Cyclone Gezani entered the Mozambique Channel on Wednesday and is rapidly strengthening as it moves towards Mozambique’s Inhambane province, meteorological authorities have warned.
The storm, which killed at least 31 people after tearing across central Madagascar on Tuesday, is forecast to intensify sharply over open sea, with wind speeds expected to reach 80 knots by Sunday.
Mozambique’s National Meteorological Institute (INAM) said although Gezani is not expected to make landfall, its evolving trajectory could still influence weather conditions across Sofala, Gaza and Inhambane provinces.
The US Navy’s Joint Typhoon Warning Centre projects a steady escalation in wind speeds – from 50 knots on entering the Channel to 55 knots on Thursday and 60 knots on Friday – before the system curves southward and eventually eastward, away from the Mozambican coast.
Gezani formed in the Indian Ocean and tracked across Madagascar over the weekend, causing widespread destruction before re‑emerging over warm waters.
JN/APA