Madagascar has faced its first tropical storm of the season, Cyclone Fytia, which caused flooding and disruption. At least three people have died. Nearly 30,000 people are affected by the floodwaters. Fytia formed north-west of Madagascar over the Mozambique Channel on Thursday. Forecasters warned of heavy rain, with daily totals of about 150mm in some areas. This raised the risk of flooding and landslides. Travel was disrupted, and schools likely closed. Over 40,000 homes could flood in the coming days. Red alerts signalled imminent danger in regions along the cyclone’s path. Mariners were told to take shelter. On Saturday, Fytia moved southeast across northern and central Madagascar. It brought strong winds with average speeds over 90 mph and gusts up to 130 mph, says Météo Madagascar. The storm has weakened but will still cause disruption this week. In a contrasting weather event, Eastern Europe is set to face extreme cold this week. Countries like Poland, Ukraine, and Belarus will see daytime highs fall below -10°C, with nights dropping below -30°C. The cold air comes from high pressure over eastern Scandinavia and low pressure over western Russia, pushing chilly winds east to north-east. Snow cover in Eastern Europe worsens the cold by reflecting solar radiation and cooling the air above through longwave radiation. These factors combined create brutal low temperatures across the region.