Met Office issues flood warning
18/01/2012 00:00:00
by Staff Reporter
THE Met Office has warned of severe flooding in parts of Zimbabwe as rains
pound the country following a two-week dry spell.
Forecasters are warning that between Thursday and Wednesday, the country
will see the heaviest rainfall activity since the first rains in November.
“The forecast indicates an increase of heavy rains throughout, reaching peak
between January 19 and 25. It is likely that amounts exceeding 80mm in 24
hours will be recorded in some areas,” said Tichaona Zinyemba, the
Meteorological Services Department’s duty forecaster.
Flood alerts have been issued for low-lying areas including Kariba, Victoria
Falls, Tsholotsho, Binga, Muzarabani, Hwange, parts of Masvingo and the
Limpopo Valley.
A mid-summer dry spell was causing concern for farmers, particularly in
parts of Matabeleland South, Hwange and Mberengwa whose crops were wilting
in punishing heat.
But the Met Office is warning farmers to brace for a new kind of problem:
flash floods.
“Already, satellite images are showing that the whole country is being
affected by thunderstorm activities accompanied by lightning. There is
heightened risk of flash flooding, principally in susceptible places and
poorly drained soils,” Zinyemba added.
The Civil Protection Unit has been put on high alert while the Zimbabwe
Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA) and fixed phone company TelOne are
braced for disruptions to their services.