Antananarivo-Sana
Tropical cyclone Batsirai swept the island of Madagascar and reached Manangari province, amid warnings of great damage it could cause.
"Batsirai made landfall 14 kilometers north of Manangari and reached the stage of a severe tropical cyclone, with winds of 165 kilometers per hour and a gust of 235 kilometers per hour," the official of the National Office for Risk and Disaster Management Vale Aritiana Fabian told AFP.
Earlier today, the Madagascar Meteorological Service warned of severe and widespread damage.
Cyclone Patsiri comes on the heels of Tropical Storm Anna, which formed a week ago and killed dozens of people in Mozambique, Malawi and Madagascar.