In this season, there were 73 days on which tropical cyclones were active, which was more than twice as much as the previous season and 19 days above the average. A system of cyclone intensity was active on 35 days, which was 15 days above the mean. Additionally, five of the systems attained "intense tropical cyclone" status, including one – Hary – that attained the "very intense tropical cyclone" stage. Activity was relatively distributed throughout the season and had the earliest start since 1992. Like most seasons within the basin, activity reached a climax in late January. Several systems during the season developed in the eastern portion of the basin, similar to 1993–94; unlike that season, many storms in 2001–02 stayed at sea throughout their lifetime, thus reducing casualties and damage. Systems Severe Tropical Storm Alex–Andre The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) classified a tropical low as Tropical Cyclone Alex on October 26 in the Australian region. It was initially located in an area of strong wind shear, which prevented significant strengthening. However, convection over the system increased on October 27, and it crossed into the South-West Indian Ocean at around the same time. It was renamed Andre, becoming the earliest date for the first named storm since 1992. After reaching 10‑minute sustained winds of 100 km/h (65 mph), according to the MFR, Andre began slowly weakening, due to increasing shear. It moved generally to the west-southwest before turning northwestward on October 29, around which time the convection separated from the center. Moving slowly, Andre later turned to the southwest after weakening to a tropical depression. Late on October 31, the system was no longer classifiable as a tropical system, and the remnants continued to the west-southwest until being absorbed by a trough on November 8. Tropical Cyclone Bessi–Bako The monsoon trough spawned a tropical low on November 24 in the Australian basin. It moved to the southwest, strengthening into Tropical Cyclone Bessi on November 27. Two days later, it moved into the South-West Indian Ocean, and was renamed Bako on December 1. Located in a similar position to the previous storm, Bako strengthened into a severe tropical storm on December 1, aided by warm waters and slack wind shear. The storm turned to the southeast on December 2, despite predictions to the contrary, and later that day it intensified further into a tropical cyclone, the first of the season. However,