Why the Indian Ocean is spawning deadly tropical cyclones

Current estimates indicate that more than 1,000 people died. This makes it the deadliest tropical cyclone ever to have made landfall on the southern African subcontinent.

More recently, 2022 has also experienced intense tropical cyclones. On March 11, Cyclone Gombe, a Category 3 storm, made landfall on the Mozambique coastline.

A month earlier, Tropical Cyclone Batsirai intensified to a Category 4 storm on February 2, weakening to a Category 3 storm before making a landfall on the south African nation on February 5.

Until Idai, tropical cyclone Eline, which struck in 2000, was the most devastating tropical cyclone to make landfall in Mozambique.

After Idai, Eline was the strongest— though not the deadliest— cyclone to have hit the southern east African coast.

This ranking as the strongest was soon after challenged by tropical cyclone Kenneth, a category 4 tropical cyclone that made landfall over the border of Mozambique and Tanzania six weeks after Idai.

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