Tropical Cyclone Chido struck Mayotte on December 14, with winds over 200 km/h and over 225 km/h gusts. It caused extensive damage, over 176 mm of rain in 12 hours, and significant casualties despite advance warnings. President Macron declared a national mourning and relief operations began. Chido then impacted Mozambique before weakening. The cyclone’s unusual path raises questions about climate change’s role in its intensity and trajectory, while forecasts predict more active cyclone seasons ahead.
On December 14, Tropical Cyclone Chido struck Mayotte, delivering destructive winds exceeding 200 km/h and gusts surpassing 225 km/h. Recorded as the most powerful storm to impact Mayotte in 90 years by Météo-France, the cyclone also brought torrential rainfall of 176 mm within a 12-hour timeframe and dangerous sea conditions with waves measuring over 5 meters. The storm’s extreme force even damaged Météo-France’s observational structures.
In response to the catastrophe, French President Emmanuel Macron announced a national day of mourning and a major emergency relief operation was launched as early reports suggested significant casualties on the island. The region, characterized by informal housing, is not accustomed to such severe cyclonic activity, leading to a heavy toll despite timely warnings issued more than 50 hours in advance. Météo-France issued an amber alert on December 13, escalating to a red alert the same evening, and finally a violet alert on the morning of December 14.
Chido’s path was notably atypical as it bypassed Madagascar, which could have mitigated its strength, directly impacting Mayotte instead. After affecting Mayotte, Chido continued its trajectory, making landfall in Mozambique on December 15 before gradually weakening. The cyclone also imparted significant rainfall in both Mozambique and Malawi.
Météo-France acknowledged the uncertainties surrounding climate change’s influence on the cyclone’s intensity and trajectory. “The impacts of Chido are above all due to its track and the direct hit on Mayotte. This is an extremely rare event not seen for 90 years,” stated Météo-France. The Regional Specialized Meteorological Centre in La Réunion had earlier forecasted an early onset to the 2024-2025 cyclone season, predicting 9 to 13 systems, with 4 to 7 possibly reaching tropical cyclone stages.
Tropical cyclones are severe weather events that can cause extensive damage to both infrastructure and human life. Mayotte is an island in the Indian Ocean that is not typically subject to strong cyclones, making the arrival of Chido particularly alarming. With only a handful of significant storms hitting the island in the past 90 years, the effects of Cyclone Chido were magnified by the region’s lack of preparedness for such disasters. The role of climate change in these extreme weather events remains a topic of ongoing research and debate, with no definitive conclusions yet drawn in relation to Cyclone Chido.
In conclusion, Tropical Cyclone Chido’s unprecedented impact on Mayotte has resulted in national mourning and significant humanitarian efforts to address the aftermath. Despite timely warnings from Météo-France, the cyclone caused considerable loss of life and damage, underscoring the vulnerability of the island to extreme weather events. The unpredictability of such storms raises questions regarding the potential influences of climate change, while forecasts indicate a continuation of active cyclone seasons in the near future.
Original Source: wmo.int
