by TINTSWALO BALOYI
JOHANNESBURG, (CAJ News) – AT least one person has been reported dead as Topical Cyclone Jude makes landfall in Southern Africa.
The casualty has been confirmed in Tomasina province, north of the island of Madagascar.
In the area, one person has been injured and 3 600 others displaced.
Jude meanwhile made landfall on Monday over the Nampula province in Mozambique, bringing heavy rain and strong winds.
On Tuesday, its centre was located inland approximately 100 km east of Ribaue city of the Ribáuè district with maximum sustained winds of 74 km/h, tropical storm, with gusts up to 95 km/h.
Jude, the latest weather phenomenon in the region, is forecast to move southwestwards across northern Mozambique and circulate near southern Malawi’s border until the early morning of Wednesday.
It is forecast to change direction moving southeast across central Mozambique.
In Mozambique, more than 40 000 people have been affected by power outages and several flights have been cancelled.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, heavy rainfall and strong winds are predicted over northern and central Mozambique as well as southern Malawi.
South Africa has also reported excessive rains since the beginning of the week. More than 300 people died this time of the year in South Africa three years ago because of floods.
A state of emergency has again been declared, with the commercial area of Johannesburg, in Gauteng this time the epicentre.
Southern Africa is one of the regions beset by climate change in the world.
– CAJ News