Cyclone Freddy was the most energetic storm on record. Is it a harbinger of things to come?

By Thomas Mortlock, Senior Analyst at Aon Reinsurance Solutions and Adjunct Fellow, UNSW Sydney

On February 4, a storm off the north-west coast of Australia was named Cyclone Freddy. It rapidly strengthened and headed west across the Indian Ocean, eventually causing devastation in eastern Africa. Hundreds of people died, tens of thousands more were displaced, national energy grids were crippled, flash flooding was widespread and socioeconomic impacts have been severe.

At its peak on February 21, Freddy had wind gusts of up to 270 km/h, making…

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