As a poster child for the impact of climate change on developing nations this cyclone, is a truly terrifying phenomena. In the next 24 hours it will make landfall at most likely Cat 4 or Cat 5 Hurricane Strength.
The animation above is live and covers the last three hours. This animation shows the last 24 hours.
Madagascar is an impoverished nation of nearly 30 million people the majority of whom live in the path of this Cyclone's wind and forecast extreme rain.
Whilst at Cat 4 strength a day ago what was already Intense Cyclone #Batsirai underwent a eyewall replacement and slowed down, it is now accelerating and strengthening.
This is a cyclone with the destructive potential of the Atlantic hurricanes which have become legends, Andrew or Dorian. Had it been approaching Florida, evacuations would have been ordered for those in its path days ago.
Madagascar is three times the size of Florida with 50% greater population. The area which will be effected by hurricane force winds in Madagascar (see above) is likely the size of all of Florida.
The entire island is - the world's 4th largest at 490k km2 - 50k km2 larger than France - is forecast to receive 50-700mm of rain in the next 10 days, more than half of it looks like it will receive over 200mm of rain. This is forecast to be a truly biblical event,
What looks likely to be the most impacted area in the south East receives most of this rain over a period of less than 30 hours, between 3am tomorrow morning and 9am on Sunday (UTC).
Here's an animation of rain accumulation (latest GFS model) over the next 10 days. While Batsirai itself will pass swiftly it is dragging with it a huge mass of extremely wet air with it which will continue to bring rain to the island for 10 days+.
From what I can see there are no Western News reporting teams in Madagascar for this storm. And among major global news sources, only @CNN has covered it. UN has issued flash alerts about it but it has not had as much UN PR attention as Storm Ana did.
As I say, a poster child....
For a world which is doing next to nothing to address the consequences of climate change on those least able to protect themselves.
For a world which isn't even paying attention to a climate catastrophe that was obviously coming a week ago.
/ENDS
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If @realDonaldTrump chooses to join Netanyahu’s genocidal campaign if he is not obeyed …. he WILL find himself indicted in the international criminal court in The Hague.
And he will then have to make a decision on whether he is willing to remain in the U.S.
@realDonaldTrump Should he proceed as he has intimated that he should now be pursued by protestors everywhere he goes.
There is a lot of concern about evacuations of civilians from Gaza in the flotilla as anyone leaving may not be able to return any time soon. /2
But the moral hazard here is palpable. There are thousands of injured and starving mostly women and children. And we saw the young babies dying in the hospitals in the early stages of this war. /3
More and more naval vessels from Europe and the Middle East are being deployed to protect the Global Samir Flotilla as it moves slowly but surely towards Gaza where it intends to deliver aid and global attention. /1
Attacks from drones on the flotilla have resumed and Israel is presumably responsible for this. It is because of this that naval vessels from Europe are now joining the flotilla to protect their citizens rights of travel in international waters. /2
The escalation appears fairly slow at present and the flotilla is still within Greek waters at present /3
The #Samud #GazaFlotilla is currently sailing across the Ionian Sea towards the island archipelago south east of Athens in the Western Mediterranean. Conditions appear good for this leg that departed from Sicily after leaving Tunisia. The Flotilla set off from Barcelona.
2/ this current leg is 860 kms roughly and lead boats in the 51 vessel flotilla are currently approaching south western Greece. You can follow the flotillas progress here >> flotilla-orpin.vercel.app
3/ After two drone attacks on flotilla boats in Tunisia the flotilla sailed first to Sicily where it was joined by several more boats. And this map shows the path of the flotilla so far. The numbers in the dots indicate more vessels joining #GazaFlotilla