The Indian Ocean islands of Comoros, Madagascar and Mayotte are facing Cyclone Chido

MORONI, Comoros (AP) – The Indian Ocean islands of Comoros, Madagascar and Mayotte were bracing for Cyclone Chido on Friday as the powerful storm moved off the east coast of Africa.

Comoros, a small archipelago, ordered schools closed as authorities expected Chido to hit the islands on Saturday. Before that, the storm was supposed to pass over the northern tip of Madagascar. The French territory of Mayotte, south of Comoros, is also on the way and the French weather service has put Mayotte on alert since Friday night, its highest alert level.

Mozambique on the African continent has also issued a red alert in the northern provinces of Cabo Delgado and Nampula, saying that more than 2 million people could be affected if Chido crosses the continent, which is expected early Sunday. The Mozambique National Meteorological Institute said it was forecasting winds of 200 kph (124 mph).

“We believe that we can start working with an estimate of about 2.5 million people in the provinces of Cabo Delgado and Nampula who may have been affected and will need to be rescued,” said Ana Cristina, director of the National Emergency Operations Center. he was quoted as saying by the local media.

Even isolated Zimbabwe is waiting to be touched by Chido, officials said.

In Madagascar, alerts were sent to cellphones and broadcast on radio since Thursday warning people to take precautions, and some people were evacuated from the area north of Diana, where the cyclone's impact is expected to be worst. Authorities issued an imminent danger warning to residents in the area and said that up to 20,000 people could be affected.

Madagascar authorities have been delivering food and emergency supplies such as water pumps, generators and chainsaws to the region since Tuesday.

The French government is sending about 110 people to Mayotte to help with the eventual damage, including emergency workers from the mainland and firefighters from nearby Reunion, as well as three tons of emergency equipment, according to a statement from the Interior Ministry in Paris.

Help includes search dogs and experts who rescue people from the rubble, the head of the fire and rescue unit in Mayotte, Col. Frédéric Leguillier told a local broadcaster.

December to March is considered the cyclone season in this region and has been hit by a series of powerful ones from the Indian Ocean in recent years. Cyclone Idai in 2019 killed more than 1,300 people in Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe. Hurricane Freddy left more than 1,000 people dead in many countries last year.

Research says these typhoons are getting worse because of climate change.

Crisis24, a risk management company, said Cyclone Chido could cause devastating floods and landslides, while stagnant pools of water could cause deadly outbreaks of waterborne cholera – as happened after Idai – as well as dengue fever and malaria.

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