Cyclone Gezani no longer poses a threat to Mozambique

Maputo, 16 Feb – The tropical cyclone Gezani no longer poses a threat to Mozambique and it has returned to the Indian Ocean, according to the country’s National Institute of Meteorology (INAM).

The cyclone formed in the Indian Ocean last week. It swept across Madagascar, causing over 40 deaths. It was feared that Gezani would also hit Mozambique. But it did not make landfall anywhere on the Mozambican coast. Nonetheless, it brought high winds and torrential rain to parts of Inhambane and Sofala province. According to Mozambican President Daniel Chapo, four people died during the passage of tropical cyclone Gezani.

According to Adérito Aramuge, INAM Director-General, the system moved parallel to the coast of Inhambane and did not penetrate the mainland, which meant that the winds initially forecast were not felt in their entirety, thus reducing the damage.

“It is important to note that the tropical cyclone passed and, fortunately, stayed away from the coast of Inhambane, did not enter the mainland, and this meant that the impacts were also reduced. It is already on its way to the Mozambique Channel, no longer a threat to Inhambane or the provinces of Gaza and Sofala in the coming days”, he said.

Aramuge also explained that any rainfall in the provinces of Gaza and Maputo is not related to the passage of the cyclone, as “the country is in the rainy season, a period when precipitation is considered normal.”

“It is necessary to separate these two phenomena. The rains that may occur are in no way related to the passage of the cyclone”, he said.

For her turn, Luísa Meque, chairperson of the country’s relief agency, the National Institute for Disaster Management and Risk Reduction (INGD), said that the households that have been housed in shelter centers installed in Maxixe city, one of the affected areas in province of Inhambane, can now return to their homes.

“After assessment visits to some neighborhoods, the authorities found that minimum safety conditions were in place for the population to return. From the work done in Maxixe, we visited some neighborhoods and saw that conditions are indeed in place for families in the centers to return. We are here to convey this message and bring comfort to the families”, she said.

According to INGD data, eight accommodation centers have been activated in Inhambane province, which currently house 871 people, corresponding to 109 households.

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