Tropical Cyclone Freddy has been a devastating force, causing destruction and loss of life as it traveled more than 5,000 miles across the Indian Ocean and made landfall three times in Africa.
With an estimated death toll of more than 270, the storm has been a catastrophic event for Mozambique, Madagascar, and other nearby African countries.
Now, Tropical Cyclone Freddy is in the process of achieving a new record, one that could make it the longest-lived tropical cyclone of all time.
According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the storm currently stands to outrank Hurricane/Typhoon John, the current record-holder, by three days. At its peak, Freddy’s wind speed was equivalent to that of a Category 5 hurricane, attesting to its power and intensity.
In addition to its record-breaking potential, Freddy also ranks second in all-time Accumulated Cyclone Energy (ACE), with a total estimated ACE of 200. This figure is second only to Super Typhoon Haiyan, which had an ACE of 230 in 2013.
To compare the energy released by this one storm an entire Atlantic hurricane season won’t usually achieve these levels.
As of now, the WMO is in the process of evaluating the storm and will likely find out soon if Freddy will be the longest-lived tropical cyclone in history.