Dozens dead in natural disasters in Madagascar

A violent tropical storm on the African island of Madagascar has been causing victims, a lot of nuisance and damage for a week. At least 24 people have been killed, according to the National Disaster Relief Center. 21 people are still missing.

The storm named Cheneso made landfall a week ago and then caused major problems in the north. The storm has moved on and is now bringing heavy rainfall to the southwest of the country. There are floods in many places.

More than 73,000 people were affected by the heavy rains and subsequent flooding, authorities said. Thousands of homes have been damaged and offices and schools are also damaged. Roads to the capital Antananarivo have become impassable due to water.

The west and south-east of Madagascar are expected to continue to suffer from bad weather in the coming days. The United Nations Meteorological Service expects the tropical storm to also gain strength. Cheneso can be transformed into a cyclone.

The UK Meteorological Service thinks much more rain will fall in the coming days. Cyclones are common in southern Africa from December to March. Scientists say climate change will make them more frequent and intense.