Weather tracker: Cyclone Jude causes chaos in Mozambique

More than 200mm of rain fell in 24 hours, destroying 900 homes and leaving 40,000 people without power

Cyclone Jude was the third cyclone to hit Mozambique this season. First spotted as a depression last Friday to the south-west of the island of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, it intensified over the next few days to a moderate tropical storm, affecting northern Madagascar on Saturday and killing at least one person.

Jude strengthened into a tropical cyclone as it tracked westwards over the Mozambique Channel, where sea surface temperatures of close to 30C provided the heat and moisture necessary to fuel the cyclone.

It hit Mozambique early on Monday morning, with sustained wind gusts of 75mph (120km/h) and gusts of up to 120mph, equivalent to a category 1 hurricane. More than 200mm of rain fell over the coastal districts of Memba, Monapo, Mossuril, Mozambique Island and Nacala in 24 hours, leading to significant flooding. Flights were grounded and 40,000 people were left without power. So far six fatalities have been linked to Jude and 900 homes have been destroyed.

Although Jude has weakened, the system is forecast to curve back over the Mozambique Channel, heading eastwards towards southern Madagascar later this week. Some models are suggesting Jude could regain its tropical cyclone status by the time it reaches Madagascar’s shores on Friday night, bringing a further wave of destruction.

Cover photo:  Fort San Sebastian on Mozambique Island. More than 200mm of rail fell there in 24 hours. Photograph: Dmitry Malov/Alamy