Intense Tropical Cyclone Leon–Eline was the second longest-lived cyclone in the Indian Ocean, behind Cyclone Freddy, traveling over during its 29-day track through the Indian Ocean, throughout the month of February. The cyclone formed on 1 February 2000, in the Australian basin as Tropical Cyclone Leon, and was renamed Eline after crossing 90° E into the South-West Indian Ocean; there, the Météo-France office in Réunion (MFR) tracked the storm's movement and intensity. Late on 17 February, Eline made landfall near Mahanoro, Madagascar, with 10‑minute winds of . The storm rapidly weakened over land, but restrengthened in the Mozambique Channel to reach peak 10‑minute winds of , making it an intense tropical cyclone. On 22 February, Eline made landfall about south of Beira, Mozambique, near peak intensity. Eline quickly weakened over land as it moved across Southern Africa, finally dissipating over eastern Namibia on 29 February.
While moving across much of the Indian Ocean, Eline brought high waves, gusty winds, and rainfall to several islands. When Eline struck Madagascar, the country was in the midst of a cholera epidemic that killed over 1,000 people. Eline directly killed at least 64 people in the country. Tropical Storm Gloria struck Madagascar 13 days later, compounding the damage and making it difficult to discern the individual effects. Damage from Eline was estimated at $9 million (USD), and collectively the two storms killed 205 people and left another 10,000 homeless. In the region around Vatomandry where Eline made landfall, 65% of houses were damaged, 90% of crops were lost, and 75% of health facilities were wrecked.
Before Eline's final landfall, Mozambique's worst floods since 1951 had killed about 150 people. The additional rainfall and flooding from Eline created the country's worst natural disaster in a century, and disrupted ongoing relief efforts. The combined effects destroyed over of crop fields and killed 40,000 cattle. The Limpopo River reached wide and above normal in some areas, which isolated the town of Xai-Xai. A dam broke along the river, flooding the town of Chokwe in the middle of the night and trapping several unprepared residents; this accounted for nearly half of the death toll. About 55 people drowned in Sofala Province after rescue helicopters arrived too late to save them. Around 20,000 people in the capital city of Maputo lost their homes. In addition to the floods, strong winds blew away many roofs and some entire houses made of mud. The combined effects of the preceding floods and Eline left about 329,000 people displaced or homeless, killed around 700 people, and caused an estimated $500 million (USD) in damage. The flooding disrupted much of the economic progress Mozambique had made in the 1990s since the end of its civil war.
Elsewhere in Southern Africa, Eline brought strong winds and heavy rainfall when it crossed into eastern Zimbabwe. Rivers overflowed their banks in the country, damaging crops and houses while leaving 15,000 people homeless. The storm killed 12 people in the country. Flooding from the storm extended southward into Swaziland and South Africa. In the latter country, Eline dropped of rainfall in Levubu over three days, causing the Limpopo River to reach its highest level in 15 years. Officials opened dams along the river to prevent structural damage, which caused higher levels along the river to the east. At least 21 people died in the country, and about 80,000 people were left homeless. Damage in Limpopo Province alone was estimated at $300 million (USD). To the north, Eline dropped about of rainfall in southern Malawi, while gusty winds caused a power outage in Blantyre. Farther west, rainfall rates of were reported in Botswana.
Meteorological history
The origins of Cyclone Leon–Eline were from a surge of energy within the monsoon trough that crossed the equator from the northwest, which spawned a low pressure area on 1 February in the eastern Indian Ocean, about south of the Indonesian island of Bali. Associated convection, or thunderstorms, was initially sparse due to wind shear in the region. Over the next few days, the low tracked west-southwestward without much development, moving around a large ridge over northwestern Australia. An anticyclone over the system provided outflow, allowing convection to increase despite the wind shear. At 22:00 UTC on 3 February, Australia's Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) upgraded the tropical low to a Category 1 tropical cyclone on the Australian tropical cyclone scale, estimating 10‑minute sustained winds of . At 04:00 UTC the next day, the BoM named the storm Tropical Cyclone Leon. On the same day at 03:00 UTC, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) began issuing advisories on the storm as Tropical Cyclone 11S. Around that time, Leon was located about south-southeast of Christmas Island, moving west-southwestward. With decreasing wind shear, the convection organized into rainbands, signaling that the storm was strengthening.
Early on 5 February, the BoM upgraded Leon to a Category 3 severe tropical cyclone on the Australian scale, estimating 10‑minute winds of . At 22:00 UTC that day, the agency estimated an initial peak of . On 6 February, the cyclone developed an eye in the center of the convection that was only visible on Special sensor microwave/imager, not on satellite imagery. On the same day, the JTWC upgraded Leon to the equivalent of a minimal hurricane, estimating 1‑minute winds of . A trough passing to the south increased wind shear, causing the storm to weaken. Around that time, Leon passed about south of the Cocos Islands, while turning more to the west after the ridge strengthened to the south. By 8 February, the circulation was exposed from the rapidly dwindling thunderstorms. At 18:00 UTC that day, Leon crossed 90° E into the south-west Indian Ocean, and as result was renamed Eline by the Mauritius Meteorological Service. By that time, Météo-France (MFR) estimated 10‑minute winds of .
Over the subsequent few days, wind shear caused the convection to wax and wane over Eline's center, limiting the thunderstorms to the southern periphery. The track shifted more to the west-northwest. On 11 February, Eline had weakened into a minimal tropical storm according to the MFR, about south of Diego Garcia, and the JTWC operationally downgraded it to a tropical depression. Later that day, however, a decrease in shear allowed thunderstorms to refire. On 13 February, a weakness in the ridge caused the storm to turn back to the west-southwest. Moving back beneath an anticyclone, conditions became more favorable for strengthening, allowing outflow and a central dense overcast to form, with the beginnings of an eye feature. Eline quickly intensified into a severe tropical storm later the same day. At 00:00 UTC the next day, the JTWC upgraded Eline to the equivalent of a minimal hurricane with 1‑minute winds of . The MFR held off upgrading the storm, due to a passing trough increasing wind shear again. On 14 February, Eline passed about south of St. Brandon, and shortly thereafter resumed its strengthening after the shear dropped. Later that day, the storm bypassed Mauritius about to the northwest, with the storm's small structure sparing the island from the strongest winds. Early on 16 February, Eline attained tropical cyclone status, with 10‑minute winds of , while passing about northwest of Réunion. This was nine days after it had weakened to tropical storm status the first time.
Upon becoming a tropical cyclone, Eline was still encountering wind shear and dry air. Despite these factors, the eye became better defined and the storm intensified as upper-level conditions improved. The cyclone turned more to the west toward Madagascar, despite a weakness in the ridge to the south. While approaching the country, Eline quickly intensified, reaching 10‑minute winds of by 18:00 UTC on 17 February. Around that time, the cyclone made landfall on eastern Madagascar near Mahanoro. Eline rapidly weakened over land while moving to the west-southwest, and the JTWC downgraded the storm to tropical depression status within 18 hours of moving ashore.
After crossing Madagascar for 26 hours, Eline emerged into the Mozambique Channel near Belo, still maintaining good outflow. With warm waters and a favorable upper-level environment, the depression quickly re-intensified as convection increased. At 12:00 UTC on 19 February, Eline re-attained moderate tropical storm status. While in the central Mozambique Channel, Eline passed about north of Europa Island, which recorded a barometric pressure of . Shortly thereafter, the storm turned more to the west-northwest due to a strengthening ridge to the south. A brief increase in wind shear delayed the strengthening trend, but Eline resumed intensifying on 21 February while slowly approaching southeastern Africa. Over a 24‑hour period, the pressure dropped by , indicative of rapid deepening. During that time, the convection organized into an intense eyewall around a well-defined eye. Eline had re-attained tropical cyclone status at 12:00 UTC of the same day, and 18 hours later reached intense tropical cyclone status. The MFR estimated peak 10‑minute winds of ; in contrast, the JTWC estimated peak 1‑minute winds of , the equivalent of a Category 4 tropical cyclone on the Saffir–Simpson hurricane scale (SSHWS). While at peak intensity, Eline made landfall about south of Beira, Mozambique, where a central pressure of was recorded. Gusts at landfall were estimated at .
Although the winds rapidly decreased after landfall, the storm maintained a well-defined structure as it crossed from Mozambique into Zimbabwe late on 22 February. Weakening to tropical depression status, Eline crossed Zimbabwe and maintained its circulation, entering Botswana on 24 February. Three days later, the center drifted into eastern Namibia and turned to the south, finally dissipating on 29 February. After the circulation dissipated, the residual system merged with a heat low and an approaching cold front.
Records and statistics Throughout its duration, Leon-Eline lasted 29 days, a record longevity for a storm in the southern Indian Ocean. The track was over , or about 25% of the Earth's circumference. However, Eline was in the south-west Indian Ocean for 21 days, which is the third most on record. It was behind Cyclone Alibera in 1989 and Cyclone Georgette in 1968, the latter of which lasted 24 days in the basin, later surpassed by 2023's Cyclone Freddy, which lasted 36 days in the basin. The MFR noted that Eline was the strongest cyclone to strike the nation in several decades. The storm was uncommon in its landfall on mainland Africa; only 5% of storms in the basin do so, and most that cross or form in the Mozambique Channel turn to the south. Eline was unusual in maintaining its identity so far inland, aided by increased moisture and enhanced upper-level environmental conditions over southern Africa.
Preparations and impact
Early in its duration while it was still in the Australian basin, the cyclone produced high waves near Christmas Island, forcing a boat of about 500 refugees to be escorted to port. Later, Eline brought wind gusts of to St. Brandon. On Mauritius, the cyclone produced wind gusts of , along with heavy rainfall that peaked at at Sans Souci. This rainfall was about 70% of the average February precipitation total. After Eline began restrengthening and turned more to the southwest, officials on Réunion declared a red alert, but this was dropped when the cyclone passed the island. Ultimately, the storm brushed the island with gusts of along the coast, and in the mountainous peak of Maïdo. Rainfall was heaviest in the mountainous peaks, reaching at Bébourg. Significant wave heights remained below .
Madagascar