Intense Tropical Cyclone Jokwe was the first tropical cyclone to make landfall in Mozambique since Cyclone Favio struck in the previous year, and was the most recent cyclone to make landfall on Mozambique until Cyclone Dineo in 2017. The tenth named storm of the 2007–08 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season, Jokwe was first classified as a tropical depression on 2 March over the open Southwest Indian Ocean. It tracked west-southwest, crossing northern Madagascar as a tropical storm on 5 March before intensifying into a tropical cyclone on 6 March. Jokwe rapidly intensified to reach peak winds of , before weakening slightly and striking Nampula Province in northeastern Mozambique. It quickly weakened while paralleling the coastline, though the storm restrengthened as it turned southward in the Mozambique Channel. Late in its duration, it remained nearly stationary for several days, and steadily weakened due to wind shear before dissipating on 16 March.
The storm caused minor damage in northern Madagascar. In Mozambique, the cyclone affected 200,000 people, and left at least sixteen fatalities. Cyclone Jokwe destroyed over 9,000 houses and damaged over 3,000 more, with the heaviest damage in Angoche and the Island of Mozambique in Nampula Province. The storm also caused widespread power outages and crop damages. The name Jokwe was submitted to the World Meteorological Organization by Botswana.
Meteorological history
In the beginning of the month, an area of convection persisted in association with a broad low-level circulation about west-southwest of Diego Garcia. The disturbance tracked west-southwestward, and on 2 March the Météo-France (MFR) declared it as a weak depression. Initially in an area of moderate wind shear, the system at first failed to maintain deep convection. Early on 4 March, convection increased and organized around the center of circulation, and the MFR classified it as Tropical Depression Twelve, about southwest of the Agaléga Islands. Initially the MFR forecast that the depression would intensify further before striking Madagascar.
The cyclone tracked generally westward along the northern periphery of a ridge. The circulation became better defined, though convection was displaced to the west of the center due to persistent wind shear. Intensification was favored, though, due to warm water temperatures and good outflow. Early on 5 March, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) classified the system as Tropical Cyclone 22S. Shortly thereafter, the MFR upgraded the depression to Moderate Tropical Storm Jokwe about southwest of the Agalega Islands, or about northeast of the northern tip of Madagascar. At first, the storm was smaller than usual, with gale-force winds extending from the center. Jokwe turned to the west-southwest in response to the development of a trough of low pressure in the Mozambique Channel, and late on 5 March the storm crossed over northern Madagascar. The low-level circulation became disorganized due to land interaction, though its mid and upper-level circulation remained well-organized. Subsequently, the storm encountered more favorable conditions, and an eye developed; Jokwe underwent rapid deepening and intensified to tropical cyclone status, or the equivalence of a minimal hurricane, midday on 6 March off the northwest coast of Madagascar.
Shortly after attaining tropical cyclone status, Jokwe began weakening as its eye disappeared, and it weakened back to a severe tropical storm. The weakening trend was short-lived, and after turning westward the storm re-developed a eye. Jokwe again underwent rapid intensification as it approached the coast of Mozambique, becoming an intense "midget cyclone" with winds of late on 7 March; the MFR explained its rapid intensity changes due to its small size. Excellent upper-level outflow and warm waters contributed to the intensification. At 0000 UTC on 8 March, Jokwe attained peak winds of about east of the Island of Mozambique in Nampula Province; at the same time, its gusts reached about . It weakened slightly while paralleling the coastline just offshore, and at 1015 UTC Jokwe made landfall between the Island of Mozambique and Angoche.