The origins of Cyclone Freddy can be traced back to 4 February 2023, when the Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BoM)[nb 1] reported that a tropical low—identified as 13U—had formed during an active phase of the Madden–Julian oscillation in conjunction with an equatorial Rossby wave,[2] while it was situated to the south of the Indonesian archipelago.

[3] Soon after, the United States Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC)[nb 2] issued a tropical cyclone formation alert, noting that the disturbance was located in a favorable environment with low wind shear and sea surface temperatures of 29–30 °C (84–86 °F).

[6] Deep convection increased and the system became a Category 1 tropical cyclone on the Australian scale by 12:00 UTC; the BoM assigned it the name Freddy accordingly.

[8] After its first peak, the system became increasingly susceptible to wind shear and dry air intrusion,[9] causing Freddy to weaken back into a minimal tropical storm by 09:00 UTC on 9 February.

[2] Atmospheric conditions became more favorable for development as wind shear decreased and deep convection began to consolidate and wrap around the cyclone.

[2] Consequently, the cyclone quickly restrengthened with the storm becoming a Category 3 severe tropical cyclone—attaining an initial peak intensity with winds of 150 km/h (90 mph)—and at 18:00 UTC on 11 February, Freddy reached its second peak intensity as a high-end Category 4 severe tropical cyclone in the Australian basin, with winds of 175 km/h (110 mph) and a central barometric pressure of 951 hPa (28.08 inHg).

[13][14] The BoM reported that Tropical Low 11U developed near the Australian Area of Responsibility boundary on 3 February 2023, and moved west toward the Cocos Islands.

[16] By 12 February, Dingani had intensified into a tropical cyclone, maintaining a well-defined eye for twelve hours before shear caused it to disappear.

Cyclone Freddy acquired annular characteristics on 14 February, bearing a symmetrical appearance and a well-defined 11.5 miles (18.5 km) wide pinhole eye, which was largely surrounded by central dense overcast.

[22] On 15 February at 03:00 UTC, the JTWC reported that the cyclone re-strengthened and underwent another period of rapid intensification, reaching Category 4-equivalent intensity.

[26] Around 00:00 UTC that day, the MFR upgraded Freddy to a very intense tropical cyclone estimated a minimum barometric pressure of 931 hPa (27.49 inHg) and 10-minute sustained winds of 220 km/h (140 mph).

[29]After reaching its peak intensity, the cyclone's eye pattern quickly deteriorated as the cloud tops warmed on 20 February, while it was traversing north of the Mascarene Islands.

[41] Steered by a subtropical ridge to the south,[42] the cyclone moved westward and quickly intensified into a severe tropical storm around 12:00 UTC that day, with convection wrapping around its center.

[49] Early on 1 March, Freddy emerged again into the channel—benefiting from favorable environmental conditions such as low vertical wind shear, good upper-level divergence,[50] and sea surface temperatures of 28–29 °C (82–84 °F).

[52] At 06:00 UTC on 4 March, the MFR upgraded the system to a moderate tropical storm after an advanced scatterometer showed winds of 44 km/h (25 mph) in the southern semicircle.

[59] The cyclone rapidly weakened to slightly below minimal tropical storm strength due to increased wind shear and dry air intrusion.

[61] The cyclone rapidly re-strengthened and made landfall for the final time near Quelimane, Mozambique at 18:00 UTC on 11 March,[62] with the JTWC estimated winds of about 175 km/h (110 mph)[63]—featured a well-defined eye within its compact and symmetrical dense overcast.

"[60] The computer models predicted that the cyclone would turn eastward and re-emerge in the channel;[66] however, it ultimately moved northwestward inland,[60] bringing rain to Malawi and Mozambique before dissipating on 14 March.