Tropical Storm Gombe Expected to Make Landfall in Mozambique This Friday: Weather Warning

Tropical Storm Gombe is likely to make landfall in Mozambique on the morning of Friday, March 11.

Mozambican meteorological authorities said Gombe is expected to touch the ground of the Mossuril district in Nampula Province.

Also called Tropical Cyclone Gombe, the storm formed over the Indian Ocean, near the coast of Madagascar on Monday, March 7.

Cyclone Gombe had already made landfall in Madagascar's Antsiranana Province on Monday evening.

The expected arrival of Gombe comes just more than a month after Tropical Cyclone Ana struck the region in late January, which caused widespread disruption and damage in multiple countries in southern Africa, including Madagascar, Mozambique, and Malawi.

Tropical Storm Gombe

The meteorological authorities said Tropical Storm Gombe is moving at a speed of 120 to 165 kilometers per hour (74 to 102 miles per hour).

Storm Gombe is near the coast of Nampula Province, according to Mozambique's National Institute of Meteorology (INAM), as cited by Xinhua News.

According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Gombe is expected to bring heavy rain, strong winds, and storm surge in Mozambique and Madagascar in the coming days.

Flooding due to torrential rain is also possible in coastal and low-lying areas.

Furthermore, the UN OCHA confirmed Gombe will make landfall in the town of Liupo in Nampula on Friday morning based on the weather forecast.

In the coming hours, disruption of road traffic movement, train services, and flights is expected in Mozambique and its surrounding countries.

Currently, Gombe is over the Mozambique Channel and off the coast of Nampula Province, the storm is moving on a westward pattern, prompting disaster preparedness measures such as cancelation of flights, issuance of nationwide storm warnings, and storage of essential items.

Disaster Preparedness Measures

The National Institute for Disaster Risk Management and Reduction (INGC) on Wednesday, March 9, has reportedly issued a nationwide storm warning that 77 bridges, 192 health facilities, and 2,058 schools are at risk in the central and northern region due to Tropical Cyclone Gombe, as per Xinhua News.

Additionally, the Mozambican government has already prepared food items, non-food items, and several boats to key strategic locations, especially in coastal areas, in case of emergencies when cyclone Gombe makes landfall.

Recent Storms in Southern Africa

This year has witnessed the passage of several storms in the region-with Madagascar, Malawi, and Mozambique being the most affected countries.

Prior to Gombe, Tropical Storm Ana wreaked havoc in the region, killing hundreds of people.

Other storms or cyclones named Batsirai, Dumako, and Emnati, have also passed the region, causing the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people, travel disruption, and casualties.

The succeeding storms consecutively hit the region while still recovering from previous cyclones.

In March 2019, Intense Tropical Cyclone Idai caused large-scale damage and humanitarian crisis in southern Africa, including Malawi, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe.

Cyclone Idai reportedly killed more than 1,000 people, injured over 2,000 others, and destroyed property, according to Reuters.

The southern Africa region that includes Mozambique is currently on its cyclone season which is expected to end in May.

With this, further cyclones could possibly manifest in the region after Tropical Cyclone Gombe.