Météo-France Indian Ocean has published a preliminary assessment of the 2021/2022 hurricane season. It highlights a number of unusual or even unprecedented facts, making this season very astonishing.

Of course, we cannot begin this assessment without addressing the delay in ignition of cyclonic activity. According to Météo-France, uninterrupted activity before January 20 was the first since the start of the satellite era (1967)! In other words, hurricane season has never been this late!

After this unprecedented delay, storm activity will experience a tremendous increase! During the heart of the season (February/March), no less than 9 systems (hurricane/cyclone) will be observed. Which is also a record! Finally, we are in 12 systems (a depression of n°8 could requalify as a hurricane which would therefore bring the system count to 12) which makes 2021/2022 a more active season than usual (average 10).

Of these 12 systems, half affect Madagascar. 6 direct impacts to the Big Island including 5 landings on the east coast, that’s unheard of! Of course, Madagascar is one of the regions in the world most hit by a typhoon, but this season set a new record for the number of landfalls on the red island.

Do you still want something new? You just have to ask. Here, let’s talk about Jasmine. This system, which was the 6th landing on the Malagasy coast, also went down in history. Never before had a system developed this late in the Mozambique Channel.

Moreover, according to Météo-France, Jasmine will be Tuléar’s deadliest impact in terms of wind. Basically, since the dawn of the satellite era, this region of southwest Madagascar would never have been affected to this extent by a tropical low pressure system.

And finally, to conclude this list of unpublished facts, it should be noted that the great hurricane Gombe is the 4th phenomenon to hit Mozambique in 4 years. According to Météo-France, this is also an unprecedented fact.