Tropical cyclone Batsirai follows tropical storm Ana, which killed over 80 people and displaced 100 000 people in Madagascar, Mozambique and Malawi alone.
Batsirai is predicted to arrive at Mauritius on Wednesday, 2 February, before making its way to Madagascar a few days later.
On January 22, tropical storm Ana made landfall over Madagascar, then strengthened over the Mozambique channel the next day before reaching Angoche, Mozambique’s Nampula Province, two days later.
Heavy rain created mayhem in central Mozambique and southern Malawi, according to the South African Weather Service (SAWS). Flooding wreaked havoc on small-scale farmers in northern Mozambique and neighboring Malawi. Last Wednesday, vehicles in a government convoy crossing a bridge in Mozambique’s Tete Province were washed away, killing three journalists and civil servants.
SAWS adds that the season’s second tropical system, Batsirai, is currently positioned over the far eastern regions of the south-west Indian Ocean basin. Batsirai is predicted to track westward towards the islands of Mauritius and Reunion.
Devastation after storm Ana
Tropical storm Ana impacted 126 198 people, injured 210 people, and killed at least 21 people, predominantly in the provinces of Zambezia, Nampula and Tete, according to ReliefWeb. Concerns regarding the storm’s impact on the most vulnerable people, as well as the limited resources available to respond to the evolving demands, remain grave.
“Tete province experienced extensive flooding, mostly affecting the districts of Doa, Zumbu, Tete and Mutarara, impacting on a total of 21 325 people. The bridge over the Rovubue river, between Tete Sede and Moaztize, collapsed. In Nampula, the most impacted areas are Liupo, Monapo, Moma and Nacala districts, with several road connections being cut by the water.
“In this province, the storm has impacted 26 019 people, while seven health centers, 64 classrooms and 2 252 hectares of crops have been lost. In Zambezia, the districts of Milange, Mocuba, Maganja da Costa, and Lugela have been reported as the most affected, impacting 58 414 people,” according to ReliefWeb.
“Moreover, the Licungo river exceeded the alert level, causing moderate to high flooding and strongly limiting road access in several areas,” the organisation said.
“Following the passage of tropical storm Ana, serious concerns about its residual impact and the formation of another low-pressure system named Batsirai, remain.”
The tropical cyclone Batsirai is currently moving towards Mauritius and the east coast of Madagascar, according to the National Institute of Meteorology (INAM), with the potential to intensify into a strong tropical cyclone in the coming days.
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