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Understanding cyclone Gezani’s...
On 6 February 2026, a tropical storm formed over the South-West Indian Ocean, north-east of Madagascar. The storm intensified into a Category 4 tropical cyclone and made landfall on the eastern coast of Madagascar on 10 February, bringing maximum sustained winds of 211km/h, heavy rainfalls and exposing 1.5 million people to its impact.
Tropical Cyclone GEZANI-26 struck the port city of Toamasin, the second-largest city in Madagascar, and its 400,000 inhabitants. The cyclone caused considerable material damage as well as numerous fatalities and injuries.
The large scale satellite image on the right side, acquired by Pléiades Neo on 16 February 2026, provides a clear visual representation of the extent of damage on the city of Toamasina. The zoomed images show submerged neighbourhoods, severely affected urban areas, infrastructure reduced to ruins and tens of thousands of homes destroyed or damaged.
Our thoughts are with the Malagasy communities affected by this tragedy.
Port city of Toamasina in Madagascar, Pléiades Neo satellite image, 16 February 2026 © Airbus DS 2026
