Editing Geography of Madagascar (section)

==Climate==
[[File:Koppen-Geiger Map MDG present.svg|thumb|Madagascar map of Köppen climate classification zones|alt=]]
The climate is [[tropical]] along the coast, [[temperate]] inland, and [[arid]] in the south. The weather is dominated by the southeastern [[trade wind]]s that originate in the Indian Ocean [[anticyclone]], a center of high atmospheric pressure that seasonally changes its position over the ocean. Madagascar has two seasons: a warm, wet season from November to April; and a cooler, dry season from May to October. There is, however, great variation in climate owing to elevation and position relative to dominant winds. Overall, surface water is most abundant along the east coast and in the far north (with the exception of the area around Cap d'Ambre, which has relatively little surface water). Amounts diminish to the west and south, and the driest regions are in the extreme south.

The east coast has a tropical rainforest climate; being most directly [[orographic precipitation|exposed to the trade winds]], it has the highest rainfall, averaging as high as {{convert|4000|mm|in|1|abbr=on}} annually in some places. This region has a hot, humid climate in which [[Tropical disease|tropical fevers]] are endemic. Destructive cyclones occur during the rainy season, coming in principally from the direction of the [[Mascarene Islands]]. Because rain clouds discharge much of their moisture east of the highest elevations on the island, the Central Highlands are drier and, owing to the altitude, also cooler. Thunderstorms are common during the rainy season in the Central Highlands and the eastern coastal lowlands.

Antananarivo receives practically all of its average annual {{convert|1400|mm|in|1|abbr=on}} of rainfall between November and April. The dry season is sunny, although somewhat chilly, especially in the mornings. Although frosts are rare in Antananarivo, they are common at higher elevations. Hail is common in many of the higher areas of the island (including Antananarivo), but there is no snowfall except on the [[Ankaratra]] massif where above {{convert|2400|m|ft|0|abbr=on}} it may occasionally fall and even remain for several days.

The west coast is drier than either the east coast or the Central Highlands because the trade winds [[foehn effect|lose their humidity]] by the time they reach this region. The southwest and the extreme south are semidesert; as little as {{convert|330|mm|in|abbr=on}} of rain falls annually at [[Toliara]].

{{Weather box
|location = Antananarivo (1981–2010)
|metric first = y
|single line = y
|Jan record high C = 33.0
|Feb record high C = 32.0
|Mar record high C = 33.0
|Apr record high C = 31.8
|May record high C = 30.2
|Jun record high C = 32.6
|Jul record high C = 27.0
|Aug record high C = 28.9
|Sep record high C = 32.3
|Oct record high C = 33.1
|Nov record high C = 33.3
|Dec record high C = 32.1

|Jan high C = 26.6
|Feb high C = 26.5
|Mar high C = 26.5
|Apr high C = 25.5
|May high C = 23.7
|Jun high C = 21.2
|Jul high C = 20.6
|Aug high C = 21.7
|Sep high C = 24.2
|Oct high C = 26.0
|Nov high C = 27.0
|Dec high C = 27.2
|year high C = 24.7

|Jan mean C = 20.8
|Feb mean C = 20.8
|Mar mean C = 20.7
|Apr mean C = 19.5
|May mean C = 17.3
|Jun mean C = 15.1
|Jul mean C = 14.3
|Aug mean C = 14.9
|Sep mean C = 16.8
|Oct mean C = 18.7
|Nov mean C = 20.1
|Dec mean C = 20.7
|year mean C = 18.3

|Jan low C = 17.3
|Feb low C = 17.3
|Mar low C = 17.0
|Apr low C = 15.4
|May low C = 13.2
|Jun low C = 10.9
|Jul low C = 9.9
|Aug low C = 10.3
|Sep low C = 11.4
|Oct low C = 13.6
|Nov low C = 15.2
|Dec low C = 16.7
|year low C = 14.0

|Jan record low C = 10.9
|Feb record low C = 11.0
|Mar record low C = 10.0
|Apr record low C = 9.0
|May record low C = 4.0
|Jun record low C = 2.0
|Jul record low C = 2.0
|Aug record low C = 4.4
|Sep record low C = 2.3
|Oct record low C = 6.0
|Nov record low C = 9.3
|Dec record low C = 10.5

|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 340
|Feb precipitation mm = 290
|Mar precipitation mm = 191
|Apr precipitation mm = 55
|May precipitation mm = 19
|Jun precipitation mm = 4
|Jul precipitation mm = 8
|Aug precipitation mm = 6
|Sep precipitation mm = 10
|Oct precipitation mm = 68
|Nov precipitation mm = 135
|Dec precipitation mm = 311

|Jan rain days = 19
|Feb rain days = 17
|Mar rain days = 14
|Apr rain days = 7
|May rain days = 5
|Jun rain days = 5
|Jul rain days = 7
|Aug rain days = 6
|Sep rain days = 4
|Oct rain days = 8
|Nov rain days = 11
|Dec rain days = 15

|Jan humidity = 79
|Feb humidity = 80
|Mar humidity = 79
|Apr humidity = 77
|May humidity = 77
|Jun humidity = 77
|Jul humidity = 76
|Aug humidity = 74
|Sep humidity = 70
|Oct humidity = 69
|Nov humidity = 71
|Dec humidity = 77

|Jan sun = 210.5
|Feb sun = 178.0
|Mar sun = 199.1
|Apr sun = 220.5
|May sun = 228.8
|Jun sun = 206.1
|Jul sun = 213.9
|Aug sun = 235.0
|Sep sun = 249.5
|Oct sun = 251.0
|Nov sun = 232.7
|Dec sun = 201.1
|year sun = 2626.2
| source 1 = NOAA<ref name="NOAA">{{cite web
| url = ftp://ftp.atdd.noaa.gov/pub/GCOS/WMO-Normals/TABLES/REG__I/MG/67083.TXT
| title = Antananarivo Climate Normals 1961–1990 (Sunhours)
| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
| access-date = 30 November 2013}}</ref>

| source 2 = ''Pogoda''<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.pogodaiklimat.ru/climate2/67083.htm |title= Antananarivo Climate Normals 1981–2010 (Temperatures, Precipitation, Humidity) |publisher= .pogodaiklimat|access-date=4 May 2016 }}</ref>

|date=May 2016}}

{{Weather box
|location = Toamasina (1961–1990, extremes 1889–present)
|metric first = yes
|single line = yes
|Jan record high C = 37.4
|Feb record high C = 38.6
|Mar record high C = 36.7
|Apr record high C = 35.0
|May record high C = 34.0
|Jun record high C = 29.6
|Jul record high C = 31.2
|Aug record high C = 30.2
|Sep record high C = 30.6
|Oct record high C = 33.2
|Nov record high C = 33.0
|Dec record high C = 33.6
|year record high C = 38.6
|Jan high C = 30.1
|Feb high C = 30.3
|Mar high C = 29.5
|Apr high C = 28.8
|May high C = 27.3
|Jun high C = 25.6
|Jul high C = 24.8
|Aug high C = 24.9
|Sep high C = 25.8
|Oct high C = 26.9
|Nov high C = 28.4
|Dec high C = 29.4
|year high C = 27.6
|Jan mean C = 26.0
|Feb mean C = 26.1
|Mar mean C = 25.5
|Apr mean C = 24.6
|May mean C = 22.9
|Jun mean C = 21.1
|Jul mean C = 20.4
|Aug mean C = 20.5
|Sep mean C = 21.3
|Oct mean C = 22.7
|Nov mean C = 24.3
|Dec mean C = 25.5
|year mean C = 23.4
|Jan low C = 22.5
|Feb low C = 22.7
|Mar low C = 22.4
|Apr low C = 21.4
|May low C = 19.5
|Jun low C = 17.8
|Jul low C = 17.1
|Aug low C = 17.0
|Sep low C = 17.3
|Oct low C = 18.7
|Nov low C = 20.4
|Dec low C = 21.9
|year low C = 19.9
|Jan record low C = 18.0
|Feb record low C = 17.5
|Mar record low C = 17.0
|Apr record low C = 15.0
|May record low C = 13.2
|Jun record low C = 11.0
|Jul record low C = 11.8
|Aug record low C = 10.0
|Sep record low C = 11.0
|Oct record low C = 11.0
|Nov record low C = 13.5
|Dec record low C = 16.0
|year record low C = 10.0
|rain colour = green
|Jan rain mm = 410.1
|Feb rain mm = 382.1
|Mar rain mm = 478.4
|Apr rain mm = 322.8
|May rain mm = 228.3
|Jun rain mm = 259.0
|Jul rain mm = 288.6
|Aug rain mm = 218.2
|Sep rain mm = 121.1
|Oct rain mm = 132.6
|Nov rain mm = 169.7
|Dec rain mm = 357.3
|year rain mm = 3368.2
|unit rain days=1.0 mm
|Jan rain days = 19
|Feb rain days = 17
|Mar rain days = 21
|Apr rain days = 18
|May rain days = 17
|Jun rain days = 18
|Jul rain days = 22
|Aug rain days = 20
|Sep rain days = 15
|Oct rain days = 13
|Nov rain days = 14
|Dec rain days = 17
|year rain days = 211
|Jan humidity = 83
|Feb humidity = 83
|Mar humidity = 85
|Apr humidity = 84
|May humidity = 85
|Jun humidity = 85
|Jul humidity = 84
|Aug humidity = 85
|Sep humidity = 83
|Oct humidity = 82
|Nov humidity = 83
|Dec humidity = 84
|year humidity = 84
|Jan sun = 224.7
|Feb sun = 198.2
|Mar sun = 191.0
|Apr sun = 196.9
|May sun = 192.1
|Jun sun = 162.5
|Jul sun = 162.8
|Aug sun = 184.6
|Sep sun = 209.7
|Oct sun = 232.7
|Nov sun = 236.0
|Dec sun = 219.2
|year sun = 2410.4
|source 1 = NOAA<ref name= NOAAToamasina>{{cite web
| url = ftp://ftp.atdd.noaa.gov/pub/GCOS/WMO-Normals/TABLES/REG__I/MG/67095.TXT
| title = Tamatave/Toamasina Climate Normals 1961–1990
| publisher = [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]]
| access-date = October 19, 2015}}</ref>
|source 2 = [[Deutscher Wetterdienst]] (humidity, 1951–1967),<ref name = DWD>
{{cite web
| url = http://www.dwd.de/DWD/klima/beratung/ak/ak_670950_kt.pdf
| title = Klimatafel von Toamasina (Tamatave) / Madagaskar
| work = Baseline climate means (1961-1990) from stations all over the world
| publisher = Deutscher Wetterdienst
| language = de
| access-date = April 7, 2017}}</ref> Meteo Climat (record highs and lows)<ref name = meteoclimat>
{{cite web 
| url = http://meteo-climat-bzh.dyndns.org/index.php?page=stati&id=769
| title = Station Toamasina
| publisher = Meteo Climat 
|language = fr 
| access-date = April 7, 2017}}</ref>
|date=August 2010
}}

{{Weather box
|location = Toliara (Tulear), Madagascar (1961–1990, extremes 1951–present)
|single line = yes
|metric first = yes
|temperature colour = 
|Jan record high C = 42.3
|Feb record high C = 39.0
|Mar record high C = 39.7
|Apr record high C = 38.5
|May record high C = 37.4
|Jun record high C = 35.7
|Jul record high C = 34.5
|Aug record high C = 37.5
|Sep record high C = 37.5
|Oct record high C = 39.5
|Nov record high C = 37.7
|Dec record high C = 38.7
|year record high C = 42.3
|Jan high C = 32.2
|Feb high C = 32.3
|Mar high C = 32.0
|Apr high C = 30.6
|May high C = 28.6
|Jun high C = 26.9
|Jul high C = 26.8
|Aug high C = 27.7
|Sep high C = 28.5
|Oct high C = 29.3
|Nov high C = 30.3
|Dec high C = 31.3
|year high C = 29.8
|Jan mean C = 27.5
|Feb mean C = 27.5
|Mar mean C = 26.8
|Apr mean C = 25.0
|May mean C = 22.7
|Jun mean C = 20.7
|Jul mean C = 20.3
|Aug mean C = 21.0
|Sep mean C = 22.3
|Oct mean C = 23.9
|Nov mean C = 25.3
|Dec mean C = 26.6
|year mean C = 24.1
|Jan low C = 22.9
|Feb low C = 22.9
|Mar low C = 21.9
|Apr low C = 19.9
|May low C = 16.9
|Jun low C = 14.8
|Jul low C = 14.4
|Aug low C = 14.8
|Sep low C = 16.2
|Oct low C = 18.5
|Nov low C = 20.3
|Dec low C = 22.1
|year low C = 18.8
|Jan record low C = 14.6
|Feb record low C = 15.0
|Mar record low C = 16.8
|Apr record low C = 10.0
|May record low C = 10.2
|Jun record low C = 4.2
|Jul record low C = 8.4
|Aug record low C = 10.0
|Sep record low C = 9.0
|Oct record low C = 11.8
|Nov record low C = 14.0
|Dec record low C = 17.0
|year record low C = 4.2
|rain colour = green
|Jan rain mm = 94.7
|Feb rain mm = 88.7
|Mar rain mm = 35.9
|Apr rain mm = 17.7
|May rain mm = 15.8
|Jun rain mm = 14.9
|Jul rain mm = 6.2
|Aug rain mm = 5.6
|Sep rain mm = 7.8
|Oct rain mm = 11.9
|Nov rain mm = 21.7
|Dec rain mm = 97.0
|year rain mm = 417.9
|unit rain days = 1.0 mm
|Jan rain days = 6
|Feb rain days = 6
|Mar rain days = 3
|Apr rain days = 2
|May rain days = 2
|Jun rain days = 2
|Jul rain days = 1
|Aug rain days = 1
|Sep rain days = 1
|Oct rain days = 1
|Nov rain days = 2
|Dec rain days = 5
|year rain days = 32
|Jan humidity = 77
|Feb humidity = 77
|Mar humidity = 75
|Apr humidity = 76
|May humidity = 75
|Jun humidity = 74
|Jul humidity = 74
|Aug humidity = 72
|Sep humidity = 74
|Oct humidity = 75
|Nov humidity = 75
|Dec humidity = 77
|year humidity = 75
|Jan sun = 310.7
|Feb sun = 271.9
|Mar sun = 299.9
|Apr sun = 289.4
|May sun = 296.4
|Jun sun = 282.5
|Jul sun = 295.3
|Aug sun = 315.4
|Sep sun = 304.4
|Oct sun = 314.3
|Nov sun = 316.2
|Dec sun = 300.6
|year sun = 3597.0
|source 1 = NOAA<ref name= NOAA3>{{cite web
| url = ftp://ftp.atdd.noaa.gov/pub/GCOS/WMO-Normals/TABLES/REG__I/MG/67161.TXT
| title = Tulear/Toliara Climate Normals 1961–1990
| publisher = [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]]
| access-date = October 19, 2015}}</ref>
|source 2 = [[Deutscher Wetterdienst]] (humidity, 1951–1980),<ref name = DWD3>
{{cite web
| url = http://www.dwd.de/DWD/klima/beratung/ak/ak_671610_kt.pdf
| title = Klimatafel von Toliary (Tulear) / Madagaskar
| work = Baseline climate means (1961-1990) from stations all over the world
| publisher = Deutscher Wetterdienst
| language = de
| access-date = April 7, 2017}}</ref> Meteo Climat (record highs and lows)<ref name = meteoclimat3>
{{cite web 
| url = http://meteo-climat-bzh.dyndns.org/index.php?page=stati&id=772
| title = Station Toliara
| publisher = Meteo Climat 
|language = fr 
| access-date = April 7, 2017}}</ref>
}}

=== Climate change ===
{{Excerpt|Climate change in Madagascar}}

=== Cyclones ===
Madagascar occasionally experiences the impact of [[cyclone]]s. During February 2–4, 1994, Madagascar was struck by [[Cyclone Geralda]]. The cyclone killed seventy people and destroyed enough property to leave approximately 500,000 homeless, including 30,000 in Antananarivo and 80,000 in [[Toamasina]]. The cyclone also significantly damaged the country's infrastructure, most notably coastal roads, railroads, and telecommunications, as well as agriculture. The damage was estimated at US$45 million.

During March 1–18, 2004, Madagascar was impacted by [[Cyclone Gafilo]], the most intense tropical cyclone ever recorded in the South-West Indian Ocean. The National Rescue Council in [[Antananarivo]] reported 237 dead, 181 missing, 879 injured, and 304,000 homeless (174,000 in [[Antalaha]] alone). More than 20,000 homes were destroyed, as well as 413 public buildings and 3,400 schools were damaged, including 1,400 schools completely destroyed. The Cyclone left an estimated damage of US$250 million.

In February 2022, [[Cyclone Batsirai]] killed at least 10 people and caused floods, power outages, and structural damages, mere weeks after [[Cyclone Ana]] had killed 55 and displaced 130,000 people on the island.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Rabary |first1=Lovasoa |date=6 February 2022 |title=Cyclone kills at least 10 in Madagascar, destroying homes and cutting power |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/least-three-dead-after-cyclone-batsirai-causes-devastation-southeast-madagascar-2022-02-06/}}</ref>