Mozambique: Severe tropical storm warning for south, centre of country – Lusa

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Mozambique: Severe tropical storm warning for south, centre of country – Lusa

7:41 CAT | 10 Mar 2024

Image: Meteo France

Mozambique’s National Institute of Meteorology (INAM) issued a red warning on Sunday following the formation of a severe tropical storm, which is expected to hit the south and centre with gusts of up to 120 kilometres per hour and heavy rainfall.

In a statement, INAM said that at 10:30 local time today, projections indicated that the current tropical disturbance would continue to “evolve and become a severe tropical storm”.

The forecast is for strong winds of up to 85 kilometres per hour and gusts of up to 120 kilometres per hour, “which could create waves up to seven metres high”.

“In addition, strong winds and moderate rain, locally very heavy, accompanied by thunderstorms are expected in the coastal districts of the provinces of Gaza, Inhambane (south), Sofala and Zambézia (centre),” the statement added.

INAM advised people to adopt “precautionary and safety measures for maritime navigation”.

#invest90S/TD08 is #Filipo in the SW #MozambiqueChannel, to intensify to a Severe TS at peak, to impact S #Mozambique,#Swazliland/#Eswatini, NE #SouthAfrica before recurving out to sea
All Interests there should begin #Cyclone preps now#Tropicswx #wxtwitter #90S #cyclonefilipo https://t.co/KMCNfWRDHT pic.twitter.com/S97abo9u79

— LimWx (Off Season from Hurricanes) (@LimWeather) March 10, 2024

At the end of September, the president of Mozambique, Filipe Nyusi, called for the population and organisations to be prepared for the foreseeable effects of the ‘El Nino’ phenomenon on the country in the coming months, with forecasts of above-normal rainfall and outbreaks of drought.

“History repeats itself, so we have to create conditions of resilience. In this regard, the government will issue regular warnings to keep the population informed and prepared for weather conditions that may not be favourable to life, production, or infrastructure,” said the head of state.

Filipe Nyusi warned that the forecasts indicate that the country would once again “experience the ‘El Nino’ phenomenon”, which “could bring normal rainfall with a tendency to be above normal in the centre and north of the country, and normal rainfall with a tendency to be below normal, which could lead to some outbreaks of drought in the south”.

“This requires us all to be cautious and prepared to face this challenge caused by climate change. Let’s get organised. I call on us to save and reserve water for consumption and our livestock,” he said.

“This is an appeal I’m making to the whole country. So let’s be vigilant and follow the guidelines to mitigate the impact, avoiding or minimising damage and loss, including human lives, on the one hand, and on the other, let’s manage water properly and responsibly, especially in times of scarcity,” he added in the same message.

Mozambique is considered one of the countries most severely affected by climate change in the world, facing cyclical floods and tropical cyclones during the rainy season, which runs from October to April.

The 2018/2019 rainy season was one of the most severe on record in Mozambique: 714 people died, including 648 victims of cyclones Idai and Kenneth, two of the biggest ever to hit the country.

In the first quarter of last year, heavy rains and Cyclone Freddy caused 306 deaths, affected more than 1.3 million people in the country, and destroyed 236,000 homes and 3,200 classrooms, according to official government figures.

Source: Lusa