Cyclone Freddy to ease after battering Malawi, Mozambique

After killing hundreds and displacing thousands as it barreled through Mozambique and Malawi since late last week, Cyclone Freddy is set to move away from land Wednesday which should bring some relief to southern African regions that have been ravaged by its torrential rain and powerful winds.
The cyclone has killed at least 199 people in Malawi’s southern region including Blantyre, the country’s financial hub, according to local authorities. In neighboring Mozambique, officials say at least 20 people have died since the storm made landfall in the port town of Quelimane on Saturday night.
The aid organization has suspended its outreach programs to protect its staff against flash floods and landslides but is supporting cyclone relief efforts at a local hospital.
A regional cyclone monitoring center on the island of Reunion projects that Freddy will move back out to sea by late Wednesday afternoon. It’s unclear whether the cyclone – now set to be the longest ever – will then dissipate or move away from land after that.