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February 4, 2026 - Tropical Cyclone Fyita
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Tropical Cyclone Fytia made landfall near Soalala on the western coast of Madagascar in the early hours of January 31, 2026, and quickly crossed over the island. Just before landfall the storm was a major hurricane carrying maximum sustained winds of 115 miles per hour (185 km/h). That is the equivalent of Category 3 on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. As it left the island, maximum sustained winds had dropped to 40 miles per hour (64 km/h), which is tropical storm strength.
Cyclone Fytia caused significant flooding and impacts in the north-western part of the island. Additional urban flooding occurred in Antananarivo, the capital city, where dykes have been weakened. According to a report published on ReliefWeb, at least seven people were confirmed killed, one person is missing, and seven more have been injured due to the storm. As of February 2, it is estimated that more than 20,000 people have been displaced with thousands of houses impacted as well as education and health infrastructure. Access to the hardest-hit regions is still limited, so damage assessment remains in early stages.
The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired this true-color image of Tropical Cyclone Fytia on the morning of January 31, near the time of landfall. The bright silver tone west of Madagascar is not part of the storm. It is an optical phenomenon called “sunglint”—a mirror-like patch that occurs when sunlight reflects from the surface of water directly back to the sensor.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Aqua
Date Acquired: 1/31/2026
Resolutions:
1km (1.2 MB), 500m (3.4 MB), 250m (4.9 MB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
Tropical Cyclone Fytia made landfall near Soalala on the western coast of Madagascar in the early hours of January 31, 2026, and quickly crossed over the island. Just before landfall the storm was a major hurricane carrying maximum sustained winds of 115 miles per hour (185 km/h). That is the equivalent of Category 3 on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. As it left the island, maximum sustained winds had dropped to 40 miles per hour (64 km/h), which is tropical storm strength.
Cyclone Fytia caused significant flooding and impacts in the north-western part of the island. Additional urban flooding occurred in Antananarivo, the capital city, where dykes have been weakened. According to a report published on ReliefWeb, at least seven people were confirmed killed, one person is missing, and seven more have been injured due to the storm. As of February 2, it is estimated that more than 20,000 people have been displaced with thousands of houses impacted as well as education and health infrastructure. Access to the hardest-hit regions is still limited, so damage assessment remains in early stages.
The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired this true-color image of Tropical Cyclone Fytia on the morning of January 31, near the time of landfall. The bright silver tone west of Madagascar is not part of the storm. It is an optical phenomenon called “sunglint”—a mirror-like patch that occurs when sunlight reflects from the surface of water directly back to the sensor.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Aqua
Date Acquired: 1/31/2026
Resolutions:
1km (1.2 MB), 500m (3.4 MB), 250m (4.9 MB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
