Sitting in the Indian Ocean, Madagascar is prone to cyclones
Winds are lashing Madagascar’s coast with Cyclone Freddy making landfall.
At least one person has died, as schools are shut and traffic suspended.
The 27-year-old man drowned before the storm made landfall.
Officials say 7,000 people have been pre-emptively evacuated from the coastal region directly in Freddy’s path.
Earlier, the storm system caused some damage in neighbouring Mauritius, flooding a number of beachside hotels.
Sitting in the Indian Ocean, Madagascar is particularly vulnerable to cyclones.
Thankfully, the cyclone did weaken slightly once it made landfall, with wind gusts of around 130 kilometres an hour.
But the country’s weather service warns torrential rains will continue along its path in the hours ahead.
