(Bloomberg) -- Madagascar, the world’s biggest vanilla producer, is being struck by the most intense tropical cyclone to make landfall on the Indian Ocean island nation in 13 years, according to commercial forecaster Weather Underground.

The storm reached category-four status before reaching the northeastern coastline about 11 a.m. local time. That’s the second-most severe storm classification, which can see winds of 130-156 miles (209-251 kilometers) per hour. Rainfall could exceed 16 inches (406 millimeters) in many parts of the island during Enawo, as the southern hemisphere’s strongest cyclone this year is called, according to Weather Underground, based in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

'Worrisome amounts of rain'

Models “have shown some very worrisome amounts of rain falling on heavily populated regions of Madagascar,” said Jeff Masters, Weather Underground’s co-founder. “Enawo has the potential to be a top-five most damaging storm in the island’s history.”

Madagascar has a population of about 24 million with gross domestic product per capita of $401.8 in 2015, making it among the poorest nations, according to World Bank data. It’s one of the 10 countries most at risk from the effects of global warming, according to the Washington-based lender.

Sherritt International Corp. of Canada, Sumitomo Corp. of Japan and Korea Resources own the Ambatovy nickel mine in the island’s east. All non-essential personnel have been asked to stay home because of the cyclone, although operations there are continuing, Ambatovy said Tuesday in an emailed response to questions.

Vanilla production

The facility was in 2016 forecast to produce as much as 50,000 tons of the metal that’s used to coat stainless steel. The mine said it doesn’t expect Enawo to have an impact on production. Most of Madasgacar’s vanilla production is in the northeast, where the storm has been most intense.

The country is already battling an El Nino-induced drought, with the World Food Programme estimating 1.2 million people in the south are having difficulty finding food. The U.S. embassy in Antananarivo, the capital, will be closed until March 10 because of the storm, and citizens should prepare for at least five days of limited electricity and water, according to the State Department.

Tropical cyclones are common in Madagascar. Gafilo, also a category four, made landfall in 2004, killing 363 people. Dineo, another cyclone, killed at least seven in Mozambique, to the west of Madagascar, last month.

Special Reports /

Madagascar battered by biggest tropical cyclone in 13 years

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