The basin is defined as the waters of the Indian Ocean west of longitude 90°E to the coast of Africa and south of the equator.

In January, Cyclone Dina left heavy damage in the Mascarene Islands, particularly on Réunion, where it dropped 2,102 mm (82.8 in) of rainfall.

The second-to-last storm was Cyclone Kesiny, which killed 33 people when it struck Madagascar in the midst of a political crisis.

Météo-France's meteorological office in Réunion (MFR) is the official Regional Specialized Meteorological Center for the South-West Indian Ocean, tracking all tropical cyclones from the east coast of Africa to 90° E.[2] The Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC), which is a joint United States Navy – United States Air Force task force that issues tropical cyclone warnings for the region,[3] also issued advisories for storms during the season.

[5] After reaching 10‑minute sustained winds of 100 km/h (62 mph), according to the MFR, Andre began slowly weakening,[9] due to increasing shear.

The storm turned to the southeast on December 2, despite predictions to the contrary,[5][13] and later that day it intensified further into a tropical cyclone, the first of the season.

[5][13] However, on December 3, Bako weakened back into a severe tropical storm due to much cooler sea surface temperatures and increasing northwesterly wind shear.

[5] Then on December 30, RSMC La Reunion designated this low pressure as a zone of disturbed weather and was classified as a tropical depression on January 1, 2002.

[19][22] A system developed within a convergence zone on January 20 near the boundary between the South-West Indian Ocean and the Australia region.

[19] After having experienced moderate wind shear, Eddy entered an area of more favorable conditions, and its convection gradually organized.

[24] Wind shear diminished on February 2, which allowed the depression to strengthen into Tropical Storm Francesca after convection increased.

[5] The JTWC estimated peak 1‑minute winds of 215 km/h (134 mph) when the storm was located about 1,065 km (662 mi) southeast of Diego Garcia.

In Mamoudzou, the capital of Mayotte, rainfall reached 195 mm (7.7 in) in 24 hours, which caused some damage on the island including a bridge collapse.

A developing center gradually became better organized, and it took an unusual track offshore toward the northeast,[5] steered by a ridge over Madagascar.

[24] With favorable conditions, including good outflow, the system quickly intensified into a compact tropical cyclone as it turned to the southeast.

[5] Guillame curved to the south and southwest,[24] reaching peak winds of 195 km/h (121 mph) late on February 18;[25] this made it an intense tropical cyclone.

The next day, the cyclone passed about 150 km (93 mi) east of Mauritius before an approaching trough turned it to the southeast.

Developing on March 5 from the monsoon trough, the storm initially moved generally to the west and gradually intensified.

After reaching an initial peak, the cyclone briefly weakened due to an eyewall replacement cycle, by which time the storm turned southwestward toward Madagascar.

Hary re-intensified and attained peak winds of 220 km/h (140 mph) on March 10 just offshore of eastern Madagascar, which made it the first very intense tropical cyclone since 2000.

[5] On March 21, a tropical disturbance quickly developed in the monsoon trough in the south-central Indian Ocean,[5] about 1,250 km (780 mi) east of Diego Garcia.

A ridge to the south steered the system to the west-southwest,[28] and moderate wind shear in the region prevented significant strengthening.

An approaching cold front turned the storm to the southeast on March 25, where upper-level conditions became more favorable for strengthening.

[28] Shortly after peaking, increased wind shear and drier air from the front quickly weakened Ikala, and it deteriorated below tropical cyclone status on March 28.

The remnants turned to the southwest before recurving to the southeast on March 31, and Ikala was absorbed by a cold front on April 3.

It moved to the southwest due to a ridge along the west coast of Australia, and quickly intensified into Tropical Cyclone Dianne.

Favorable conditions allowed for continued strengthening, and the storm developed a small eye late on April 7.

However, Kesiny developed an eye and re-intensified into a tropical cyclone on May 9, reaching peak winds of 130 km/h (81 mph) before striking Madagascar about 60 km (37 mi) southeast of Antsiranana.

[5] Across Madagascar, Cyclone Kesiny dropped heavy rainfall, reaching 891 mm (35.1 in) in three days at Toamasina (the second largest city in the country).

The rains caused mudslides and flooding in the eastern portion of the country, wrecking the rice and maize crops and leaving 5,000 people homeless.