Floods hit Mozambique by Tomasz Schafernaker
Torrential rain falling over consecutive days has led to floods across southern Mozambique. These floods are reported to have forced thousands from their homes and killed at least one person.
The southern coastal province of Inhambane – popular with tourists this time of year - has been worst affected. Over 500mm (20 inches) of rain fell in parts of the province causing major flash flooding that has severed road links, damaged crops and inundated thousands of homes. One person was killed near Inhambane City after a mudslide crashed down on a village.
In the centre of the country, the large Zambezi River swelled to alert levels and threatened to break its banks at Caia and Morromeu. Authorities are keeping a watchful eye on the river levels as more heavy and persistent rain is forecast across much of the country over the next few days.
Mozambique is often prone to flooding during the annual rainy season which runs from October to March. Also during this period, much of coastal Mozambique is at risk from tropical cyclones which develop over the Indian Ocean and move south between Madagascar and the mainland of Africa bringing very heavy rain, strong winds and floods.
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