The Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte is currently grappling with the aftermath of Cyclone Chido, marking the most powerful storm to strike this French region in nearly nine decades.
As of now, the cyclone has claimed the lives of at least 22 individuals since its landfall on Saturday, as destructive winds obliterated entire neighborhoods, disrupted vital infrastructure, and toppled numerous trees.
While cyclones are not unusual for the southeastern coast of Africa, climate scientists have pointed out that, in recent years, storms in this area have become increasingly severe and frequent, a phenomenon attributed to the impacts of climate change caused by human activities.

The cyclone season for southeastern Africa typically occurs between December and March, a period when ocean waters in the region are at their warmest.
Warm water serves as a crucial component that fuels tropical storms, leading to an uptick in cyclone occurrences during this peak temperature time.
Over the years, the region has endured a series of devastating storms, including Cyclone Freddy in 2023, Batsirai in 2022, and Idai in 2019, all of which inflicted significant damage across parts of Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Madagascar during the summer months.
It’s important to note that while cyclones are essentially the same as hurricanes, they are referred to as cyclones in the Indian Ocean and Australia.

Human-induced climate change, primarily due to the combustion of fossil fuels, has led to a rise in global temperatures: the atmosphere is currently 1.3 degrees Celsius (2.3 degrees Fahrenheit) warmer than it was before industrialization.
This increase in temperature is significant, as warm water, defined as at least 27 degrees Celsius (80 degrees Fahrenheit) by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, is essential for cyclone formation.
Consequently, as global temperatures rise, sea surface temperatures are hitting unprecedented levels, leading to storms that are more intense, featuring stronger winds, heavier rainfall, and more severe storm surges.
In a study conducted in 2022, a group of climate scientists established that the cyclones that struck southeast Africa that year were exacerbated by climate change, although the lack of weather data in the region prevented them from quantifying the extent of the impact.

Regarding storm intensity, cyclones are measured by their central pressure—the lower the pressure, the more powerful the storm.
A storm is considered a “bomb” if its central pressure drops rapidly, indicating a swift increase in intensity.
According to NOAA, a bomb cyclone, defined by bombogenesis, occurs when the atmospheric pressure falls by at least 24 millibars within a 24-hour timeframe, typically resulting in fierce winds and significant rainfall that can cause coastal flooding.
Despite being tagged as a bomb cyclone due to its rapid intensification, Cyclone Chido does not qualify due to differing formation processes characteristic of tropical systems, which mainly rely on warm ocean waters and atmospheric instability rather than the contrasts between cold and warm air masses typical of bomb cyclones.

Unfortunately, many regions in Africa suffer from a scarcity of early warning systems for severe weather events.
According to the World Meteorological Organization, the continent has only 37 radar stations dedicated to weather tracking, in stark contrast to Europe’s 347 and North America’s 291.
This lack of infrastructure leaves countries vulnerable to extreme weather events ill-prepared for impending storms, often resulting in delayed evacuations.
The death tolls from recent severe cyclones have often reached alarming figures; for instance, Cyclone Idai in 2019 resulted in over 1,000 fatalities.
In response to this pressing issue, the U.N. initiated a project in 2022 aimed at ensuring global access to early weather-warning systems within five years.
Celeste Saulo, the secretary-general of the WMO, has emphasized improving access to weather forecasts as a crucial priority for the agency, categorizing climate change adaptation as a “vital necessity.”