Storm Filipo Strikes Mozambique, Endangering 500,000+ People

Storm Filipo Strikes Mozambique, Endangering 500,000+ People

Tropical storm Filipo made landfall in Mozambique’s Inhambane province at around 05:00 local time (03:00 GMT).

The phenomenon disrupted electricity and communications in Inhambane and Sofala.

It’s already being felt in Gaza and as it moves down, it’s expected to start its devastating effects in Maputo later today.

As it continues to move south-westwards across southern Mozambique, the winds will quickly weaken so the system will get downgraded to a tropical depression over the coming hours.

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Although the winds will ease, Filipo will continue to bring some heavy falls of rain across southern Mozambique, with 1cm or more in places – so Filipo will continue to threaten some flooding.

More than 525,000 people could be affected by strong winds and flooding, according to Mozambique’s National Institute for Disaster Risk Management and Reduction (INGD).

There will also be some heavy downpours in Eswatini and in the north-eastern areas of South Africa.

But, Filipo will spin out to sea by Wednesday.

In neighboring Malawi, where heavy rains are also expected, Oxfam’s partner Mandida Zunga, the Secretary of the Catholic Development Commission, says: “It is always a disheartening site visiting the affected communities because many have already failed to rebuild their homes, and have no place to grow food. Any flooding will bring rocks, stones and sand making it difficult for people to grow food again.   BBC