Mozambique is bracing for another severe weather threat as the National Institute of Meteorology (INAM) warns that Tropical Storm Gezani could intensify into a tropical cyclone before entering the Mozambique Channel later this week.
INAM director Dorival Mutereda said on Monday that the storm, currently in the southwest Indian Ocean, was producing average winds of 75 km per hour and gusts of up to 100 km per hour.
He said forecast models show Gezani moving towards the Channel and potentially approaching Mozambique’s coast as a tropical cyclone by Wednesday, with winds that could reach 120 km/h.
“This system has the potential to approach the coast of Mozambique as a Tropical Cyclone, potentially affecting the coastal districts of the provinces of Sofala, Inhambane, and Gaza, with average winds of 120 kilometres per hour, gusts up to 140 kilometres per hour, and heavy rainfall,” Mutereda said.
“We will continue to monitor the development of this system.”
The warning comes as Mozambique remains under Red Alert, with authorities preparing for possible large‑scale impacts.
Public Works, Housing and Water Resources Minister Fernando Rafael said more than one million people living along the central and southern coastline could be affected if the storm strengthens as projected.
“It is expected that more than one million people living in that coastal area will be impacted, and it will further affect our infrastructure such as schools and hospitals,” he said during a visit to the National Emergency Operations Centre in Maputo.
Mozambique is among the world’s most cyclone‑prone countries, facing repeated landfalls from storms that form in the Indian Ocean.
In recent decades, events such as Cyclone Idai in 2019 and Cyclone Freddy in 2023 have caused catastrophic flooding, widespread displacement and billions of dollars in damage.
Rising sea temperatures linked to climate change have further heightened concerns about the frequency and intensity of storms affecting the region.
JN/APA