Cyclone Freddy Sets New Record as World’s Longest Tropical Storm

  • Freddy first formed off the Australian coast in early February
  • Storm already set Southern Hemisphere record for total energy

Tropical cyclone Freddy off the coast of Madagascar on March 8.

Source: CIRA/RAMMB
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A tropical cyclone churning off the coast of Madagascar and expected to make landfall for a second time in Mozambique on Saturday — packing winds of as much as 190 kilometers (118 miles) per hour — appears to have smashed another record.

Freddy, which was first named on Feb. 6 and has already brought heavy rains and havoc to African nations in its path, appears to have become the longest-lasting tropical cyclone ever. The World Meteorological Organization earlier said it was on track to surpass the milestone.