Hurricane Freddy sets record as longest-lasting in history

Hurricane Freddy sets record as longest-lasting in history (Shutterstock)

ALBAWABA - With a record-breaking 36 days, storm Freddy made landfall on the southeastern coastlines of Africa in 2023 and is now officially acknowledged as the longest storm on record by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

This declaration comes after a comprehensive review conducted in February and March of last year by a global panel of specialists who examined the storm's effects.

The WMO statement claims that storm Freddy is the most resilient storm ever recorded, which represents a major turning point in meteorological history. The storm was the second longest in terms of distance traveled, having gone an incredible 12,000 kilometers. This distance is equivalent to around one-third of the diameter of the Earth.

The longest-lasting storm record was previously held by storm John, which lingered in the Central Pacific for around 30 days in 1994.

Tragic losses were caused by Hurricane Freddy's destructive effects across the area. In Malawi, more than 2,000 people were injured and over 1,200 people either died or were reported missing. With approximately 180 fatalities and 1.3 million impacted individuals, Mozambique took the brunt of the damage. Furthermore, the storm's catastrophic course also impacted almost 200,000 people in Madagascar.

The WMO's statement emphasizes how critical it is to improve resilience and readiness in the face of increasingly severe weather occurrences throughout the world.

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