Category 4 Tropical Cyclone Giovanna is bearing down on Madagascar with winds in excess of 140 mph. According to EarthSky.com, this is earth’s most dangerous storm of 2012.
Giovanna is expected to impact Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar, Tuesday morning as a Category 1 storm after passing through Madagascar’s heavily populated east coast Monday night. Flooding and wind damage is a major concern. Meteorologists are predicting rainfall between 10 to 20 inches for some areas, making landslides a concern as well. (Click images to see them full sized.)
To view Giovanna visit MyWeather.com/#/radar. Search for Antananarivo, Madagascar and select “Clouds”. You can also view Giovanna’s wind speeds under the “Futurecast” tab.
What was the last major hurricane to hit Madagascar?
Cyclone Gafilo struck Madagascar in March 2004, causing devastating damage. Gafilo was a Category 5 storm with winds in excess of 160 mph. Over 250 people were killed during the storm and 300,000 were left homeless. According to ScienceDaily.com, “The greatest single loss of life came on March 7 when the ferry ‘Le Samson’ sank in heavy seas off Comoros carrying 112 people.”
Tropical Cyclone Gafilo’s holds the record for second strongest tropical cyclone ever recorded in the Southern Hemisphere. The storm’s central pressure was recorded at 895 mb.
