Intense Tropical Cyclone Bingiza is expected to impact the northeastern coast of Madagascar over the next day or so, and make landfall as a tropical cyclone (in the Atlantic it would be a Category 2) during the day on Monday. The well-organized storm currently has 115 MPH winds and is expected to weaken slightly before landfall. The area where Bingiza is forecast to come ashore isn't a terribly populated region to US standards, as it mainly consists of small farming and fishing villages that dot the coast. According to Al Jazeera , Bingiza will make landfall near an agriculture-based town of 30,000. The article also states that the island nation was devastated by Tropical Cyclone Hubert's rains last year. Aside from the wind, and as is the case with most tropical systems (regardless of intensity), flooding rains will be a threat cross most of the island nation as the cyclone nears and moves inland.
Here's the latest forecast map from Wunderground :
Click the image to enlarge.
And here's a 7 AM CST satellite image from the US Navy :
Click the image to enlarge.
If you have any more information on this cyclone or Madagascar itself, please share it below. I don't know much about this country, and it would be interesting to see someone take up the task of informing us about it. Let me know if any of you do. :)