Cyclone Freddy bids farewell to Malawi after killing 225 people

Officials from the Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services (DCCMS) say tropical storm, cyclone Freddy has finally left the country.

Cyclone Freddy landed on Monday morning in the southern region, killing 225 people, displacing thousands more and destroying both private and public infrastructure including houses, roads and bridges.

The Department says though the cyclone is gone, the country is expected to continue receiving rains which will be heavy mainly along lakeshore areas due to the influence of the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) coupled with Congo air mass.

“The expected rains over lakeshore areas are likely to trigger flash floods, therefore, the public is urged to take all the necessary precautionary measures such as avoiding crossing flooded or fast flowing waters,” a statement from the department.

The public is further advised to pay attention to the available daily weather updates from the department to be safe from any weather related threats, says a statement from the department.

The statement says DCCMS will continue to monitor the South-west Indian Ocean, and any potential development of cyclone will be shared accordingly.