Mayotte hit by floods and mudslides from second storm Dikeledi

The French Indian Ocean region of Mayotte has been hit by heavy rains, causing flooding and mudslides, a month after Cyclone Chido devastated large parts of the islands and left many dead.

The island group was put on high alert as another typhoon moved through Sunday morning. Officials warned of strong winds, floods and landslides.

Videos on social media show downed power lines and other flooding. Local TV reported that the southern village of Mbouini, the only village left by Cyclone Chido, was under water.

The latest typhoon, Dikeledi, made landfall in northern Madagascar on Saturday, killing at least three people.

The storm passed about 100 km (62 miles) south of Mayotte around 09:00 GMT on Sunday, according to forecaster Météo-France.

“It is raining very hard,” François-Xavier Bieuville, Mayotte regional director, told French radio station BFMTV.

They caused the first flash floods “with a lot of mud” across the region, he added.

The director said the island may remain on alert until Monday evening, as the storm is expected to continue even after the storm passes.

About 14,500 people have fled to emergency shelters set up to protect them from the storm, BFMTV said.

By Sunday afternoon, the storm was moving away from Mayotte, Météo-France reported. The system is expected to gradually intensify over the next 24 hours to become a tropical storm as it approaches the coast of Mozambique.

The current situation does not mean that Mozambique will collapse, but the province of Nampula is expected to experience “the worst,” the forecaster said.

Mozambique is also receiving aid from Cyclone Chido which has killed 120 people in the country.

In Mayotte, one of the poorest regions in France, most people live in small towns.

Fortunately, the islands are home to 320,000 people, but officials estimate that as many as 100,000 to 200,000 undocumented immigrants may also live there.

On December 14, Cyclone Chido became the worst hurricane to hit Mayotte in 90 years, bringing winds of up to 260 km/h (160 mph) and flattening areas where people lived in metal shacks.

Initial reports said several hundred people had been killed, but the death toll was revised down to 39.