Brace for 5 cyclone season from January to April

Zimbabweans still have trauma from the devastation caused by Cyclone Idai

Zim Now Writer

Experts predict that five cyclones will hit Zimbabwe this rainfall season with government saying adequate measures have been put in place to deal with emergencies that may occur.

Speaking at the National Tobacco Workshop, Benjamin Kwenda, who is an agriculture meteorologist with the Meteorological Services Department said there would be an increase in cyclone activity from January, with the risks being high over the next four months.

“This season we are anticipating an increase in cyclone activity in January, February, March up to April but in terms of projections we are expecting five cyclones,” he said.

Meteorologists may only be able to start working out a cyclone’s possible path when it appears in the Indian Ocean with updates likely when it reaches Madagascar.

“The tropical cyclone, it’s just like a whirlwind so when the whirlwind is generated you are not able to pick where exactly it will go but as it grows bigger you will then able to pick the direction and then you can actually say this is where it is going,” said Kwenda.

Department of Civil Protection chief director Nathan Nkomo recently said adequate funds had been set aside to deal with disasters such as flash floods associated with the rainy season.

“The rainfall season comes with a lot of challenges, … However, in terms of preparedness, we have done our level best. Remember we are preparing to handle natural hazards in the form of flash floods and ultimately, when we get into the cyclone season, mostly from January to March, we will escalate our level of preparedness,” he said.

Cyclone Idai, the worst to hit the country in more than 50 years, brought heavy rainfall and strong winds to Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe in March 2019, causing severe flooding which led to loss of lives, destruction of infrastructure and crops as well as disruption of livelihoods.