Cyclone Batsirai diminished overnight, but severe rain and flooding were still predicted as it slammed eastern Madagascar with high gusts, according to the island's meteorological office.
"Batsirai has diminished," Meteo Madagascar reported, noting that the cyclone's average wind speed had dropped to 80 kph from 235 kph when it made landfall on Saturday evening.
The cyclone, which is the second to slam the big Indian Ocean island nation in as many weeks, was heading westward at a speed of 19 kilometres per hour, according to meteorological agencies.
"Localized or generalised floods are still threatened as a result of the torrential rainfall," it warned, adding that Batsirai is expected to reach the Mozambique Channel later Sunday.
Batsirai made landfall around 8 p.m. local time (1700 GMT) Saturday in the Mananjary district, about 530 kilometres southeast of Antananarivo's capital.
According to Faly Aritiana Fabien of the country's disaster management department, it arrived on the island as a "powerful tropical cyclone" with gusts of 165 kph.
The National Weather Service has warned of "severe and widespread destruction."
Fabien reported that approximately 27,000 people had been displaced from their houses just an hour and a half after it first hit land.
He said that his administration has prepared housing places, food, and medical care for casualties, as well as search and rescue plans.
After moving over Mauritius and dumping torrential rain on the French island of La Reunion for two days, the Meteo-France meteorological service predicted Batsirai would pose a "very serious threat" to Madagascar.
Residents in the poor country huddled down in the hours before the cyclone arrived, still recovering from the catastrophic Tropical Storm Ana late last month.
More than 200 individuals were jammed into one room in a Chinese-owned concrete building in the eastern seaside town of Vatomandry. Families slept on mattresses or mats.
Thierry Louison Leaby, a community leader, expressed his dissatisfaction with the lack of clean water when the water utility firm cut off supply ahead of the cyclone.
"People are cooking with contaminated water," he said, citing concerns over a possible diarrhoea outbreak.
To gather rainwater dripping from the corrugated roofing sheets, a line of plastic dishes and buckets was set up outside.
"The government must unquestionably assist us. Nothing has been handed to us "he stated
Sandbags and yellow jerrycans were utilised to support the roofs of residents who elected to stay in their homes.
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