Mozambique is bracing itself for Cyclone Freddy again.

It’s expected to make landfall later this week after striking Madagascar for a second time on Monday. At least eight people were killed and more than a thousand homes destroyed in the island nation.

The storm which first wreaked havoc in south-eastern Africa in late February has peaked the interests of meteorologists who say it’s rare for a storm to make such a loop.

The tropical cyclone is on track to become the longest-lasting storm on record and it continues to gain strength. The storm has already broken records for the strength it has accumulated and the 8,000-km path it has travelled across the Indian Ocean.

The Weather and Climate Extremes evaluation committee of the UN says it will probably set up an investigation into what it describes as a remarkable and rare occurrence after the cyclone dissipates.