Cyclone Giovanna is a category four cyclone which struck Madagascar on Monday night. The centre of the storm is forecast to pass very near the Madagascan capital, Antananarivo.
Cyclones weaken over land – but Giovanna has enough impetus to carry it right across central Madagascar, and into the Mozambique Channel, where it will pick up strength again.
According to the US Navy’s Joint Typhoon Warning Centre (JTWC), the cyclone is currently generating sustained winds of 95 knots (176 kilometres per hour), with gusts of 115 knots. By Wednesday morning, wind speeds are expected to have fallen by more than half to 45 knots.
Wind speed will pick up again when Giovanna hits the open waters of the Mozambique Channel. By Saturday, as it bears down on the Mozambican coast, winds of 65 knots (120 kilometres an hour) are forecast, with gusts of 80 knots.
The course of Giovanna, as plotted by the JTWC, indicate that it will make landfall on Saturday on the Inhambane coast, in Vilankulo or Massinga district.
The government’s Disaster Management Technical Council met in Maputo on Monday and recommended that the cyclone be closely monitored, and regular warnings given to keep the public informed. As from Wednesday, when the cyclone is forecast to enter the Mozambican Channel, boats should not put out to sea.
The National Meteorology Institute says the situation is not yet alarming. However, it is expected that the cyclone will produce rainfall of 150 to 200 millimetres over a three day period, which could swell rivers in southern Mozambique such as the Save, the Limpopo and the Incomati.
Post published in: Africa News