Geneva, Switzerland (AFP) – Cyclone Freddy, which crossed the entire southern Indian Ocean before wreaking devastation on southeastern Africa last year, was the longest-lasting tropical cyclone ever recorded, at 36 days, the UN said Tuesday.

An extreme weather evaluation committee “recognised Tropical Cyclone Freddy’s duration of 36.0 days at tropical storm status or higher as the new world record for the longest tropical cyclone duration”, the United Nations’ World Meteorological Organization said in a statement.

rjm/nl/rlp

© Agence France-Presse

Featured image credit: NASA | Public Domain

Image: Abstract globe (s. climate news, climate change, heat)
Trump withdraws US from key climate treaty, deepening global pullbackNews

Trump withdraws US from key climate treaty, deepening global pullback

Washington, United States | AFP President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw the United States from a bedrock climate treaty was slammed Thursday by the EU, which…
SourceSourceJanuary 8, 2026 Full article
Image: Rendering by S Bekessy in collaboration with C Horwill, J Ware & M Baracco, RMIT’s School of Architecture and Design
Trees please me, but we also need biodiversity in our citiesNews

Trees please me, but we also need biodiversity in our cities

By Sarah Bekessy, RMIT University in Melbourne Increasing the amount of nature in our cities can provide many benefits as long as it's done with biodiversity in…
SourceSourceMay 20, 2024 Full article
Graphic news (s. climate, science, nature)
France condemns effort to delay major IPCC climate reportNews

France condemns effort to delay major IPCC climate report

Paris, France | AFP France on Tuesday expressed deep concern over attempts by some countries "to slow down and arbitrarily delay" the publication of the next…
SourceSourceApril 1, 2026 Full article