[ad_1]
A violent cyclone fell on Friday in northern Mozambique, killing one person and destroying homes and communications, barely a month after the country was hit by one of the worst storms in its history.
Hurricane Kenneth, a category 3 storm on the hurricane scale, landed Thursday in Cabo Delgado province after sweeping the Comoros.
According to the National Meteorological Institute, the maximum winds of 160 km / h had dropped to around 70 km / h by mid-Friday.
But heavy rains were forecast for the next 24 hours, fueling the risk of floods and landslides in the impoverished area.
Map showing cyclone Kenneth's trace. By Gal ROMA (AFP)
Mozambique's emergency organization, the INGC, announced the death of a coconut tree in the port city of Pemba, capital of Cabo Delgado province, as well as severe flooding, mudslides and many power outages.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has reported "heavy damage" and destroyed homes in some coastal towns on the north coast, while the lines of communication at Macomia and Muidumbe remain Out of order.
In many affected communities, areas "are prone to flooding and landslides during normal rainfall, which is far from normal," he warned.
& # 39; Bible & # 39;
On the island of Ibo, which has 6,000 inhabitants, 90% of housing has been razed, according to an spokesman of the INGC, Antonio Beleza.
"It looks like the island has been bombed … it's biblical," said a South African tour operator and hotel owner on Ibo, Kevin Record.
Hurricane Kenneth caused wind blowing up to 160 km / h when he landed in Cabo Delgado province. By STRINGER (PAM / AFP)
Communities in central Mozambique are still in shock from cyclone Idai, which hit the night of March 14-15, causing deadly floods that washed away houses, roads and bridges.
The storm also fell on Zimbabwe and Malawi. In the three countries, more than a thousand lives have been lost and the damage is estimated at about 2 billion dollars (1.8 billion euros).
The United Nations World Food Program (WFP) announced on Thursday that Kenneth is expected to pour more than 600 mm of rain over the next few days in some areas.
By comparison, this would be almost double what happened in the central city of Beira during the cyclone Idai – a downpour that turned part of the region into an inland sea.
"Extra shot"
Hurricane Kenneth searched the beach at Wimbi in Pemba. By Nour Hemici (WFP / AFP)
"Although floodwaters have receded in most of the affected areas (Idai), access remains a challenge as the infrastructure is severely compromised," WFP warned.
"This second hurricane is an extra blow for the Mozambican people and can only complicate the humanitarian response."
The UN agency added that she had already provided food aid to 1.3 million people after Idai.
The government has put public buildings, including schools, at the disposal of people seeking shelter and WFP has "prepositioned" more than 500 tons of food.
A helicopter should arrive in Cabo Delgado when weather conditions permit, roads being impbadable due to floods, it is difficult to deliver food.
Météo-France forecasters have warned that Kenneth could unleash waves over the northeastern coast of Mozambique up to five meters higher than usual.
Tanzania worries
In neighboring Tanzania, authorities have issued red alerts to warn of the dangers of rain, floods and landslides.
The provinces of Mtwara, Lindi and Ruvuma were the most at risk, the country's meteorological agency said.
The people of Mtwara were leaving the coastal enclave with their families, some on foot, to emergency shelters, witnesses told AFP by phone.
The city of Buzi in central Mozambique was one of the victims of the huge floods caused by Cyclone Idai last month. By Adrien BARBIER (AFP)
Mtwara Governor Gelasius Byakanwa ordered the closure of schools in his province and asked "students to stay home and employees not to go to their offices".
In Geneva, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said the consecutive cyclones in Mozambique were unprecedented.
"There is no record of two storms of such intensity striking Mozambique during the same season," said the United Nations Meteorological Agency.
WMO survey mission to Mozambique to look at "the impact of climate change and sea-level rise on Mozambique's resilience" in the face of extreme weather conditions added the statement.
Climate change has made cyclones more damaging, as rising sea levels have heightened the force of storm surges, said WMO spokeswoman Clare Nullis at the weekend. ; AFP.
Stronger or stronger waves are directed towards the shore, posing a potentially greater risk for coastal populations.
strs-bed-mgu / ri
Source link
