Cyclone Season in Mauritius: Dates, Warnings and Preparation

Mauritius officially runs its cyclone season from 15 November to 15 May. The country uses a four-class warning system, defined in regulation and built around a single trigger: gusts of 120 km/h. Understanding what each class actually requires — and what it does not — is what separates a season handled calmly from a season endured.

This page is updated every season. Official sources last checked: 2 September 2026.

When is cyclone season in Mauritius?

In the South-West Indian Ocean basin, the cyclone season begins on 15 November and ends on 30 April. Mauritius and the Seychelles are the exception: for both countries it runs through to 15 May, reflecting an exposure that extends later into the year.

These dates are administrative, not meteorological. They define the official watch period, not the window in which a system can form. Off-season systems do occur, and they are monitored in exactly the same way.

Historically, the most active window falls between January and March. That is when the strongest systems track through the area, and also when accumulated rainfall causes the most disruption.

The reference centre for the whole basin is RSMC La Réunion, designated as such on 1 July 1993. It tracks and classifies the systems. Naming, however, is delegated to the meteorological services of Mauritius and Madagascar.

The four warning classes: what they actually mean

This is the most widely misunderstood point, including among long-settled residents. The Mauritian classes do not measure the strength of a cyclone. They measure how much time you have left before gusts of 120 km/h.

Put differently: a Class II is not “a medium cyclone”. It is a countdown. Here are the official definitions.

Two practical consequences follow from these definitions.

Class I is the most useful, and the one people ignore. It gives you a full day or two. By Class II, the essentials should already be done.

Classes do not necessarily escalate in order. A system does not march mechanically from I to IV. A warning can be lifted at Class I if the track moves away, or jump straight to a higher class if the system accelerates.

Ending a warning, and the safety bulletin

Lifting a Class III or Class IV goes through a safety bulletin, which also serves to inform the public of any persisting severe weather. Warnings end after consultation with, and on the advice of, the National Crisis Committee, once outdoor risks have considerably decreased.

That nuance matters: the end of the warning is not the end of the danger. Downed lines, blocked roads, swollen rivers and debris remain real hazards after the all-clear.

What the 2025-2026 season actually delivered

A factual record beats a general impression. The past season produced nine named systems: Awo, Blossom, Chenge, Dudzai, Ewetse, Fytia, Gezani, Horacio and Indusa.

None made direct landfall on Mauritius. Tropical Cyclone Dudzai passed roughly 300 kilometres south-east of the island — close enough to track carefully, too far to cause major damage on the mainland.

Rodrigues, however, was affected by Tropical Depression 12, which brought 80 to 140 mm of rain in under 24 hours, along with flooding and infrastructure damage.

That episode illustrates the single most important point on this page: in Mauritius, the dominant risk is not wind, it is water. Year after year, rainfall accumulation and flash flooding cause more disruption than the gusts themselves. A system that never reaches Class III can still produce serious flooding.

2026-2027 forecast: what is actually known today

Let us be precise, because a great deal of published content is not: as of 2 September 2026, no seasonal cyclone forecast has been published for the 2026-2027 season.

The most recent publication from the Mauritius Meteorological Services is the Winter Outlook of 29 April 2026, covering 1 May to 31 October 2026 and dealing with rainfall and temperature — not cyclone activity.

Basin seasonal outlooks are normally issued as the season approaches. Any figure circulating today about the number of systems expected in 2026-2027 therefore does not come from an official Mauritian source.

This section will be updated as soon as the relevant services publish.

Storm names for the 2026-2027 season

The list of 26 names for the South-West Indian Ocean basin has, by contrast, already been settled:

Agueda · Bertrand · Celiwe · Dira · Emmie · Fikri · Gumbo · Hisna · Isaura · Jeremy · Kanga · Ludzi · Melina · Noah · Onias · Pitsana · Quamar · Rita · Solani · Tarik · Urilia · Vuyane · Wafula · Xusa · Yarona · Zacarias.

Names are assigned by the RA I Tropical Cyclone Committee, with countries in the region submitting their own proposals. Worth noting: Pitsana replaced PETA on 29 June 2026, the original name having clashed with another regional committee’s list.

Preparing, in practice

Useful preparation happens at Class I, or before the season even opens. It comes down to a few points.

Self-sufficiency. Drinking water, food that needs no cooking, personal medication, batteries, lamps, a charged power bank. Power and water cuts are the most common consequence, and they sometimes outlast the warning itself.

Fuel. Fill up before Class II. Stations close, and they do not reopen immediately afterwards.

Outdoors. Anything that can fly becomes a projectile: garden furniture, parasols, planters, sheeting, panels. This is the leading cause of avoidable damage.

Documents. ID, title deed or lease, insurance policy — gathered together and kept dry.

During the event. Stay inside, away from openings. A large share of injuries comes from flying glass or debris, often during a trip outside judged to be brief.

What cyclone risk changes when you buy in Mauritius

Most foreign buyers ask this question, and it deserves an honest answer rather than a reassuring formula.

Mauritian residential construction is predominantly reinforced concrete, designed for this exposure. Wind alone rarely threatens the structure of a recent, compliant build. The real issue lies elsewhere.

Before buying, the points worth checking concretely:

• The plot’s flooding history. This is the determining factor, far more than wind exposure. Where the land sits relative to natural drainage, ravines and low points in the area.
• Stormwater drainage on the plot and across the neighbourhood — capacity, and whether it is actually maintained.
• Roof and openings: roofing type, how it is fixed, whether shutters or protections are fitted.
• Technical autonomy: water storage, and provision for a generator.
• Insurance cover: precisely what the policy covers for wind, water ingress and flooding — these are separate guarantees and the exclusions vary. Get it confirmed in writing.
• In a co-ownership: what the managing agent plans for preparation and restoration, and the state of the reserve fund.

The difference between two neighbouring properties rarely comes down to the region, and often to details like these. To understand how conditions genuinely vary across the island, our analysis of microclimates in Mauritius goes area by area. And if your question is really about when to come, our guide to the climate of Mauritius season by season answers it directly.

Where to follow official information

During an event, one source carries authority: the Mauritius Meteorological Services, which issue the bulletins and trigger the classes.

• Official site: metservice.intnet.mu, with cyclone bulletins and tracking of the current system.
• Reception: +230 651 5100
• Forecast Office: +230 651 5105

During a warning, unofficial information spreads fast and contradicts itself. Track screenshots shared on social media are often raw model output, without interpretation, and they are not a bulletin.

Frequently asked questions

Is it dangerous to travel to Mauritius during cyclone season?

The risk exists but stays moderate, and it is well managed. Warnings come 36 to 48 hours ahead, infrastructure is built for this exposure, and many seasons pass with no direct impact — 2025-2026 being one example. For a holiday, the likeliest problem is not physical danger: it is being confined for a day or two.

Do schools and offices always close?

Schools close at Class II. For the private sector, arrangements depend on the employer, with a general shutdown in practice at Classes III and IV.

What happens to flights?

The airport suspends operations as the strongest conditions approach and resumes once it is safe. Airlines reschedule, but recovery times depend on the backlog. A delay of several days is possible at the height of the season.

Can a cyclone occur outside the official period?

Yes. The 15 November and 15 May dates define the official watch, not the physics of the atmosphere. Off-season systems are rare but documented, and they receive the same monitoring.

What is the difference between a tropical depression and a cyclone?

It is an intensity scale based on sustained winds. A system is only named once it reaches moderate tropical storm stage. But an unnamed tropical depression can still cause serious flooding — as happened in Rodrigues in 2025-2026: wind intensity tells you nothing about rainfall totals.

Official sources used

• Mauritius Meteorological Services — Warning System: regulatory definition of Classes I to IV, safety bulletin, termination of warnings.
• Mauritius Meteorological Services — Cyclone Names: 2026-2027 season name list and the 29 June 2026 substitution.
• Mauritius Meteorological Services — Seasonal Climate Forecast: status of seasonal publications as of 2 September 2026.
• World Meteorological Organization — RA I Tropical Cyclone Committee: regional framework and designation of RSMC La Réunion.

This page provides general information, verified against official sources on the date shown. It does not replace current bulletins: during an event, only communications from the Mauritius Meteorological Services carry authority.