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| National |
| No more floods |
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by
Denis Mzembe, 11 March 2004
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18:26:35
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Chances of Malawi experiencing more floods have reduced with the moving away from the Mozambique Channel of cyclone Gafilo which has receded into a tropical depression.
“Its effect (Gafilo) on the Malawi rainfall is decreasing. So chances of Malawi having any floods are low,” director of the Meteorological Services, McDonald Kamdonyo said on Thursday.
He said Malawi experienced heavy rains in the past 10 days because the cyclone was over Madagascar and was blowing moist Congo air into Malawi.
But Kamdonyo cautioned: “There are other tropical cyclones that have developed in Asia and are moving into our area. So it all depends on how fast these cyclones move and to what position,” he said.
Last week heavy rains caused floods in the Phalombe and Zomba areas affecting close to 1,400 households.
Coordinator of disaster management Willie Gidala said about 69 households were affected in Phalombe and 1,200 were affected in Zomba.
“The Zomba area was affected because of the Phalombe River which passes through Mwambo area,” he said.
Gidala said his department has not yet come up with the value of damage that was caused by the Phalombe floods.
“Most of those that were affected are fragile structures and it is hard to come up with their true value,” he said.
Gidala concurred with Kamudonyo there may never be any more floods because the rains are not as heavy as was the case the past two to three years.
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