1986–87 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season

The 1986–87 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season was below average due to an ongoing El Niño and a weak monsoon that suppressed convection and storms. There were only five named storms tracked by the Météo-France office (MFR) on Réunion. The United States-based Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) followed four other storms in the basin, which is the waters of the Indian Ocean south of the equator and west of 90° E to the coast of Africa. The JTWC tracked a storm on August 1 in the northeastern portion of the basin, unusual for the time of year. The first named storm was Severe Tropical Storm Alinina, which originated from the Intertropical Convergence Zone east of Madagascar in the middle of January. However, there was an unnamed tropical depression that produced heavy rainfall in Réunion and Madagascar, causing two deaths in the latter country.

In February, two tropical storms were active near the Mascarene Islands. Tropical Storm Bemezava was a weak storm that took an erratic track around the island of Rodrigues. Tropical Storm Clotilda, the most damaging of the season, stalled near Réunion for three days, producing 2,723 mm (107.2 in) of rainfall at Bébourg. The rainfall totals approached the world record precipitation totals set by Cyclone Hyacinthe in 1980. The rains killed 10 people, destroyed 120 houses, and caused $2 million (1987 USD) in damage. Later, Daodo in March was the strongest storm of the season and the only to attain tropical cyclone status, reaching of 135 km/h (85 mph). Elizabeta was the final storm of the season tracked by the MFR, forming south of Madagascar in April and dissipating on April 29.