Tropical Storm “Freddy” sets a world record

The cyclone lasts for 35 days and has moved from Australia to East Africa.

Sydney / Maputo. When a tropical storm formed over the Timor Sea between western Australia and Indonesia on the morning of February 6, the Australian Meteorological Agency named it “Freddy.” At the time, no one doubted that the hurricane would rewrite weather history: because five weeks later it’s still raging—a record since weather records began.

As of today, Monday, it’s 35 days. So far, it’s identical to Hurricane John, or Hurricane John, which swept through the central and eastern Pacific for 31 days in 1994, and Hurricane San Cierraco in 1899: it also lasted for 31 days, sweeping through the central Atlantic across the Caribbean Sea, U.S. – up east coast and then east until it dissipated over the North Atlantic.

Freddy crossed the Indian Ocean to the west in a fairly straight line, but did not explode. On the contrary: Mozambique was hit by rain, storms and floods over the weekend – for the second time. Because Freddy had already reached Mozambique after crossing Madagascar on February 24, but he returned to Madagascar and from there west again. The impoverished African country has received more than a year’s worth of rain in the past four weeks. At least 28 people died as a result of the storm.

Rare storm road

A rare Freddy route: According to climate researchers Michelle Pillay and Jennifer Fitchett, warming seas have shifted the locations where hurricanes form toward the poles over the past 30 years. According to meteorologists, the energy concentrated at Freddy corresponds to the average for the entire North Atlantic hurricane season. (barking)

(“Die Presse,” print edition, March 13, 2023)