later dissipated on January 28. The storm killed about 100 people and injured hundreds. About 60% of the island's houses were damaged or destroyed, and about 70% of the crops were destroyed.

Lasting from December 1957 until early in January 1958, Cyclone Astrid struck Mozambique and later produced torrential rainfall in northern South Africa, reaching over 500 mm (20 in).

A series of cyclones killed 100 people in Madagascar, causing widespread flooding.

Cyclone Alix struck Mauritius Island in February 1960. The island suffered a devastating wind from 160 km/h to 200 km/h for nearly 20 hours.

Carol directly hit Mauritius where its eye passed over the island and it is assumed to be the most powerful cyclone ever recorded in the South-West Indian Ocean with wind gust of 160 km/h to 256 km/h, making at least 300,000 people homeless and destroying 40% of Mauritian main economy at that time, which was the sugar cane crop. It left 42 deaths.

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