The National Institute of Meteorology of Mozambique (Inam) issued a red warning this Sunday due to the formation of a strong tropical storm that is expected to hit the south and center with gusts of up to 120 kilometers per hour and heavy rain.
INAM said in a statement that at 10:30 a.m. local time (8:30 a.m. in Lisbon) this Sunday, forecasts showed that the current tropical disturbance would continue to “develop and reach severe tropical storm stage.”
The forecast calls for strong winds of up to 85 kilometers per hour and gusts of up to 120 kilometers per hour, “which could shake the sea, creating waves up to seven meters high.”
“In addition, strong winds and moderate rain, sometimes very heavy, are expected, accompanied by thunderstorms in the coastal areas of Gaza, Inhambane (south), Sofala and Zambezia (centre) provinces,” the report said.
Inam advises taking “precautionary and maritime safety measures.”
Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi called in late September to prepare populations and actors for the predictable effects of an El Niño event in the country in the coming months, predicting above-normal rainfall and outbreaks. drought.
“History repeats itself. Therefore, we must create conditions for sustainability. In this sense, the government will issue regular warnings to keep the population informed and prepared for weather conditions that may be unfavorable to life, production or infrastructure,” the minister said. head of state.
Filipe Nyusi warned that forecasts indicate that the country will once again “experience the El Niño phenomenon”, which “could bring normal rains with a tendency to be above normal in the center and north of the country, as well as normal rains with a tendency to be below normal. which may lead to some drought outbreaks in the southern region.”
“This requires us all to be careful and ready to confront this challenge caused by climate change. Let’s get organized. I urge you to conserve and conserve water for consumption and for our livestock,” he further warned.
“This is the appeal I make to the entire country. Therefore, let us be careful and follow those directions to mitigate the impact, avoid or minimize damage and losses, including human lives, on the one hand, on the other, which we exercise adequate management and responsibility for water, especially during periods of water shortage.” , he added in the same message.
Mozambique is considered one of the countries worst hit by climate change in the world, experiencing cyclical floods and tropical cyclones during the rainy season, which runs from October to April.
The 2018/2019 rainy season was one of the harshest in Mozambique’s history, with 714 people killed, including 648 victims of Cyclones Idai and Kenneth, two of the largest to ever hit the country.
According to official government data, in the first quarter of last year, heavy rains and the passage of Cyclone Freddy caused the death of 306 people, affected more than 1.3 million people in the country, and destroyed 236 thousand houses and 3,200 classrooms.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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