Cyclone Chido began battering Africa's east coast on Saturday, after authorities issued alerts and said millions of people could be affected.
Comoros, a small archipelago, has closed airports and schools as authorities expected Chido to hit the islands early Saturday.
Residents have reported flooding in Madagascar to the east. Authorities had sent out alerts to cellphones and broadcast on radio from Thursday warning people to take precautions, while some evacuations were took place in the northern region of Diana, where the cyclone's impact is expected to be worst.
Mozambique has also issued a red alert for the northern provinces of Cabo Delgado and Nampula and said that more than 2 million people could be affected when Chido makes landfall on the continent, which is expected early Sunday.
Cyclone Chido began battering the French Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte on Saturday after authorities had ordered everyone, including rescue workers, to seek shelter.
The weather service forecast that conditions would improve from late on Saturday.
December through to March is considered the region's cyclone season and it has been battered by a series of strong ones from the Indian Ocean in recent years.
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