Chido strikes Mozambique after catastrophic landfall in Mayotte
Tropical Cyclone Chido made landfall in Mozambique on Sunday, December 15, 2024, after devastating the island of Agalega and leaving at least 14 people dead as it moved directly over Mayotte.
Chido making landfall over Mozambique. Image credit: Eumesat/Meteosat-IODC, Zoom Earth, The Watchers. Acquired at 02:45 UTC on December 15.
- Tropical Cyclone Chido made landfall over Mozambique around 04:00 UTC on Sunday, December 15, with maximum sustained winds of 185 km/h (115 mph) — making it a Category 3 hurricane equivalent.
- Before making landfall in Mozambique, Chido claimed at least 14 lives during its landfall in Mayotte, with 246 people seriously injured and nine suffering life-threatening injuries.
- Chido was the strongest cyclone to hit Mayotte since 1934, surpassing the intensity of Cyclone Kamisy in 1984.
- The cyclone intensified rapidly after forming on December 10, with wind speeds doubling from 111 km/h (69 mph) to 222 km/h (138 mph) within 24 hours, reaching Category 4-equivalent status multiple times before landfall.
Chido made landfall over Mozambique around 04:00 UTC on Sunday, December 15, with maximum sustained winds of 185 km/h (115 mph) — making it a Category 3 hurricane equivalent on the Saffir Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. This also makes it the strongest tropical cyclone to impact Mozambique since Kenneth in 2019.
The cyclone intensified as it crossed the Mozambique Channel overnight on Saturday, making landfall on Sunday morning about 40 km (25 miles) from the coast.
Communication was cut off from the port city of Pemba (population 202 000) after 07:00 local time (LT) on Sunday as the cyclone affected the region with significant intensity, according to Aderito Aramuge, director of the National Institute of Meteorology in Mozambique.
Network and power outages are widespread.
The storm was expected to bring thunderstorms and strong winds, with gusts of up to 260 km/h (160 mph), to Cabo Delgado and Nampula Provinces. More than 250 mm (10 inches) of precipitation was expected in the 24 hours following landfall.
Tropical Cyclone Chido formed in the Southwest Indian Ocean Basin on Tuesday, December 10, as the third named storm of the 2024/25 Southwest Indian Ocean Cyclone season. Rapid intensification began soon after formation, with wind speeds increasing from 111 km/h (69 mph) to 222 km/h (138 mph) within 24 hours by 21:00 UTC on Wednesday, December 11.
The system made landfall over Agaléga North Island on Thursday as a Category 4-equivalent intense tropical cyclone. It was the strongest cyclone to hit the island since Cyclone Andry in 1983. The system devastated the island, forcing citizens to seek shelter at the airport.
Following its landfall over Agaléga, the system re-intensified into a Category 4-equivalent intense tropical cyclone, moving towards Mayotte with winds of up to 210 km/h (130 mph).
Chido brushed past Madagascar prior to its landfall over Mayotte on Saturday. The system caused no material damage to the island as it passed roughly 100 km (62 miles) north of Antsiranana. Both Antsiranana and Vohémar were placed under Red Alert.
Although the system caused no damage in Madagascar, residents in Antsiranana reported experiencing long power outages starting at 08:00 LT on Friday, along with intermittent rainfall.
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.
Chido was the strongest cyclone to strike Mayotte since 1934, even exceeding the intensity of Tropical Cyclone Kamisy in 1984.
“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.
At least 14 people were reported dead on December 15, with reports of several homes and other infrastructure damaged by the storm. Nine people suffered life-threatening injuries, while 246 others were seriously injured.
The cyclone also impacted the Comoros Islands, which had been under a Red Alert since Friday, December 13. Chido brought strong winds and heavy rains to Anjouan, Mwali, and Ngazidja. The system destroyed five homes in Anjouan and also damaged mosques and poultry coops.
Malawi also experienced destructive winds and heavy rains due to the system as well following its landfall over Mozambique.
References:
1 Cyclone Chido Slams Mozambique – TOI – December 15, 2024
2 More than a dozen killed as Cyclone Chido devastates France’s Mayotte – AFP – December 15, 2024
3 CYCLONE – Chido leaves slight damage in the North – L’Express – December 14
4 Southern Africa: Tropical Cyclone Chido – Flash Update No. 2 – Reliefweb – December 14, 2024
I am an Assistant Editor and Severe Weather & Science Journalist at The Watchers, specializing in real-time severe weather coverage, geophysical event reporting, and research-driven scientific analysis. You can reach me at rishav(at)watchers(.)news.
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