---
title: "Mauritius halts flights, Madagascar braces for floods as cyclone Freddy nears"
description: "PORT LOUIS/ANTANANARIVO Feb 20 (Reuters) - Mauritius grounded flights and shut its stock exchange as tropical cyclone Freddy approached the island across the Indian Ocean on Monday, while emergency teams braced for heavy rains, floods and landslides in four regions on Madagascar."
type: "NewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "Cyclone Freddy"
author: "Reuters"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/reuters/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2023-02-20-mauritius-halts-flights-madagascar-braces-for-floods-as-cyclone-freddy-nears/"
published: "2023-02-20T14:46:09"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 237
---

# Mauritius halts flights, Madagascar braces for floods as cyclone Freddy nears

> PORT LOUIS/ANTANANARIVO Feb 20 (Reuters) - Mauritius grounded flights and shut its stock exchange as tropical cyclone Freddy approached the island across the Indian Ocean on Monday, while emergency teams braced for heavy rains, floods and landslides in four regions on Madagascar.

By Reuters · Published 20 February 2023, 16:46 SAST

## Key points
- Cyclone Freddy is taking aim at Mauritius, Madagascar and Mozambique, with authorities warning of a "direct threat" to the Indian Ocean islands. The cyclone could pass as close as 120 km (75 miles) to the north-northwest of Mauritius late in the afternoon. Madagascar is expecting a direct hit by Tuesday evening, with torrential rains and high seas expected in areas around the point of impact. Officials have already sent tents, ropes and chainsaws to four districts most likely to be affected. This comes after 33 people were killed in January due to Tropical Storm Cheneso. People are urged to stay safe and heed warnings from local authorities.
- Cyclone Freddy poses a "direct threat" to Mauritius, with gusts of up to 120 km per hour.
- Authorities in Madagascar are expecting a direct hit from the cyclone by Tuesday evening.
- Disaster management office is sending supplies to four districts most likely to be affected.
- In January, tropical storm Cheneso killed 33 people in Madagascar.

## Content

The cyclone, packing gusts of up to 120 km per hour (75 miles per hour), posed a "direct threat" to Mauritius, its weather service said.

"As Freddy approaches ... (a) storm surge is likely to cause coastal inundation in risk areas. It is, therefore, strictly advised not to go at sea," the service's bulletin said.

The cyclone could pass as close as 120 km (75 miles) to the north-northwest of the island late in the afternoon, the service said.

Authorities on the island of Madagascar - about 1,130 km west of Mauritius towards the coast of Africa - said they were expecting a direct hit by Tuesday evening, between Mahanoro in the east and Manakara in south east.

"Torrential rains... very high to enormous seas... and a significant risk of coastal flooding are particularly to be feared in the localities around the point of impact," Madagascar's weather service said.

The government's disaster management office was sending tents, ropes and chainsaws and other supplies to four districts most likely to be affected, officials added.

The Indian Ocean islands and Mozambique on Africa's coast have been hit by a string of deadly storms and cyclones that have forced thousands to flee, destroyed buildings and ruined crops.

In January, tropical storm Cheneso [killed](https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL4N34G2AY&linkedFromStory=true) 33 people in Madagascar.

(Reporting by Villen Anganan in Port Louis and Lovasoa Rabary in Antananarivo; Writing by George Obulutsa; Editing by Bhargav Acharya and Andrew Heavens)