 On February 9, MFR first classified the system as a tropical depression about 400 mi (645 km) east of the northern tip of Madagascar. Never warned on by the JTWC, the storm moved southwest. After briefly weakening into a tropical disturbance, the storm suddenly re-intensified into a moderate tropical storm as Esitera re-curved to the southwest. On February 11, MFR stopped keeping an eye on the system.
