Chido strikes Mayotte as most violent and destructive cyclone in 90 years
Tropical Cyclone Chido made catastrophic landfall over the island of Mayotte on Saturday, December 14, 2024, as a category 4 equivalent cyclone. Reports suggest two fatalities linked to the storm with widespread damage being reported across the island.
Satellite image of Tropical Cyclone Chido making landfall in Mayotte at 07:30 UTC on December 14, 2024. Credit: EUMETSAT/Meteosat, Zoom Earth, The Watchers
Tropical Cyclone Chido made landfall over the French Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte on Saturday, December 14, as a category-4 equivalent cyclone, prompting authorities to issue the highest alert and instructing all individuals, including rescue operatives, to seek shelter.
The island’s capital city was almost completely destroyed.
“Our island is being hit by the most violent and destructive cyclone since 1934. Many of us have lost everything,” Mayotte prefect François-Xavier Bieuville said.
The cyclone brought winds of 180 to 230 km/h (112 to 143 mph), causing significant damage across the island, downing electric poles, ripping roofs off homes, and uprooting trees. The local government instructed the approximately 320 000 residents on the islands to remain confined as the storm moved through the region.
Authorities converted around 70 schools and gyms into shelters, while the road traffic was prohibited, and the airport was closed.
The weather service predicted that conditions would improve from late Saturday.
A cyclone alert was issued for the neighboring Comoros archipelago, where airports were closed. Residents in Madagascar, to the east, reported flooding.
Visuals shared online show several structures destroyed due to the system’s landfall over the island while reports also suggest two fatalities linked to the storm.
Between 09:00 and 11:00 UTC on Saturday, the cyclone displayed a symmetrical eye, indicative of a well-organized and intense system. Very cold cloud tops surrounded the eyewall, suggesting vigorous convection.
By 12:00 UTC, the eye appeared less symmetrical and defined, while the central dense overcast looked more ragged.
The cyclone was in a favorable environment conducive to its maintenance and potential strengthening, with a strong radial outflow observed over the system.
Vertical wind shear, the difference in wind speed and direction with height, ranged from 28 – 37 km/h (17 – 23 mph), a level that supports storm development. Sea surface temperatures of 29 – 30 °C (84 – 86 °F) were warm enough to sustain the system.
Maximum sustained winds were estimated at approximately 222 km/h (138 mph), while the AMSR2 microwave wind speed image showed winds of around 213 km/h (132 mph).
The cyclone is expected to move west-southwestward along the northwestern edge of the Subtropical Ridge (STR), a high-pressure system located to the southeast. Landfall was anticipated along the northern coast of Mozambique, approximately 65 km (40 miles) south of Pemba Bay, in about 18 hours from 15:00 UTC on Saturday.
After landfall, the system is expected to continue inland, moving toward the southern tip of Lake Malawi while rapidly weakening.
The cyclone was expected to maintain its intensity of around 223 km/h (139 mph) during the 12 hours following 15:00 UTC on Saturday, with potential slight intensification as it neared the coast. The intensification was attributed to strong outflow at the top of the system and very warm sea surface temperatures fueling its strength.
Chido was expected to affect nearly 2.7 million people across six countries — Comoros, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Seychelles, and Mozambique. Heavy rainfall is also expected in Zimbabwe and Zambia.
References:
1 PROGNOSTIC REASONING FOR TROPICAL CYCLONE 04S (CHIDO) WARNING – JTWC -December 14, 2024
2 Southern Africa: Tropical Cyclone Chido – Flash Update No. 1, As of 13 December 2024 – Reliefweb – December 13, 2024
3 Cyclone batters French Indian Ocean island of Mayotte – KPVI – December 14, 2024
Rishav Kothari is Editor-in-Chief of The Watchers, where he runs the newsroom and covers earthquakes, volcanoes, severe weather and space weather.
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