SOME parts of the country experienced record-breaking high temperatures yesterday as Zimbabwe came under the spell of a heatwave that is also expected to affect the country today, the Meteorological Services Department (MSD) has said. MSD forecaster Mr James Ngoma yesterday said very hot temperatures were recorded in Nyanga, where they topped 38 degrees Celsius, up from the previous record of 32 degrees Celsius.
“Chisengu and Mutare recorded 39 degrees Celsius and 40
degrees Celsius, up from 37 degrees Celsius and 39 degrees Celsius,
respectively,” he said. Kariba recorded the highest temperature of 42 degrees
Celsius, Victoria Falls 40, Great Zimbabwe 29, Vumba 35, Harare 35, Bulawayo
35, Gweru 35, Mutare 40, Lupane, 42, Gwanda 41 and Marondera 39 degrees
Celsius. Bindura recorded 39, Masvingo 39 and Kwekwe 38 degrees Celsius.
“Today, (Wednesday), high temperatures will continue to be
experienced in Matabeleland North, all Mashonaland provinces, northern parts of
the Midlands and Harare provinces,” he said. Mr Ngoma said the southern areas
covering Matabeleland South, south of Midlands, Masvingo and Manicaland will
have brief morning clouds. “The daytime temperatures will be cooler than late.
We therefore advise the public to take extra precautions in ensuring that the
elderly and young children are kept well hydrated through adequate intake of
water. If one needs to be out in the direct sun, please carry an umbrella or
wear a wide-brimmed hat. Those in malaria-prone areas are also advised to
utilise the necessary preventative measures as mosquitoes proliferate during
this season, especially near bodies that can hold stagnant water such as dams,
swimming pools and even small containers. Note that mosquitoes only require an
inch of standing water to breed,” he said.
In Beitbridge, some people were affected by heat-induced
fever as temperatures soared to uncomfortable levels. However, Beitbridge
District Civil Protection Unit chairperson Mrs Kiliboni Ndou-Mbedzi said they
were still to receive reports of livestock or people affected by the current
heatwave. “The committee is very active on the ground, though we are yet to get
any casualties on humans and livestock,”she said.
District livestock specialist Mr Bevan Musongwe said the
situation was still normal, adding that chickens were at risk of succumbing to
hyperthermia if the temperatures rose to extremes. The district medical
officer, Dr Lenos Samhere, could not be reached for comment yesterday. However,
an official at Beitbridge referral hospital, who requested anonymity as he was
not authorised to speak to the Press, said they were attending to people with
fevers associated the prevailing high temperatures.
“So far, we have been attending to patients with fevers
associated with the heatwave. These include flue and malaria and we are yet to
record any deaths. We will continue to monitor the situation,” said the health
official. In Midlands, a heatwave swept through the province yesterday with
Kwekwe, Zvishavane, Gweru and Gokwe recording relatively high temperatures.
Water and ice cream vendors in Gweru ran out of stocks as
residents had to consume a lot of fluids to avoid dehydration. A snap survey by
The Herald noted that a number of vendors in the CBD and the busy Kudzanayi Bus
terminus ran out of water stocks, with vendors resorting to hoarding from
wholesalers in order to restock. A visit to health institutions around the city
revealed that primary school pupils were taken in for check-ups after many
fainted as a result of suspected heat exhaustion.
A health expert Dr Velda Mushangwe urged people to take a
lot of fluids, adding that infants were among those at the greatest risk for
hit-related illnesses. She said infants should be kept out of direct sun and
take a lot of fluids. Similarly, Mashonaland West was not spared the hellish
temperatures, which peaked in the Zambezi Valley, where temperatures are
generally always on the high side. Scores of people in Kariba, Chirundu and
rural Nyami Nyami complained of nose bleeding as high temperatures took their
toll.
But Kariba district medical director Dr Godwin Muza said
there were no major incidents associated with the heatwave. “So far, we have
not had any major incidents and we think people have taken heed of warnings to
stay away from the direct sun and taking lots of fluids,” said Dr Muza. There
were no reports on animals adversely affected by the high temperatures.
However, people in Kariba reported an unusually high number of animals that
were reportedly cooling off at the Lake’s shores.
“We have seen a lot of animals especially elephants coming
to the Lake shore. Temperatures are too high and we would like to thank the
Meteorological Services Department for warning us in advance. We took
precautionary measures,” said Mr Denford Kangwayi. Some people in Chirundu and
Kariba districts, however, lost their chickens to the unbearably high
temperatures. Those with access to swimming pools took the opportunity to cool
off. Herald
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