By Patience Lunda:
The Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services (Met) has said there is a 60 percent chance that a tropical storm that is expected to develop in the Indian Ocean may get, or come closer, to the Southern Region of Malawi.
This is according to a weather update released by the department on Thursday.
The department’s forecast indicates that the tropical storm will likely develop by Sunday, March 10, 2024, in the Mozambique channel.
Once it develops, it is expected to continue to intensify and evolve into a moderate tropical storm, potentially escalating into a tropical cyclone.
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“Since the storm is not yet developed, the path that it will take is not yet known and the development of the storm is expected to happen on March 10, 2024, and it may get to or closer to southern Malawi,” the statement reads.
Meanwhile, Department of Disaster Management Affairs spokesperson Chipiliro Khamula has said they have installed community-based flood early warning systems in flood-prone areas to mitigate flood risks and losses.
Khamula added that they are working hand-in-hand with Met to raise awareness about the development of the cyclone in councils.
“We want community members to be alert and take heed of the warning. We have intensified awareness and have moved some families to safe places,” he said.
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Meanwhile, the Ministry of Water and Sanitation has warned that there is a high risk of flooding in some Northern Region and lakeshore areas in the next seven days due to high water levels in 21 rivers of the country.
The ministry says this has been predicted by the Department of Water Resource’s flood forecasting model.
The 21 rivers include North Rukuru, Hara, Nyungwe, Dwambazi, Bua, Luweya, Linthipe, Lingadzi, Kaombe and Lifidzi.
Commenting on the developments, environmental management commentator Charles Bakolo said the government needs to take advantage of the early warnings to save people in areas where floods and the cyclone would likely hit.
“We are being informed in advance and need to take action before it is too late because cyclones have devastating effects and preparations should start now,” he said.
The country has, in recent years, been hit by tropical cyclones Freddy, Idai, Gombe and tropical storm Ana, which killed thousands of people and destroyed property worth billions of Kwacha.
