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The death toll from Cyclone Freddy's second coming to Madagascar climbed to eight on Tuesday, as the storm strengthened while moving towards Mozambique, authorities said.
The UN's World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) said that Freddy, which began life off northwestern Australia in the first week in February, was set to become the longest-lasting tropical cyclone on record.
Madagascar's government announced that more than 40 000 people have been affected and over 14 000 displaced since the storm returned to batter the island nation having followed an unusual path.
Meteorologists have described the cyclone's route as a "rare" loop trajectory - a phenomena last recorded in 1998.
In total at least 15 people have died in Madagascar since Freddy struck the first time in late February, bringing strong winds and torrential rains.
One person remains missing and more than 1 000 homes have been destroyed, the government said Tuesday.
On Tuesday afternoon, the cyclone was located in the Mozambique Channel about 250 kilometres northwest of the coastal city of Toliara, with wind gusts of up to 180 km/ph.
