Cyclone Gezani heads toward landfall in Madagascar

Gezani is barreling toward Madagascar's east coast and could slam into the island as a monster Category 4 cyclone by Tuesday with winds hitting 211 kilometers per hour.

The storm's current position and trajectory

• Gezani formed on 6 February over the south-west Indian Ocean waters.
• The system cruised north of Mauritius and Réunion on 7 and 8 February.
• As of 9 February, the storm sat roughly 630 kilometers east of Madagascar.
• Sustained winds were clocking 84 kilometers per hour at that point.

Landfall predictions and intensification risk

• South African Weather Service expects the cyclone between Mananara Avaratra and Vatomandry.
• Favorable environmental conditions could push Gezani to an intense tropical cyclone status.
• After hitting land, the system will weaken while cutting southwest across Madagascar.
• Mozambique Channel entry on 11 February might trigger re-intensification of the storm.

Madagascar's nightmare scenario with back-to-back disasters

• Tropical Cyclone Fytia killed 14 people and impacted over 85,000 people between late January and early February.
• The island's northwestern regions face strong winds and heavy rainfall for 72 hours.
• Recovery efforts from Fytia are still underway as Gezani approaches.
• SAWS has warned vessels about rough seas and hazardous marine conditions.

Ripple effects spreading across southern Africa

• Zambia Meteorological Department issued alerts for widespread rainfall between 12 and 14 February.
• Gezani's interaction with the ITCZ will trigger flash floods in poorly drained areas.
• Zambian authorities told residents to secure their property and avoid flooded roads.
• South Africa named this seventh system of the 2025-26 cyclone season.