Furious Freddy to Make Landfall in Madagascar
[credit]Credit: EUMETSAT[/credit]
Intense Tropical Cyclone Freddy is quickly approaching Madagascar, posing a serious threat to the country’s Central and Southernmost regions.
Latest Information
On the latest Meteo France bulletin, Freddy was last located at 20.7S 49.5E, or about 100 kilometers (62 miles) off the Madagascar coast.
The agency estimated the storm to have 10-minute maximum sustained winds of 150 kph (80 knots / 90 mph) with a minimum central pressure of 965 hectopascals.
The cyclone is moving towards west-southwest at a speed of 28 kph (15 knots / 17 kph).
Current Warnings
Red Cyclone Warning is hoisted over the regions of:
- Amoron’i Mania
- Matsiatra Ambony
- Ihorombe
- Fitovinany
- Vatovavy
- Southern Districts of Atsinanana (Antanambao Manampontsy, Vatomandry, Marolambo, Mahanoro)
Yellow Cyclone Warning is placed over the regions of:
- Vakinankaratra
- Atsimo-Atsinanana
- Remainder of Atsinanana
- Southernmost District of Alaotra-Mangoro (Anosibe An’ala)
- Southern Districts of Menabe (Morondava, Mahabo, Manja)
- Northern Districts of Atsimo-Andrefana (Beroroha, Morombe, Ankazoabo, Toliera II and Sakaraha
Green Cyclone Warning is placed over the regions of:
- Remainder of Menabe
- Itasy
- Analamanga, including Antananarivo
- Southern District of Alaotra-Mangoro (Moramanga)
Cyclone Risks
Intense Tropical Cyclone Freddy is forecast to make landfall over Madagascar shortly after the release of this article. The storm then will move over the island nation and enter the Mozambique channel on Wednesday afternoon. Significant wind, and flood damage, and storm surge over coastal areas under a cyclone warning are expected.
Local authorities in Mozambique, meanwhile, issued warnings on expected heavy rains for the Zambesi River as the cyclone is forecast to make landfall in Mozambique later next week, likely as a strong tropical storm or a lower-end category 1 equivalent cyclone. The Mozambique National Institute of Meteorology is expected to raise cyclone warning once Cyclone Freddy comes out of the Mozambique Channel.
If the local officials advised you to evacuate in preparation for the storm, please heed their advice. You can always check their social media sites for and follow developments from us on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube as the storm approaches land.
