Cyclone Freddy killed more than 400 people in southern Africa, most of them in Malawi. Freddy has struck twice in recent weeks in the region, killing 73 people in Mozambique, 17 in Madagascar and now 326 in Malawi. The cyclone, which formed in early February off the coast of Australia, is about to become the longest ever recorded and has made an east-west crossing across the Indian Ocean of 8,000 km, an unprecedented event.
On February 21, Freddy touched down the east coast of Madagascar for the first time, killing 7 people. The phenomenon, which raged for over 35 days, then hit Mozambique, killing 10 people. The cyclone turned back and struck Madagascar a second time in early March, killing another 10 people. Then back to Mozambique, where he killed another 63 people. But it was in Malawi, which during the first cyclone had only increased rainfall, where Freddy caused the highest number of victims on his return as well as forcing at least 187,<> people to leave their homes.