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70+ Percent of the reported cases are highly virulent pneumonic plague: Health officials
The deadly disease outbreak has hit Madagascar’s two biggest cities, Antananarivo and Toamasina, and it’s spreading at an “alarming rate,” health officials said
“Normally, people who catch the plague live in poor areas, but people in every place in society are catching the disease,” Madagascar’s director of health promotion said.
More than 1,150 cases have been confirmed since August, with a fatality rate of about 10%.
About 70 per cent of the reported cases are pneumonic plague, a more virulent form of the disease that spreads through the inhalation of respiratory droplets/small particles produced by an infected person.
“Plague can be a very severe disease in people, with a case-fatality ratio of 30% to 60% for the bubonic type, and is always fatal for the pneumonic kind when left untreated,” said WHO.
Outbreak of Marburg virus disease (MVD)
An outbreak of Marburg virus disease (MVD) that has appeared in eastern Uganda on the border with Kenya, according to WHO.
“At least one person is confirmed to have died of MVD and several hundred people may have been exposed to the virus at health facilities and at traditional burial ceremonies in Kween District, a mountainous area 300 kilometres northeast of Kampala.”
Severe drought killing scores of people in southern Madagascar
Drought is killing up to ten people per day in one southern Madagascar municipality alone.
“The death varies from two to ten per day due to drought in our area,” Bernard Tolia, mayor of Anjapaly, told China’s Xinhua news.
“A dozen mayors from south including me alerted the government on Monday to look more closely the situation in our area,” he said.
“It has been almost a year that there was no rain. People have to travel 15 kilometers, often by feet, to find drinking water; livestock is suffering and die while cultivation is impossible due to drought.”
Adverse weather conditions are also affecting crop production elsewhere in southern Africa including southern Angola, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Malawi and South Africa, according to various relief agencies.
The negative impact of extreme weather events is threatening food security for an estimated 27.5 million people across the region, especially in Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe.
Meanwhile, Botswana is experiencing “the worst drought conditions in 30 years with agricultural land badly hit by the lack of irrigation,” AFP reported the government as saying.
South Africa’s 2015 maize production decreased by a third compared with 2014 harvest, due to poor rains, GIEWS reported.
In Malawi, “2,833,212 people will not be able to meet their annual food requirement. In view of this I would like to appeal to all the development partners, other countries, and non-governmental organizations both in Malawi and elsewhere to complement government sources in assisting the food-insecure households,” said the president.
An estimated 1.5 million Zimbabweans (16% of rural households) will be unable to meet their food needs during the 2015/2016 hunger season, some 462,000 in the second quarter of the consumption year and 1,490,024 during the peak hunger season (from January-March, 2016). “This represents a rise of 160% compared to those facing food insecurity during the 2014/2015 hunger season,” according to UNOCHA, and UNRC.
Hunger Emergencies
The World Food Program (WFP) says it’s currently facing six emergencies simultaneously in Syria, Iraq, Yemen, South Sudan, Nepal and Ebola affected regions in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
Iraq
The humanitarian situation in Iraq is deteriorating amid rising violence, with more than 3.2 million people fleeing their homes since January 2014, UNOCHA reports.
Humanitarian Disaster Stats
No. of people in need 8.6m
No. of internally displaced people 3.2m
No. of people who live outside camps 2.9m
No. of affected people in host communities 3.2m
No. of Syrian refugees 0.25m
Exceptional drought destroys crops destroyed in southern Madagascar
Between 200,000 to 350,000 Malagasy suffer from hunger, reported AFP citing government figures.
The food has become scarce, and local officials have reported multiple cases of children dying from starvation, said the report.
The situation is currently being described as “famine,” as in 1991, when hundreds of people died of hunger in the region. “At the time, people left their villages to reach the water points and died on the way,” said an AFP reporter.
Head of the Health center for one of the drought-stricken areas told the reporter that at least 16 children had died in two villages in December 2014.
“These children showed no signs of illness, they just lost weight progressively until death,” he said.
Meantime, flooding and landslides in the capital, Antananarivo, have killed dozens of people, leaving more than 63,000 others homeless, so far this year.
About half of the entire Syrian population have been displaced, according to UNOCHA.
About 12.2m people are in need of humanitarian assistance.
Some 7.6 million people are internally displaced by the ongoing violence.
More than 3.2 million people have fled the country.
Ukraine Conflict
More than 4,700 people have been killed and over 10,300 wounded in Ukraine since the unrest began, according to U.N. figures.
At least 5.2 million people are living in conflict zones including 1.4 million who are in very vulnerable conditions due to the bitter cold winter, lack of essential services and money problems, said the U.N.
More than 610,000 people have been uprooted in Ukraine and about 600,000 have been forced to leave the country as refugees, says UNOCHA.
Southern Africa: Floods and Cyclones Update
Malawi
At least 638,000 people have been affected by ongoing floods, which has left 121,000 others displaced, 50 people killed and 153 still missing.
Mozambique
“In Zambézia Province alone a total of 117,685 people (23,893 households) have been affected by floods, which has destroyed 4,963 houses, 378 classrooms, 6 health centers and 51 bridges. The death toll due to flooding, lightning and collapsed houses has increased to 64. Around 50,481 people (11,662 households) are being hosted in 49 accommodation centres,” said UNOCHA.
Madagascar
Continued rains in Madagascar are exacerbating the impact of Tropical Storm CHEDZA, with more flooding reported north of the country.
The number of people affected has increased to 117,181 (provisional), with 35 people dead, said the National Bureau for Risk and Disaster Management (BNGRC).
CHEDZA made landfall in Madagascar as a tropical storm, but weakened into a tropical depression as it crossed the island.
“While Chedza was not as powerful as initially feared, it is still too early to know its impact, especially considering the weeks of heavy rains that have already fallen over Madagascar and the forecast for more heavy rains over the coming days. Preliminary information indicates that 24,968 people have been affected and 4,500 people displaced, including 22,512 people affected and 3,150 displaced in the capital Antananarivo, said UNOCHA.
CHEDZA has damaged dozens of schools, health centers and other public infrastructure across Madagascar.
Deadly Plague Outbreak Kills Dozens in Madagascar: WHO
“There is now a risk of a rapid spread of the disease due to the city’s high population density and the weakness of the healthcare system. The situation is further complicated by the high level of resistance to deltamethrin (an insecticide used to control fleas) that has been observed in the country,” said the World Health Organization (WHO).
Plague – Madagascar
On 4 November 2014, WHO was notified by the Ministry of Health of Madagascar of an outbreak of plague. The first case, a male from Soamahatamana village in the district of Tsiroanomandidy, was identified on 31 August. The patient died on 3 September.
As of 16 November, a total of 119 cases of plague have been confirmed, including 40 deaths. Only 2% of reported cases are of the pneumonic form.
Some 16 districts in seven regions throughout the rat-infested island country have so far reported cases of plague infection. “Antananarivo, the capital and largest city in Madagascar, has also been affected with 2 recorded cases of plague, including 1 death,” said a report by WHO.
Background
Plague is a bacterial disease caused by Yersinia pestis, which primarily affects wild rodents. It is spread from one rodent to another by fleas. Humans bitten by an infected flea usually develop a bubonic form of plague, which produces the characteristic plague bubo (a swelling of the lymph node). If the bacteria reach the lungs, the patient develops pneumonia (pneumonic plague), which is then transmissible from person to person through infected droplets spread by coughing. If diagnosed early, bubonic plague can be successfully treated with antibiotics. Pneumonic plague, on the other hand, is one of the most deadly infectious diseases; patients can die 24 hours after infection. The mortality rate depends on how soon treatment is started, but is always very high. [Source: WHO]
EXTREME CLIMATIC EVENTS LARGE TROPICAL CYCLONE
EXTREME RAIN EVENTS
SEVERE COASTAL FLOODING .
Major Tropical Cyclone HELLEN (21S) Striking Populated NW Madagascar
Latest Position
Tropical cyclone HELLEN (21S) was located near 15.6ºS, 45.7ºE , about 445km NNW of Antananarivo, Madagascar, at 05:30UTC on March 31, 2014, tracking southeastward at 9 km/h, according to JTWC.
The powerful typhoon was packing maximum wind speeds of more than 230 km/h, with max. wind gusts of 280 km/hr, but had begun weakening over the past few hours.
HELLEN was generating significant waves of about 12-meters high. Storm surges could inundate low-lying, populated coastal areas.
“There is an epidemic in Madagascar which is currently affecting five districts [out of 112.] Eighty-six people have been inflicted by the plague, of which 39 have died,” the health ministry was reported as saying.
Pneumonic plague is a severe type of lung infection caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, and is more virulent and rarer than bubonic plague.
Although the deadly disease claimed its first victim sometime in October, the authorities didn’t declare the plague outbreak until November 23, said reports.
In 2012, plague killed more than 60 people in Madagascar, the highest toll globally.
What’s Plague?
Plague is an infectious disease caused by bacteria called Yersinia pestis. The bacteria are found mainly in rodents, particularly rats, and in the fleas that feed on them. Other animals and humans usually contract the bacteria from rodent or flea bites, the US National Institute of Health (NIH) said. The bacteria can also spread from person to person through the air by coughing. When transmission occurs through the air, Y. pestis infects the lungs. [See below for the disease forms.]
Historically, plague destroyed entire civilizations. In the 1300s, the “Black Death,” as it was called, killed approximately one-third (20 to 30 million) of Europe’s population. In the mid-1800s, it killed 12 million people in China. Today, thanks to better living conditions, antibiotics, and improved sanitation, current World Health Organization statistics show there were only 2,118 cases in 2003 worldwide.
About 20 people in the United States are diagnosed with bubonic plague each year caused by flea or rodent bites—mostly from infected prairie dogs—in countryside in the southwestern United States, according to NIH. “About 1 in 7 of those infected die from the disease. There has not been a case of person-to-person infection in the United States since 1924.”
There have also been small plague outbreaks in Asia, Africa, and South America.
What’s Pneumonic Plague?
Image: Yersinia pestis. Fluorescence antibody positivity is seen as bright, intense green staining around the bacterial cell. [Source: CDC]
Facts about Pneumonic Plague [Information Sourced from CDC]
Image: Wayson stain of Yersinia pestis. Wayson stain of Yersinia pestis. Note the characteristic “safety pin” appearance of the bacteria. [Source: CDC]
Plague is an infectious disease that affects animals and humans. It is caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis. This bacterium is found in rodents and their fleas and occurs in many areas of the world, including the United States.
Y. pestis is easily destroyed by sunlight and drying. Even so, when released into air, the bacterium will survive for up to one hour, although this could vary depending on conditions.
This patient presented with symptoms of plague that included gangrene of the right hand causing necrosis of the fingers. In this case, the presence of systemically disseminated plague bacteria Y. pestis, i.e. septicemia, predisposed this patient to abnormal coagulation within the blood vessels of his fingers. Photo: CDC 1975. Caption: CDC/ CDC/Dr. Jack Poland
Pneumonic plague is one of several forms of plague. Depending on circumstances, these forms may occur separately or in combination:
Pneumonic plague occurs when Y. pestis infects the lungs. This type of plague can spread from person to person through the air. Transmission can take place if someone breathes in aerosolized bacteria, which could happen in a bioterrorist attack. Pneumonic plague is also spread by breathing in Y. pestis suspended in respiratory droplets from a person (or animal) with pneumonic plague. Becoming infected in this way usually requires direct and close contact with the ill person or animal. Pneumonic plague may also occur if a person with bubonic or septicemic plague is untreated and the bacteria spread to the lungs.
Bubonic plague is the most common form of plague. This occurs when an infected flea bites a person or when materials contaminated with Y. pestis enter through a break in a person’s skin. Patients develop swollen, tender lymph glands (called buboes) and fever, headache, chills, and weakness. Bubonic plague does not spread from person to person.
Septicemic plague occurs when plague bacteria multiply in the blood. It can be a complication of pneumonic or bubonic plague or it can occur by itself. When it occurs alone, it is caused in the same ways as bubonic plague; however, buboes do not develop. Patients have fever, chills, prostration, abdominal pain, shock, and bleeding into skin and other organs. Septicemic plague does not spread from person to person.
Symptoms and Treatment
This patient presented with symptoms of plague that included gangrene of the right foot causing necrosis of the toes. In this case, the presence of systemically disseminated plague bacteria Y. pestis, i.e. septicemia, predisposed this patient to abnormal coagulation within the blood vessels of his toes. Photo CDC. Caption: CDC/William Archibald
With pneumonic plague, the first signs of illness are fever, headache, weakness, and rapidly developing pneumonia with shortness of breath, chest pain, cough, and sometimes bloody or watery sputum. The pneumonia progresses for 2 to 4 days and may cause respiratory failure and shock. Without early treatment, patients may die.
Early treatment of pneumonic plague is essential. To reduce the chance of death, antibiotics must be given within 24 hours of first symptoms. Streptomycin, gentamicin, the tetracyclines, and chloramphenicol are all effective against pneumonic plague.
Antibiotic treatment for 7 days will protect people who have had direct, close contact with infected patients. Wearing a close-fitting surgical mask also protects against infection.
A plague vaccine is not currently available for use in the United States.
Plague Information: Infection Control
During the 1975 Rhodesian, (now Zimbabwe), Marburg epidemiologic investigation, health officials came across this African farmer with an inguinal bubo. Photo: CDC 1975. Caption: CDC/ Dr. J. Lyle Conrad
The epidemiologists uncovered an outbreak of plague amongst the local farmers, and treated these patients with oral antibiotics. Sanitarians were quickly dispatched to spray huts for fleas, and then trap rats carrying the pathogenic agent, Yersinia pestis bacterium.
Community-Based Mass Prophylaxis: A Planning Guide for Public Health Preparedness
Planning guide to help state, county, & local officials meet federal requirements to prepare for public health emergencies. Outlines five components of mass prophylaxis response to epidemic outbreaks. Addresses dispensing operations using a comprehensive operational structure for Dispensing/Vaccination Centers (DVCs) based on the National Incident Management System (NIMS). (Developed by Weill Medical College of Cornell University for the Agency of Healthcare Research & Quality [AHRQ].)
This patient acquired a plague infection through abrasions on his upper right leg. Bubonic plague is transmitted through the bite of an infected flea, or as in this case, exposure to inoculated material through a break in the skin. Symptoms include swollen, tender lymph glands known as buboes. Photo: CDC 1975. Caption: CDC/ CDC/Dr. Jack Poland
This photograph depicts the shaved anterior thoracoabdominal region of a rock squirrel, Spermophilus variegatus, formerly known as Citellus variegatus, which is afflicted with the plague. This squirrel is displaying a petechial rash, which is similar in appearance to those found on humans also afflicted with Yersinia pestis. A petechial rash refers to small, pinpoint, flat lesions of the skin and mucous membranes that are associated with hemorrhages beneath the skin surface. Photo: CDC 1977. Caption: CDC/ William Archibald; Laboratory/ Ft. Collins
Locust plague threatens livelihoods of 60% of Madagascar population
Locust infestations is threatening the livelihoods of 13 million Malagasy, about 60 percent of the population, nine million of whom entirely depend on Agriculture.
The locust could wipe out food crops and livestock grazing lands and destroy the peasant families’ ability to provide for themselves, said the FAO.
“The heart of the locust plague is in the country’s southwestern region – an area prone to drought and cyclones, where more than 80 percent of the people live below the poverty line. In February 2013, Cyclone Haruna flooded rice fields in the region’s coastal areas – rice production is central to Madagascar’s economy – causing significant damage while also creating ideal breeding conditions for locusts. ”
More than 1.5 million hectares, some two-thirds of the country, could be infested by locusts by September 2013, said FAO.
A locust plague can last more than a decade, if left untreated, progressively intensifying each season. Tens of billion of locusts devastate food crops, as well as grazing lands, which are vital for keeping livestock healthy and productive.
Adult Migratory Locusts can multiply quickly, forming highly mobile groups and swarms. Depending on its size, a swarm – made up of millions of locusts – can eat up to 100 000 tonnes of green vegetation per day. A locust plague – which is what Madagascar is now facing – means thousands of swarms. That translates to billions of locusts. —FAO
Image of the Day: Hundreds of billions of plant-devouring insects hit Madagascar island.
The worst locust plague to hit Madagascar in 6 decades
A severe plague of locusts has infested about half of Madagascar, threatening crops and raising concerns about food shortages, according to FAO, a UN agency. FAO image viaBBC.
“Nearly 60% of the island’s more than 22m people could be threatened by a significant worsening of hunger in a country that already had extremely high rates of food insecurity and malnutrition,” said FAO.
“The last one was in the 1950s and it had a duration of 17 years so if nothing is done it can last for five to 10 years, depending on the conditions.” FAO locust control expert told BBC Focus on Africa.
“Currently, about half the country is infested by hoppers and flying swarms – each swarm made up of billions of plant-devouring insects,” the FAO said.
“FAO estimates that about two-thirds of the island country will be affected by the locust plague by September 2013 if no action is taken.”
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DISASTER CALENDAR – March 28, 2013— SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,080 Days Left
Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.
SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,080 Days Left to ‘Worst Day’ in the brief Human History
Torrential Rains, flooding and landslides affect 5 million people in South America
Extreme rain events in the Andean region along the Pacific coast side of South America have affected about 5 million people, leaving at least 10 dead, and thousands of others displaced.
Chile
Extreme rain events in the Andean region of Chile have triggered landslides near San Jose de Maipo causing fresh water shortages in the capital, Santiago, affecting more than 4 million people.
The landslides contaminated two major rivers that supply the city’s water plants.
In January, another contamination of the river Maipo left about 4 million people in the Chilean capital without water.
Peru
The government has declared a state of emergency following severe flooding in the southern city of Arequipa, where tens of thousands of people were left without electricity and drinking water.
Extreme weather dumped the equivalent of three months of rain in about seven hours, Peru’s meteorological service reported.
“It’s a record of records. There are no records of an event of this magnitude,” the Andina news agency quoted an official as saying.
Up to a 100,000 people have been affected by extreme weather.
Bolivia
Torrential rains and flooding throughout most of Bolivia have destroyed homes, crops and infrastructure, affecting about 20,000 people.
Other Events
Flooding in Madagascar
“In Madagascar, Tropical Cyclone Felleng caused the deaths of 9 people, affected 4,958 people, and displaced 1,303 people, all of whom have since returned to their homes. Furthermore, an estimated 162 houses were totally destroyed, 54 partially destroyed, and 670 houses flooded.” UN OCHA reported.
Flooding in Malawi
In southern Malawi more than 33,000 people have been displaced due to flooding, which has left many without shelter or clothing. “Crops have been destroyed, while over 20 schools have been disrupted, affecting thousands of children.” UN OCHA reported.
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DISASTER CALENDAR SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,126 Days Left
[February 10, 2013] Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.
SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,126 Days Left to the most Fateful Day in Human History
Symbolic countdown to the ‘worst day’ in human history began on May 15, 2011 …
Cyclone BINGIZA Strengthens to a Cat 3A Storm with Sustained Winds of About 190km/hr
Cyclone BINGIZA – IR Satellite image (NHC Enhancement). Source: CIMSS. Click image to enlarge.
At 09:00UTC Tropical Cyclone BINGIZA (TC13S) was located about 700km ENE of ANTANANARIVO, MADAGASCAR. The cyclone is moving westward at an average speed of about 10km/hr.
TC BINGIZA – IR Satellite image. Source: CIMSS. Click image to enlarge.
At 09:00UTC on February 12, TROPICAL CYCLONE BINGIZA (TC 13S) was located approx 815km (Position near 15.7ºS 53.6ºE) ENE of Antananarivo, Madagascar moving slowly southward in a weak steering environment, JTWC said.
BINGIZA is forecast to strengthen to a category 1 storm with sustained winds of near 150km/hr before making landfall.
The seemingly innocuous tropical cyclone drenched Madagascar’s eastern coastline killing 14 people, destroying 500 homes and leaving 32,000 people affected, the government said on Friday.
The National Office for Risk and Catastrophe Management (BNGRC) said Hubert had also flooded thousands of other properties.
Hubert’s visible image captured by NASA’s AIRS instrument as the storm was making a landfall, showing half of the storm is over land, and half is still over the Southern Indian Ocean on March 11, 2010. Source: NASA/JPL
Home to more than 5 percent of the world’s animal and plant species, Madagascar is the world’s fourth largest island. Madagascar is rich in oil, uranium, nickel and cobalt deposits. The country has a population of 21 million with a per capita GDP of $486 ($1.28 dollars per day). About 80 percent of the population live on less than a dollar per day.
The island is located in the southwestern Indian Ocean on a cyclone path and experiences storm landfalls almost every year.
Chile Quake Aftershocks
Rancagua, Chile. Two powerful aftershocks measuring 7.2M and 7.3M struck central Chile causing significant damage in the city of Rancagua according to various reports. As of posting there were no report of fatalities, however there were reports of extensive damage to roads throughout the region where the shocks occurred.
The aftershocks prompted the closure of several ports.
“All packinghouses stopped working yesterday as employees returned home. Also, because of the tsunami alert, ports were closed for around 24 hours.” Juan Pablo Vicuna, president of Santiago-based Dole Chile S.A. reportedly told the media on March 12.
“The originally expected shipments for this week [week of March 8] will be down around 45%,” Vicuna said.
“The Port of Valparaiso, through which most Chilean fruit exports pass, reopened March 12 and was running at about 60% capacity,” an industry spokesperson said, according to a report.
There were several reports of extensive road damage, power outages and employee fears reducing capacity at several other ports by 40 to 60 percent.
Tropical Cyclone Hubert (TC 18S). Visible/ IR Satellite Image. Source: UW-CIMSS. Click image to enlarge.
Infrared image from NASA’s Atmospheric Infrared Sounder, AIRS instrument on NASA’s Aqua satellite shows the high cold clouds (blue), which are starting to band, or wrap around the cyclone’s center of circulation. (March 8 at 10:23UTC). Credit: NASA JPL
Summary of Details
Current Position: 20.3S 50.1E
Location: 340 km (~ 185 NM) ESE of Antananarivo, Madagascar
Tropical Storm GELANE weakened rapidly and is now expected to dissipate as a significant storm up to 36 hours sooner than previously forecast (within the next 48 hours).
Location: TC GELANE was located about ~ 625 km EAST (97 degrees) of Saint-Denis, Réunion, and about 435 km EAST (110 degrees) of Port Louis, Mauritius.
Tropical Cyclone GELANE, having reached sustained wind speeds of about 235 km/hr, is now a Cat. 4A Hurricane force on the FEWW New Hurricane Scale with sustained winds of about 218 km/he (117.5 kt) and wind gusts of up to 260 km/hr (140 kt).
The Cyclone could track west moving toward Madagascar with the islands of Mauritius and Réunion still in crosshairs.
Location: TC GELANE was located about ~ 685km (~ 370 NM) NORTHEAST (246.3 degrees) of Saint-Denis, Réunion, and about 455 km EAST-NORTHEAST (245.5 degrees) of Port Louis, Mauritius.
The MODIS instrument on NASA’s Aqua satellite caught an impressive visible image of Gelane on February 19 at 09:45 UTC (4:45 a.m. ET) that clearly showed the eye of this Category 4 cyclone. Credit: NASA MODIS Rapid Response Team. Click Image to Enlarge!
The AIRS instrument on NASA’s Aqua satellite captured Gelane on Feb. 19 at 4:41 a.m. ET (09:41UTC). Even Gelane’s eye is visible in this infrared image, and it’s surrounded by very high, powerful thunderstorms with cloud tops as cold as -63F. Credit: NASA/JPL, Ed Olsen. Click Image to Enlarge!
As of about 06:00UTC on February 19, Cyclone GELANE has intensified to a Cat. 4A Hurricane force on the FEWW New Hurricane Scale with sustained winds of about 222 km/he (119.8 kt) and gusts of 260 km/hr (140 kt).
Cyclone GELANE has developed a perfectly round 20-km eye. Visible Images. Source: UW-CIMSS. Click images to enlarge.
Cyclone Gelane – 2010-02-19 00:00 — 2010-02-19 09:45 Morphed Integrated Microwave Imagery at CIMSS, with Infrared (MIMIC-IR) – Version 1
With sustained winds of about 190 km/hr (gusts of up to 235 km/hr), Cyclone GELANE (TC 16S) is now a Category 3A Hurricane on FEWW New Hurricane Scale. Fire-Earth believes the cyclone would reach Category 4A strength, possibly stronger, as forecast yesterday.
The system is expected to continue intensifying during the next 36 hours. The coral reef island of Rodrigues should expect heavy rain as the cyclone moves closer.
Cyclone GELANE. Water Vapor satellite images. Source: UW-CIMSS. Click images to enlarge.
Tropical Cyclone GELANE (TC 16S) Details
Date/Time: 19 February 2010 – 01:00 UTC
Position: Near 16.3ºS, 62.5ºE
Sustained Movement: 180 degrees
Forward speed: 9 km/hr ( 5 kt)
The system has been tracking SOUTH over the past 6 hours.
With sustained winds of about 170 km/hr, Cyclone GELANE (TC 16S) is now a Category 2B Hurricane on FEWW New Hurricane Scale. Fire-Earth forecasts the cyclone to reach Category 4A strength, possibly stronger, within the next 36 hours.
Cyclone GELANE. IR satellite images (NHC Enhancement). 4km resolution. Source: UW-CIMSS. Click images to enlarge.
Tropical Cyclone GELANE (TC 16S) Details
Date/Time: 18 February 2010 – 00:01 UTC
Position: Near 14.3ºS, 61.6ºE
Sustained Movement: 150 degrees
Forward speed: 11 km/hr ( 6 kt)
The Cyclone has been tracking SOUTH-SOUTHWEST over the past 6 hours.
At 0600 UTC on February 05 , Tropical Cyclone Gael was located near 18.4S 57.0E approximately 185 NM north-northeast of Mascarene Islands. TC Gael was moving westward at 14 mph with maximum sustained winds of 63 mph and gusts up to 81 mph. IMAGE D6140: METEOSAT <> Image Type=combined <> 2/05/2009 6:00 UTC. Source: The NOAA Operational Significant Event Imagery Support Team (NOSEIST)
Earth Observatory: Image acquired January 19, 2008
Cyclone Fanele
Earth Observatory: Image acquired January 19, 2008
Madagascar was struck by by two tropical cyclones, Eric and Fanele, this week. Cyclone Eric struck the northeast coast on January 19, killing at least one person and leaving about a thousand others homeless. Cyclone Fanele made landfall on the southwest coast two days later with winds of of up to 210 kilometers per hour and torrential rains. More from Earth Observatory …
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Fire Earth 
