Cyclone Emnati 'makes UK storm look like fluffy kittens'

Professor Hannah Cloke, a hydrologist at the University of Reading, said:

"Cyclone Emnati is due to make landfall in Madagascar later today. This cyclone is massive, with winds up to 100 miles per hour, and will dump enough water on already wet ground and swollen rivers that damaging floods are inevitable.

"We have just seen one of the biggest storms to hit the UK in decades, which tragically killed three people and caused floods and evacuations. What is happening in Madagascar makes Storm Eunice look like fluffy kittens.

"Cyclone Emmati comes after Madagascar was badly affected by Cyclone Batsirai and Tropical Storm Ana which led to severe flooding and landslides which caused huge damage, destroyed whole towns and led to large evacuations. More than 120 people are thought to have died in the disaster.

"At the University of Reading we are working alongside the UK Government, humanitarian agencies, and the European Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecasts to deliver early warnings of where the impacts will likely be in the coming days. This will help agencies to get help to where it is needed as early as possible, ideally before floods cut off roads and communities."