An island nation in the Indian Ocean, Madagascar is officially known as the Republic of Madagascar. It is located about 400 kilometers (250 miles) off the coast of East Africa across the Mozambique Channel.
The government of Madagascar shut down schools and public transportation on Tuesday because tropical storm Freddy was expected to hit the southeast at night.
The storm is anticipated to strike Mananjary district, around 270 kilometers from Antananarivo, with gusts of almost 155 km per hour, Madagascar’s meteorological authorities warned.
On Twitter, the International Federation of Red Cross warned of heavy rainfall and waves over 26 feet near the impact zone.
According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Madagascar has the most cyclones in Africa, 1.5 each year (UNOCHA).
UNOCHA stated Monday that “locally destructive winds and a highly severe sea condition near the impact zone in Madagascar” are predicted.
After passing Madagascar, Freddy might emerge in the Mozambican Channel and intensify again before reaching landfall in Mozambique and perhaps going on to Zimbabwe, affecting more than 3.3 million people, UNOCHA stated, citing a World Food Programme assessment.
The national television claimed that 500 people were forced into shelters and 500 households lost power as the storm passed 120 km northwest of Mauritius on Monday afternoon.
Mauritius’ airport operator said late Sunday flights resumed on Tuesday morning.
