Chido originated from an elongated circulation that the Météo-France office in Réunion (MFR) began monitoring on 7 December, located east of Diego Garcia.

Early the next day, the United States Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) upgraded the system to a Category 4-equivalent tropical cyclone, with estimated 1-minute maximum sustained winds of 250 km/h (155 mph), while the MFR estimated its peak intensity with a minimum central pressure of 935 hPa (27.61 inHg) and 10-minute maximum sustained winds of 215 km/h (130 mph) as it maintained its small size and moved westwards.

As the system passed off the northern tip of Madagascar, the eye briefly cleared and the central dense overcast remained compact and symmetrical.

Chido entered the Mozambique Channel on 14 December, with microwave imagery showing highly developed organized bands of deep convection.

Satellite imagery showed cooling cloud tops surrounding a clearing eye, indicating the strengthening of the storm, and on 15 December, Chido made landfall in Pemba, Mozambique, with 10-minute sustained winds estimated at 205 km/h (125 mph).

[1] Cyclone Chido originated from an elongated circulation that the Météo-France office in Réunion (MFR)[nb 1] began monitoring on 7 December, located east of Diego Garcia.

[6] The following day, the JTWC began issuing warnings for the system, classifying it as Tropical Cyclone 04S, as satellite imagery showed a partially exposed low-level circulation center on the eastern side of a developing burst of deep convection, which was nearly circular in shape and had cloud tops cooler than −80 °C (−112 °F).

[10] On the subsequent day, Chido significantly improved in organization, with satellite imagery showing a newly developed eye feature, an increasingly symmetric structure, and curved convective banding wrapping around the system.

[12] Chido rapidly deepened and intensified into an intense tropical cyclone within twelve hours, with its eye passing over Agalega and bringing extreme conditions to the island,[13] where a minimum pressure of 980 hPa (28.94 inHg) was recorded.

[17] After reaching its peak intensity, the cyclone's eye, which was 13.8 miles (22.2 km) wide, became cloud-filled and increasingly ragged, and on 13 December, an eyewall replacement cycle occurred, causing the storm to weaken.

[18][19] As the system passed about 35 nautical miles (64.8 km) off the northern tip of Madagascar, the eye briefly cleared and the CDO remained compact and symmetrical.

[20] Chido entered the Mozambique Channel on 14 December, with microwave imagery showing highly developed organized bands of deep convection.

[23] Satellite imagery showed cooling cloud tops surrounding a clearing eye, indicating the strengthening of the storm, and at 06:00 UTC on 15 December,[24] Chido made landfall on Pemba in Mozambique, with 10-minute sustained winds estimated at 205 km/h (125 mph).

[25] Shortly after landfall, the JTWC discontinued warnings,[26] and the MFR reported that Chido moved through Mozambique and Malawi, with convective activity gradually weakening.

UNICEF planned to mobilize a United Nations Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) flight to preposition items in the north where stock levels are relatively low.

Madagascar Red Cross branches were alerted, disaster response teams were identified and early warning system (EWS) equipment was deployed.

Three teams of BNGRC were deployed to Antsiranana, Vohemar and Ambilobe to support anticipatory actions conducted at a local level including preventive evacuations.

On that day, the Direction Générale de la Sécurité Civile (DGSC) decreed the official activation of the Cyclone-induced Flood Rescue Plan and the national emergency operational centre would help monitor the storm's effects.

[30] The Mozambique National Institute of Meteorology issued red alerts for Cabo Delgado and Nampula Provinces and recommended that all civilians must take precautionary and safety measures.

The Mozambique Red Cross Society and World Food Programme implemented anticipatory actions following the activation by the Technical Council for Disaster Management for Mogincual and Angoche Districts.

[46] Additionally, French politician Estelle Youssouffa claimed that tens-of-thousands of residents were missing or buried beneath the wreckage of destroyed shanty towns.

[66] At least 155,532 homes were completely or partially destroyed in the country, along with 1,126 classrooms, 52 health facilities, 35 places of worship, 11 telecommunications towers, 89 public buildings and 250 schools.

[75] French prefect François-Xavier Bieuville added it would be extremely hard to count fatalities and many might never be recorded, partly due to the Muslim tradition of burying people within 24 hours.

The French Interior Ministry said 1,600 police and gendarmerie officers were deployed to Mayotte to help residents and prevent looting, with 800 more expected to arrive in the coming days.

President Emmanuel Macron, who promised urgent help, was set to host a meeting on the situation at the Interior Ministry's crisis center in Paris later that day.