Today's Discussion
Bondo Very Close to Northern Madagascar
Posted: 24-DEC-2006 04:46am EST
By AccuWeather.com Meteorologist Robert Hergenrother
Tropical Cyclone Bondo is centered, as of early Sunday morning, EST, just to the west of Antsiranana, Madagascar. Bondo is moving to the south-southwest at 5 mph as sustained winds are averaging between 80-110 mph. The storm has strengthened much more rapidly as expected and should continue to move south-southwesterly along the northwest coast of Madagascar over the next couple of days. With the storm being so close to the coast, Bondo will gradually weaken. The projected course for Bondo brings the storm near Mahajanga, Madagascar by Tuesday morning, but any deviation in its course to the south-southeast will bring the storm inland over northwestern Madagascar. What is certain is that there will be severe coastal flooding and beach erosion for northwestern Madagascar with the high likelihood for heavy, torrential rain throughout all of northern Madagascar. This will lead to the increasing possibility for flooding, especially across the mountainous regions, through Tuesday.