Mayotte placed on orange alert as cyclone Dikeledi approaches

Already devastated by Cyclone Chido, Mayotte was placed on orange cyclone alert on Saturday January 11 in anticipation of the passage of Dikeledi off the south of this archipelago in the Indian Ocean, announced the prefecture of Mayotte. The orange level immediately implies “stopping barge traffic” (local ferries), said the prefecture, which is sounding the alarm about“a significant deterioration in weather conditions” from Saturday evening.

At 3:34 a.m. local time (1:34 a.m. in Paris) on Saturday, Dikeledi was 800 kilometers east of Mayotte, according to Météo-France. “We must seriously prepare for the possibility of the cyclone passing as closely as possible and the red alert being triggered”warned the prefecture of this overseas department of 320,000 inhabitants.

In its latest bulletin, Météo-France forecasts “a significant rainy and windy deterioration” at the time of Dikeledi’s passage near the archipelago, and announced “very heavy rain which could cause flooding”. However, forecasters anticipate a weakening of Dikeledi during the night from Saturday to Sunday “at the stage of a severe tropical storm, before [qu’il ne] CIRCUS[e] off the south of Mayotte during the day on Sunday ».

“Extreme vigilance”

The entry into force of this orange alert comes less than a month after the passage of Cyclone Chido, the most devastating to hit the small archipelago in the Indian Ocean in ninety years. Chido caused colossal damage in the poorest department in France. The passage of this intense tropical cyclone left at least 39 dead and more than 5,600 injured, causing the destruction of many precarious and permanent homes in 101^e department of France.

“Given the fragility of the territory following the passage of Chido, the prefect therefore calls for the extreme vigilance of the entire population”warned the prefecture on -France Press.

Cyclones usually develop in the Indian Ocean from November to March. This year, surface waters are near 30°C in the area, providing significant energy for storms. This global warming phenomenon was also observed this fall in the North Atlantic and the Pacific.