The weekend of January 31st to February 1st, 2026 will be remembered for the destructive passage of Cyclone Fytia . Entering from the northwest (Majunga) with gusts reaching 210 km/h , the system swept across the island from west to east before moving away along the eastern coast on Sunday morning, downgraded to a tropical storm.

A still provisional assessment

According to data from the National Office for Risk and Disaster Management (BNGRC), the severe weather caused:

1. 1 death and 1 disappearance reported.
2. Nearly 8,400 people affected across the country.
3. Significant material damage, particularly in the capital.

Antananarivo underwater

Although the cyclone weakened as it moved inland, torrential rains flooded several neighborhoods in Antananarivo. The situation there is critical in some areas.

1. Urban flooding: In some districts, residents have to pay to cross the streets in a cart in order to stay dry.
2. Precarious housing: Dozens of families are living with water up to their knees. Wall collapses have been reported, leaving residents, like the affected Sehène and her grandchildren, homeless and distraught.
3. Saturated infrastructure: The city's aging drainage canals are no longer able to drain stagnant water.

A double health crisis

The authorities' concern is heightened by the fact that Madagascar is facing a measles epidemic. Stagnant water and overcrowding in the affected areas raise fears of an accelerated spread of the virus. The National Bureau for Risk and Disaster Management (BNGRC) has announced the deployment of pumps to drain the water, while urging the population to exercise extreme vigilance regarding public health.