Cyclone Favio to make landfall in Mozambique by Steph Ball
As if recent weeks of heavy rain and severe flooding were not enough, the approaching cyclone Favio is forecast to make landfall across southern parts of Mozambique later tomorrow adding to the misery of the many thousands already displaced.
As reported over the past week, weeks of torrential rains caused the Zambezi River to break its banks and triggered widespread severe floods along its basin, with Mozambique the hardest hit.
More than a week ago world relief agencies declared the situation a “Category 1” emergency as thousands of Mozambicans were left homeless. Although the floods were severe, they were not thought to be as bad as in 2000 and 2001 when seven hundred people were reportedly killed and a further half a million displaced.
Although the rains have abated somewhat this past week, new concerns have been raised over the fast approaching cyclone Favio and the impact it will have when it hits Mozambique bringing further torrential rain and winds in excess of 100mph (160km/h).
As of Wednesday, Favio was located at 415 nautical miles east-northeast of Maputo, Mozambique. At present it is classed as a “Very Intense Tropical Cyclone” with sustained winds over 140mph (225km/h) and gusts around 170mph (278 km/h). Compared to the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale its current winds would categorise it as of “category 4” strength.
The effects of Favio should be felt along coastal Mozambique by Thursday morning, and its present track would have it make landfall just to the south of the city of Biera later that day. Biera is Mozambiques 2nd largest city with a population of half a million people. Although it will have weakened a little by the time it makes landfall, Favio will still be an “Intense Cyclone” with winds gusting over 140mph (225km/h).
Such intense cyclones rarely hit this part of Africa, though funnily it was in 2000 when two hit within a month of each other. The second, Hudah was also a “Very Intense Tropical Cyclone” and together they affected parts of Madagascar and Mozambique causing massive damage.
Authorities in Mozambique yesterday issued a cyclone warning to inhabitants of central and southern parts of the country with the army and Red Cross put on standby. The weather service warned that Sofala, Inhambane and Gaza provinces were most at risk.
Further updates may appear here as we keep abreast of the approaching cyclone.
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