:Cyclone Kalunde

{{Storm path|Kalunde 2003 track.png}}

An area of convection developed on March 3 several hundred miles to the east-southeast of Diego Garcia. That day, Météo-France (MFR) issued the first bulletin on Tropical Disturbance 14 while located {{convert|580|mi|km|abbr=on}} east-southeast of Diego Garcia. In an environment of weak to moderate wind shear, MFR upgraded the system to tropical depression status. Later on March 4, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) issued a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert (TCFA) for the disturbance as shower activity increased, though it initially concentrated west-southwest of the atmospheric circulation. MFR upgraded the depression to moderate tropical storm status at 0600 UTC on March 5; subsequently, the Meteorological Service of Mauritius assigned the system the name Kalunde. Moving west-northwest, the JTWC issued their first warning on the system.{{cite report|title=2003 Annual Tropical Cyclone Report|url=http://www.usno.navy.mil/NOOC/nmfc-ph/RSS/jtwc/atcr/2003atcr.pdf|publisher=Joint Typhoon Warning Center|access-date=October 14, 2012|author=Furze, Peter|author2=Preble, Amanda|pages=467–770|date=|archive-date=February 21, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130221071623/http://www.usno.navy.mil/NOOC/nmfc-ph/RSS/jtwc/atcr/2003atcr.pdf|url-status=dead}} Initially, Kalunde did not become much better organized even though deep convection was still increasing. Cyclone Kalunde steadily intensified over the next couple of days while performing a small clockwise loop. MFR upgraded Kalunde to severe tropical storm status at 1200 UTC on March 6. At 1800 UTC, JTWC reported 1-minute sustained winds of {{convert|100|km/h|mph|abbr=on|round=5}}. On March 7, Kalunde began to undergo rapid intensification, and at 0600 UTC the MFR upgraded it to a tropical cyclone. At the same time, JTWC also estimated winds of 120 km/h (75 mph), the equivalent of a Category 1 hurricane on the Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale (SSHWS).

File:TC Kalunde 12 mar 2003 0610Z.jpg

After the formation of an eye, Kalunde continued to intensify rapidly and at 1800 UTC March 7 MFR declared the system an intense cyclone. Simultaneously, JTWC estimated that Kalunde had attained winds of {{convert|215|km/h|mph|abbr=on|round=5}} while located several hundred miles south-southwest of Diego Garcia. Continuing to trek southwest by a mid-level ridge to the southeast, the rapid intensification trend continued until it leveled off early on March 8. At this time, the JTWC reported winds of {{convert|255|km/h|mph|abbr=on|round=5}}, equivalent to Category 5 intensity on the SSHWS. Subsequently, MFR remarked that the system had reached its peak wind speed of {{convert|215|km/h|mph|abbr=on|round=5}}, as an intense tropical cyclone. After attaining peak intensity, MFR and the JTWC began to lower their intensity estimates as thunderstorms began to erode in the northwestern quadrant of the eyewall.

Moving slowly southwest, Intense Tropical Cyclone Kalunde underwent an eyewall replacement cyclone late on March 9. The next day, the JTWC notes that Kalunde re-intensified somewhat; however, this is not supported by MFR’s estimates. While slowly approaching the small island of Rodrigues, Kalunde was estimated (according to MFR) to have winds of {{convert|140|km/h|mph|abbr=on|round=5}}. On March 12, Kalunde passed 55 km (35 mi) away from Rodrigues, and around that time the JTWC reported winds of {{convert|100|km/h|mph|abbr=on|round=5}}. MFR downgraded Kalunde to severe tropical storm status at 0000 UTC on March 14. Twelve hours later, the center of circulation became exposed from the convection. Kalunde continued trekking south-southeastward on the March 15 as it underwent extratropical transition. The JTWC stopped monitoring the low at 1200 UTC while estimating winds of {{convert|55|km/h|mph|abbr=on|round=5}}. At 1800 UTC on March 15, MFR declared the system extratropical, located approximately {{convert|690|mi|km|abbr=on|round=5}} south-southeast of Rodrigues. The agency officially stopped tracking the system at 1200 UTC the next day{{cite report |title=Monthly Global Tropical Cyclone Summary March 2003 |url=http://www.australiansevereweather.com/cyclones/2003/summ0303.htm |publisher=Australian Severe Weather Index |access-date=November 24, 2012 |author=Padget, Gary |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110717172223/http://www.australiansevereweather.com/cyclones/2003/summ0303.htm |archive-date=July 17, 2011 }} though the storm finally dissipated on March 17.{{cite web|title=2003 KALUNDE (2003062S10080)|url=http://storm5.atms.unca.edu/browse-ibtracs/browseIbtracs.php?name=v03r02-2003062S10080#source|publisher=Climate Stewardship|access-date=April 18, 2013}}{{Dead link|date=July 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

Prior to the storm's arrival, a class four cyclone alert was issued for Rodrigues Island.{{cite news|publisher=Agence France Presse|date=March 12, 2003|title=Cyclone approaching Indian Ocean isle of Rodrigues|location=Port Louis, Mauritius}} (Accessed through LexisNexis) Between March 11 and 13, flights to and from Rodrigues were canceled due to high winds. In addition, Cyclone Kalunde briefly posed a threat to Mauritius.{{cite news|title=Diego Garcia Cyclone Won't Jeopardize Any Air Campaign|newspaper=stratfor.com|date=March 12, 2003}}

Severe coastal damage took place across Rodrigues. Many roads were washed out, isolating many communities. Wind gusts estimated up to {{convert|210|km/h|mph|abbr=on|round=5}} destroyed the island's power and telecommunications grid, leaving the entire populace without power.{{cite web|agency=Pan African News Agency|date=March 13, 2003|access-date=November 15, 2012|title=Le cyclone Kalunde a atteint l'île Rodrigues mercredi soir|url=http://www.panapress.com/Le-cyclone-Kalunde-a-atteint-l-ile-Rodrigues-mercredi-soir--13-690342-17-lang4-index.html|language=fr}} Communication lines between Rodrigues and nearby Mauritius were also cut.{{cite news|title=Cyclone approaching Indian Ocean isle of Rodrigues|newspaper=International News|date=March 12, 2003|agency=Agence France Presse}} (Accessed through LexisNexis) Hospitals were also without electricity; one operation had to be done using a torch light. Because communication was lost during Kalunde's passage, residents lacked information about the storm for several hours. About 80 percent of the drinking water was contaminated and food crop on the island was washed away. During the storm's three-day passage of the island, {{convert|329.1|mm|in|abbr=on}} of rain fell.{{in lang|fr}} {{cite report|publisher=Accueil Orange |date=March 2003 |access-date=November 15, 2012 |title=Kalunde : Rodrigues meurtrie |url=http://piroi.croix-rouge.fr/kalunde.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100417091831/http://piroi.croix-rouge.fr/kalunde.htm |archive-date=April 17, 2010 }} A total of 1,600 homes and 40 boats were damaged and losses across the island amounted to €3.4 million (US$3.15 million).{{in lang|fr}} {{cite report|publisher=Croix-Rouge Française|date=March 20, 2003|access-date=November 15, 2012|title=Rodrigues ravagé par un cyclone|url=http://w3.ifrc.org/fr/docs/news/03/fn0603/2.asp|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130415003619/http://w3.ifrc.org/fr/docs/news/03/fn0603/2.asp|archive-date=April 15, 2013}}

In the wake of the storm, the French Red Cross supplied 1.5 tons of supplies to approximately 10,000 people victims of Kalunde.{{in lang|fr}} {{cite report |publisher=Croix-Rouge Française |year=2010 |access-date=November 15, 2012 |title=11 / 12 Mars 2003 : l'île Rodrigues est dévastée par le cyclone Kalunde |url=http://piroi.croix-rouge.fr/kalunde.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100417091831/http://piroi.croix-rouge.fr/kalunde.htm |archive-date=April 17, 2010 }} Mauritius Deputy Prime Minister Paul Berenger visited the island Friday to assess the damage while another official called on Mauritius officials to contribute to a cyclone relief fund for the island group. Twenty technicians were also sent to the area in wake of the storm. Officials estimated that it would take five weeks for power to be fully restored across Rodrigues.{{cite news|author=Munavvar Namdarkhan|publisher=Associated Press|date=March 15, 2003|title=Rodrigues Island mops up after battering from cyclone|location=Port Louis, Mauritius}} (Accessed through LexisNexis) They also stated that if a similar situation took place and people were in need of emergency services, no one would be able to receive them. Furthermore, they proposed that bridges would to be built in order to forestall roads from being washed out again.{{in lang|fr}} {{cite report|publisher=Rodriques Region Assembly|date=April 4, 2003|title=Debate No. 6 of 2003|access-date=November 24, 2012|url=http://www.gov.mu/portal/sites/rra_portal/rraassembly/pnq03_deb6.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140305135839/http://www.gov.mu/portal/sites/rra_portal/rraassembly/pnq03_deb6.htm|archive-date=March 5, 2014|url-status=dead}}

{{Portal|Tropical cyclones}}

• Tropical cyclones in 2003
• Weather of 2003
• Tropical cyclones in the Mascarene Islands
• Cyclone Dina – strong cyclone that affected Mauritius in the previous year
• Cyclone Chris-Damia – cyclone that also affected Rodrigues Island

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• [http://www.usno.navy.mil/JTWC/ Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150809201922/http://www.usno.navy.mil/JTWC/ |date=2015-08-09 }}.
• [http://www.meteo.fr/temps/domtom/La_Reunion/webcmrs9.0/anglais/index.html Météo France (RSMC La Réunion)].
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20070421094952/http://www.wmo.int/index-en.html World Meteorological Organization]

{{2002–03 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season buttons}}

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