1982–83 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season

Season summary

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PlotData= barset:Hurricane width:11 align:left fontsize:S shift:(4,-4) anchor:till from:27/10/1982 till:30/10/1982 color:TD text:"Arilisy (TDe)" from:01/12/1982 till:08/12/1982 color:ST text:"Bemany (STS)" from:19/12/1982 till:20/12/1982 color:TD text:"Clera (TDe)" from:24/12/1982 till:29/12/1982 color:ST text:"Dadafy (STS)" from:09/01/1983 till:16/01/1983 color:ST text:"Elinah (STS)" from:22/06/1983 till:24/06/1983 color:TD text:"Fely (TDe)"

bar:Month width:5 align:center fontsize:S shift:(0,-20) anchor:middle color:canvas from:01/10/1982 till:31/10/1982 text:October from:01/11/1982 till:30/11/1982 text:November from:01/12/1982 till:31/12/1982 text:December from:01/01/1983 till:31/01/1983 text:January from:01/02/1983 till:28/02/1983 text:February from:01/03/1983 till:31/03/1983 text:March from:01/04/1983 till:30/04/1983 text:April from:01/05/1983 till:31/05/1983 text:May from:01/06/1983 till:30/06/1983 text:June from:01/07/1983 till:31/07/1983 text:July

TextData = pos:(525,23) text:"(For further details, please see" pos:(672,23) text:"scales)" The season was the least active since the 1961–1962 season. It occurred during a significant El Niño event. Its inactivity was comparable to the 2010–11 season which had three named storms. There were 13 days when storms were active, the same as 2010–11, although the latter season also had a long-lasting subtropical cyclone. It is estimated that Tropical Depression Fely and two of the other storms in this season would not have been named during the 2010–11 season.

There were six storms named by the weather service in Madagascar or Mauritius, with advisories issued by Météo-France's meteorological office at Réunion (MFR). At the time, the MFR area of warning responsibility was from the coast of Africa to 80° E, and the agency primarily used the Dvorak technique to estimate the intensities of tropical cyclones. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC), which is a joint United States Navy – United States Air Force task force that issues tropical cyclone warnings for the region, also tracked a short-lived tropical storm in February, which formed on February 5 northeast of Mauritius. The system tracked to the southeast, reaching peak winds of 65 km/h before dissipating on February 8 northwest of Rodrigues.

Systems

Tropical Depression Arilisy

|10-min winds=28 |1-min winds=35 A disturbance in the South Indian convergence zone near Seychelles persisted on October 24 with an area of convection. It gradually organized while passing near Agaléga. On October 27, it developed into a tropical depression, and after Dvorak classifications of 2.5, the system was named Arilisy. It became disorganized on October 29, never having intensified beyond winds of 50 km/h. After moving to the southwest for much of its duration, Arilisy dissipated on October 30.

Severe Tropical Storm Bemany

|10-min winds=62 |1-min winds=65 On November 29, the JTWC began tracking a disturbance well to the northeast of Madagascar. On December 1, after a defined circulation developed, MFR began issuing warnings on the system. After having moved to the west-southwest, the depression turned to the southeast on December 2. Haven received the name Bemany, the storm gradually intensified; the JTWC upgraded it to the equivalent of minimal hurricane status on December 3, and the next day MFR estimated peak winds of 115 km/h. While near peak intensity, Bemany passed about 230 km east of Mauritius, and it subsequently weakened. The influence of an anticyclone turned the storm to the east and caused Bemany to loop back to the west. On December 5, the storm became extratropical, and the next day the JTWC issued its last advisory. On December 7, Bemany briefly became a tropical depression again, only to become extratropical for the final time the next day; Bemany dissipated on December 9.

Tropical Depression Clera

|10-min winds=28 |1-min winds=35 On December 19, a tropical depression formed near St. Brandon. With an area of high pressure to the southeast, the depression moved to the northeast and was named Clera, after a Dvorak rating of 2.5. It only achieved winds of 50 km/h before weakening.

Severe Tropical Storm Dadafy

|10-min winds=52 |1-min winds=65 The JTWC began tracking a disturbance on December 21 to the northeast of Madagascar. The system moved to the southeast and was classified by MFR on December 24. Given the name Dadafy, the storm slowly intensified, reaching peak winds of 95 km/h according to MFR on December 26. The next day, the JTWC estimated Dadafy strengthened to the equivalent of a minimal hurricane. The storm turned to the south and weakened. On December 29, MFR declared that Dadafy became extratropical, and JTWC discontinued advisories the next day. The extratropical remnants dissipated on January 1.

Severe Tropical Storm Elinah

|10-min winds=62 |1-min winds=65 The South Indian convergence zone spawned a circulation that organized into a tropical depression in the Mozambique Channel on January 9. It gradually intensified while moving to the southwest, developing spiral rainbands. On January 11, Elinah passed between Anjouan and Mohéli in the Comoros archipelago. The next day, JTWC upgraded the storm to the equivalent of a minimal hurricane, although land interaction with Mozambique weakened Elinah. After it turned to the south and moved away from the coast, the storm re-intensified, and MFR estimated Elinah reached peak winds of 115 km/h on January 14. Subsequently, the convergence zone caused the storm to weaken, ultimately absorbing it by January 16.

While passing through the Comoros, Elinah caused heavy damage in Anjouan and Mohéli, destroying nearly all of the banana crops and 30% of the coconut crops. About 2400 ha of agricultural lands were flooded, and the storm damaged 2120 ha of forests on Moheli; agriculture damage was estimated at $9.6 million (1983 USD). Elinah damaged or destroyed 4,357 buildings. High waves reaching 12 m damaged coastal roads and sea walls. On Anjouan, a wave knocked 40 people into the water, killing 33 of them. Elinah injured 52 and left $23.1 million in damage (1983 USD). The military of Comoros helped clear roads, and workers rebuilt the damaged buildings. After the storm passed, the government of Comoros requested for aid to the international community. Collectively, the United States, Egypt, France, Germany, and Switzerland, as well as various agencies under the United Nations, provided $1.7 million in assistance. Most of it was from the World Food Programme, which provided 2,160 tons of rice and 162 tons of vegetable oil.

Tropical Depression Fely

|10-min winds=20 |1-min winds= The final system of the year formed as a weak tropical depression on June 22 to the north of a powerful anticyclone. Given the name Fely, the system tracked to the southwest toward Madagascar and did not intensify. It dissipated on June 24 to the east of Île Sainte-Marie, although the remnants of Fely produced moderate rainfall. Tamatave reported 58.6 mm of precipitation while the storm was approaching.

References

References

1. RSMC La Réunion – Tropical Cyclone Centre. "Review of the 2010/2011 cyclone seasons". [[World Meteorological Organization]].
2. Phillip Carroff. "Subject B3) When was the earliest tropical cyclone named? The latest?". Météo-France.
3. La Météorlogie, Service de la Réunion. (1983). "La Saison Cyclonique 1982-1983 A Madagascar". Madagascar: Revue de Géographie.
4. Philippe Caroff. (June 2011). "Operational procedures of TC satellite analysis at RSMC La Reunion". World Meteorological Organization.
5. (2011). "Joint Typhoon Warning Center Mission Statement". Joint Typhoon Warning Center.
6. Kenneth R. Knapp. (2010). ["1983 HSK1483 (1983037S18062)"]({{IBTRACS url). Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society.
7. Kenneth R. Knapp. (2010). ["1983 Arilisy (1982300S09056)"]({{IBTRACS url). Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society.
8. Kenneth R. Knapp. (2010). ["1983 Arilisy (1982300S09056)"]({{IBTRACS url). Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society.
9. "Donnes de Bemany". Météo-France.
10. Kenneth R. Knapp. (2010). ["1983 Clera (1982353S13064)"]({{IBTRACS url). Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society.
11. Kenneth R. Knapp. (2010). ["1983 Dadafy (1982355S09060)"]({{IBTRACS url). Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society.
12. "Donnes de Dadafy". Météo-France.
13. Kenneth R. Knapp. (2010). ["1983 Elinah (1983010S08049)"]({{IBTRACS url). Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society.
14. Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance. (August 1993). "Significant Data on Major Disasters Worldwide 1900-present".
15. "Annual Report FY 1983". Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance.