CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — The French territory of Mayotte issued a red alert on Saturday as Cyclone Dikeledi approached, following the devastation wrought by Cyclone Chido just a month prior. The Prefecture of Mayotte announced the warning at 10 p.m. local time in anticipation of Dikeledi's arrival, which had already made landfall in northern Madagascar earlier that day and was heading west toward Mayotte.
Dikeledi was expected to reach Mayotte early Sunday morning. The French Interior Ministry assured that emergency personnel and law enforcement were fully prepared, emphasizing that “everything is being put in place to protect the population." Although Dikeledi is projected to weaken into a strong tropical storm before reaching Mayotte, it is still expected to produce strong winds and heavy rainfall, as per reports from the French meteorological department, Meteo. The storm is anticipated to pass approximately 75 kilometers (46 miles) to the south of the islands, with wind gusts potentially reaching 110 kph (68 mph).
The situation in Mayotte remains precarious, as the territory has not yet fully recuperated from the effects of Cyclone Chido. This earlier cyclone was recorded as the worst to hit Mayotte in nearly a century, causing widespread destruction and significant loss of life. Reports indicate that at least 39 people were killed and over 2,000 were injured due to Chido, but French Prime Minister François Bayrou warned that the final death toll might reach several hundred during his visit to the islands two weeks ago.
Chido left a significant trail of destruction across Mayotte, a densely populated archipelago of over 320,000 residents, many of whom live in vulnerable conditions, including precarious shantytowns, often the hardest hit by the cyclone. Furthermore, additional casualties were reported in Mozambique and Malawi, where over 100 people perished as Chido continued its path after affecting Mayotte.
While Dikeledi is forecasted to be less severe than Chido, which produced winds exceeding 200 kph (124 mph), authorities are still on alert for excessive rainfall and the risk of mudslides. Francois-Xavier Bieuville, the Mayotte Prefect, cautioned about these threats, underlining the vulnerability of the islands to further climatic disturbances.
The cyclone season in the southwestern Indian Ocean spans from November to April, and this region has been increasingly impacted by a succession of powerful storms in recent years. The worst of these was Cyclone Idai in 2019, which resulted in over 1,500 fatalities across Madagascar, Mozambique, Malawi, and Zimbabwe, affecting more than 3 million individuals.
