Windstorm formed in early February in Australia and could be longest on record
At least 99 people have died in Malawi as a result of storms and strong winds. The south of the African country was hit by Cyclone Freddy, active since the beginning of February. The local government declared a state of calamity.
Malawian Commissioner for Disaster Management Affairs Charles Kalemba told CNN International that most of the deaths were registered in Blantire, the financial and commercial center of the country.
“We recorded 99 people dead in about 7 municipalities, with the city of Blantire having the highest number of occurrences: there are 85 dead and about 134 people hospitalized in Blantire alone”, said the Malawian authority on Monday night (13.Mar.2023). Also according to Kalemba, the number of dead and wounded could increase.
“We still have a lot of rain. Now we face landslides, flash floods and rocks rolling down some hills. Because of the weather, rescue efforts are not easy. Some of the places we have to go and rescue people are not easy to get to. It’s tough, but we’re making sure we do the work we need to do.”, added Kalemba.
The Malawian government decreed “state of calamity” in the southern region of the country. In a statement released on Monday (13.mar), President Lazarus Chakwera said that “noted with great concern the devastation that Cyclone Freddy is currently causing in most districts in the southern region of Malawi”.
He stated that “the government is already responding to emergencies, providing urgent assistance to all affected districts and calling for local and international support for all families affected by this disaster”. Here’s the full of the press release, in English (65 KB).
In the 10 most affected districts, schools will be closed at least until Wednesday (15.Mar), reported the Ministry of Education of Malawi last weekend.
According to World Meteorological Organization (United Nations Organization), Cyclone Freddy formed in northeastern Australia on February 6, crossed the Indian Ocean and hit Madagascar on the 21st of that month. It arrived in Mozambique 3 days later.
It has already caused havoc in several countries and, due to its long duration, it has been described as a storm “very rare” by the meteorology entity.
“The World Meteorological Organization is establishing an expert committee to assess whether Tropical Cyclone Freddy has broken the record as the longest-lasting tropical cyclone on record. It is a tropical cyclone active for 34 days, crossed the entire southern Indian Ocean and traveled over 8,000 kilometers”, announced in note.
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