Roofs were blown off, trees uprooted and power lines cut by the force of a tropical cyclone that slammed into coastal regions of already-beleaguered Mozambique on Thursday, officials said.
There were no immediate reports of casualties after Cyclone Favio made landfall in the Southern African nation, but the latest weather disaster added to the workload of disaster-management officials already having to address the fate of tens of thousands of people left homeless by recent flooding.
Helder Sueia, chief forecaster in the national meteorological office, said the cyclone had left scenes of chaos after it hit the town of Vilankulo in Inhambane province, about 800km north-east of Maputo.
“There have been torrential rains and strong winds,” he said. “Trees and the roofs of some houses have been taken away by the wind in the Vilankulo area … Electricity has been cut in some parts.”
Tshepho Ngobeni, marine forecaster at the South African Weather Service, told the Mail & Guardian Online at noon on Thursday that the category-four cyclone had average wind speeds of about 176km/h, with gusts of up to 246km/h.
Although it would lose some of its power as it moved further inland, its effects could be more devastating for victims of the recent flooding.
“It is heading towards the central region around Caia. We can expect difficulties for that region which has been flooded … More rain could worsen the situation,” said Sueia. “Tomorrow will be a critical day.”
Meanwhile, a second cyclone is approaching Madagascar and could affect Mozambique by next week. Ngobeni said Cyclone Gamede is not a major concern at present.
“Before it goes through Mozambique, it first has to go through Madagascar … Gamede is still far east of Madagascar; in about two or three days we may have a clear picture of what it will do,” he said.
Red alert
Mozambican authorities had been trying to give residents early warning, issuing a state of red alert on Tuesday in parts of Inhambane and Sofala province, which were deemed to be particularly vulnerable.
Belarmino Chivambo, a spokesperson from the national disaster-management institute, said residents of the vulnerable areas had been warned of the danger and appropriate measures were being taken “to avoid any losses or dead people”.
“We have asked the people to close some schools, to stop the fishing on the coast,” he said.
About 80 000 Mozambicans living along the banks of the Zambezi River have been left homeless and about 30 people have been killed since the start of the year as a result of incessant downpours.
Sofala was one of the four provinces worst affected by the floods, along Tete, Zambezia and Manica.
Deluges in Mozambique in 2000 and 2001 claimed more than 700 lives. The Southern African country’s peak rainfall season is from the end of February to early March.
Favio is of a similar intensity to Cyclone Eline, which caused widespread devastation in Mozambique in 2000, but Sueia said the authorities were more ready to deal with its consequences this time round.
“In terms of its magnitude, it’s just in line with the one we had [with Eline]. But we are now much better prepared. It’s completely different,” said Sueia.
South Africa ‘won’t hesitate to assist’
Meanwhile, South Africa has denied “turning a blind eye” to the plight of Mozambicans hit by floods and cyclone damage.
“South Africa has been monitoring the situation in Mozambique,” Department of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Ronnie Mamoepa said on Thursday. “We share in the pain and suffering of [its] people and we stand ready to assist in whatever manner we can within our limited resources.”
The Democratic Alliance’s spokesperson on Africa, Joe Seremane, earlier said South Africa should talk to Mozambique on what help it could offer instead of “standing back and waiting”.
“The South African government is largely turning a blind eye to the catastrophic consequences of widespread flooding in Mozambique,” said Seremane.
Mamoepa said the government has not received any request for assistance from Mozambican authorities. “As soon as such a request is made, South Africa will not
hesitate to assist.”
When asked if South Africa could not take the initiative, Mamoepa said: “You don’t do that. You have to be requested.”