PORT LOUIS/ANTANARIVO, Feb. 20 (Portal) – Mauritius suspended flights and closed its stock market as Tropical Cyclone Freddy approached the Indian Ocean island on Monday, while emergency teams prepared for heavy rains, flooding and landslides in four regions of Madagascar.
The cyclone, with wind gusts up to 120 km/h (75 miles per hour), posed a direct threat to Mauritius, the weather service said.
“As Freddy approaches… (a) the storm surge is likely to cause coastal flooding in risk areas. It is therefore “strongly recommended” not to go to sea, the service’s bulletin said.
The cyclone could pass as much as 120 km (75 miles) north-northwest of the island by late afternoon, the service said.
Video verified by Portal showed high winds and waves hit a seaside hotel in Mauritius as water poured into the hotel’s lobby while guests and staff looked on.
Authorities on the island of Madagascar – some 1,130 km west of Mauritius towards the African coast – said they expected a direct hit between Mahanoro in the east and Manakara in the south-east late Tuesday.
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“Torrential rains … very high to huge lakes … and a significant risk of coastal flooding are to be feared, especially in the areas around the impact site,” said the Madagascar weather service.
The government’s disaster relief bureau was sending tents, ropes, chainsaws and other supplies to four counties most likely to be hit by the storm, officials added.
The Indian Ocean islands and Mozambique off the African coast have been hit by a series of deadly storms and cyclones, forcing thousands to flee, destroying buildings and ruining crops.
Tropical storm Cheneso killed 33 people in Madagascar in January.
Reporting from Villas Anganan in Port Louis and Lovasoa Rabary in Antananarivo; Writing by George Oblutsa; Edited by Bhargav Acharya, Andrew Heavens and Bernadette Baum
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