The Civil Protection Unit (CPU) has issued a warning of a
tropical storm that is developing into a cyclone named Cyclone Kenneth, which
is projected to make a landfall in Tanzania, Mozambique, Malawi and parts of
Zimbabwe today.
In a statement last night, director in the Department of
Civil Protection Mr Nathan Nkomo said the cyclone had been sighted in the
Comoros Island facing Zimbabwe’s direction.
“Another Cyclone Kenneth, is projected to hit Mozambique,
Malawi and some parts of Zimbabwe has been sighted in the Comoros Island facing
this direction.”
“It is projected that the cyclone will be in the region
around 6pm on April 25. The trajectory of this impending catastrophe has been
given by our early warning units, the Meteorological Service Department (MSD)
whose model projections are also supported by those given SADC,” he said.
Earlier on, the MSD had issued a statement, saying: “Tropical
Storm Kenneth, off the north coast of Madagascar, is projected to strengthen
into a Tropical Cyclone and if it maintains its westerly trajectory, it is set
to make landfall near the Tanzanian border with Mozambique on Thursday evening
after 6pm with a circulatory speed of approximately 200km/h.
“Areas that might be affected by heavy rains till April 27
are the southern parts of Tanzanian, northern provinces of Mozambique and
Malawi,” read the statement. MSD had forecast that no rain was projected for
Zimbabwe during this period till Saturday and that mostly sunny and warm
conditions were anticipated.
Mr Nkomo said drawing huge lessons and experiences from the
unprecedented destructive behaviour of the recent Cyclone Idai, people mostly
those living in the flood prone areas of Mbire, Muzarabani, Mt Darwin, Nyanga,
low lying areas of Masvingo Province, Chimanimani, Chipinge, Mutoko, Mudzi,
Gokwe North are advised to be on high alert.
“The Department of Civil Protection together with the
Meteorological Service Department will be closely monitoring the situation at
an interval of every three hours considering that we are likely to receive some
heavy down pour,” he said.
Mr Nkomo said given the strong and urgent warning all
provincial administrators, district administrators, chief executive officers
and town clerks as well as our traditional leadership structures are instructed
to activate their committees in preparation to respond to the effects of
Cyclone Kenneth in the event that it degenerates’ into a natural calamity.
Mr Nkomo said his department had agreed with the
chairperson of the Cabinet Standby Committee on Environment Disaster Prevention
and Management and Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Minister
July Moyo that they could not fully predict the magnitude of Cyclone Kenneth.
“The effects of the cyclone will be heavily felt in Malawi,
Mozambique and Tanzania and that means Zimbabwe will not be spared by the
effects of Cyclone Kenneth.
“Drawing lessons from Cyclone Idai we cannot take chances
anymore. That’s why we are activating all our civil protection organisations as
they are co-ordinated by provincial and district administrators,” he said.
Herald
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