Mayotte hit by floods and mudslides from second storm

Mayotte, a French located in the Indian Ocean, has been affected by strong rainfall, resulting in flooding and landslides, just a month after Cyclone Chido heavily damaged the islands and caused numerous deaths.

The archipelago entered a state of maximum alert on Sunday morning as a new storm made its approach. Authorities issued warnings regarding violent winds, flash flooding, and landslides.

Videos posted on social media capture scenes of downed power lines and flooding. Local television reports confirm that the southern village of Mbouini, the only community which had managed to avoid the impact of Cyclone Chido, has been inundated with water.

The most recent storm, Dikeledi, made landfall in the northern coast of Madagascar on Saturday, resulting in at least three deaths.

The storm passed approximately 62 miles south of Mayotte around 9:00 GMT on Sunday, according to the French weather forecaster Météo-France.

"Heavy downpours are starting to fall," said François-Xavier Bieuville, the prefect of Mayotte, to the French news channel BFMTV.

It added that they were causing the first floods and relatively significant mudslides across the territory.

The prefect stated that it is likely the island will remain on high alert until Monday evening, as heavy rain is anticipated to persist even after the storm has passed.

At least 14,500 people have sought refuge in emergency shelters established to safeguard them from the storm, according to BFMTV.

As of Sunday afternoon, the storm was moving away from Mayotte, according to Météo-France. The system is forecast to gradually strengthen over the next 24 hours to tropical cyclone status as it approaches the coast of Mozambique.

The current forecast suggests that Mozambique is unlikely to be hit by the storm, however, the Nampula region is expected to endure "very degraded conditions", according to the forecaster.

Mozambique is also recovering from Cyclone Chido, which claimed the lives of 120 individuals in the country.

In the French overseas department of Mayotte, which has limited economic resources, numerous residents reside in makeshift settlements.

It is estimated that the archipelago has around 320,000 residents, although approximately 100,000 to 200,000 undocumented migrants are believed to be living there as well.

On 14 December, Cyclone Chido became the most destructive storm to affect Mayotte in 90 years, bringing winds of up to 260 km/h (160 mph) and destroying several areas of makeshift homes featuring metal roofs.

Initial reports indicated that a significant number of people had lost their lives, but subsequent updates indicated that the actual toll is 39 fatalities.