Tropical Cyclone Emnati made landfall on Madagascar early on Wednesday with winds of up to 135 kilometres per hour.
Cyclone Emnati becomes fifth extreme weather event this year, and the fourth tropical storm to make landfall in Madagascar in one month, following Tropical Storm Ana (22 January), Tropical Cyclone Batsirai (5 February), Tropical Storm Dumako (15 February), and an inter-tropical convergence zone which impacted Madagascar on 17 January.
Emnati struck on the southeastern side of Madagascar, where Batsirai killed scores of people just under three weeks ago.
The government’s Office for Risk and Disaster Management said late on Tuesday that over 30 000 people were evacuated ahead of Emnati’s path as a precaution.
Emnati was later on Wednesday reclassified as a tropical storm as its speed slowed to 100 km/hr and there were no early reports of casualties or damage.
The storm was expected to exit into the ocean by Wednesday evening, the meteorological department said.
Besides Emnati, Madagascar has been affected by three other tropical storms this season.
Tropical Storm Dumako struck Madagascar on 15 February and killed at least 14 and displaced more than 4 300, according to Madagascar’s disaster relief agency.
Tropical Cyclone Batsirai hit the island on 5 February, killing at least 124 people, damaging or destroying the homes of 124 000 and displacing around 30 000.
Tropical Storm Ana made landfall on Madagascar on 22 January and killed 58 people on the island and left 55 000 homeless.
Tropical Storm Cliff did not make landfall.