The clockwise circulation of Cyclone Cleo can clearly be seen over the northern Indian Ocean on Monday.
Tropical Cyclone Cleo organized from a cluster of thunderstorms over the northern Indian Ocean, then quickly intensified to Category 4 force.
Maximum sustained winds reached 130 mph as the storm passed well to the south of Diego Garcia in the Chagos Archipelago on Tuesday.
Forecasters at the U.S. Military Joint Typhoon Warning Center predicted that Cleo would gradually weaken to tropical storm force before it approached Mauritius and Reunion late in the week.
That would mean the cyclone was a threat only to shipping lanes during its entire lifespan.
Cyclone Track
Satellite Loop Data: CIMSS