The coastal areas of Kenya and Tanzania are witnessing heavy rains and violent winds, which are the first effects of a hurricane that may exacerbate the situation in the two countries facing devastating floods.
About 400 people have been killed in East Africa since last March and thousands have been displaced due to torrential rains that caused floods and landslides, sweeping away homes and destroying roads and bridges.
The Kenya Meteorological Department announced in a bulletin on Saturday that the effects of Tropical Cyclone Hadiya appeared off the coast, with wind speeds exceeding 75 kilometers per hour and waves exceeding two metres.
It warned that heavy rains are expected along the coasts of the Indian Ocean starting Sunday, and that they will intensify over the next two days.
She added, “Current observations indicate that Tropical Cyclone Hadiya has made landfall on the Tanzanian coast. However, another depression is developing.” Tanzanian authorities did not immediately confirm this.
In its latest bulletin on Saturday, the Tanzanian Meteorological Authority reported strong winds and heavy rain along the coast at night.
In the Mtwara region, 75.5 mm of rain fell in 12 hours, while the average rainfall for May is 54 mm.
The Tanzania Meteorological Authority asked residents living in danger zones and marine workers to take “maximum precautions.”
Cyclone Hadiya will reach its peak with winds of 165 kilometers per hour when it makes landfall in Tanzania on Saturday, according to the Regional Climate Center.
The hurricane season in the southwestern Indian Ocean usually extends from November to April and witnesses about 12 storms annually.
As the country awaits the first hurricane in its history, Kenyan President William Ruto described the country’s meteorological forecasts as “terrible” and postponed indefinitely the reopening of schools that was scheduled for Monday.
Ruto said that the cyclone “will cause heavy rains, strong winds, and strong and dangerous waves.”
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