CYCLONE KENNETH

Thousands feared trapped by Cyclone Kenneth

Thousands of homes have been flattened, power lines damaged

In Summary

• There are fears thousands of people may be trapped as heavy rain and high winds risk more flooding and landslides.

• Cyclone Kenneth struck on Thursday with winds of 220km/h (140mph)

Mozambique is braced for another cyclone following the devastation of Cyclone Idai last month.
Mozambique is braced for another cyclone following the devastation of Cyclone Idai last month.
Image: BBC

Rescuers are trying to reach remote villages in Mozambique where a powerful cyclone caused widespread devastation.

There are fears thousands of people may be trapped as heavy rain and high winds risk more flooding and landslides.

Cyclone Kenneth struck on Thursday with winds of 220km/h (140mph), barely a month after Cyclone Idai killed more than 900 people across three countries.

Thousands of homes have been flattened, power lines damaged and low-lying areas deluged by the storm.

The BBC's Pumza Fihlani reports that the damage to the power lines in parts of northern Mozambique is making communication difficult.

Almost 20,000 people have taken shelter in makeshift displacement centres, including schools and churches, our correspondent adds.

Cyclone Kenneth had already killed three people on the island nation of Comoros, and at least one person has been reported dead in Mozambique after being crushed by a falling tree.

Is this unusual for the region?

UN weather experts say it is unprecedented for two cyclones of such intensity to hit Mozambique in the same season.

The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) also said that no previous records show a cyclone striking the region as far north as Kenneth.

It said a fact-finding mission would examine the "impact of climate change and sea-level rise on Mozambique's resilience" to extreme weather.

 

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