Antananarivo – Rescuers in Madagascar on Wednesday began to assess the damage caused by Cyclone Emnati, which overnight lashed the island nation still reeling from the impact of another cyclone earlier this month.
A cyclone has devastated parts of Madagascar.
This is what UNICEF is doing to support children and families who’ve lost their homes, health clinics and schools. pic.twitter.com/n1MTSDL2Tb
— UNICEF (@UNICEF) February 18, 2022
Faly Aritiana Fabien, a senior official at Madagascar’s National Risk Management Office (BNGRC), told AFP no human casualties had been reported but said it was important to “remain cautious” less than 24 hours after Emnati’s arrival.
Houses were submerged in brown water, debris and uprooted trees, an AFP correspondent saw, as the weather conditions prevented rescuers from carrying out thorough searches in the worst-affected areas in the south and southeast
Again, People is the Southeast part of Madagascar are victims of the passage of the intense cyclone #Emnati#CycloneEmnati #CycloneMadagascar pic.twitter.com/Qo0ihhBguu
— Rio Heriniaina (@Rio_Heriniaina) February 24, 2022
Emnati “made landfall around 2300 GMT just north of the southeastern district of Manakara”, Fabien had earlier told AFP.
The storm, which passed just north of the Indian Ocean islands of Mauritius and Reunion, had weakened slightly by the time it reached the eastern coast of Madagascar.
But it was still packing winds of around 100km per hour (62 miles per hour) and gusts of 140 kph, according to Meteo-France.
▪️ Cyclone Emnati: 4th Major Storm to Hit Madagascar in Weeks
▪️Winds of up to 135kph have battered the island in the Indian Ocean, as Cyclone Emnati made landfall early on Wednesday. pic.twitter.com/u2129eAACY
— ?Queen ? (@Stick_To_Jesus2) February 24, 2022
The cyclone is forecast to exit Madagascar Wednesday night, but national weather forecaster Meteo-Madagascar warned of strong gusts, heavy rain and widespread flooding around the southern and southeastern districts.
ALSO READ | UN says ‘race against time’ as new storm nears Madagascar
Meteo-France has warned that another tropical storm may form in the next five days.
#Copernicus for Extreme #Weather monitoring
Yesterday ? #Cyclone #Emnati made landfall over #Madagascar ??
▶️@CopernicusEMS has been activated #EMSR565
⬇️#Sentinel3 ???️image of #CycloneEmnati acquired today 23 February at 06:45 UTC pic.twitter.com/X2V4UUkcJA
— Copernicus EU (@CopernicusEU) February 23, 2022
UN agencies had on Tuesday said they were preparing “for the worst”.
Another storm, Cyclone Batsirai, struck the island on February 5, affecting some 270 000 people and claiming 121 lives.
At the same time, some 21 000 people remain displaced from when Tropical Storm Ana struck in late January.
Another 5 000 were affected last week by Tropical Storm Dumako.
More than 37 000 people have been moved to emergency shelters as a precautionary measure.
One of the poorest countries in the world, Madagascar’s southern region has been ravaged by drought.
The UN says it is the worst in 40 years and blames climate change for the crisis.
Madagascar is prone to numerous storms and cyclones between November and April every year.
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Source: AFP
Picture: Twitter/ @UNOCHA_ROSEA
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