
* The storm is expected to continue to intensify and evolve into a moderate tropical storm, potentially escalating into a tropical cyclone
* Met Department assures the public that it will continue to closely monitor the developments in the Mozambique Channel
By Duncan Mlanjira
The Department of Climate Change &!Meteorological Services is alerting the Malawi nation about a possible development of a tropical storm in the Mozambique Channel by Sunday, March 10 — which has a 60% chance that it may get to or closer to southern Malawi.

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Once the weather system develops, the Met Department says the storm “is expected to continue to intensify and evolve into a moderate tropical storm, potentially escalating into a tropical cyclone”.
“Since the storm is not yet developed, the path that it can take is not yet known,” says the Department while indicating of the 60% chance that it may get to or closer to southern Malawi.
“Many areas across the country will continue receiving locally heavy rains and occasional thunderstorms increasing risk of sporadic flash flooding in low lying and flood prone areas. This is because of the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone which continues to oscillate over Malawi.”
The Department assures the public that it will continue to closely monitor the developments in the Mozambique Channel and that any potential impacts on Malawi weather will be promptly communicated.
The public is further advises to prioritize safety by avoiding crossing flooded or fast flowing waters.

Weather update
Meanwhile, the Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA) says as of today, March 7, an updated preliminary report from Nkhotakota District Council states that the death toll has risen from six — as reported in its update on Tuesday March 5 to seven — out of which five are adult males whereas two are children under the age of five.
A total of 14,796 people have been affected; out of which 9,925 (4,321 males and 5,604 females) have been displaced and are living in 12 camps established in Traditional Authorities (TAs) Mphonde and Kanyenda.
The camps are also hosting vulnerable groups — 1,638 under-5 children, 287 expectant mothers, 305 lactating mothers, 46 people with disabilities and 82 elderly persons.
DoDMA says an inter-agency team is still conducting detailed assessments to establish impacts of the floods in various sectors and determine sector-specific needs in affected areas.
The search and rescue (SAR) team led by the Malawi Defence Force (MDF) continues to undertake their operations and among other interventions, the team is ferrying humanitarian workers and relief items by boats to and fro areas inaccessible by roads.
Accessiblity to affected areas remains a challenge with the main road, M005 cut-off on five points between Nkhotakota and Dwambazi.
“This impedes delivery of essential services; with humanitarian workers largely relying on boats to reach affected areas,” says the update, adding that the Government, through DoDMA, has provided K266.780 million worth of relief items.
These include 1,050 50kg bags of maize; 413 50kg bags of maize flour; 30 50kg bags of beans; 20,000 plates; 1,000 pails; 10 family tents; 109 packs of ready-made food; 3,400 blankets and 14 bags of clothes.
However, DoDMA says the Council emphasises that affected people are still in need of more items such as maize flour, soya pieces, beans, usipa, salt, sugar, chlorine, plastic sheets, Likuni Phala, cooking oil, blankets, buckets, plates, cups, dignity kits and tents.
DoDMA further extends “its heartfelt gratitude to the Malawi Red Cross Society, UNICEF Malawi, World Health Organisation, Ethanol Company, Illovo Sugar Malawi Plc, Embassy of Iceland, Feed the Children (under USAID-funded Akule ndi Thanzi), Momentum, African Parks, Umunthu Plus, Radio Islam, the fishing community, various humanitarian organisations, companies and individuals of goodwill for complementing Malawi Government efforts in reaching out to the affected”.
Today, President Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera visited and consoled recent flash flood survivors who were rendered homeless in and speaking at Kanyenda and Matiki primary schools in the area of Senior Chief Kanyenda he assured the survivors that his government will with speed continue to assist them with the necessary support until they return to their communities.
He stressed that apart from the government, there are other development partners and NGOs that have already started assisting them adding that others have shown interest in helping these survivors until they can safely return to their areas of residence.
The president also called on DoDMA to work with speed in their assessment and the provision of the necessary help to the people in the camps.
Parliamentarian for Nkhotakota North Constituency, Henry Chimunthu Banda asked President Chakwera to consider bailing out business operators, who lost their businesses at Dwangwa Trading Centre due to the flash floods.
Chimunthu Banda said the people who are in various camps in his area were operating large businesses citing that such people should be considered with initiatives such as the provision of loans through the National Economic and Employment Fund (NEEF) with fair payment plans so they can rebuild their businesses.—Additional reporting by Wongani Mkandawire, MANA

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