turned to the southwest on due to a building ridge to its southwest toward Madagascar. Around the same time, upper-level conditions began improving, which allowed the convection to increase in coverage. Based on the improved appearance, MF upgraded Bingiza to a severe tropical storm at 0600 UTC on February 12 about east of the coast of Madagascar. Later that day an eye became apparent on satellite imagery, signaling the beginning of a rapid deepening trend. Late on February 12, MF upgraded Bingiza to tropical cyclone intensity, which is the equivalent of a hurricane or typhoon. With minimal wind shear and warm waters, the agency forecast the cyclone to intensify further to peak 10–sustained winds of . Continuing to strengthen, Bingiza attained 10 minute sustained winds of early on February 13. Similarly, the JTWC estimated peak 1 minute sustained winds of , noting a contracting eye in diameter in the process of an eyewall replacement cycle. Despite initial forecasts, the cyclone failed to strengthen further due to interaction with Madagascar. Early on February 14, Bingiza made landfall along the Masoala Peninsula with winds of at least . It emerged into the Antongil Bay, before moving ashore north of Manambolosy. It quickly weakened over land, although it produced heavy rainfall along its northern periphery. Early on February 15, Bingiza weakened to a tropical depression. The center became difficult to locate over land, although it emerged into the Mozambique Channel north of Besalampy as a tropical disturbance. After moving over waters, the system was able to re-intensify due to favorable water temperatures and inflow. It quickly organized into a tropical depression again, although strengthening was halted after it turned southward over western Madagascar due to a ridge to its north. It again moved into the Mozambique Channel, and Bingiza re-intensified into a tropical storm on February 17. The storm developed a concentrated area of convection near the center, as well as a poorly defined eye. The re-intensification was short-lived after Bingiza made its final landfall just south of Morondava around 1330 UTC on February 17. Around that time, the storm's circulation was dissipating over land, and its remnants left the island on February 19, dissipating soon afterward. Impact When Bingiza made its first Madagascar landfall, it became the first cyclone to strike the country in the cyclone season. It first moved through the Masoala National Park, a sparsely-populated protected region with significant numbers