page_title: Cyclone Leon–Eline
section_title: Preparations and impact
hierarchical_section_title: Cyclone Leon–Eline / Preparations and impact
caption_attribution_description: English: Tropical Cyclone 11S (Leon-Eline) is moving to the west in the Indian Ocean northwest of Reunion Island. Maximum sustained winds are at 65 kt.
context_page_description: Cyclone Leon–Eline was the longest-lived Indian Ocean tropical cyclone on record, traveling over 11,000 km during its 29‑day duration. The cyclone formed on February 1, 2000, in the Australian basin as Tropical Cyclone Leon, and was renamed Eline after crossing 90° E into the South-West Indian Ocean; there, the Météo-France office in Réunion tracked the storm's movement and intensity. Late on February 17, Eline made landfall near Mahanoro, Madagascar, with 10‑minute winds of 165 km/h. The storm rapidly weakened over land, but restrengthened in the Mozambique Channel to reach peak 10‑minute winds of 185 km/h, making it an intense tropical cyclone. On February 22, Eline made landfall about 80 km south of Beira, Mozambique, near peak intensity. Eline quickly weakened over land as it moved across Southern Africa, finally dissipating over eastern Namibia on February 29.
  While moving across much of the Indian Ocean, Eline brought high waves, gusty winds, and rainfall to several islands. When Eline struck Madagascar, the country was in the midst of a cholera epidemic that killed over 1,000 people. Eline directly killed at least 64 people in the country.
context_section_description: Early in its duration while it was still in the Australian basin, the cyclone produced high waves near Christmas Island, forcing a boat of about 500 refugees to be escorted to port. Later, Eline brought wind gusts of 76 km/h (47 mph) to St. Brandon. On Mauritius, the cyclone produced wind gusts of 137 km/h (85 mph), along with heavy rainfall that peaked at 405 mm (15.9 in) at Sans Souci. This rainfall was about 70% of the average February precipitation total. After Eline began restrengthening and turned more to the southwest, officials on Réunion declared a red alert, but this was dropped when the cyclone passed the island. Ultimately, the storm brushed the island with gusts of 101 km/h (63 mph) along the coast, and 187 km/h (116 mph) in the mountainous peak of Maïdo. Rainfall was heaviest in the mountainous peaks, reaching 1,500 mm (59 in) at Bébourg. Significant wave heights remained below 3 m (9.8 ft).
caption: Cyclone Eline approaching Madagascar on February 16
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