Mozambique: Vessel movement prohibited in Inhambane Bay
File photo: O País
The Mozambican National Institute of Meteorology (INAM) this Friday (08-03) warned of a heat wave that will affect five provinces in the centre and south of the country, including Maputo, with temperatures approaching 43 degrees Celsius.
The alert issued by INAM is valid until 24:00 on March 9 and identifies as “risk areas” seven districts in the province of Maputo, in addition to the capital city and Matola, 14 districts in Gaza, as well as the city of Xai- Xai, and 14 districts of Inhambane in the south. In the centre of the country, the alert applies to five districts in the province of Manica and eight districts in Sofala.
“INAM predicts the continuation of a heat wave characterised by hot to very hot weather,” the warning advises, adding the prospect of maximum temperatures “which could vary from 35 to 43 degrees”.
“Given the discomfort caused by the expected weather, it is recommended that safety precautionary measures be taken,” it highlights.
At the end of September, the President of Mozambique, Filipe Nyusi, called for the population and entities to prepare for the likely effects of the ‘El Ninõ’ phenomenon in the country in the following months, with forecasts of above-normal rainfall and outbreaks of drought.
“History repeats itself. So, we have to create conditions for resilience. In this sense, 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,” the head of state said.
Filipe Nyusi said that current forecasts indicate that the country will once again “experience the ‘El Ninõ’ phenomenon”, which “could bring normal rains with a tendency to above normal in the centre and north of the country, and, in the southern region, normal rains with a tendency to below normal, which could lead to some outbreaks of drought”.
“This requires us all to be cautious and prepared to face this challenge caused by climate change. Let’s organise ourselves. I call attention to saving and reserving water for consumption and for our livestock,” he warned.
“This is an appeal I make to the entire country. Therefore, let us be attentive and follow the guidelines to mitigate the impact, avoiding or minimising damage and losses, including human lives, on the one hand, on the other, that we carry out adequate and responsible water management, especially in times of scarcity,” he added.
Mozambique is considered one of the countries most severely affected by climate change in the world, cyclically facing floods and tropical cyclones during the rainy season, which runs between October and April.
The 2018/2019 rainy season was one of the most severe in memory 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 this year, intense rains and the passage of Cyclone Freddy caused 306 deaths, affected more than 1.3 million people in the country, destroyed 236,000 homes and 3,200 classrooms, according to official figures.
Leave a Reply
Be the First to Comment!
You must be logged in to post a comment.
You must be logged in to post a comment.