▁beginning ▁on ▁February   9 , ▁an ▁area ▁of ▁con ve ction ▁pers isted ▁in ▁the ▁Moz amb ique ▁Channel ▁off ▁the ▁sout heast ▁coast ▁of ▁Moz amb ique , ▁between ▁the ▁towns ▁of ▁Be ira ▁and ▁Qu el im ane . ▁On ▁February   1 5 , ▁deep ▁con ve ction ▁increased ▁greatly , ▁leading ▁to ▁a ▁tropical ▁disturb ance ▁forming ▁at ▁ 0 6 : 0 0   UTC ▁the ▁next ▁morning . ▁Also ▁on ▁February   1 6 , ▁the ▁J TW C ▁initi ated ▁advis ories ▁on ▁Trop ical ▁Cy clone ▁ 1 0 S . ▁Mov ing ▁sout heast ward , ▁the ▁con ve ction ▁quickly ▁organized ▁around ▁the ▁center , ▁a ided ▁by ▁warm ▁sea ▁surface ▁temper atures ▁and ▁convergence . ▁Late ▁on ▁February   1 6 , ▁the ▁system ▁intens ified ▁into ▁Trop ical ▁Storm ▁C yn th ia ▁while ▁it ▁was ▁passing ▁near ▁Juan ▁de ▁Nova ▁Island . ▁Cont inu ing ▁to ▁rapidly ▁intens ify , ▁C yn th ia ▁att ained ▁tropical ▁cy clone ▁status ▁on ▁February   1 7 , ▁reaching ▁peak ▁wind s ▁of ▁ 1 2 5   km / h ▁( 7 5   m ph ). ▁Short ly ▁there after , ▁the ▁storm ▁made ▁land fall ▁on ▁western ▁Mad agas car ▁just ▁north ▁of ▁Mor ond ava . ▁It ▁rapidly ▁weak ened ▁over ▁land ▁as ▁it ▁shift ed ▁to ▁the ▁south ▁and ▁later ▁south west . ▁Early ▁on ▁February   1 9 , ▁C yn th ia ▁emer ged