Met Office issues severe weather warning for the South: Tropical storm ‘Desmond’ to cause floods

Weather experts are warning of severely weather in most parts in the southern region which will lead to heavy flooding in some areas.

Director of Climate Change and Meteorological Department Jolam Nkhokwe has said continuous rains are expected in the south from today, Tuesday.

“This will cause heavy flooding. This is so because the soil is soft because we are coming from another continuous two week rains,” he said.

Nkhokwe therefore asked people to move upland, saying low lying areas can be devastating and asked people to avoid crossing flooded rivers.

This is a third warning since the onset of the rainy season December.

Nkhokwe said heavy rains accompanied by strong winds are expected  due to a deep and wide low pressure system in the Mozambique Channel which has strengthened and therefore been named Tropical storm ‘Desmond’ while located near Quelimane north of Beira in Mozambique, which is 390 kilometres away from southern Malawi border in Nsanje.

“By 14:00 hours on Monday, January 21, 2019, the Tropical Storm was on its way to make a landfall over Mozambique, while dumping heavy rains overland including southern Malawi. The storm is expected to weaken by Wednesday, January 23, 2019,” he stated.

Nkhokwe cautioned that the anticipated heavy rains could cause floods including flash floods in prone areas.

“We are appealing to the public to secure their property and lives as well as take precautionary measures like  moving to higher grounds when water levels have started rising.

“They should also avoid crossing flooding rivers and must not seek shelter under trees and weak infrastructures,” he added.

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