Today’s Image of the Day from NASA Earth Observatory features Tropical Cyclone Freddy, which has caused deadly flooding and landslides in Malawi and Mozambique.

According to the World Meteorological Organization, Freddy has likely broken the record for longest-lasting tropical cyclone.

“Freddy’s long journey began off the coast of Australia in early February 2023. After becoming an exceptionally powerful storm and crossing the Indian Ocean,” says NASA.

“Freddy first struck eastern Madagascar on February 21 and southern Mozambique a few days later. After drenching Mozambique’s Inhambane province, the storm looped back into the Mozambique Channel in early March, where it benefited from warm ocean temperatures and favorable wind conditions.”

“It underwent rapid intensification for a record seventh time on March 11 as winds strengthened by at least 55 kilometers (35 miles) per hour in a 24-hour period. Freddy continued moving northwest until making landfall in Mozambique’s Zambezi Province later that day.”

Due to the slow pace of the storm, parts of Malawi and Mozambique received up to 26 inches of rain in two days. 

The image was captured on March 19, 2023 by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite. 

Image Credit: NASA Earth Observatory 

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By Chrissy Sexton, Earth.com Editor

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