Why the Indian Ocean is spawning deadly tropical cyclones

Tropical cyclone Batsirai

Tree branches block the road with the passage of tropical cyclone Batsirai on the north of the French Indian Ocean island of La Reunion. PHOTO | AFP 

In March 2019, tropical cyclone Idai made headlines as one of the most severe storms to have made landfall in Mozambique.

Current estimates indicate that more than 1,000 people died. This makes it the deadliest tropical cyclone ever to have made landfall on the southern African subcontinent.