Cyclone Freddy seen by geostationary satellites

Cyclone Freddy, which formed at the beginning of February off the coast of Australia, is the longest cyclone ever recorded: after crossing the Indian Ocean from east to west over 8000 km, the cyclone hit the east coast of Madagascar. It then followed a “looping” trajectory considered exceptional by meteorologists: it first reached Mozambique, returned to hit the west coast of Madagascar after crossing the Mozambique Channel again before turning back towards Mozambique and then Malawi. The cyclone broke records for longevity and power, according to the World Meteorological Organization. To date, the cyclone has killed more than 463 people in Southern Africa, including 360 in Malawi, and has caused considerable damage where torrential rains have led to flooding and landslides.

An animation produced by our ICARE/AERIS data and services centre using geostationary satellite imagery shows the exceptional trajectory of the cyclone over 35 days. It shows the famous “loop” trajectory of the cyclone.