MET warns of more heavy rains, windstorms

The Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services (MET) has warned of heavy rains and strong winds in parts of the Southern Region from Friday.

In a statement issued on Monday, the department says the Central and Northern regions will only experience scattered rainfall as the southern parts of the country experience heavy rains that may lead to floods and other disasters.

The warning also comes at a time the country is recovering from effects of floods following heavy rains and strong winds in parts of the Central and Southern regions last week.

The statement quotes a Southern Africa Regional weather analysis that the equatorial rain belt remains active over the North and Central areas while wind divergence is to be enhanced by tropical cyclone IDAI in Mozambique that will cause heavy rains and winds in southern parts of Malawi.

MET director Jolam Nkhokwe said in a telephone interview yesterday the tropical storm will pass through Zimbabwe and Mozambique and will not affect central and northern areas.

He said: “Its major impact will be in parts of the Southern Region like Nsanje, Chikwawa and parts of Blantyre.”