1999–2000 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season
The 1999–2000 South-West Indian Ocean tropical cyclone season was the first on record in which two storms – Leon–Eline and Hudah – struck Mozambique at tropical cyclone intensity, or with maximum sustained winds of at least 120 km/h (75 mph). The most notable storm of the season was Eline, which was the longest-lasting storm on record in the basin. It lasted for 29 days while traversing the southern Indian Ocean, making the strongest landfall in decades along eastern Madagascar in late February. The storm was the first in a series of three storms that struck the country in early 2000, along with Gloria in March and Hudah in April. Collectively, the three storms killed at least 316 people. The season started on November 1, 1999, and ended for most of the basin on April 30, 2000; for Mauritius and the Seychelles, the season continued until May 15. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the basin;
2000–01 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season
Ando rapidly intensified after forming and attained tropical cyclone status early on January 4, developing an eye in the center of the thunderstorms and outflow to the east. A tropical low over the southern Mozambique Channel weakened the ridge, causing Ando to turn more to the southwest. Late on January 4, the storm intensified further into an intense tropical cyclone, and early the next day passed about 120 km (75 mi) northeast of Tromelin Island. According to the JTWC, however, Ando attained peak 1 minute winds of 220 km/h (140 mph) late on January 5. In contrast, the MFR assessed Ando as weakening due to the becoming larger and less defined, while still maintaining a small cloud diameter of about 400 km (250 mi). However, the eye re-organized, and Ando attained peak 10 minute winds of 195 km/h (120 mph) on January 6, with a 60 km (35 mi) eye at the time. Continuing around the ridge, the cyclone passed about 205 km (125 mi) west of Réunion that day before starting to weaken due to increased wind shear. On January 8, Ando weakened below tropical cyclone status, and the convection increasingly separated from the circulation while turning to the southeast. On January 10, the storm became extratropical, although the remnants turned back to the northwest due to the ridge, dissipating on January 13.