On January 17, the Meteo-France in Reunion identified a Zone of Disturbed Weather northeast of La Reunion. The following day the disturbance organised quite significantly west-northwest of Madagascar and Metéo-France classified it as a tropical disturbance. The disturbance intensified into a moderate tropical storm on the 19th. Eric is forecasted to strengthen further into a severe tropical storm east of Madagascar and then track away from the country by Wednesday.