Africa NOW! Aftermath of Cyclone Dikeleidi: Mayotte, Madagascar, and Mozambique

Tropical Cyclone Dikeleidi, which began on January 2 as a weak disturbance in the Indian Ocean, unexpectedly strengthened and hit the Savad region in northern Madagascar on Saturday, January 11. The cyclone brought heavy rains and winds with gusts up to 112 mph, resulting in at least three deaths and severe infrastructure damage.

More than 5,000 people were affected, and 350 had to flee their homes. The situation worsened as part of National Road No. 6 was blocked, making access to the affected areas extremely difficult.

The cyclone continued moving west, weakening into a tropical storm. On Sunday, it passed about 62 miles from the French overseas territory of Mayotte, where a red-level warning had been issued the day before, restricting travel except for emergency services.

Despite weakening, the storm brought heavy rainfall that triggered floods and landslides. Several villages, including Mbweni, were flooded, and about a dozen houses were washed away in the southern and central parts of the archipelago.

On Monday, January 13, Dikeleidi crossed the Mozambique Channel and strengthened again into a tropical cyclone. It hit the Nampula province in northern Mozambique the same day, with maximum sustained winds reaching 98 mph. The cyclone caused power outages for more than 156,000 customers due to fallen power poles and broken cables. Heavy rains also led to flooding, particularly in the coastal areas of Nampula and Zambezia provinces.

Forecasts predict the storm will return to the Mozambique Channel, where it may strengthen once again and bring destructive winds and abnormal rainfall to Mozambique and southern Madagascar.

The situation is made worse by the fact that Dikeleidi is the second devastating cyclone to hit the region in just a month. The previous one, Cyclone Chido, devastated Mayotte in December, destroyed northern Mozambique and caused significant damage in several other countries. At least 178 people lost their lives in that storm.

Cyclones typically form in the Indian Ocean from November to March. However, this year, the sea surface temperature in the region is near 86°F, contributing to abnormally intense storms.

Ocean warming is the main cause of the intensification of climate disasters. Therefore, it is extremely important to investigate all the causes of this extreme warming, while simultaneously actively implementing existing technologies that can mitigate the consequences of these catastrophes.

At COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, an innovative approach to addressing the climate crisis was presented, which received strong support from international delegations and scientists. More details on this can be found in the report "How to Clean the Ocean and Stop the Climate Crisis?”
https://allatra.tv/en/video/how-to-clean-ocean-and-stop-climate-crisis-solutions-from-allatra