The Tropical Storm Enawo has killed at least three people and displaced hundreds of others as it battered the Island nation of Madagascar with hurricane winds and heavy rains on Tuesday according to a report by AFP.
The cyclone hit with winds estimated at 145 mph, making it the most powerful storm to hit the island nation in 13 years, according to Weather Underground meteorologist Jeff Masters.
468 people have been displaced in the northeastern district of Maroantsetra, and a landslip there had killed three people, including two children, injured six and damaged four schools according to Madagascar’s national disaster management agency BNGRC.
The entire north of the island nation, which lies 400km east of mainland Africa, is on “red alert”, Samueline Rahariveloarimiza, the head of the weather service, told AFP.
Up to 700 000 people could be affected by the cyclone, according to the Red Cross, which has deployed 500 volunteers.
Madagascar’s storm season normally runs from November through February and claims dozens of lives every year.
Damaging winds and heavy rainfall will hit the northern part of the island into Wednesday, AccuWeather meteorologist Jason Nicholls said.
Enawo is forecast to rapidly weaken as it drives inland over the mountainous terrain of Madagascar, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center said.
Cyclone #Enawo make landfall Sambava with heavy rain, very strong winds and flooding rain with a intense Cat 4 hurricane. Very dangerous! pic.twitter.com/eu2iDCAjxl
— Joint Cyclone Center (@JointCyclone) March 7, 2017
Footage coming out of Madagascar, this piece by Ejaz Anwar of Cyclone ENAWO in full swing as he strikes https://t.co/5zNeyWDpzV #eustorm pic.twitter.com/zuydaJrst4
— #eustorm (@EUStormMap) March 7, 2017
https://twitter.com/Maroantsetra/status/839360022165483520
We appreciate the courage of the head of educational zone of #Maroantsetra who, right after #Enawo checked to see the damage at schools pic.twitter.com/a6VKrKONO1
— UNICEF Madagascar (@UNICEFMada) March 8, 2017
Tropical Cyclone #Enawo landfall over Madgascar, while another area of convection organizes to the east pic.twitter.com/hjLEYWEMkI
— NWS OPC (@NWSOPC) March 7, 2017
