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Cyclone Freddy, which has been raging for more than a month, is likely to be the longest-lasting cyclone since weather records began. According to the World Weather Organization (WMO), Cyclone "John" is the previous record holder. It slowly dissipated in 1994 after 31 days. Freddy was already declared a cyclone on February 6th. That's more than 31 days, but before the record is declared, experts should first verify all measurements on "Freddy", said a spokeswoman on Friday in Geneva.
Record-breaking cyclone "Freddy" continues to rage off Southeast Africa© VIA REUTERS / NASA
The cyclone developed off the northwest coast of Australia and swept across the Indian Ocean. According to the WMO definition, a hurricane is a cyclone with a wind speed of 119 kilometers per hour. There are five categories: the heaviest cyclones have wind speeds in excess of 150 miles per hour. It is not about the speed of locomotion, but the rotation speed. Even cyclones of the highest category often travel only a few kilometers per hour. Cyclone, hurricane and typhoon are names for the same weather phenomenon. In the North Atlantic and the Caribbean it is called a hurricane, in the western North Pacific it is called a typhoon, and in the South Pacific and other seas it is called a cyclone.
Meteorologists predicted that "Freddy" would make landfall for the second time in Mozambique, Southeast Africa, by Saturday at the latest. They expect destructive winds, a storm surge and extreme rainfall. It moves particularly slowly near the coast, which increases the consequences for the affected regions. Mozambique, Malawi, southeastern Zambia and northeastern Zimbabwe are likely to be affected.
