Meteorologists from AccuWeather have been tracking Tropical Storm Freddy since it formed in the Eastern Indian Ocean in early February.
This week, the storm is expected to hit the island nation of Madagascar. Experts warn that the impact of Freddy could pose a threat to life.
According to AccuWeather, on the evening of February 19 (local time), the storm was located approximately 875 km to the east-northeast of Réunion Island, with strength equivalent to a Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale.
Tropical Storm Freddy (right) is expected to hit Madagascar this week. (Photo: AP).
Meteo France La Réunion, the agency responsible for monitoring storms in this region of the Indian Ocean, has classified Freddy as an “exceptionally strong tropical storm that could produce extremely high winds near the storm’s center.”
According to this agency, Freddy’s estimated wind speed is around 220 km/h, with gusts at times exceeding 315 km/h. The storm is moving west-southwest at an average speed of 26 km/h. In a forecast issued last weekend, the United Nations weather observation center indicated that Freddy could make landfall as a Category 5 hurricane.
The island nations of Mauritius and Réunion are on high alert as Freddy is expected to cause flooding early this week.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in Madagascar stated that they are mobilizing forces to respond to the storm. The Madagascar Meteorological Department has urged residents in the Analanjirofo and Sava regions to take precautionary measures. Notably, Madagascar is one of the poorest countries in the world, with housing systems that are not resilient against storms.
Coastal African nations, including Mozambique, South Africa, Malawi, Zambia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe, are also on high alert for the potential for heavy rain and thunderstorms caused by Freddy this week.
The unusual path of Storm Freddy. (Photo: AccuWeather).
The storm’s path is considered unusual as it has not been recorded in the past 23 years. Only two other storms have followed a similar trajectory from the Eastern Indian Ocean towards Madagascar: Hudah and Leone in 2000.
Two weeks ago, Madagascar was devastated by Tropical Storm Cheneso, which resulted in at least 30 fatalities.
If Freddy strikes Madagascar and causes significant damage to life and property, it will be the second disaster the world faces this year, following the earthquake in Turkey and Syria on February 6 that left over 46,000 people dead.
