Cyclone Freddy kills 4 in Madagascar after crossing Indian Ocean

cyclone Freddy It moved over land for the first time in its long lifespan late Tuesday, as heavy rain and strong winds battered Madagascar.

Storms in Madagascar have killed many, as recovery efforts proceed, exact weather Meteorologists say the storm’s rare, long journey may be far from over.

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The Freddy tossed over the Indian Ocean for more than two weeks before crashing into Madagascar. The cyclone’s origins can be traced back to February 6, when it formed off the southern coast of Indonesia. Fifteen days later, at around 7:30 pm local time on Tuesday, Freddie made his first encounter with land, near the city of Manangjari on Madagascar’s eastern coastline.

Weather France ReunionThe government agency that tracks storms in the region estimated that Freddy made landfall with maximum sustained winds equivalent to a Category 2 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale (96-110 mph).

“This makes Freddy the strongest storm to hit Madagascar since whirlwind help It will engulf the region in early February 2022,” said AccuWeather chief international forecaster Jason Nicholls.

No other tropical cyclone observed in this part of the world in the past two decades has taken such a path across the Indian Ocean.freddy closely reflects cyclone leon, also known as Eline, held the record for the longest-lived cyclone in the Indian Ocean in 2000, traveling nearly 7,000 miles in 29 days. Only two other hurricanes in history, breathe 2000 and Litana In 1994, survived the long route from east to west over the Indian Ocean.

From Monday night to Tuesday morning local time, Freddy passed near Mauritius and Reunion Island (Mascarene Islands) in eastern Madagascar. The town of Vacoas in Mauritius received nearly 2 inches of rain with wind gusts approaching 60 mph. However, the islands were not hit the hardest by the hurricane, as the storm was still in the northern part of the islands, sweeping rather than hitting directly.

AccuWeather Meteorologists Issue Warning more than a week in advance Madagascar was unlikely to be immune to a direct blow from Freddie.

At least four people died Others have been attributed to the hurricane, including a man who drowned as sea levels rose before making landfall.

The city of Manangjari, home to about 25,000 people, near where Freddie came ashore received nearly 5 inches of rain and sustained winds of 92 mph when it made landfall, according to Nichols. This part of the country remains vulnerable following an attack by the powerful Batsirai a year ago.

even recently, Tropical Cyclone Cheneso A month ago, the western and northern parts of the island nation were battered by days of flooding and damaging winds. Many of the same areas were affected by Freddy in the midweek before the center of the storm moved across the Mozambique Channel.

After the hurricane moved away from any land for more than two weeks, AccuWeather meteorologists said it could make a second landfall within days — this time in southern Africa.

Freddy is expected to regain some wind strength as it crosses the Mozambique Channel on Thursday. The cyclone’s second landfall is likely to occur near Inhassoro and Vilankulos in Mozambique early Friday, with heavy rainfall and locally damaging winds likely in the central and southern parts of the country. This marks nearly three weeks since the storm initially formed.

Mozambique and Madagascar may be fine after Freddy’s Gyre starts to spread out over land. Flood downpours in southeastern Africa could continue into early next week as Freddy’s remaining energy lingers in the upper atmosphere.

“It is possible that Freddy’s Specter will strengthen somewhat before returning to the Mozambique Channel early next week and affecting southern Madagascar from the west later next week,” Nichols said.