Tropical Cyclone Freddy kills more than 270 making it one of Africa’s deadliest storms
The amount of energy Freddy released is equal to the amount released in an average full hurricane season in the North Atlantic, according to the WMO.
Freddy preliminarily becomes longest living tropical cyclone on record
Freddy's history is incredibly unique. It first formed February 6 off the coast of Indonesia before exploding into a category 4 equivalent storm on the 12th. It peaked at Category 5 hurricane-equivalent intensity during the weekend of Feb. 18-19. During this time, Freddy has tracked across the entire Indian Ocean from East to West, a distance of over 5,000 miles. Freddy has preliminarily become the longest living tropical cyclone on record.
Tropical Cyclone Freddy has battered the southeast African coast, possibly setting the record for the longest-lived tropical cyclone in history.
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Freddy developed off the coast of southern Indonesia on Feb. 6 and then traveled across the entire southern Indian Ocean to Africa – a path no other tropical cyclones observed in this part of the world have taken in the past 20 years, according to NOAA. At one point during the long journey across the ocean, Freddy had winds equivalent to a Category 5 hurricane.
(FOX Weather)
In Africa, Freddy made landfall three times. Its first landfall occurred during the late morning hours of Feb. 21 (U.S. time) on the eastern coast of Madagascar. The second landfall occurred on the morning of Feb. 24 (U.S. time) in Mozambique. After moving away from Mozambique, Freddy returned to the country for its third and final landfall Saturday.
FEROCIOUS FREDDY SLAMS INTO MOZAMBIQUE FOR SECOND TIME IN 2 WEEKS
A path of death and destruction
A man stands with an umbrella in front of a storm-damaged home in Chimwankhunda, Malawi, following heavy rains caused by cyclone Freddy. March 14, 2023.
(AMOS GUMULIRA / AFP / Getty Images)
Throughout its lifetime, the cyclone brought torrential rains and caused floods and landslides in Mozambique, Madagascar and other nearby African countries.
Survivors in Mozambique and neighboring Malawi were still being rescued Wednesday, according to Reuters. As of Wednesday afternoon, Reuters reports that the death toll in those two nations plus Madagascar is estimated to be more than 270.
Residents in Chimwankhunda, Malawi try to save their belongings from floods caused by Cyclone Freddy. March 14, 2023.
(AMOS GUMULIRA / AFP / Getty Images)
Freddy traveled at least 5,000 miles after it was classified as a tropical cyclone on Feb. 6. With a lifetime of 34 days, Freddy may have broken the record for the longest-lived tropical cyclone in history, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
The current titleholder is Hurricane/Typhoon John, a tropical cyclone that swept through the Pacific Ocean during the summer of 1994. John lasted for 31 days.
In Chimwankhunda, Malawi, a street covered in mud and debris after flooding caused by Freddy subsided. March 14, 2023.
(AMOS GUMULIRA / AFP / Getty Images)
The WMO said the organization is currently assembling a committee of scientists to determine whether Freddy will indeed outrank John as the longest-lasting tropical cyclone on record.
"One question that we will be addressing is the fact that throughout its long lifetime, the storm has periodically weakened below tropical storm status," said professor Randall Cerveny, WMO Weather and Climate Extremes rapporteur.
"We will obviously need to address if that is a concern in our evaluation," he added.
The power and intensity of Cyclone Freddy
Infrared satellite loop of Cyclone Freddy near the Mozambique coastline on Friday, March 10, 2023.
(FOX Weather)
While the length of Freddy’s lifetime is being considered, the tropical cyclone has been confirmed as ranking second in all-time Accumulated Cyclone Energy (ACE), according to meteorologist Philip Klotzbach, who specializes in hurricane forecasting. ACE is a metric that indicates the amount of energy released by a tropical cyclone during its lifetime, according to NOAA.
The WMO noted that the ACE of Freddy is the equivalent of an average full hurricane season in the North Atlantic Ocean.