Rescue operation underway in Mayotte after worst cyclone in 90 years

People have been left without food, clean water or shelter

A rescue operation is underway in Mayotte, a French island territory off the southeast of Africa.

It's after Cyclone Chido brought winds of more than 140mph (225km/h), destroying homes, power lines and roads as well as the main airport and hospital.

The poorest in the region are said to have been the hardest hit, many live in poorly made shacks with metal sheet roofs, which have been ripped off by the strong winds.

A flight with supplies on has arrived with material for emergency shelters but lots of people are don't have food, water, power or the internet.

More than 100 French soldiers have arrived to help with rescue efforts and another 160 soldiers are on the way to help.

People's homes have been left in ruins

Mayotte is made up of two main islands, Grande-Terre and Petite-Terre. It has a population of around 321,000.

The French weather service, Meteo France, said the storm was the strongest to hit the area in more than 90 years.

Despite being nearly 5,000 miles away from Paris, Mayotte is French territory which means it's an area outside of France that is run by the same laws as mainland France.

French President Emmanuel Macron is due to hold an emergency meeting.

French authorities say relief supplies and equipment are on their way from Reunion Island, another French overseas territory.

Cyclones are similar to hurricanes and typhoons - they're all tropical storms - but they're given different names depending on where in the world they appear.

Cyclones are formed over the South Pacific and Indian Ocean.

Mayotte is found in the south-eastern Indian Ocean where cyclone season starts in December and carries on until March.