Cyclone Dikeledi's Destructive Path Misses Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe has been spared the impact of Tropical Cyclone Dikeledi, which has caused massive destruction in Madagascar and Mozambique.
The National Risk and Disaster Management Programme of Madagascar (BNGRC) reported that the cyclone has claimed three lives and affected more than 7,000 people across the Analanjirofo, Diana, and Sava regions in northern Madagascar. The cyclone destroyed 209 homes and damaged 1,092.
In Mozambique, the National Institute for Disaster Risk Management and Reduction (INGD) has confirmed five fatalities, and four injuries, and over 39,000 people affected, with nearly 3,000 homes destroyed.
Meteorologist Baba Maketa of the Meteorological Services Department (MSD) confirmed in an interview with ZBC News that Cyclone Dikeledi did not make landfall in Zimbabwe. He said:
Tropical Cyclone Dikeledi did come but did not exactly enter into Zimbabwe. It only affected the northern parts of Madagascar and the northeastern parts of Mozambique, but it returned back to the Mozambican Channel and now it is to the south of Madagascar and it is greatly weakened due to the lower temperatures of the oceans that it is now in.
Latest Samsung A06 128GB, 4GB now available: $106
To order, WhatsApp: wa.me/263715068543
When it came in the Mozambican Channel, especially when it was to the northwest of Madagascar, it drew moisture away from Zimbabwe towards itself and this resulted in dryness over the northern and eastern parts of Zimbabwe.
At the moment it has passed and it has already gone. We can no longer expect anything from it and currently the rains that we’re experiencing are a result of the normal systems that cause rains in Zimbabwe, that is the ITCZ and cloud bends that always cause rains in Zimbabwe.
According to the Meteorological Services Department (MSD), most of the tropical cyclones that affect Zimbabwe originate from the Southwest Indian Ocean (SWIO), near the islands of Mauritius and La Réunion, before spreading into Madagascar and Mozambique.
The MSD noted that the Tropical Cyclone Season, which typically begins around December, started earlier than usual this season, in October 2024.
So far, there have been four tropical cyclones: Ancha, named by the Comoros Islands; Bheki, named by Eswatini; Chido, named by Zimbabwe; and Dikeledi, named by South Africa, representing the letters A, B, C, and D.
However, Cyclones Ancha and Bheki did not reach Mozambique or Zimbabwe, while Cyclone Chido reached Mozambique but did not affect Zimbabwe.
As for Cyclone Dikeledi, it is expected to continue its southwestward trajectory over the sea and may weaken and dissipate between January 17 and 18.
More: Pindula News
