List of South-West Indian Ocean cyclones before 1959

On January 11, 1848, the first tropical cyclone on record was observed in the basin.[1]

1200 deaths - 50,000 homeless. The most dramatic and the most devastating cyclone in the history of the country. Sugar production fell 42%. A third of the city of Port Louis was destroyed in a few hours.

On February 4, a cyclone hit Vohemar in northeastern Madagascar, producing a minimum pressure of 972 mbar (28.69 inHg).[2]

On December 14, a cyclone moved through the Comoros, causing damage to the island's vanilla and coffee plantations. Crop production declined by 9% as a result of the storm, causing food shortages after little rainfall in 1905. On December 16, 1905, another cyclone moved struck the island group, killing 30 people and injuring 150. Responding to the two cyclones, the French government provided Fr.360,000 to the island group toward rebuilding and assistance for residents.[3]

Considered the strongest to strike Madagascar for at least 67 years,[4] a cyclone hit the eastern portion of the country on March 3,[5] potentially causing as many as 500 deaths.[6]

On January 22, a tropical disturbance formed northeast of Mauritius. Initially it moved to the southwest, but turned to the south on January 26. The next day, the storm passed just west of Réunion with winds estimated at around 300 km/h (187 mph), and later dissipated on January 28.[7] The storm killed about 100 people and injured hundreds. About 60% of the island's houses were damaged or destroyed, and about 70% of the crops were destroyed.[8]

A cyclone was first observed northeast of Madagascar on February 9. The storm moved west-southwestward, crossing northern Madagascar on February 13. The storm moved across the Mozambique Channel and struck eastern Mozambique on February 15. The circulation moved across much of Africa, eventually reaching northern Namibia (then known as South-West Africa).[9][10]

On April 13, 1952, a tropical cyclone was first observed north of the Comoros. The cyclone moved west-southwestward toward the coast of Africa at a low latitude. On April 15, the ship M.V. Tayari encountered the eye of the cyclone and observed a minimum pressure of 958 mbar (28.3 inHg). Later that day, the cyclone moved ashore southeastern Tanzania near Lindi, where maximum sustained winds were estimated at 180 km/h (110 mph); this made the cyclone the strongest on record to strike the country. The storm weakened over land and turned southwestward, moving into northern Mozambique.[11][12] The cyclone left 34 fatalities in Tanzania.[13] The HMEAS Rosalind assisted in delivering food, equipment, and soldiers to the region around Lindi.[14]

A tropical cyclone originated northeast of the northern tip of Madagascar on January 8. It moved southwest at first before curving west, passing the outer islands of the Seychelles. The storm curved to the south and struck Mayotte, causing heavy damage in the capital city Dzaoudzi. Turning to the southeast, the cyclone moved ashore northwestern Madagascar near Mahajanga on January 13, where damage totaled over MF2 million (US$1 million) after three housing quarters were destroyed. Throughout Madagascar, 12 people died related to the cyclone. The storm continued southeastward after moving ashore and later turned back to the southwest, dissipating on January 19.[15][16]

Lasting from December 1957 until early in January 1958, Cyclone Astrid struck Mozambique and later produced torrential rainfall in northern South Africa, reaching over 500 mm (20 in).[17]