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Very Intense Tropical Cyclone Freddy
Current storm status Very intense tropical cyclone (MFR)
Current storm status Category 4 tropical cyclone (1-min mean)
Satellite image Forecast map
As of:	12:00 UTC, 19 February
Location:	17°18′S 64°06′E / 17.3°S 64.1°E / -17.3; 64.1 (Very Intense Tropical Cyclone Freddy) ± 10 nm About 960 km (600 mi) ENE of Réunion About 2,090 km (1,300 mi) ESE of Mayotte
Sustained winds:	120 knots (220 km/h; 140 mph) (10-min mean) gusting to 170 knots (315 km/h; 195 mph) 130 knots (240 km/h; 150 mph) (1-min mean)
Pressure:	931 hPa (27.49 inHg)
Movement:	WSW at 14 kn (26 km/h; 16 mph)
See more detailed information.

Very Intense Tropical Cyclone Freddy is currently a tropical cyclone threatening Madagascar, Réunion, and Mauritius. It is expected to become one of only three systems to traverse the entirety of the southern Indian Ocean from east to west; the others were cyclones Leon–Eline and Hudah in 2000. The fourth named storm of the 2022–23 Australian region cyclone season, it first developed as a disturbance embedded within the monsoon trough on 5 February, While in the Australian region cyclone basin, the storm quickly intensified and reached Category 4 cyclone intensity on 11 February, before entering the South-West Indian cyclone basin, whereby it intensified even further. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) estimated 1-minute sustained winds of 270 km/h (165 mph) at Freddy's peak strength, equivalent to Category 5 strength on the Saffir–Simpson scale. On 19 February, the Météo-France (MFR) upgraded it to a very intense tropical cyclone status, estimated 10-minute winds of 220 km/h (140 mph).

Meteorological history

During 30 January, the Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) began monitoring a developing weak tropical low embedded within a monsoon trough in Timor Sea. The disturbance was assigned the official identifier code 13U. Environmental conditions were assessed as being marginally conducive for tropical cyclogenesis. By 5 February, the BoM reported that the disturbance had developed approximately 770 km (480 mi) north-northwest of Broome in Western Australia. Later that day, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) issued a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert (TCFA) on the system. By 09:00 UTC, the JTWC initiated advisories on the system and classified it as Tropical Cyclone 11S.

The BoM reported that the tropical low had developed into a Category 1 tropical cyclone on the Australian tropical cyclone intensity scale and named it Freddy. Later that next day, feeder bands were covering its very broad and central dense overcast (CDO), prompting the JTWC to upgrade the system to a Category 1-equivalent cyclone. The BoM's subsequently followed suit and upgraded Freddy into a Category 2 tropical cyclone. Freddy attained Category 3 cyclone. Freddy began showing an eye feature seen in microwave imaging, with Freddy later becoming a Category 2-equivalent cyclone. The cyclone weakened slightly due to CDO and a persistent area of cold cloud tops. Weakening occurred as the JTWC assessed that Freddy's winds bottomed out at 150 km/h (90 mph). Freddy weakened back into a tropical storm, and the BoM's estimated winds of 100 km/h (65 mph) due to its easterly winds, which resulted in moderate wind shear.

Continuing to rapidly intensify, Freddy intensified, reaching a Category 3-equivalent cyclone around 15:00 UTC on 11 February. Freddy had further intensified to a Category 4 severe tropical cyclone due to the presence of a well-defined eye surrounded by deep convection. Freddy reached into a Category 4-equivalent cyclone with a symmetric CDO. According to the JTWC, Freddy gradually became disorganized, with its eye no longer well-defined, Freddy fell to 185 km/h (115 mph) winds. The BoM's also reported that Freddy's weakened into 155 km/h (100 mph) of winds. Due to easterly vertical wind shear, Freddy maintained around a symmetric convective core.

The cyclone's ragged and cloud filled eye appeared on satellite imagery. At 06:00 UTC on 14 February, Freddy crossed 90° E into the South-West Indian Ocean basin, and was immediately classified as a tropical cyclone status by Météo-France (MFR). The MFR upgraded the system to intense tropical cyclone status. Freddy exhibited a highly symmetrical and annular characteristics, Freddy intensified, reaching sustained winds of 220 km/h (140 mph) around 03:00 UTC on 15 February. Later the next day, the JTWC also assessed Freddy as having 1-minute maximum sustained winds of 270 km/h (165 mph), making the storm a Category 5-equivalent tropical cyclone. The cyclone's symmetric ring surrounds deep convection. During 18 February, Freddy was rapidly deteriorating. As a result, the cyclone weakened to 205 km/h (125 mph) as it beginning to reshape around a cloud-filled eye. Later that next day, Freddy was upgraded to a very intense tropical cyclone.

Current storm information

As of 12:00 UTC 19 February, Very Intense Tropical Cyclone Freddy is located within 10 nautical miles of 17°18′S 64°06′E / 17.3°S 64.1°E / -17.3; 64.1 (Freddy) or about 960 km (600 mi) east-northeast of Réunion and about 2,090 km (1,300 mi) east-southeast of Mayotte. Maximum 10-minute sustained winds are at 120 knots (220 km/h; 140 mph), with gusts up to 170 knots (315 km/h; 195 mph) while maximum 1-minute sustained winds are at 130 knots (240 km/h; 150 mph). The minimum central barometric pressure is 931 hPa (27.49 inHg), and the system is moving west-southwest at 14 kn (26 km/h; 16 mph).

For the latest official information, see:

• MFR's Tropical Cyclone Bulletin on Very Intense Tropical Cyclone Freddy (07)
• JTWC'S Tropical Cyclone Warning on Tropical Cyclone 11S (Freddy)

Preparations

Mauritius

A class I cyclone warning was issued in Rodrigues, and later a class II cyclone warning was issued. Fishermen removed their boats from the lagoons before the cyclone approaches. Flights from Rodrigues to Saint-Denis, Réunion were canceled or rescheduled due to inclement weather.

Réunion

A cyclone yellow pre-alert was issued for the island of Réunion by the MFR. In Le Tampon were mobilizing for the system's arrival.

Madagascar

On 18 February, General Directorate of Meteorology issued warnings for the Analanjirofo and Sava Region, advising residents to take precautions as the cyclone was expected to make landfall. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) in Madagascar announced it was preparing for the cyclone. Météo-France noted on 19 February that accumulations for 200 mm (7.9 in) were possible for the southern regions of Madagascar.

Elsewhere

Mozambique, South Africa, Malawi, Zambia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe were placed under high alerts for heavy rain on February 18.

See also

• Tropical cyclones in 2023
• Weather of 2023
• List of South-West Indian Ocean very intense tropical cyclones
• Tropical cyclones in the Mascarene Islands

Other tropical cyclones similar to Freddy:

• Cyclone Litanne (1994) – a long-lived cyclone in the Southern Hemisphere which impacted Madagascar.
• Cyclone Leon–Eline (2000) – the longest-lived cyclone in the Southern Hemisphere which severely impacted Madagascar and Mozambique.
• Cyclone Hudah (2000) – another long-lived cyclone that also affected Madagascar.

Related tropical cyclones:

• Cyclone Fantala (2016) – an intense and long-lived cyclone.
• Cyclone Batsirai (2022) – a powerful tropical cyclone that caused catastrophic damage in Madagascar.
• Cyclone Darian (2022) – a powerful long-lasting tropical cyclone that reached VITC status in the same season.
• Cyclone Cheneso (2023) – a strong tropical cyclone which affected Madagascar a month prior.

References

1. Duff, Renee. "Madagascar on alert for direct strike from long-lived Cyclone Freddy". UPI. Accuweather. Retrieved 18 February 2023.
2. Tropical Cyclone Outlook for the Western Region Issued at 2:00 pm WST on Monday 30 January 2023 for the period until midnight WST Thursday 2 February 2023 (Report). Australian Bureau of Meteorology. January 30, 2023. Archived from the original on February 3, 2023. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
3. Tropical Cyclone Outlook for the Western Region Issued at 2:00 pm WST on Wednesday 1 February 2023 for the period until midnight WST Saturday 4 February 2023 (Report). Australian Bureau of Meteorology. February 1, 2023. Archived from the original on February 3, 2023. Retrieved February 1, 2023.
4. Tropical Cyclone Outlook for the Western Region Issued at 2:00 pm WST on Sunday 5 February 2023 for the period until midnight WST Wednesday 8 February 2023 (Report). Australian Bureau of Meteorology. February 5, 2023. Archived from the original on February 6, 2023. Retrieved February 5, 2023.
5. Tropical Cyclone Forecast Track Map for Tropical Low (13U) (Report). Australian Bureau of Meteorology. February 6, 2023. Archived from the original on February 6, 2023. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
6. Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert (Invest 97S) (Report). United States Joint Typhoon Warning Center. 6 February 2023. Retrieved 6 February 2023. {{cite report}}: |archive-url= requires |archive-date= (help)
7. Tropical Cyclone 11S (Eleven) Warning No. 1 (Report). United States Joint Typhoon Warning Center. 6 February 2023. Retrieved 6 February 2023. {{cite report}}: |archive-url= requires |archive-date= (help)
8. Tropical Cyclone Forecast Track Map 2 for Tropical Cyclone Freddy (Report). Australian Bureau of Meteorology. February 6, 2023. Archived from the original on February 6, 2023. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
9. Tropical Cyclone Technical Bulletin (Western Region) (Report). Australian Bureau of Meteorology. February 6, 2023. Archived from the original on February 6, 2023. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
10. Prognostic Reasoning for Tropical Cyclone 11S (Freddy) Warning No. 4 (Report). United States Joint Typhoon Warning Center. 7 February 2023. Archived from the original on 7 February 2023. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
11. "Tropical Cyclone Forecast Track Map for Tropical Cyclone Freddy". Australian Bureau of Meteorology. February 7, 2023. Archived from the original on February 7, 2023. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
12. "Tropical Cyclone Technical Bulletin (Western Region)". Australian Bureau of Meteorology. February 7, 2023. Archived from the original on February 7, 2023. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
13. Prognostic Reasoning for Tropical Cyclone 11S (Freddy) Warning No. 6 (Report). United States Joint Typhoon Warning Center. 7 February 2023. Archived from the original on 7 February 2023. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
14. Prognostic Reasoning for Tropical Cyclone 11S (Freddy) Warning No. 8 (Report). United States Joint Typhoon Warning Center. 8 February 2023. Archived from the original on 8 February 2023. Retrieved 8 February 2023.
15. Prognostic Reasoning for Tropical Cyclone 13S (Freddy) Warning No. 10 (Report). United States Joint Typhoon Warning Center. 8 February 2023. Archived from the original on 8 February 2023. Retrieved 8 February 2023.
16. "Tropical Cyclone Technical Bulletin (Western Region)". Australian Bureau of Meteorology. February 9, 2023. Archived from the original on February 9, 2023. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
17. Prognostic Reasoning for Tropical Cyclone 13S (Freddy) Warning No. 13 (Report). United States Joint Typhoon Warning Center. 9 February 2023. Archived from the original on 9 February 2023. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
18. Prognostic Reasoning for Tropical Cyclone 11S (Freddy) Warning No. 18 (Report). United States Joint Typhoon Warning Center. 11 February 2023. Archived from the original on 11 February 2023. Retrieved 11 February 2023.
19. "Tropical Cyclone Technical Bulletin (Western Region)". Australian Bureau of Meteorology. February 11, 2023. Archived from the original on February 11, 2023. Retrieved February 11, 2023.
20. Prognostic Reasoning for Tropical Cyclone 11S (Freddy) Warning No. 19 (Report). United States Joint Typhoon Warning Center. 12 February 2023. Archived from the original on 12 February 2023. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
21. Prognostic Reasoning for Tropical Cyclone 11S (Freddy) Warning No. 20 (Report). United States Joint Typhoon Warning Center. 12 February 2023. Archived from the original on 12 February 2023. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
22. "Tropical Cyclone Technical Bulletin (Western Region)". Australian Bureau of Meteorology. February 12, 2023. Archived from the original on February 13, 2023. Retrieved February 13, 2023.
23. Prognostic Reasoning for Tropical Cyclone 11S (Freddy) Warning No. 22 (Report). United States Joint Typhoon Warning Center. 13 February 2023. Archived from the original on 13 February 2023. Retrieved 13 February 2023.
24. Prognostic Reasoning for Tropical Cyclone 11S (Freddy) Warning No. 23 (Report). United States Joint Typhoon Warning Center. 14 February 2023. Archived from the original on 14 February 2023. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
25. Tropical Cyclone 07 (Freddy) Warning Number (1/7/20222023) (PDF) (Report). Météo-France. 14 February 2023. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 February 2023. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
26. "Tropical Cyclone Forecast Track Map for Severe Tropical Cyclone Freddy (13U)". Australian Bureau of Meteorology. February 14, 2023. Archived from the original on February 14, 2023. Retrieved February 14, 2023.
27. Intense Tropical Cyclone 07 (Freddy) Warning Number (2/7/20222023) (PDF) (Report). Météo-France. 14 February 2023. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 February 2023. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
28. Tropical Cyclone 11S (Freddy) Warning No. 25 (Report). United States Joint Typhoon Warning Center. 12 February 2023. Retrieved 12 February 2023. {{cite report}}: |archive-url= requires |archive-date= (help)
29. "JTWC Best Track on Tropical Cyclone Freddy (11S)". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 17 February 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
30. Cappucci, Matthew. "Cyclone Freddy teeters on brink of Category 5 strength in Indian Ocean". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived from the original on 17 February 2023. Retrieved 2023-02-17.
31. Tropical Cyclone 11S (Freddy) Warning No. 29 (Report). United States Joint Typhoon Warning Center. 17 February 2023. Retrieved 17 February 2023. {{cite report}}: |archive-url= requires |archive-date= (help)
32. Tropical Cyclone 11S (Freddy) Warning No. 31 (Report). United States Joint Typhoon Warning Center. 18 February 2023. Retrieved 18 February 2023. {{cite report}}: |archive-url= requires |archive-date= (help)
33. Tropical Cyclone 11S (Freddy) Warning No. 32 (Report). United States Joint Typhoon Warning Center. 18 February 2023. Retrieved 18 February 2023. {{cite report}}: |archive-url= requires |archive-date= (help)
34. Very Intense Tropical Cyclone 07 (Freddy) Warning Number (19/7/20222023) (PDF) (Report). Météo-France. 19 February 2023. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 February 2023. Retrieved 19 February 2023. {{cite report}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 19 February 2023 suggested (help)
35. "Cyclone Warning Bulletin Rodrigues (French Version)". Mauritius Meteorological Services. 18 February 2023. Archived from the original on 18 February 2023. Retrieved 18 February 2023.
36. "Weather | Rodrigues: a Class II cyclone warning is in effect – Mauritius News". Archived from the original on 19 February 2023. Retrieved 2023-02-18.
37. "Cyclone tropical intense : Rodrigues se prépare à affronter Freddy". Le Mauricien (in French). Archived from the original on 19 February 2023. Retrieved 2023-02-18.
38. "Air Mauritius | Cyclone Freddy: flight cancellations and rescheduling – Mauritius News". Archived from the original on 19 February 2023. Retrieved 2023-02-18.
39. "Saison cyclonique : La Réunion entre en pré-alerte jaune cyclonique à partir de 19h". Linfo.re. Archived from the original on 18 February 2023. Retrieved 2023-02-18.
40. "Cyclone Freddy : la municipalité du Tampon se mobilise avant l'arrivée du phénomène". Linfo.re. Archived from the original on 19 February 2023. Retrieved 2023-02-19.
41. ^ "Battered by Cheneso, Madagascar braces for Cyclone Freddy". AP NEWS. 2023-02-17. Archived from the original on 18 February 2023. Retrieved 2023-02-18.
42. Very Intense Tropical Cyclone 07 (Freddy) Warning Number (20/7/20222023) (PDF) (Report). Météo-France. 19 February 2023. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 February 2023. Retrieved 19 February 2023.

External links

• MFR Track Data of Very Intense Tropical Cyclone Freddy (in French)
• JTWC Best Track Data of Tropical Cyclone 11S (Freddy)
• 11S.FREDDY from the United States Naval Research Laboratory
• ReliefWeb's main page for this event.

v t e Tropical cyclones of the 2022–23 Australian region cyclone season
	101U TL02U TLTL TLTL 5Darian 1Ellie TLHale TLIrene TL06F TL10U TLDingani TL12U 4Freddy (history) 3Gabrielle TL15U TLTL TL16U TL17U TLKevin TL20U 5Herman TL22U 5Ilsa
Category

v t e Tropical cyclones of the 2022–23 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season
	MTSAshley MTSBalita TD03 VITCDarian TCCheneso TCDingani VITCFreddy (history) TCEnala MTS09 ITCFabien
Category

• Current events from February 2023
• 2023 meteorology
• 2022–23 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season
• Tropical cyclones in 2023
• Very intense tropical cyclones
• Category 4 Australian region cyclones