With favorable conditions for development, Japhet quickly intensified in the Mozambique Channel, reaching maximum winds of 175 km/h (109 mph) , sustained over 10 minutes.

After stalling briefly, the cyclone turned to the northwest, weakening slightly before striking Mozambique just south of Vilankulo on March 2.

The rains occurred after an extended drought, although excessive precipitation caused heavy crop damage, notably around where the storm moved ashore.

On February 23, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) began monitoring an area of convection in the Mozambique Channel.

[1] On February 25, Météo France (MF) initiated advisories on Tropical Disturbance 13 when the system was located along the southwest coast of Madagascar.

Later that day, the JTWC issued a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert, noting that environmental conditions favored development, including weak wind shear.

[2] After attaining tropical storm status, Japhet quickly intensified while it began moving to the southwest, due to a break in the ridge.

Subsequently, the storm began a northwest track toward the Mozambique coast, gradually weakening due to decreased outflow and dry air.

[2] At about 1700 UTC on March 2, Japhet made landfall just south of Vilankulo, Mozambique, with winds of 160 km/h (99 mph) as estimated by the JTWC.

[2][3] While Japhet was developing, the pressure gradient between it and a ridge produced winds of 93 km/h (58 mph) on Europa Island in the Mozambique Channel.

[14] In neighboring Zimbabwe, ten hours of high rainfall nearly overtopped the Manyuchi Dam and destroyed a bridge.