Tropical Cyclone Dikeledi hits Mozambique after leaving 3 dead in Madagascar
Tropical Cyclone Dikeledi brushed the coast of Mozambique on January 13, 2025, after leaving at least 3 people dead and hundreds of damaged and destroyed homes in Madagascar.
Tropical Cyclone Dikeledi at 13:15 UTC on January 14, 2025. Credit: EUMETSAT/Meteosat-9, RAMMB/CIRA, The Watchers
Tropical Cyclone Dikeledi made landfall in northern Madagascar’s Antsiranana province at around 16:30 UTC on January 11, 2025, with winds of up to 155 km/h (96 mph).
The latest reports mention 3 fatalities, 11 destroyed homes and 370 damaged, as well as 69 schools either damaged or destroyed. Over 5 210 people were affected.
United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA) reports indicate the cyclone damaged critical infrastructure in addition to the fatalities and evacuations. Rainfall bands from the cyclone continue to affect the regions of Mahajanga and Toliara provinces causing localized flooding.
After moving over northern Madagascar, Dikeledi passed SE of Mayote, still recovering from the devastation caused by Tropical Cyclone Chido — the most violent and destructive tropical cyclone to hit Mayotte in 90 years.
After making landfall in Madagascar over the weekend, Tropical Cyclone Dikeledi approaches the coast of Mozambique, bringing heavy rain and strong winds.
— CIRA (@CIRA_CSU) January 13, 2025
Dikeledi is forecast to move south through the Mozambique Channel, strengthening over the next few days. pic.twitter.com/QxG6GzOqhA
Approximately 14 500 people evacuated to 79 emergency shelters across Mayotte as the storm’s effects intensified.
Flights at Dzaoudzi–Pamandzi International Airport (DZA) were canceled on January 13 with gradual resumption planned for January 14 and full operations scheduled for January 15 as airlines address backlogs.
Authorities delayed the reopening of schools in affected areas to at least January 20.
Dikeledi then headed toward Mozambique where it brushed the coast near Nacala, Nampula Province on January 13 with winds up to 160 km/h (98 mph) before moving offshore.
The cyclone caused severe disruptions with rainfall impacting Nampula and Zambezia provinces leading to flooding in several areas.
The Mozambique National Institute of Meteorology (INAM) issued Red cyclone warnings, the highest level of alert, for Nampula Province and parts of Zambezia Province.
Heavy rainfall exceeding 200 mm (8 inches) per 24 hours, accompanied by thunderstorms and strong winds with gusts of up to 160 km/h (99 mph) was forecast for districts such as Mussoril, Mogincual, Liupo, and Angoche in Nampula Province.
References:
1 Madagascar, Mayotte (France), Comoros, Mozambique – Tropical cyclone DIKELEDI, update – ECHO – January 14, 2025
2 Current cyclonic activity/DIKELEDI – METEO FRANCE – January 14, 2025
3 Mozambique: Severe Tropical Storm Dikeledi tracking southwestward across eastern Nampula Province late Jan. 13 /update 6 – CRISIS24 – January 14, 2025
4 Call for Limpopo residents to remain vigilant amidst Cyclone Dikeledi warning – REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA – January 14, 2025
Rishika holds a Master’s in International Studies from Stella Maris College, Chennai, India, where she earned a gold medal, and an MCA from the University of Mysore, Karnataka, India. Previously, she served as a Research Assistant at the National Institute of Advanced Studies, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, India. During her tenure, she contributed as a Junior Writer for Europe Monitor on the Global Politics website and as an Assistant Editor for The World This Week. Her work has also been published in The Hindu newspaper, showing her expertise in global affairs. Rishika is also a recipient of the Women Empowerment Award at the district level in Haryana, India, in 2022.
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