Mozambique: Save river less than one metre below flood alert level

Login

Register

http://www.clubofmozambique.com/

Mozambique: Save river less than one metre below flood alert level

11:43 CAT | 13 Jan 2021

Photo: O País

Flow continues to increase, swelled by water from Zimbabwe.

The village of Mambone, in Govuro, Inhambane province, and the Machanga district in Sofala province, are under a flood alert as a result of the rise in the flow of the Save river, now less than one metre below the flood alert level of 5.50 metres.

At 5:00 p.m. on Monday, the Save in Govuro had reached a height of 3.38 metres, and by 7:00 a.m. on Tuesday, had risen to 4.62 metres.

Because of the situation, coupled with probable floods in or near the villages of Mambone and Machanga, the National Institute for Disaster Risk Management and Mitigation has placed emergency equipment in both districts.

In the second half of December last year, the Save river rose from below 40 centimetres to over four metres, and flow continues to increase, swelled by water from Zimbabwe.

In the last 24 hours, rainfall stations in Vila Franca do Save, Maxixe Mubalo in Homoíne and Jangamo recorded rainfall of less than 20 millimetres. No precipitation was recorded in the other Flood Warning System rainfall stations in the main hydrographic basins in Inhambane.

In the same period, the water level at Massangena and Vila Franca do Save stations on the Save river rose by 0.14 and 1.47 metres respectively, increasing the Save flow to 4.62 metres.

Water levels fell at the remaining hydrographic stations in Inhambane, and are expected to do so at the Massangena and Vila Franca de Save stations also over the next 48 hours.

By Hugo Firmino

Source: O País