After making second landfall, Cyclone Freddy pounds Mozambique

• Cyclone Freddy has caused serious damage in central Mozambique.
• According to estimation that more than 500,000 people are at risk.
• Madagascar’s southwest coast is located on the southwest coast.

After hitting land for the second time in a month on Sunday, Cyclone Freddy tore into central Mozambique, shattering records for the duration and power of tropical storms in the southern hemisphere.

The extent of the damage and the number of casualties were unclear because communications and electricity supplies in the storm area were cut off.

During the cyclone’s passage over southern Mozambique last month, which killed 27 people in both Madagascar and Mozambique, more than 171,000 people were impacted.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs estimates that more than 500,000 people in Mozambique are at risk this time (OCHA).

Freddy made landfall with sustained gusts of almost 150 kilometers per hour (93 miles per hour), according to a statement from UNICEF, which “cut off children and families from crucial services” and caused serious damage.

The storm moved inland after passing the port city of Quelimane and approached the southernmost point of the neighboring country of Malawi, according to satellite data.

Electricity has been restored to most places by mid-afternoon, according to the national power utility Electricidade de Moçambique, with the exception of Milange, Lugela, Maganja da Costa, Namanjavira, and portions of the city of Mocuba.

“During the night, the wind was really fierce… Trees have come down and roofs have been blown off, according to Guy Taylor, UNICEF’s director of advocacy, communications, and partnerships for Mozambique, who spoke to media by satellite phone from Quelimane. As of yet, he was not aware of the number of fatalities or displaced people.

“It’s potentially a disaster of large magnitude, and additional support will be needed,” Taylor said, adding that heavy rains were continuing to fall.

Authorities in Malawi were preparing for the cyclone to pass close to the southern tip of the landlocked nation by tonight, bringing with it severe rains and flooding, according to a statement from the department of meteorological resources and climate change.

On February 6, Freddy formed off the coast of northwest Australia. It then travelled hundreds of miles across the South Indian Ocean into southeast Africa, having an impact on the islands of Mauritius and La Réunion.

On February 21, the storm struck the eastern coast of Madagascar before slamming into Mozambique a few days later.

It brought with it torrential rain, damaging winds, and flooding that left almost 2 million people without power and wrecked thousands of homes.

It then turned back towards the Mozambique Channel, gaining strength from the warm waters, and sailed in the direction of Madagascar’s southwest coast.

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