Tropical cyclone Freddy, which has been sweeping the Indian Ocean for several days and killed seven people during its passage through Madagascar, has weakened considerably and is due to make landfall in Mozambique on Friday February 24 as a moderate tropical storm. The winds accompanying it blow on average at 65 km / h with gusts at 90 km / h, the Malagasy government said in a press release on Thursday, giving the latest human toll of its passage on the island. The cyclone itself is moving at 19 km/h.
In Madagascar, it caused significant damage. Among the seven dead were four who drowned, with three others killed “following the collapse of a house”, the disaster management office said. No one is missing. According to the latest report, more than 78,000 Malagasy people have been affected by the floods, many of whom have had to leave their homes.
Cyclone Freddy made landfall on Tuesday evening, with winds of around 130 km/h and torrential rains. About ten storms or cyclones cross the southwest Indian Ocean each year during the hurricane season which extends from November to April.