Cyclone Idai

Not to be confused with Hurricane Ida.

Intense Tropical Cyclone Idai
Intense Tropical Cyclone Idai approaching Mozambique shortly after its peak intensity on 14 March
Meteorological history
Formed4 March 2019 (2019-03-04)
Remnant low16 March 2019 (2019-03-16)
Dissipated21 March 2019 (2019-03-21)
Intense tropical cyclone
10-minute sustained (MFR)
Highest winds195 km/h (120 mph)
Highest gusts280 km/h (175 mph)
Lowest pressure940 hPa (mbar); 27.76 inHg
Category 4-equivalent tropical cyclone
1-minute sustained (SSHWS/JTWC)
Highest winds215 km/h (130 mph)
Lowest pressure947 hPa (mbar); 27.96 inHg
Overall effects
Fatalities1,593 total[nb 1][nb 2]
(Deadliest tropical cyclone in the South-West Indian Ocean, second-deadliest tropical cyclone recorded in the Southern Hemisphere)
Missing≥2,262
Damage$3.3 billion (2019 USD)
(Costliest tropical cyclone in the South-West Indian Ocean)
Areas affected
IBTrACSEdit this at Wikidata
Part of the 2018–19 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season

Intense Tropical Cyclone Idai (/ɪˈdaɪ, ˈiːdaɪ/) was one of the worst tropical cyclones on record to affect Africa and the Southern Hemisphere.[4] The long-lived storm caused catastrophic damage, and a humanitarian crisis in Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Malawi, leaving more than 1,500 people dead and many more missing. Idai is the deadliest tropical cyclone recorded in the South-West Indian Ocean basin. In the Southern Hemisphere, which includes the Australian, South Pacific, and South Atlantic basins, Idai ranks as the second-deadliest tropical cyclone on record. The only system with a higher death toll is the 1973 Flores cyclone that killed 1,650 off the coast of Indonesia.[5][6]

The tenth named storm, seventh tropical cyclone, and seventh intense tropical cyclone of the 2018–19 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season, Idai originated from a tropical depression that formed off the east coast of Mozambique on 4 March 2019. The storm, Tropical Depression 11, made landfall in Mozambique later in the day and remained a tropical depression through its five-day trek over land. On 9 March, the depression re-emerged into the Mozambique Channel and strengthened into Moderate Tropical Storm Idai on the next day. Idai then began a stint of rapid intensification, reaching an initial peak intensity as an intense tropical cyclone, with sustained winds of 175 km/h (109 mph) on 11 March. Idai then began to weaken, due to ongoing structural changes within its inner core, falling to tropical cyclone intensity. Idai's intensity remained stagnant for about a day or so before it began to re-intensify. On 14 March, Idai reached its peak intensity, with maximum sustained winds of 195 km/h (121 mph) and a minimum central pressure of 940 hPa (27.76 inHg). Idai then began to weaken as it approached the coast of Mozambique, due to less favourable conditions, weakening below intense tropical cyclone status later that day. On 15 March, Idai made landfall near Beira, Mozambique, subsequently weakening into a remnant low on 16 March. Idai's remnants slowly continued inland for another day, before reversing course and turning eastward on 17 March. On 19 March, Idai's remnants re-emerged into the Mozambique Channel and eventually dissipated on 21 March.[7][8]

Idai brought strong winds and caused severe flooding in Madagascar, Mozambique, Malawi, and Zimbabwe, which killed at least 1,593 people[9] – and affected more than 3 million others.[10] Catastrophic damage occurred in and around Beira in central Mozambique. The President of Mozambique stated that more than 1,000 people may have died in the storm.[11] A major humanitarian crisis unfolded in the wake of the cyclone, with hundreds of thousands of people in urgent need of assistance across Mozambique and Zimbabwe. In the former nation, rescuers were forced to let some people die in order to save others.[12] A cholera outbreak ensued in the storm's wake, with more than 4,000 confirmed cases and seven fatalities by 10 April. Total damages from Idai across Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Madagascar, and Malawi were estimated to be around $3.3 billion (2019 USD),[13][10] with US$1 billion alone in infrastructure damages, making Idai the costliest tropical cyclone in the South-West Indian Ocean basin.[14][15][16][17]

  1. ^ "Floods kill 126 people in SA, Malawi, Mozambique". ZBC News. 14 March 2019. Retrieved 14 March 2019.[permanent dead link]
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Updated Moz post landfall was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference emdat was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Yuhas, Alan (19 March 2019). "Cyclone Idai May Be 'One of the Worst' Disasters in the Southern Hemisphere". New York Times. Archived from the original on 19 March 2019. Retrieved 19 March 2019.
  5. ^ Masters, Jeff. "Africa's Hurricane Katrina: Tropical Cyclone Idai Causes an Extreme Catastrophe". Weather Underground. Archived from the original on 22 March 2019. Retrieved 23 March 2019.
  6. ^ Funes, Yessenia (19 March 2019). "Cyclone Idai Poised to Become Southern Hemisphere's Deadliest Tropical Storm, With More Than 1,000 Feared Dead". Earther. Archived from the original on 20 March 2019. Retrieved 20 March 2019.
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference March 22 cyclone bulletin was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference March 23 cyclone bulletin was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ "2019 CYCLONE IDAI APPEAL FINAL REPORT" (PDF). Disasters Emergency Committee. Retrieved 12 September 2022.
  10. ^ a b "Global Catastrophe Recap: First Half of 2019" (PDF). Aon Benfield. Archived (PDF) from the original on 12 August 2019. Retrieved 12 August 2019.
  11. ^ "Hundreds feared dead after Cyclone Idai". BBC News. 18 March 2019. Archived from the original on 19 March 2019. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
  12. ^ Cite error: The named reference CBS_0320 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  13. ^ Nhundu, Kenneth; Sibanda, Melusi; Chaminuka, Petronella. "Economic Losses from Cyclones Idai and Kenneth and Floods in Southern Africa: Implications on Sustainable Development Goals". Research Gate. Springer Nature. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
  14. ^ Wood, Charlie (16 April 2019). "World Bank pegs Cyclone Idai economic loss at $2bn". Reinsurance News. Archived from the original on 1 May 2019. Retrieved 1 May 2019.
  15. ^ Chutel, Lynsey (16 April 2019). "One month later: Cyclone Idai's devastation by the numbers". Quartz Africa. Archived from the original on 1 May 2019. Retrieved 1 May 2019.
  16. ^ Toure, Aby (11 April 2019). "Statement on High-Level Meeting on Humanitarian and Recovery Efforts Following Cyclone Idai". The World Bank. Archived from the original on 1 May 2019. Retrieved 2 May 2019.
  17. ^ Nhamire, Borges; Hill, Matthew (25 March 2019). "UN Says Damage From Southern African Cyclone May Top $1 Billion". Bloomberg. Archived from the original on 27 March 2019. Retrieved 26 March 2019.


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