Cyclone Chido: What we know about strongest storm to hit the French island in over 90 years
Close to a thousand people may have been killed as Cyclone Chido hit the French island of Mayotte on Saturday, according to the island’s top official.
It was the strongest storm in more than 90 years to hit the islands, said the forecaster Meteo-France.
The nearby islands of Comoros and Madagascar were also affected.
Map of Mayotte and Comoros
Mayotte, located about 500 miles off Africa’s east coast, has a population of just over 300,000 people spread over two main islands
Mayotte became an official French colony in June 1843 and is France’s poorest region.
The islands have struggled with drought, underinvestment, and gang violence for decades and now face a crisis following Cyclone Chido.
Damage caused by Cyclone Chido in Mayotte. Pic: AP
“Many homes, schools and health facilities have been partially or completely destroyed and we are working closely with [the] government to ensure continuity of essential basic services,” said United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
“While we are doing everything we can, additional support is urgently needed.”
France‘s interior ministry said 1,600 police and gendarmerie officers have been deployed, alongside rescuers and firefighters from Mayotte and the nearby French island of Reunion. Supplies were also being rushed in on military aircraft and ships.
Mayotte Prefect Francois-Xavier Bieuville told local TV station la 1ere: “I think there are some several hundred dead, maybe we’ll get close to a thousand, even thousands… given the violence of this event.”
He said it was currently “extremely difficult” to get an exact number.
Officials had confirmed at least 11 deaths in Mayotte earlier on Sunday but said that was expected to increase.
How do cyclones form?
Cyclones are an important part of Earth’s weather system because they help transfer heat and energy between the poles and the equator.
A damaged house in Mayotte in the Indian Ocean. Pic: AP
They form when hot sea temperatures warm the air above the ocean near the equator and create thundery showers.
If the clouds group together, they can form a vertical cylinder that under certain conditions starts spinning.
The cyclone gathers pace and draws energy from the ocean.
It is only when it hits land that the cyclone starts to slow down and eventually disappear – but its path across land can be devastating.
Read more from Sky News:
How abusers spy on partners with ‘parental control’ apps
Strictly Come Dancing’s first blind winner
Suspected norovirus cases double the five-year average
December to March is cyclone season in the southeastern Indian Ocean, and southern Africa has been pummelled by a series of strong ones in recent years.
Cyclone Idai in 2019 killed more than 1,300 people in Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe while Cyclone Freddy left more than 1,000 dead across several countries last year.
Global warming is predicted to make cyclones much more dangerous, although it will not increase the frequency of them.
The IPCC, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, warned it is “very likely” cyclones will have higher rates of rainfall and reach higher top wind speeds.
They can leave poor countries in southern Africa, which contribute a tiny amount to global warming, having to deal with humanitarian crises – underlining their call for more help from rich nations to deal with the impact of climate change.
A well-known former boss of Australia’s national rugby team has denied dozens of sex charges against 10 males.
Alan Jones – who was also a radio presenter for many years – appeared in court for the first time since his arrest last month.
The 83-year-old is accused of 34 charges of aggravated indecent assault, indecent assault, sexual touching without consent and common assault.
Some of the complainants are as young as 17 and police said the alleged offences happened between 2001 and 2019.
Jones wasn’t asked to enter a plea during Wednesday’s hearing in Sydney but afterwards told media he would fight the claims at trial.
“I am certainly not guilty and I’ll be presenting my account to a jury,” Jones said.
“These allegations are all either baseless or they distort the truth. I have never indecently assaulted these people. I am emphatic that I’ll be defending every charge,” he added.
Police charged Jones with 24 offences related to eight males on 18 November, prompting two more complainants to come forward.
His lawyer, Bryan Wrench, told the judge his client welcomed a jury trial so he could clear his name.
“There have been many… untruths published by the media and the police in this matter,” Mr Wrench said.
Jones was charged on 18 November. Pic: Reuters
Jones coached the Wallabies – Australia‘s rugby union side – for four years from 1984, winning 86 of his 102 matches.
He went on to host a popular morning radio show in Sydney from 2002 until 2020 and was highly influential in the media.
Jones was also known for his conservative politics and once worked as a speechwriter for Michael Fraser, who was prime minister for eight years until 1983.
Read more from Sky News:
Luigi Mangione charged with murder as an act of terrorism
General’s killing will ring alarm bells in Kremlin – analysis
He’s been free on bail since his arrest last month.
An administrative hearing in the case is now scheduled for 11 March.
World
Israel denies reports Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is heading to Cairo for Gaza ceasefire talks
-
Sports2 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports9 months agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports1 year agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports2 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports3 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment2 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Environment2 years agoGame-changing Lectric XPedition launched as affordable electric cargo bike
-
Business2 years agoBank of England’s extraordinary response to government policy is almost unthinkable | Ed Conway