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Very Intense Tropical Cyclone Hary was the strongest
tropical cyclone A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system with a low-pressure area, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depending on its locat ...
in the
2001–02 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season The 2001–02 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season had the earliest named storm since 1992. Many storms formed in the north-east portion of the basin, and several more originated around Australia. The basin is defined as the waters of the In ...
. Developing on March 5 from the
monsoon trough The monsoon trough is a convergence zone between the wind patterns of the southern and northern hemispheres. It is a portion of the Intertropical Convergence Zone in the Western Pacific,Bin WangThe Asian Monsoon.Retrieved 2008-05-03. and is dep ...
, the storm initially moved generally to the west and gradually intensified. With favorable conditions, Hary quickly intensified on March 7, developing an
eye An eye is a sensory organ that allows an organism to perceive visual information. It detects light and converts it into electro-chemical impulses in neurons (neurones). It is part of an organism's visual system. In higher organisms, the ey ...
and well-defined
outflow Outflow may refer to: *Capital outflow, the capital leaving a particular economy *Bipolar outflow, in astronomy, two continuous flows of gas from the poles of a star * Outflow (hydrology), the discharge of a lake or other reservoir system *Outflow ...
. After reaching an initial peak, the cyclone briefly weakened due to an
eyewall replacement cycle In meteorology, eyewall replacement cycles, also called concentric eyewall cycles, naturally occur in intense tropical cyclones with maximum sustained winds greater than , or hurricane-force, and particularly in major hurricanes of Saffir–Simps ...
, by which time the storm turned southwestward toward
Madagascar Madagascar, officially the Republic of Madagascar, is an island country that includes the island of Madagascar and numerous smaller peripheral islands. Lying off the southeastern coast of Africa, it is the world's List of islands by area, f ...
. Hary re-intensified and attained peak winds of on March 10 just offshore eastern Madagascar, which made it the first very intense tropical cyclone since 2000. After peaking, Hary weakened due to land interaction, and it struck Madagascar southeast of
Antalaha Antalaha is an urban municipality in northern Madagascar. It belongs to the Districts of Madagascar, district of Antalaha District, Antalaha, which is a part of Sava Region. The population of Antalaha was 67.888 in 2018. Farming provides employm ...
. It was turning south over land, and as a result it quickly moved offshore. There were three deaths in the country, one of which from electrocution. There was locally heavy crop damage, and four bridges were destroyed. However, the damage was considered minimal, given the intensity of the storm. After affecting Madagascar, Hary accelerated to the southeast, and the eastern periphery of the circulation moved over
Réunion Réunion (; ; ; known as before 1848) is an island in the Indian Ocean that is an overseas departments and regions of France, overseas department and region of France. Part of the Mascarene Islands, it is located approximately east of the isl ...
. On the mountain peaks of the island, rainfall reached , although it was much less near the coast. The rainfall caused flooding, killing one person, and 20,000 people were left without power. Hary became
extratropical Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are low-pressure areas which, along with the anticyclones of high-pressure areas, drive the weather over much of the Earth. Extratropical cyclones are capable of p ...
on March 13, although its remnants continued for several days as a powerful mid-latitude storm.


Meteorological history

In early March 2002, tropical activity was minimal in the southern Indian Ocean, limited to an area of
convection Convection is single or Multiphase flow, multiphase fluid flow that occurs Spontaneous process, spontaneously through the combined effects of material property heterogeneity and body forces on a fluid, most commonly density and gravity (see buoy ...
, or thunderstorms, located southwest of
Diego Garcia Diego Garcia is the largest island of the Chagos Archipelago. It has been used as a joint UK–U.S. military base since the 1970s, following the expulsion of the Chagossians by the UK government. The Chagos Islands are set to become a former B ...
along the
monsoon A monsoon () is traditionally a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation but is now used to describe seasonal changes in Atmosphere of Earth, atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with annu ...
. On March 4, a broad and elongated
low pressure area In meteorology, a low-pressure area (LPA), low area or low is a region where the atmospheric pressure is lower than that of surrounding locations. It is the opposite of a high-pressure area. Low-pressure areas are commonly associated with inclem ...
developed within the system, although moderate
wind shear Wind shear (; also written windshear), sometimes referred to as wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and/or direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere. Atmospheric wind shear is normally described as either vertical ...
in the region initially prevented significant development. The next day, the circulation became better defined, and after being nearly stationary for a few days, it began moving steadily to the west-southwest, due to a
ridge A ridge is a long, narrow, elevated geomorphologic landform, structural feature, or a combination of both separated from the surrounding terrain by steep sides. The sides of a ridge slope away from a narrow top, the crest or ridgecrest, wi ...
to the southeast. On March 5,
Météo-France Météo-France is the official French meteorological administration, also offering services to Andorra and Monaco. It has the powers of the state and can exercise them in relation to meteorology. Météo-France is in charge of observing, study ...
(MFR) classified the system as a tropical disturbance, and later Tropical Depression 11. At 0000 
UTC Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) is the primary time standard globally used to regulate clocks and time. It establishes a reference for the current time, forming the basis for civil time and time zones. UTC facilitates international communica ...
on March 6, the
Joint Typhoon Warning Center The Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) is a joint United States Navy – United States Air Force command in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The JTWC is responsible for the issuing of tropical cyclone warnings in the North-West Pacific Ocean, South P ...
(JTWC) initiated advisories on Tropical Cyclone 18S, and six hours later MFR upgraded the system to Moderate Tropical Storm Hary. After becoming a tropical storm, Hary was located beneath an
anticyclone A high-pressure area, high, or anticyclone, is an area near the surface of a planet where the atmospheric pressure is greater than the pressure in the surrounding regions. Highs are middle-scale meteorological features that result from interpl ...
and in an area of minimal wind shear. It turned to a general westward motion, with its convection wrapping into the center and developing into a
central dense overcast The central dense overcast, or CDO, of a tropical cyclone or strong subtropical cyclone is the large central area of thunderstorms surrounding its circulation center, caused by the formation of its eyewall. It can be round, angular, oval, or ir ...
. A ragged
eye An eye is a sensory organ that allows an organism to perceive visual information. It detects light and converts it into electro-chemical impulses in neurons (neurones). It is part of an organism's visual system. In higher organisms, the ey ...
formed on March 7, which gradually became more organized. That day, the JTWC upgraded Hary to the equivalent of a minimal hurricane, with 1 minute
winds Wind is the natural movement of atmosphere of Earth, air or other gases relative to a planetary surface, planet's surface. Winds occur on a range of scales, from thunderstorm flows lasting tens of minutes, to local breezes generated by heatin ...
of . By that time, the storm had developed good
outflow Outflow may refer to: *Capital outflow, the capital leaving a particular economy *Bipolar outflow, in astronomy, two continuous flows of gas from the poles of a star * Outflow (hydrology), the discharge of a lake or other reservoir system *Outflow ...
, and was in the midst of a period of
rapid deepening Rapid intensification (RI) is any process wherein a tropical cyclone strengthens very dramatically in a short period of time. Tropical cyclone forecasting agencies utilize differing thresholds for designating rapid intensification events, th ...
. Early on March 8, MFR upgraded Hary to
tropical cyclone A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system with a low-pressure area, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depending on its locat ...
status, and the storm became very compact, with gales extending only from the center. While rounding the northwest edge of a ridge, Hary turned to the southwest late on March 8, toward the northeast coast of Madagascar. After reaching 10 minute sustained winds of , Hary weakened slightly due to an
eyewall replacement cycle In meteorology, eyewall replacement cycles, also called concentric eyewall cycles, naturally occur in intense tropical cyclones with maximum sustained winds greater than , or hurricane-force, and particularly in major hurricanes of Saffir–Simps ...
, which resulted in the eye becoming indistinct until it was replaced by a larger outer eyewall. After the new eye formed, the cyclone again intensified, and Hary became a very intense tropical cyclone early on March 10, with peak 10 minute winds of , according to the MF. It was the first very intense tropical cyclone since
Cyclone Hudah Very Intense Tropical Cyclone Hudah was a powerful and destructive tropical cyclone that affected Southeast Africa in April 2000. It was the last in a series of three cyclones that impacted Madagascar during the year. Hudah first developed as a ...
in 2000, and made Hary the strongest storm of the season. Around that time, the JTWC estimated that Hary attained peak 1 minute winds of . Around the time of its peak intensity, Hary was located about off the east coast of Madagascar. While approaching the coast, the cyclone was turning toward the south, although its motion was not southerly enough to keep the storm offshore. At around 1200 UTC on March 10, Hary made
landfall Landfall is the event of a storm moving over land after being over water. More broadly, and in relation to human travel, it refers to 'the first land that is reached or seen at the end of a journey across the sea or through the air, or the fact ...
about southeast of
Antalaha Antalaha is an urban municipality in northern Madagascar. It belongs to the Districts of Madagascar, district of Antalaha District, Antalaha, which is a part of Sava Region. The population of Antalaha was 67.888 in 2018. Farming provides employm ...
, slightly below peak intensity. The eye rapidly weakened before landfall, possibly due to another replacement cycle, and land interaction further deteriorated the storm. By late on March 10, MFR downgraded Hary to tropical cyclone status, with winds of , about east of
ÃŽle Sainte-Marie Nosy Boraha , also known as Sainte-Marie, main town Ambodifotatra, is an island off the east coast of Madagascar. The island forms an administrative district within Analanjirofo Region, and covers an area of 222 km2. It has a population e ...
. Subsequently, Hary turned more toward the south-southeast, steered by an approaching trough that increased wind shear. The cyclone stopped weakening, and the eye began redeveloping. Early on March 12, Hary passed about west of the French island of
Réunion Réunion (; ; ; known as before 1848) is an island in the Indian Ocean that is an overseas departments and regions of France, overseas department and region of France. Part of the Mascarene Islands, it is located approximately east of the isl ...
, when the JTWC estimated its 1-minute winds were about . Later that day, the combination of increasing wind shear and cooler waters weakened the cyclone, resulting in the cloud structure to deteriorate. After the circulation became fully exposed from the convection, MFR estimated Hary became
extratropical Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are low-pressure areas which, along with the anticyclones of high-pressure areas, drive the weather over much of the Earth. Extratropical cyclones are capable of p ...
around 1200 UTC on March 13. The circulation expanded greatly afterward as the storm continued generally to the southeast. The remnants of Hary re-intensified on March 17 while passing about southwest of
ÃŽle Amsterdam (), also known as Amsterdam Island or New Amsterdam (), is an island of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands in the southern Indian Ocean that together with neighbouring ÃŽle Saint-Paul to the south forms one of the five districts of the t ...
in the south-central Indian Ocean. It moved south of the
40th parallel south Following are circles of latitude between the 35th parallel south and the 40th parallel south: 36th parallel south The 36th parallel south is a circle of latitude that is 36 degrees south of the Earth's equatorial plane. It crosses the Atlan ...
, and continued as a powerful storm in the
westerlies The westerlies, anti-trades, or prevailing westerlies, are prevailing winds from the west toward the east in the middle latitudes between 30 and 60 degrees latitude. They originate from the high-pressure areas in the horse latitudes (about ...
.


Impact

Cyclone Hary passed about south of the Agalega Islands on March 7, producing winds of only ; this was due to the cyclone's small size. On March 9, as Hary intensified to the northeast of Madagascar, officials in
Antsiranana Province Antsiranana is a former province of Madagascar with an area of 43,406 km2. It had a population of 1,188,425 (July 2001). Its capital was Antsiranana. A diversity of ethnic groups are found in the province, including Anjoaty, Sakalava, Antakar ...
placed the area under a state of alert. The following day, the storm clipped the eastern portion of the province as a Very Intense Tropical Cyclone, with maximum winds estimated at . While passing near Île Sainte-Marie, the storm produced a wind gust of , although the storm was weakening and located east of the island at the time. Hary dropped heavy rainfall in eastern Madagascar, and a 24‑hour peak of was reported in Tamatave. Initially, communication difficulties prevented reports of damage from leaving the region. Despite the intensity of the storm, overall damage was minimal, and much less than predicted. Two bridges were destroyed each in
Antalaha District Antalaha District is a Districts of Madagascar, district in northeastern Madagascar. The district contains the Masoala Peninsula, and is limited by Antongil Bay in south-west and the Indian Ocean on east. It is a part of Sava Region and borders ...
and
Fenoarivo Atsinanana Fenoarivo Atsinanana (French: Fénérive Est) is a city (commune urbaine) in Madagascar. It is the capital of the Analanjirofo region and of the district of Fenerive-Est. Geography It is situated at the East coast of Madagascar, about 103  ...
. Further south in
Toamasina Toamasina (), meaning "like salt" or "salty", unofficially and in French language, French Tamatave or in the past as Port aux prunes, is the capital of the Atsinanana region on the east coast of Madagascar on the Indian Ocean. The city is the chief ...
, high winds downed telephone lines and cut communications. Hary destroyed a hospital, and along its path it severely damaged food crops. One person died from electrocution, and there were three deaths overall in the country. Although the center of Cyclone Hary passed well to the west of Réunion, heavy rains associated with the storm caused significant flooding on the island. The cyclone began affecting the island when it was located over Madagascar, after the large circulation spread humid air to the area and produced heavy rainfall through
orographic lift Orographic lift occurs when an air mass is forced from a low elevation to a higher elevation as it moves over rising terrain. As the air mass gains altitude it quickly cools down adiabatically, which can raise the relative humidity to 100% and cr ...
. Over a 12‑hour span, fell in La Plaine-des-Palmistes, and the highest rainfall was in Bébourg during the storm's passage. The heaviest rainfall occurred at high altitudes, and along the coast, rainfall reached about in Saint-Philippe. These rains caused the Ravine du Chaudron to swell and flood nearby Saint-Denis. One person drowned after attempting to cross the swollen river. Several roads were washed out across the region, cutting off
Cilaos Cilaos () is a town and commune in France, commune on the France, French island of Réunion in the Indian Ocean. It is located centrally on the island, in a caldera of altitude 1,214 m. The caldera (usually known as the 'Cirque') is also named fo ...
from nearby areas. High winds, peaking at , associated with Hary's passage left approximately 20,000 residences without power. Hary also produced waves during its passage. There was no major damage on Réunion, which was still recovering from the deadly
Cyclone Dina Intense Tropical Cyclone Dina was a cyclone that caused record flooding across parts of Réunion. Originating from a tropical disturbance on 15 January 2002 near the Chagos Archipelago, the precursor to Dina quickly developed within a region fa ...
two months prior. Rainfall from Hary spread to nearby
Mauritius Mauritius, officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an island country in the Indian Ocean, about off the southeastern coast of East Africa, east of Madagascar. It includes the main island (also called Mauritius), as well as Rodrigues, Ag ...
, although effects there were not as severe.


See also

*
Tropical cyclones in 2002 During 2002, tropical cyclones formed within seven different tropical cyclone basins, located within various parts of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Throughout the year, a total of 123 tropical cyclones formed, of which 80 tropical cycl ...
*
Weather of 2002 The following is a list of weather events that occurred on Earth in 2002. There were several natural disasters around the world from various types of weather, including blizzards, cold waves, droughts, heat waves, tornadoes, and tropical cyclones ...
*
Tropical cyclones in the Mascarene Islands The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the equator, where the sun may shine directly overhead. This contrasts with the temperate or polar regions of Earth, where the Sun can never be directly overhead. This is because of Earth's ax ...
*
Cyclone Gafilo Very Intense Tropical Cyclone Gafilo was both the most intense tropical cyclone ever recorded in the South-West Indian Ocean and the most intense tropical cyclone worldwide in 2004. Being unusually large and intense, Gafilo was the deadliest an ...
– similarly intense cyclone that struck northeastern Madagascar in 2004 * Cyclone Indlala – struck northeastern Madagascar in 2007


References


External links


Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC)
.
Météo France (RSMC La Réunion)




{{Very intense tropical cyclones Hary Hary Hary Hary Hary Hary