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Massive Storm in the South Indian Basin

By cmooney on December 19, 2006.

i-b276bbdb2874c97bdc4c1743d62a8b67-Bondo Dec 19.jpg

This post is to introduce you to Cyclone Bondo, which now has 135 knot winds according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center as it approaches Magagascar and Mozambique. The storm is expected to become a Cat 5 with the next advisory. It's nearly as strong as 2004's Cyclone Gafilo was when it made a devastating Cat 5 landfall in northeastern Madagascar, causing catastrophic damage and a humanitarian crisis. Gafilo was a reminder just how much destruction hurricanes can cause in the developing world; let's hope Bondo doesn't prove another one of those.

Meanwhile, the agency officially tracking this storm is a branch of Meteo-France located on La Reunion, but it seems like all their information is in French....

I discussed Gafilo more in my prelude talk last week for the new book--which is now officially finished in rough draft form, although I'm hardly out of the woods yet....

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hurricanes

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Margie has an excellent post on TC Bondo .