Tropical storm Guambe turned into a tropical cyclone on Friday. The centre is expected to pass 100 kilometres off the Mozambican coast, the French weather centre for the Indian Ocean announced.
“The heart of the cyclone is expected to remain around 100 to 150 kilometres off the Mozambican coast, with a closer passage in the coming hours,” according to the 8:51 a.m. Maputo (6:51 a.m. Lisbon) bulletin issued by that weather station.
An advance towards land, entering Mozambican territory, “is practically ruled out,” with the cyclone expected to head southwest, towards the open sea, it added.
A new front of wind and heavy rain is expected in southern Mozambique by Sunday, following other storms that have affected the region over the last three weeks, causing numerous floods.
Mozambique is in the midst of a cyclonic rainy season, which runs from October to April, with storms coming from the Indian Ocean and flooding from the southern African basins.
This year thousands of people have been affected.
The most severe were storm Chalane in late 2020 and cyclone Eloise in January, with a total official tally of 19 deaths, but reports from local authorities point to double that.
