Cyclone Kenneth looms with fresh floods, Malawi weather experts warn

Weather experts at the Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services are warning of a tropical cyclone  which is expected to bring heavy rains in the lakeshore areas.

A statement seen by Nyasa Times signed  by Jolam Nkhokwe, director of Climate Change and Meteorological Services says this is as a result of deep low pressure system developed in the Indian Ocean.

He says a deep low pressure system with atmosphere pressure value of 1008 millibars has developed in the Indian Ocean north of Madagascar at latitude 9.4 degrees south and 50.3 degrees east at a distance of 1874km east of Nkhata Bay boma and moving west-south-westwards.

“By Tuesday 23 April, 2019. The deep low pressure system is expected to deepen to pressure value of 1004 millibars and be situated at 10.4 degrees south and 48.4 degrees east at a distance of 1670km from Nkhata Bay boma,” says Nkhokwe.

He says by Wednesday April 24, the deep low pressure system is expected to further deepen to pressure value of 998 millibars when its status will change to that of a tropical cyclone while situated  at 10.8 degrees south and 45.7 degrees east at a distance of 1222km from Nkhata Bay.

By Thursday, Nkhokwe says, the system will be situated at 11.0 degrees south and 41.3 degrees east at 794km east of Nkhata Bay with pressure value of 996 millibars.

“By Friday the system will make a landfall in Tanzania at 484km east of Nkhata Bay. By Saturday the deep low pressure will move to the Niassa Province in Mozambique to a position of 388km from Nkhata Bay,” says Nkhokwe in the statement.

The statement says on Wednesday, when the deep low pressure system will change its status to that of a tropical cyclone, it will be given a name of Tropical Cyclone Kenneth as per the order on the list of tropical cyclone names in the south Indian Ocean region.

“Currently, the deep low pressure system has no direct effect on the weather over the Malawi. However, as the system approaches Malawi, it will enhance rainfall activities over the country particularly along the lakeshore areas,” says the statement.

Nkhokwe says the department is closely monitoring the movement of the deep low pressure system and its intensity which can directly or indirectly affect weather over the country and will continuously issue updates.

The pending cyclone is coming after Cyclone Idai hit the southern African country in late March, barely weeks after floods affected 15 out of the country’s 28 districts and killed 60 people after displacing 868 900.

The weather experts have said they are closely  monitoring movement of the pressure system and its intestoty which can directly or indirectly affect weather over the country.

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