Cyclone Freddy:
World Meteorological Organisation recently announced the constitution of an expert committee to evaluate the intensity and lifespan of Cyclone Freddy, which is on track to set a record as the longest-lasting tropical cyclone on record.
- It originated off the northern coast of Australia and became a named storm on February 6, 2022.
- It crossed the entire South Indian Oceanand traveled more than 8,000 kilometers, affecting Mauritius and La Réunion, before making landfalls in Madagascar two weeks later and then Mozambique.
- Freddy was the first tropical cyclone in the Southern Hemisphere to undergo six separate rounds of rapid intensification.
- It also holds the record for all-time accumulated cyclone energy (ACE) (storm strength during its lifetime) for the Southern Hemisphere.
- Freddy is fuelled by the energy provided by the warm ocean surface, consistently sourcing heat and moisture throughout its lifetime.
