Madagascar: Tens Of Thousands Left Homeless After Tropical Storm

According to official statistics released on Sunday, two dozen Madagascans have died and tens of thousands have been displaced since a violent tropical storm made landfall last week and churned for days off the island's western coast.

Cyclone Cheneso smashed into northern Madagascar 10 days ago, bringing strong gusts and heavy rains that caused widespread flooding.

It has travelled south-eastwards this week, causing extensive damage to homes and schools and blocking off major national routes.

According to an update from Madagascar's risk management office, 25 people have died and 21 others are still missing.

At least 83,181 individuals have been impacted, with approximately 38,000 relocated.

Cheneso, which briefly became a tropical cyclone with winds of 118-166 kilometres per hour (73-103 miles per hour) in recent days, "has begun to lose its purely tropical characteristic," according to the Southwest Indian Ocean Regional Specialist Meteorological Centre, which is based on the French overseas island of La Reunion.

Storm Cheneso made landfall on January 19, bringing winds of up to 110 km/h.

It is the first tropical storm to impact the cyclone-prone huge Indian Ocean island during the current cyclone season in southern Africa, which generally spans from November to April.