- Cyclone Kenneth has been one of the strongest hurricanes to ever make landfall on mainland Africa.
- The frequency of Category 5 tropical cyclones, the strongest category of storms, has increased on the South Indian Ocean since 1989.
Cyclone Kenneth has been one of the strongest hurricanes to ever make landfall on mainland Africa according to meteorologist Eric Holthaus. Storms in the region appear to be growing stronger as a result of climate change.
Hurricane Kenneth struck the northern Mozambique coast just six weeks after another very powerful storm, Cyclone Idai, carved a trail of destruction through Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe, killing more than 1000 people and causing more than US 2 billion worth of damage.
Kenneth struck a more sparsely populated region and there was forewarning of the storm. As a result damage has been reduced.
According to Jennifer Fitchett of the University of Witswatersrand, Category 5 tropical cyclones, the strongest category of storms, have only recently emerged in the South Indian Ocean. Since 1989, their frequency of occurrence has increased. This increase poses a heightened risk of storm damage for the South Indian Ocean Island States and the countries of the southern African subcontinent as a result of the strong winds, heavy rainfall and storm surges associated with these storms, and the large radial extent at category 5 strength. Read more
Author: GBA News Desk
