It became an intense tropical cyclone early on March 17, reaching peak sustained wind speeds of 205 km/h (125 mph). Under the influence of a strengthening near equatorial ridge located to its northeast, Emeraude's motion began to slow and turn to the east. The cyclone was quickly affected by increasing wind shear and decreased oceanic heat content induced by its slow movement, resulting in significant weakening. Unable to reach favorable conditions, Emeraude weakened below tropical cyclone intensity by 0600 UTC on March 18, 24 hours after reaching peak intensity. The system briefly weakened into a moderate tropical storm before restrengthening early the next day once it reached warmer waters. Emeraude turned to the south and approached tropical cyclone strength on March 19, but remained a severe tropical storm. Conditions became unfavorable yet again and wind shear increased, pushing convection away from the system's center, allowing for weakening to occur once again. Emeraude ceased to produce gale-force winds and became a tropical depression on March 21. Its remnant low dissipated on March 23 just south of the waters where it had reached peak intensity five days prior. A tropical disturbance formed in the central Indian Ocean, 770 km (480 mi) south-southeast of Diego Garcia on March 28. The disturbance intensified into a tropical depression and was pushed quickly to the southeast ahead of a trough, away from the British Indian Ocean Territory. Having been previously analyzed as a tropical depression throughout its lifetime, Météo-France noted that 07 intensified into a moderate tropical storm the same day. Moderate Tropical Storm 07 briefly attained peak maximum sustained winds of 85 km/h (50 mph) the next day before strong wind shear pummelled the system, resulting in swift weakening and a prompt transition into a post-tropical depression on March 30. Fantala formed on April 11 to the south of Diego Garcia. With a ridge to the south, the storm moved westward for several days while gaining strength, aided by warm waters and decreasing wind shear. Late on April 17, the MFR estimated peak 10-minute sustained winds of 250 km/h (155 mph), the highest on record in the basin. Meanwhile, the JTWC estimated peak 1-minute sustained winds of 285 km/h (180 mph), surpassing Cyclone Agnielle from November 1995 as the strongest cyclone on record in the south-west Indian Ocean in terms of wind speed.