Cyclone Chalane, which is expected to land in Mozambique on Wednesday, will unleash heavy rains over Malawi, causing floods in low lying districts.
The Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services said this in a statement on Monday.
Director of the Department Jolamu Nkhokwe said the Tropical Cyclone on Monday was in the Mozambique Channel, 800 kilometres from Malawi, and was travelling at 17 kilometres per hour.
He added that models still show that the cyclone will land between Quelimane and Beira in Mozambique on Wednesday before starting to move westward into the interior of Mozambique and then Zimbabwe.
“On its Westward movement, the Tropical Cyclone will be unleashing heavy rains over Malawi as it extends its influence over the country. This will be due to strengthening and intensification of the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone and Congo air mass over Malawi from 29th December, 2020,” said Nkhokwe.
He further said that the heavy rains are expected to cause floods along river banks and in low lying districts of the centre and south as well as in lakeshore areas.
Nkhokwe has since advised members of the public to avoid driving through flood waters, flooded roads or bridges, to move from flood prone areas to higher ground, and to not allow children to get close to rivers, drains or streams.
