Mozambique’s National Institute of Meteorology (INAM) warned Thursday that the newly formed tropical cyclone Freddy has the potential to hit the country in the next few days, while the country is still dealing with the recent floods in its southern region.
The cyclone, currently over the Indian Ocean, is moving at a speed of 27 km per hour toward Madagascar, said Acacio Tembe, a meteorologist from the INAM, while speaking to the press at the National Emergency Operations Center in Maputo, the capital of Mozambique.
‘Looking at its movement, there is a great indication that this cyclone could reach the coast of our country. At the moment we are mapping the areas that could be affected,’ said Tembe, adding that the phenomenon could be felt around Feb. 24.
In another statement distributed to the media Thursday, the Southern Regional Water Administration (ARA-SUL) called for an immediate evacuation of populations from risk areas in the south of the country, warning of the increase in discharges of water from dams in Maputo and Gaza in the coming days.
According to the National Institute of Disaster Risk Management and Reduction, the heavy rains that have fallen in the south of the country in recent weeks caused nine deaths and impacted 39,225 people.
Source: The Namibia Press Agency
