NOS News•
A severe tropical storm on the African island of Madagascar has caused significant casualties, inconvenience and damage for a week now. At least 24 people have been killed, according to the National Disaster Relief Center. 21 people are still missing.
The storm, Chinesso, made landfall a week ago and then caused major problems in the north. The storm has continued and has now caused a lot of rain in the southwest of the country. There are floods in many places.
Authorities said more than 73,000 people were affected by the torrential rains and subsequent floods. Thousands of homes were damaged and offices and schools were also damaged. Roads towards the capital, Antananarivo, have become impassable due to water.
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Bad weather is expected to continue in western and southeastern Madagascar in the coming days. The United Nations Weather Service expects the tropical storm to gain strength as well. Cheneso may be upgraded to a typhoon.
The UK Met Service believes more rain will fall in the coming days. Tornadoes are common in South Africa from December to March. Scientists say climate change will make them more frequent and intense.