Madagascar’s national risk and catastrophes bureau Wednesday said over 16,000 people have been affected by the storm which packed winds of approximately 130 kilometers per hour.
In response to Cyclone Freddy making landfall on the island nations east coast on Tuesday evening, President Andry Rajoelina’s administration took several steps towards ensuring the safety of locals, among them the suspension of schools and transport.
Meteorological experts predict that the tropical cyclone will likely emerge in the Mozambican channel and strengthen again, before making landfall in Mozambique and potentially Zimbabwe.
“Tropical cyclone #Freddy will land on Madagascar’s east coast at category 3 strength, bringing dangerous seas, winds, coastal surge, and intense rainfall. Freddy will then head towards Mozambique. Stay safe,” tweeted the World Meteorological Organization on Monday.
Tomson Phiri, the spokesperson for the World Food Programme, took to Twitter to announce that Freddy is expected to affect over 3.3 million people across the predicted three nations.
Information in this report was sourced from Reuters and Agence France-Presse
