PLANET BUZZ
‘Freddy’ is now the longest-lasting tropical cyclone on record
World Meteorological Office (WMO) continues to monitor the “remarkable” tropical storm since it first developed a month ago
As the Earth continues to warm up, we are seeing increasing signs of extreme weather events. Natural disasters, such as hurricanes, floods, droughts, wildfires, and heatwaves, can be influenced by global warming and the last decade has shown how the intensity and frequency of such events have grown. More specifically, warmer sea surface temperatures can increase the strength and intensity of hurricanes and typhoons.
One such astonishing cyclone, Freddy, has become the longest-lasting storm of its kind on record — as reported by the WMO. The tropical storm has caused widespread destruction in Madagascar and Mozambique over the past month. It was first detected off the North Australian coast on 6 February and subsequently crossed the entire South Indian Ocean before making landfall in Madagascar on 21 February, followed by Mozambique three days later.
The storm has caused at least 21 fatalities and displaced thousands of people due to heavy rains, flooding, and strong winds. After moving towards the Mozambique Channel, Tropical Cyclone Freddy…
