Madagascar hit by cyclone Freddy, at least one person killed

Madagascar's government suspended schools and transport in the path of tropical cyclone Freddy, which made landfall in the southeast of the island on Tuesday evening, causing a storm surge, ripping roofs off houses and killing at least one person. Freddy weakened slightly before landing around 30 km north of Mananjary town, at around 07:20 p.m., with average winds of 130 km per hour, and gusts of 180 km/h near the eye, the Madagascar meteorological service said. "Torrential rains will continue along its path. The sea remains very rough to huge, and a significant risk of coastal flooding will continue overnight," the service said in a statement. Heavy rains and waves of over 26 feet (8 metres) were expected near the impact zone, the International Federation of Red Cross said on Twitter, issuing a red alert for the area. Flights which had been grounded late on Sunday had resumed on Tuesday morning, according to Mauritius' airports operator.<br/>