Heavy rains are forecast to batter Mozambique’s southern provinces as Tropical Storm Freddy made landfall on Friday in the coastal town of Vilanculos with wind speeds of 113 kilometres per hour (70 miles per hour). The storm was classified as an “intense tropical cyclone” after strengthening over the Mozambique Channel.
In response, the Mozambican government declared a state of red alert to expedite operations to tackle Freddy. People have taken shelter in primary school classrooms, with 183 people reported to have sheltered in one such classroom in Vilanculos.
Freddy is projected to weaken as it barrels across Southern Africa, but it still poses a serious risk due to its forecast of heavy rainfall in neighbouring countries such as South Africa, Zambia, Malawi and Botswana. The South African government has warned of a potential risk of flooding and wind damage in some parts of the country.
The United Nations weather agency has warned that months’ worth of rainfall may fall in the space of a few days, causing widespread flooding in an area which already has saturated soils and high river basin levels from unusually heavy seasonal rains.
Cornelder de Moçambique, a company that operates cargo terminals in Mozambique’s main port, Beira, said the port was closed until 7pm (17:00 GMT) on Friday, subject to weather conditions improving.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs estimates that up to 1.75 million people could be affected by the storm and severe flooding. Aid agencies are deploying staff to Inhambane and Gaza provinces to help those affected.
In Madagascar, where Freddy hit as a tropical cyclone, it destroyed houses, displaced thousands of people and killed at least seven. In Zimbabwe, which is expected to see heavy rain from Freddy, the education ministry has suspended school in six provinces.
As Tropical Storm Freddy made landfall on Friday, Mozambicans have been taking shelter and the government has declared a state of red alert. The storm was classified as an “intense tropical cyclone” with wind speeds of 113 kilometres per hour (70 miles per hour) and is expected to bring heavy rains to the country’s southern provinces for several days.
Freddy is also projected to weaken as it barrels across Southern Africa but still poses a serious risk due to its forecast of heavy rainfall in neighbouring countries such as South Africa, Zambia, Malawi and Botswana. The South African government has warned of a potential risk of flooding and wind damage in some parts of the country.
The United Nations weather agency has warned that months’ worth of rainfall may fall in the space of a few days, causing widespread flooding in an area which already has saturated soils and high river basin levels from unusually heavy seasonal rains.
Cornelder de Moçambique, a company that operates cargo terminals in Mozambique’s main port, Beira, said the port was closed until 7pm (17:00 GMT) on Friday, subject to weather conditions improving.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs estimates that up to 1.75 million people could be affected by the storm and severe flooding. Aid agencies are deploying staff to Inhambane and Gaza provinces to help those affected.
In Madagascar, where Freddy hit as a tropical cyclone, it destroyed houses, displaced thousands of people and killed at least seven. In Zimbabwe, which is expected to see heavy rain from Freddy, the education ministry has suspended school in six provinces.
Mozambicans have been taking precautionary measures as Tropical Storm Freddy made landfall on Friday with wind speeds of 113 kilometres per hour (70 miles per hour). The storm was classified as an “intense tropical cyclone” after strengthening over the Mozambique Channel and is expected to bring heavy rains to the country’s southern provinces for several days.
In response, the Mozambican government declared a state of red alert to expedite operations to tackle Freddy. People have taken shelter in primary school classrooms, with 183 people reported to have sheltered in one such classroom in Vilanculos.
Freddy is projected to weaken as it barrels across Southern Africa but still poses a serious risk due to its forecast of heavy rainfall in neighbouring countries such as South Africa, Zambia, Malawi and Botswana. The South African government has warned of a potential risk of flooding and wind damage in some parts of the country.
The United Nations weather agency has warned that months’ worth of rainfall may fall in the space of a few days, causing widespread flooding in an area which already has saturated soils and high river basin levels from unusually heavy seasonal rains.
Cornelder de Moçambique, a company that operates cargo terminals in Mozambique’s main port, Beira, said the port was closed until 7pm (17:00 GMT) on Friday, subject to weather conditions improving.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs estimates that up to 1.75 million people could be affected by the storm and severe flooding. Aid agencies are deploying staff to Inhambane and Gaza provinces to help those affected.
In Madagascar, where Freddy hit as a tropical cyclone, it destroyed houses, displaced thousands of people and killed at least seven. In Zimbabwe, which is expected to see heavy rain from Freddy, the education ministry has suspended school in six provinces as a precautionary measure.
As Tropical Storm Freddy made landfall on Friday, Mozambicans have been taking shelter and the government has declared a state of red alert. With wind speeds of 113 kilometres per hour (70 miles per hour), it was classified as an “intense tropical cyclone” after strengthening over the Mozambique Channel and is expected to bring heavy rains to the country’s southern provinces for several days.
Freddy is also projected to weaken as it barrels across Southern Africa but still poses a serious risk due to its forecast of heavy rainfall in neighbouring countries such as South Africa, Zambia, Malawi and Botswana. The South African government has warned of a potential risk of flooding and wind damage in some parts of the country.
The United Nations weather agency has warned that months’ worth of rainfall may fall in the space of a few days, causing widespread flooding in an area which already has saturated soils and high river basin levels from unusually heavy seasonal rains.
Cornelder de Moçambique, a company that operates cargo terminals in Mozambique’s main port, Beira, said the port was closed until 7pm (17:00 GMT) on Friday, subject to weather conditions improving.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs estimates that up to 1.75 million people could be affected by the storm and severe flooding. Aid agencies are deploying staff to Inhambane and Gaza provinces to help those affected. In Madagascar, where Freddy hit as a tropical cyclone, it destroyed houses, displaced thousands of people and killed at least seven.
In Zimbabwe, which is expected to see heavy rain from Freddy, the education ministry has taken precautionary measures by suspending school in six provinces. People have been urged to take all necessary precautions and follow safety guidelines issued by local authorities.
Overall, Freddy poses a serious risk due to its forecast of heavy rainfall and strong winds across Southern Africa which could cause flooding and other damages if not adequately prepared for.