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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The center of Intense Cyclone Batsirai has nearly completed its crossing of Madagascar but the storm/wind field continues to impact the southern half of the island.
The most intense rainfall was concentrated near the Capital City Antisirabe, the 4th largest city moving slowly. Extreme flooding in this area appears likely. And there were two additional extreme rainfall events in the North and the West of the island, fueled by the storm.
We see in this image that the eye of the storm (with its most damaging winds) remained intact for several hours after landfall finally losing its structure in the early hours Sunday Morning.
The lightning display as seen in satellite imagery during this period is extraordinary.
If @AP@AFP@BBC and @Reuters choose to cover this latest, unsigned, media statement issued by @reda_getachew’s close partner in the TPLF information warfare operation addressed to the AU, it should be called what it is.
I.E. a statement issued by the rebel TPLF leadership.
The “Nutty Professor’s” statement (as he is colloquially known) is an expanded version of @reda_getachew’s recent tweets dressed up to look like it comes from an independent source.
This paragraph is particularly absurd. On June 28th the GoE announced a unilateral ceasefire. And on around 15 July the TPLF launched an offensive against Afar, just as they are doing again now.
The TPLF Leadership who are solely responsible for maintaining their attacks on Afar since mid December are enabled and empowered by the silence of UN Agencies @OCHA_Ethiopia@WHO and @WFP_Ethiopia on the truth about why aid is not getting to Tigray.
“The humanitarian crisis situation in Tigray is due to ongoing offensive military action against Afar civilians by TPLF forces which has been blocking the aid corridor since July 202.”
Simulations of the area of tropical moisture that brought torrential rains to the South Island now show a storm system moving south into the Tasman Sea resulting in intense rainfall across Northern NZ through Feb 12th.
Forecasts for this system's exact impact remain highly uncertain but four major global forecasting models are in agreement that some form of extreme weather for NZ will be result.
These are the latest ensemble tropical storm "spaghetti" track graphics for storms north of NZ.
The event is expected to begin within 24 hours these are four different models showing the intense area of atmospheric moisture moving over Northern NZ this morning (Sunday) NZT.
Cyclone Batsirai is weakening and accelerating on its final approach to Madagascar's East Coast. But while lower winds will be helpful - it's primary impact - widespread very heavy rain - is likely to be extreme.
The official forecast has not been updated, the eyewall landfall (diminished by the filling of the eye) is likely to take place a little later than forecast but wind and rain is already building over the island as is obvious in the satellite imagery.
As of 20 minutes ago the center of the cyclone had roughly 100kms to travel to the shoreline. It will a bring a significant tidal surge with it, especially on the southern side and likely cause significant coastal flooding over a large area of the coastline.
Both #Extrremeweather events caused by climate change, and 30+ years of failure to address known extreme damage to the biosphere caused by avoidable harms.
One nation responsible for the peril.
Another defenceless against it's catastrophic harms.
In one nation the harms will be felt mostly in travel delays.
In the other nation many will likely die, and 100s of thousands will have their lives scared and livelihoods threatened, and will likely be dependent on humanitarian aid for months if not years.