Tropical Storm Ana (2022)

Moderate Tropical Storm Ana was a deadly tropical cyclone that affected the African nations of Madagascar, Malawi and Mozambique and the deadliest weather event in 2022 thus far. The first named storm of the 2021–22 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season, Ana developed from an area of convection that was designated as Invest 93S northeast of Madagascar.

At 07:30 UTC on 20 January, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center reported a formation of an area of convection, which they designated as Invest 93S, approximately 378 nmi (700 km; 435 mi) from Mauritius, with the agency giving a low chance for potential cyclogenesis within the next 24 hours. At midday, the MFR observed a closed circulation north-northwest of Saint-Brandon, with a rather ill-defined center. The formation of the disturbance was caused by the surge of monsoonal flow. By the evening, the JTWC upgraded the system to a medium chance for potential cyclogenesis, after noticing its obscure low-level circulation (LLC). Early the next day, at 02:00 UTC, the JTWC issued its Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert (TCFA) for Invest 93S and also upgraded the system again to a high chance for potential cyclogenesis, as the agency noted its consolidation into a well-defined low-level center. Later at 12:00 UTC, the MFR declared the tropical low pressure system as a zone of disturbed weather, becoming the first system of the season. The department noted the elongated circulation which was a little more compact than yesterday, but still rather poorly organized. Twelve hours later, the MFR upgraded it to tropical disturbance status, as they found that the system's cloud pattern had improved. Furthermore, its center had became well-defined but was still overall ill-defined and elongated. The disturbance slowly consolidated into a defined convective structure while also developing distinct curved rainbands, which prompted the MFR to upgrade it to a tropical depression by 06:00 UTC on 22 January.