JOHANNESBURG – Rescue South Africa said it has a team on standby to deal with Tropical Cyclone Kenneth which is expected to make landfall in Mozambique on Thursday.
Communities have been placed on high alert amid concerns of flooding and landslides.
Although Cyclone Kenneth is not expected to be as powerful as Cyclone Idai which struck Mozambique over a month ago, the impact could be even more severe, with more than half a million people at risk this time.
Rescue South Africa CEO Ian Sher: “Hopefully it will not be as powerful but if it is as powerful [as Idai] or increases in power, it could be even worse on the population to the north. They’re not used to these cyclones – people don’t even know what to do.”
More than 1,000 people were reported killed by Cyclone Idai in Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Malawi.
Weather forecasters say Cyclone Kenneth will bring heavy rainfall, strong winds, and waves of several metres to Mozambique, which is still reeling from the effects of devastating Cyclone Idai.