The 320,000 inhabitants of the poorest department in France were invited to take shelter “in a solid home” or in one of the 79 emergency accommodation centers.
Published on 12/01/2025 07:20
Updated on 12/01/2025 08:03
Reading time: 1min
Extreme vigilance in Mayotte. The Mayotte archipelago is still placed under red alert, Sunday January 12, as tropical cyclone Dikeledi approaches the French department, less than a month after the devastating passage of cyclone Chido. “Very heavy rain capable of generating flash floods, flooding and landslides is expected in the coming hours and much of the day”warns Météo-France.
The 320,000 inhabitants of the poorest department in France were invited to take shelter “in a solid dwelling” or in one of the 79 emergency accommodation centers (schools, MJC, mosques, etc.) set up in all the municipalities of the archipelago. The population was called upon to stock up on water and food to “hold out the weather of the cyclone”urged the prefecture.
Throughout the duration of the alert, all traffic is prohibited except for emergency services and authorized people. “Gusts of up to 80 to 90 km/h are possible, particularly on the southern part of the island”specifies Météo-France.
After reaching the northeast coast of Madagascar late Saturday afternoon, the cyclone began to weaken and was downgraded to the stage of a strong tropical storm, AFP learned from Météo-France services. But Dikeledi should gradually regain strength when he leaves the land.
After passing through the Mozambique Channel, Dikeledi is expected to pass around 100 km south of Mayotte at the stage of a tropical storm on Sunday before being classified as a tropical cyclone again on Monday during the day.
