Overall Orange alert Tropical Cyclone for GOMBE-22
in Madagascar

Event summary

Tropical Cyclone GOMBE-22 can have a medium humanitarian impact based on the maximum sustained wind speed, exposed population and vulnerability.

GDACS ID TC 1000873
Name GOMBE-22
Glide number: TC-2022-000182-MDG
From - To 07 Mar - 12 Mar
Exposed countries Madagascar
Exposed population 100 thousand in Category 1 or higher
Maximum wind speed 185 km/h Category 3
Maximum storm surge 1 m (11 Mar 01:00 UTC)
Vulnerability High (Madagascar)

GDACS Score

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Wind Storm surge Rainfall GDACS score
GDACS JTWC 46 km/h 1 m n.a. 0.5
WMO-RSMC La Réunion 10 min 46 km/h 1 m n.a. 0.5
WMO-RSMC La Réunion 1 min 53 km/h 0.9 m n.a. 0.5
Single TC: maximum expected impact (wind, storm surge, rainfall)
HWRF 184 km/h 0.8 m 707 mm 0.5
GFS 169 km/h 0.8 m 588 mm 0.5
ECMWF 83 km/h 0.7 m 845 mm 0.5
Maximum expected impact (wind, storm surge and rainfall) using different data sources.
Virtual OSOCC
Meteo assessment
Satellite products
Analytical products
Madagascar - Tropical Cyclone GOMBE (ECHO 08 Mar 2022)Tue, 08 Mar 2022 12:01

  • Tropical storm GOMBE, formed on 7 March over the Indian Ocean well off the coast of Madagascar, made landfall over southern Antsiranana Province (north-eastern Madagascar) in the late evening (UTC) of 7 March, with maximum sustained winds up to 65 km/h.  On 8 March at 6.00 UTC, its centre was located inland in northern Toamasina Province, with maximum sustained winds of 55 km/h (tropical depression).
  • GOMBE is expected to continue moving westward over northern Madagascar on 8 March, as a tropical depression. After that, it is forecast to continue moving west over the Mozambique Channel, strengthening, and it could approach the coastal area of central Nampula Province (Mozambique) in the morning of 11 March, as a tropical cyclone.
  • Over the next 24 hours, heavy rainfall and strong wind is forecast over northern Madagascar. Meteo Madagascar has issued a warning for strong wind over the whole coastal area of northern Madagascar.
Madagascar, Mozambique - Tropical Cyclone GOMBE, update (ECHO 09 Mar 2022)Wed, 09 Mar 2022 12:51

  • Tropical cyclone GOMBE continued westward and passed over northern Madagascar (particularly northern Toamasina, and Mahajanga Provinces) on 8 March, as a tropical depression. On 9 March at 6.00 UTC, its centre was located over the Mozambique Channel, approximately 580 km east of the coastal area of southern Nampula Province (northern Mozambique), with maximum sustained winds of 95 km/h (tropical storm).
  • GOMBE is forecast to continue westward over the Mozambique Channel on 9-11 March, further strengthening. After that, it is forecast to made landfall over the southern Nampula Province (south of Liupo Town) on 11 March in the morning (UTC), with maximum sustained winds up to 210 km/h (tropical cyclone).
  • Over the next 48 hours, heavy rainfall is expected to continue over northern Madagascar. Very heavy rainfall, strong wind and storm surge are forecast over northern and central Mozambique starting from 10 March.
Mozambique, Madagascar - Tropical cyclone GOMBE, update (ECHO 10 Mar 2022)Thu, 10 Mar 2022 11:55

  • Tropical cyclone GOMBE continued over the Mozambique Channel toward northern Mozambique on 9 March, as a tropical storm, further strengthening. On 10 March at 6.00 UTC, its centre was located approximately 250 km east of the coastal area of central Nampula Province, with maximum sustained winds of 137 km/h (tropical cyclone).
  • GOMBE is forecast to make landfall over the central Nampula Province (approximately 35 km south of Mozambique City) in the late evening (UTC) of 10 March.
  • Over the next 72 hours, very heavy rainfall is expected to continue over most of Madagascar, except over southern area.
  • Very heavy rainfall, strong wind and storm surge are forecast over northern and central Mozambique over 10-14 March. The Mozambique National Institute of Meteorology (INAM) has issued a red warning for tropical cyclone over most of Nampula and Zambezia Provinces.
  • According to the Global Flood Awareness System (GloFAS), approximately 55,000 people are estimated to be exposed to fluvial floods in Mozambique. Population exposed to the broader hazards will be larger due to flash, pluvial and coastal flooding as well as exposure to intense wind speeds.
Mozambique, Madagascar, Malawi - Tropical Cyclone GOMBE, update (ECHO 11 Mar 2022)Fri, 11 Mar 2022 11:28

  • Tropical cyclone GOMBE made landfall over the coastal area of central Nampula Province on 11 March after 0.00 UTC, with maximum sustained winds up to 190 km/h. On 10 March at 6.00 UTC, its centre was located inland approximately 90 km east of Nampula City.
  • After the passage of GOMBE over northern Madagascar, media report two fatalities, of which one in Maroantsetra (Analanjirofo Region) and one in Antalaha Towns (Sava Region). Over 900 affected people were also reported across both Regions.
  • GOMBE is forecast to continue westward over the Nampula Province on 11 March, weakening into a tropical storm. 
  • Over the next 48 hours, heavy rainfall is expected to continue over most of Madagascar. Very heavy rainfall, strong wind and storm surge are forecast over northern and central Mozambique over 11-14 March.
  • The red warning for tropical cyclone over Nampula, and Zambezia Provinces issued by the Mozambique National Institute of Meteorology remains in force. Heavy rainfall is also forecast over southern Malawi on 12-14 March.
Mozambique, Malawi - Tropical Cyclone GOMBE, update (ECHO 14 Mar 2022)Mon, 14 Mar 2022 12:44

  • The passage of tropical cyclone GOMBE on 11-13 March has affected areas in northern Mozambique and southern Malawi, resulting in casualties.
  • In Mozambique, the National Institute for Disaster Management (INGC) reports 12 fatalities that occurred in Nampula Province. About 40 people were injured and approximately 30,000 individuals have been affected across Nampula and Zambézia Provinces. More than 3,000 houses, 345 school rooms and 11 places of worship have been destroyed, while about 2,500 houses sustained damage.
  • In Malawi, five fatalities have been confirmed in Machinga District (Southern Region of Malawi) by the Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA), after floods and flash floods were caused by heavy rainfall related to GOMBE. A number of infrastructure and buildings have been affected, including an evacuation camp that was hosting individuals affected by the passage of Tropical Cyclone ANA in late January.
  • On 14-15 March, moderate to locally heavy rainfall is forecast over northern and central Mozambique, including the Provinces of Nampula and Zambézia and over central and southern Malawi.
Mozambique, Malawi - Tropical Cyclone GOMBE, update (ECHO 15 Mar 2022)Tue, 15 Mar 2022 12:00

  • Northern Mozambique continues to be affected by the passage of tropical cyclone GOMBE on 11-14 March, resulting in an increased humanitarian impact.
  • As of 14 March, the National Institute for Disaster Management of Mozambique (INGC) reports 15 fatalities in Nampula Province and one missing person in Zambezia Province.
  • About 50 people have been injured, and around 11,630 individuals are currently displaced to 25 evacuation centres in Nampula and Zambezia. More than 100,400 persons have been affected and 10,811 houses have been destroyed and other 11,882 sustained damage. 
  • In Malawi, the number of fatalities due to the passage of tropical cyclone GOMBE across the Southern Region increased to six, the impact assessments are ongoing.
  • On 15-17 March, light rainfall is expected over northern Mozambique and light to locally moderate rainfall with thunderstorms is forecast over the Southern Region of Malawi.
Detailed event map. European Union, 2024. Map produced by EC-JRC.
The boundaries and the names shown on this map do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by the European Union.

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Data, images, links, services and documents

For this events, GDACS has links to information from the following sources: UNOSAT (1), EC-JRC (40), (2), WMO (1), INFORM (2),